What If Other People Sold Your Course?
Imagine this.
You wake up to sales notifications. But you didn't send any emails. You didn't post on social media. Someone else recommended your course—and got paid for it.
That's affiliate marketing.
And it's one of the most powerful growth levers for course creators who want to scale beyond their own reach.
What Is an Affiliate Program?
An affiliate program lets other people promote your course in exchange for a commission.
How it works:
- You give affiliates a unique tracking link
- They share that link with their audience
- When someone buys through their link, they earn a commission
- You get a sale you wouldn't have gotten otherwise
Everyone wins. You get new students. Affiliates get paid. Students get a course that was recommended by someone they trust.
Should You Have an Affiliate Program?
Not every course needs one. Consider these factors.
Good Signs You're Ready
- Your course is selling (you've proven the offer works)
- You have happy students who could recommend you
- Others in your space might want to promote you
- You have bandwidth to manage affiliates
Signs to Wait
- You haven't validated your course yet
- Your conversion rate is very low
- You don't have systems in place for tracking
- You can't handle increased support volume
In general, launch your course first. Get some sales and testimonials. Then add an affiliate program.
Setting Up Your Affiliate Program
Step 1: Choose Your Platform
You need software to track affiliate links and manage commissions.
Popular options:
- ThriveCart – Built-in affiliate management, one-time fee
- SamCart – Good affiliate features, subscription
- Rewardful – Integrates with Stripe, affordable
- FirstPromoter – Feature-rich, scales well
- Teachable/Thinkific – Some have built-in affiliate features
Choose based on your course platform and budget.
Step 2: Decide Your Commission Structure
This is the big question: how much do you pay?
Common rates for digital products:
- 20–30%: Conservative, protects your margins
- 30–40%: Industry standard for courses
- 50%: Aggressive, maximizes affiliate motivation
Example:
- Course price: $297
- 30% commission: $89 per sale
- 50% commission: $148 per sale
Higher commissions attract more affiliates but cut into your profits.
My recommendation: Start at 30–40%. You can always increase later for top performers.
Step 3: Set Commission Terms
Consider these details:
Cookie duration: How long after clicking the link does the affiliate get credit?
- 30 days: Standard
- 60–90 days: Generous, good for high-ticket courses
- Lifetime: Rare, but powerful for recurring products
When do affiliates get paid?
- After refund period ends (protects you from refund abuse)
- Typically 30–60 days after sale
Minimum payout threshold?
- $50 or $100 minimum prevents tiny payouts
Step 4: Create Affiliate Resources
Make it easy for affiliates to promote you.
What to provide:
- Swipe copy: Email templates, social media posts
- Graphics: Banners, social images, course mockups
- Key selling points: Bullet points about benefits
- FAQ: Common questions and answers
- Personal testimonial guidelines: What they can (and can't) say
The easier you make it, the more they'll promote.
Recruiting Affiliates
Build it and they won't necessarily come. You need to recruit actively.
Your Best Affiliates: Happy Students
Your students already know the value of your course. They're natural advocates.
How to recruit them:
- Email students after completion asking if they'd like to refer others
- Mention the affiliate program in your course conclusion
- Make joining simple (one-click signup)
Peers and Colleagues
Others in your industry who serve similar audiences but don't compete directly.
How to approach them:
- Start with a genuine relationship (don't lead with the ask)
- Explain how your course complements their offerings
- Offer a higher commission for influencer-level partners
- Make the ask personal, not templated
Content Creators and Influencers
Bloggers, YouTubers, and podcasters who cover your topic.
How to find them:
- Search YouTube/Google for content in your niche
- Look for mid-tier creators (10K–100K followers)—they're more accessible
- Reach out with a genuine compliment + partnership offer
Your Email List
Even non-students might want to earn commissions.
How to promote:
- Announce your affiliate program to your list
- Explain the benefits (passive income, help their friends)
- Make signup easy
Managing Your Affiliate Program
Set Clear Expectations
Create terms and conditions covering:
- What promotional methods are allowed (and forbidden)
- How they should disclose the affiliate relationship (legally required)
- Payment terms and schedules
- What happens if they violate terms
Communicate Regularly
Don't just set up the program and disappear.
- Send monthly updates on performance
- Share new resources and promotional ideas
- Celebrate top performers
- Announce new products or promotions
Track and Optimize
Monitor these metrics:
- Number of active affiliates
- Clicks per affiliate
- Conversion rate per affiliate
- Revenue generated by affiliates
- Top-performing affiliates
If someone's links get lots of clicks but no sales, they might be attracting the wrong audience. If someone converts at 10%, they're doing something right—ask what.
Reward Top Performers
Consider tiered commissions:
- Standard: 30%
- Silver (10+ sales): 35%
- Gold (25+ sales): 40%
- Platinum (50+ sales): 50%
Or offer bonuses:
- "$500 bonus when you hit 20 sales this month"
Top affiliates should feel valued and incentivized to continue.
Affiliate Program Mistakes to Avoid
Setting Commissions Too Low
If affiliates can earn more promoting someone else, they will.
Research your competition. Be competitive.
Making It Hard to Join
Complicated applications, long waiting periods, confusing dashboards—all kill affiliate motivation.
Keep the signup process simple.
Providing No Resources
Affiliates are busy. If you don't give them swipe copy and images, most won't create their own.
Do the work for them.
Ignoring Compliance
Affiliates MUST disclose their relationship. It's legally required (FTC in the US).
Include clear guidelines and monitor for violations.
Not Paying On Time
Nothing kills an affiliate relationship faster than late or missing payments.
Pay reliably. Every time.
Sample Affiliate Outreach Template
Here's a template for reaching out to potential affiliates:
Subject: Partnership opportunity – [Your Name] x [Their Name]
Hi [Name],
I've been following your work on [platform] for a while, and I love your approach to [specific thing they do].
I recently launched a course called [Course Name] that helps [audience] achieve [outcome]. Given your audience, I think it could be a great fit.
I'm inviting a small group of people to join our affiliate program. You'd earn [X%] commission on every sale—that's $[amount] per enrollment.
I provide all the promotional materials: email swipes, social graphics, and key messaging points.
If this sounds interesting, I'd love to set you up. Just reply and I'll send over the details.
Either way, keep up the great work. Your [specific content piece] really resonated with me.
Best, [Your Name]
Should You Launch or Promote During Affiliate Pushes?
Many creators do "affiliate launches" where affiliates promote during a specific window.
Benefits:
- Creates urgency
- Allows coordinated promotion
- You can offer launch bonuses
How to structure:
- Announce the launch window to affiliates (e.g., "Cart open Jan 15–20")
- Provide a promotional calendar
- Offer bonuses for top performers during the window
- Create a leaderboard to gamify performance
The Long-Term Power of Affiliates
Here's what I want you to understand.
Affiliates aren't just a sales tactic. They're a distribution network.
Every new affiliate extends your reach. Their audience becomes accessible to you. Their recommendation carries weight you could never generate on your own.
Over time, a strong affiliate program can generate 20–50% of your total course sales—with minimal ongoing effort from you.
Your One Small Win Today
If you already have students, send ONE email this week:
"Hey [Name], I hope you're enjoying the course! I'm launching an affiliate program where you can earn $[X] for every friend you refer who enrolls. If you're interested, reply and I'll send you your unique link."
That's it. Start with your happiest students. Expand from there.
Next Step: Affiliates share your course. But what makes them want to share? Read Student Success Stories—how to use testimonials and case studies to triple your conversion rate.