Affiliate Marketing Copy Every Service Provider Needs
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Affiliates have been one of the best parts of my business. Some started as friends then became affiliates, others were clients that loved my offers so much that they wanted to share them.
No matter how I meet my affiliates, I try to give them just as much as I get from them. This means a reciprocal relationship where we build trust, share each other’s offers, and (obviously!) earn money as a result.
If you're heading into launch season and feeling behind on your affiliate marketing, I GOTCHU BOO.
This episode and blog post detail what affiliate copy you need. So grab a pen & paper and start making a checklist!
And if you want pre-written, plug & play copy to invite affiliates to your program (and the swipes for them to use when they share your stuff!), grab the Affiliate Copy Pack for less than $100!
What Is an Affiliate, Exactly?
An affiliate is someone who promotes your offer in exchange for a cut, usually a percentage or set dollar amount of the sale they make on your behalf. There's no universal rule for how much to pay them.
My take: pay as much as you possibly can. The more affiliates stand to earn, the more incentive they have to share your offers with their audience.
My Favorite Affiliate Platforms
I run my program through ThriveCart. They've made some questionable decisions lately as a company, and I don't think they'll be the best option forever, but I still use them because it's a single payment (not a monthly fee) and it hosts my digital products in the same place as my affiliate links.
NOTE: If you're already on Kajabi, use its built-in affiliate tools instead of switching platforms. Teachery and SamCart are also solid options for small businesses, especially those that sell a lot of digital products.
The Four Types of Affiliate Copy You Need
If you haven’t yet started your affiliate program, you probably feel like there are a million pieces of copy you need to write to get it off the ground. You’re right, and I’ve written all the following pieces for you, including a landing page to send all of your affiliates to.
Here’s what copy you need if you’re just starting your affiliate program:
1. Invite copy
This is the most manual part of the process. Reach out personally to people who serve a similar audience in a different way, not necessarily your direct competitors.
My best affiliates have been other copywriters, but also designers, strategists, and even accountants (if someone's far enough along to hire an accountant, they're far enough along to need copy support too).
In this email, tell them what they'll earn, what you expect from them, and what they'll get in return beyond commission. Don’t forget a link to sign up for your affiliate program!
2. Onboarding copy
Once someone says yes, they need their affiliate link, your promotion timeline, and a clear picture of how they can help you promote your offers.
A confirmation email and a simple dashboard (a Google Doc or private page works fine) go a long way here, so they always know where to find their info.
3. Pre-promotion copy
I start looping affiliates in a month or two before I launch to the public. This keeps me on their promotion calendar and gives them time to plan. I also look for ways to promote their offers in return.
Really, you’re running two launches when you have an affiliate program: one to your affiliates, and one to your list.
4. Launch-period touchpoint copy
During an active promotion, I send affiliates updates almost daily: how the launch is going, what's working, how their specific efforts are landing. People love being part of something, and seeing the impact of their promotion keeps them motivated to keep going.
Skip Hiring a Copywriter for This Part
If you're weighing where to spend your marketing budget during a launch, spend it on your sales emails, not your affiliate copy.
Affiliate copy tends to be repeatable and template-friendly once you've built it once. That's exactly why I built the Affiliate Copy Pack, which covers invite, onboarding, and promotion copy along with a dashboard template.
Keeping Affiliates Engaged Beyond the Launch
The most effective affiliate programs treat affiliates like partners, not a distribution list. Here are a few things I do to keep my affiliates excited and engaged:
Host a mixer
A couple of times a year, I get my affiliates in the same room so they can network and sometimes co-promote with each other.
Run a contest
Leaderboards for free registrations get people excited without tying everything to a dollar amount.
Offer a free copy review
My top affiliates occasionally get a free review of their own copy as a thank you.
Show up in person
I hosted a coffee-and-bagels breakfast at a conference where several of my affiliates were already attending. We didn't even talk about my offer. A few attendees brought friends who became affiliates on the spot. They got a free breakfast, we all got more affiliate pals!
Where to Start If You're New to This
Grab a done-for-you resource like the Affiliate Copy Pack so you're not writing from scratch.
Send personal invite emails as soon as possible.
Build a simple, centralized dashboard your affiliates can bookmark and return to.
Add in contests, mixers, and perks later, once your core program is running. You'll be giving up a percentage of revenue, but it's revenue you wouldn't have made without the extra eyeballs on your launch. That's the trade worth making.
Key Takeaways
Affiliates need four types of copy: invite, onboarding, pre-promotion, and launch-period touchpoints.
Pay affiliates as much as you can afford. Higher commission means more motivation to promote.
Your best affiliates often serve your audience in a different way, not compete with you directly.
Relationship-building (mixers, contests, in-person meetups) keeps affiliates engaged between launches.
Save copywriter budget for sales copy. Affiliate copy is repeatable and doesn't need custom work every time.
Listen to the full episode of Copy And for Samantha's complete breakdown, including her honest take on ThriveCart and what she'd do first if she were starting an affiliate program today.
Helpful Resources:
Forgotten Launch Emails checklist (use code PODCAST to get it for $1!)
Watch episodes with subtitles on my YouTube
See my services → sales pages, emails, websites, and more.
Get on my calendar → if you’d like me to write your sales copy for you!
Opt-In Copy Bot → Write high-converting opt-in pages in minutes
Nomad Copy Agency writes copy that CONVERTS for service-based businesses. Inquire about done-for-you services here.
