Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based strategy where promoters earn commissions for driving app installs or sales, synergizing with ASO to enhance mobile growth.

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Affiliate Marketing

Posted: Feb 20 2025

Updated: Feb 27 2025

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing model where businesses reward affiliates (individuals or entities) for driving traffic or sales to their products or services through unique tracking links.

Originating in 1996 with Amazon’s Associates Program, it has evolved into a multibillion-dollar industry, with global spending projected to reach $12 billion by 2025.

How Does Affiliate Marketing Work?

Affiliate marketing involves four key players:

Merchant/Advertiser: The brand offering products or services and managing the affiliate program.
Affiliate/Publisher: The promoter using channels like blogs, social media, or websites to share affiliate links.
Consumer: The end-user who clicks the link and completes a purchase or action.
Affiliate Network/Platform: A third-party service that tracks conversions and manages payouts.

When a consumer clicks an affiliate link, a tracking cookie is stored, attributing subsequent conversions to the affiliate. Commissions are typically calculated as a percentage of sales.

How Does Affiliate Marketing Align with ASO Strategies?

While affiliate marketing primarily drives off-store traffic, it indirectly supports App Store Optimization (ASO) by:

Boosting Organic Rankings: Increased downloads from affiliate campaigns can improve app store rankings, as download volume is a key ASO metric.
Enhancing Keyword Relevance: Affiliates often use targeted keywords in promotional content (e.g., blog posts, videos), which can align with an app’s ASO keyword strategy.
Leveraging User Reviews: Affiliates may encourage users to leave positive reviews, improving app store ratings and visibility.

However, affiliates must avoid incentivizing fake reviews or downloads, which violate platform policies and risk penalties.

Related reading 👉 App User Acquisition Strategy: How Does Affiliate Marketing Help Your Win More User?

What Are the Payment Models in Affiliate Marketing?

Pay-per-Sale (PPS): Affiliates earn a commission on completed sales (e.g., 10% of a $100 product).
Pay-per-Click (PPC): Payment based on clicks, regardless of conversions.
Pay-per-Lead (PPL): Compensation for actions like form submissions or free trials (e.g., HubSpot pays $50 per qualified lead).
Hybrid Models: Platforms like ClickBank combine PPS, PPC, and PPL for diversified earnings.

Why Is Affiliate Marketing Effective for Mobile Apps?

Cost Efficiency: Advertisers pay only for results (e.g., installs or in-app purchases), reducing upfront risks.
Scalability: Affiliates amplify reach across niches, from gaming to fintech, via platforms like TikTok Shop or Facebook Audience Network1.
ASO Synergy: Affiliate-driven installs can enhance app store visibility, while ASO-optimized creatives (e.g., localized keywords) improve affiliate campaign performance.

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Featured Terms

App Ranking
App Rankings refers to the over-all app rankings from the store, or from a particular category in the store, based on downloads and revenue.
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App Store Acquisition Channels
App Store Acquisition Channels are all the potential channels that user acquisition (UA) teams can utilize.
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App Store Optimization (ASO)
App store optimization(ASO) is all about applying the scientific method to mobile key performance indicators (KPIs) that are related to the app stores.
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