How to Launch an Affiliate Program: Step-by-Step Guide

Author

John Wright
August 21, 2025

This week, I’ve had a few friends ask me how they would best set up their affiliate program.

I was shocked to learn about some of the costs involved in some of the biggest and most reputable companies that offer affiliate software. I don’t want to name the companies but we're talking about large affiliate networks and not in iGaming either. 

Now I can see why people keep going to platforms like Post Affiliate Pro. 

This article is meant more for SaaS companies and more or less B2B and other B2C products and services. In iGaming, you’ll want to lean on companies like RavenTrack, MyAffiliates, Cellxpert, Affilka by SOFTSWISS, ReferOn, PartnerMatrix, Intelitics Software, Income Access, A Paysafe Experience, Aff.Tech, Affnook, and many more.

Affiliate Network vs Affiliate Program

If cost wasn’t an issue, I’d say that affiliate networks can help you speed up activation and intros to affiliates. The problem is that not all affiliate networks will promote your program to their existing network unless you’re paying a premium. Also some of the monthly costs and initial fees are higher than I thought. So much so that it is making me rethink my advice of how to help someone get started.

If you are a big company with a large budget, then launching with over $10,000 should be something worth considering.

For everyone else, you ideally don’t want to start your journey in affiliate marketing in the red and having to dig your way out. You want to turn on the magical affiliate traffic tap and only pay when money is being made. We do have some solutions for affiliate networks but for the most part, there are many established platforms out there.

Networks, in theory you would get great access to an existing database but if this is potentially going to cost a lot of money, then I’d say either go with a startup affiliate program software platform that is growing their user base. The 2 that come to mind are Reditus and Endorsely where I’ve had both Joran Hofman and Jamie I.F. on the Affiliate BI podcast. 

How to Find Affiliates

In theory, finding affiliates is easy. Making a connection with them can be a challenge if they don’t have a proper contact form. 

A simple checklist of what you can do:

  • Find affiliate forums and communities

  • Attend affiliate conferences like Affiliate World and Affiliate Summit

  • Search social media channels

  • Find them on YouTube

  • Use Google and other search engines

  • Use affiliate finder tools

Affiliate Finder Tools

There are a few on the market that do different things so here’s a short list of the ones I know about.

GTM Strategy for an Affiliate Program

A Go-To-Market strategy is something I don’t think works for everybody so one plan can’t always be cloned for another company.

Take a malleable topic like AI tools. If you think about the types of AI tools on the market, there are too many that deserve their own sub category:

You can find sites that list random categories of AI products or you can find ones that are adjacent. Take Lovable.dev and Jasper.ai. They are 2 completely different tools but any affiliate promoting Jasper might be open to promoting Lovable. BTW I'm just using Jasper because it is popular but I've read a few reports of unhappy affiliates that are no longer supporters of Jasper.

If I had a Lovable like product that could appeal to the masses, then I’d want to target affiliates that have serious influence. That would include people like Matt Diggity , Niels Zee, Dustin Howes and more like them. 

Software to Launch your Affiliate Program

I’m going to give a short list of affiliate program software that I think could do the job for an affiliate program that isn’t in iGaming but perhaps B2B or something with recurring revenue share.

  • Reditus

  • Endorsely

  • Trackier

  • Everflow - Partner Marketing Platform

  • Refersion

  • Scaleo

I do got to give a shoutout to these fine guests of the Affiliate BI podcast that are in this unique world of affiliate software.

Let’s not forget StatsDrone.com that integrates with nearly all affiliate program software and now has over 2100 affiliate program integrations!

If I’ve missed your program or you want to shoutout your program or tag a program or person, please do.

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