What is SaaS affiliate marketing?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
SaaS affiliate marketing involves recruiting content creators, such as bloggers, to promote your software programs on their own channels.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
These creators, known as affiliates, place direct links to your SaaS website (affiliate links) on their own websites,\u00a0 in their blog posts, or within other content.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\u00a0Every time a lead clicks on an affiliate link and purchases your software, the responsible affiliate earns a cash\u00a0affiliate commission<\/a> as a reward for helping you make the sale.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n Affiliate marketing programs aren’t just for ecommerce: they’ve returned real results for SaaS companies<\/a>. These statistics prove that affiliate marketing strategies work for all businesses, including SaaS companies:<\/p>\r\n Having an affiliate program for SaaS is a win-win from every conceivable angle:<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n Let’s go into more detail on why having a SaaS affiliate program is beneficial for your business.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n SaaS consumers trust the opinions of affiliates who are authorities and experts in their industry \u2013 over and above any amount of advertising you can generate from your own brand.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n This is because affiliates are seen as trustworthy by their loyal fans and followers. If they say something is worth buying because of specific benefits, their audience will take their word for it.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Most programs are run on affiliate management software<\/a> that enables you to measure, analyze, and improve your program.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n With tracking and automations, you eliminate a lot of effort and guesswork from your affiliate program. You can refine and improve any underperforming areas, leaving you free to scale the best channels.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Paid ad efforts can eat into your budget. You\u2019ll also need to spend resources testing and refining strategies before you start to see sustainable long-term results.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n With affiliate programs, you only pay the affiliate commission when a sale is made (besides costs for the software, which can be paid on a monthly basis, if needed).\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The ROI on other forms of marketing, such as paid ads, can vary. There\u2019s a period of testing and trials before you start getting scalable results.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n But because you only need to pay up when an affiliate sale is made, you can pre-determine your costs and mitigate any risk of\u00a0 overspending .<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Provided you\u2019ve done the initial research of zoning in on affiliates who have a relevant following, you can expand your reach to a much wider audience \u2013 one that\u2019s already primed and ready to buy.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Working with affiliates helps you eliminate the laborious steps of having to attract, nurture, and convince a segment of customers to buy.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Even though affiliates are marketing for your SaaS company, you\u2019re still ultimately in control of the campaign. You choose the affiliates you\u2019ll work with. You have a say in how they\u2019ll market your company, and you decide how much to set your affiliate commissions.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Affiliate marketing is a sales pipeline worth considering for an additional source of website traffic, as well as revenue (both one-time and recurring revenue).\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The big question is, of course, whether an affiliate program is right for your SaaS business in the stage you\u2019re at now.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n There are some key criteria to check before you consider investing in a SaaS affiliate program.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Otherwise, you can run into challenges in creating a long-term, profitable, and sustainable affiliate marketing model.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n You should be completely comfortable paying cash commissions to affiliates every time they make a sale.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\r\n You should already have high customer retention rates.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n You should already have high profit margins.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n You should know at least some potential affiliates to recruit.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n You are comfortable with the idea of content creators promoting to anyone who visits their sites.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Pro tip: <\/strong>If an affiliate program isn\u2019t right for your SaaS, all\u2019s not lost. A SaaS referral program<\/a> may be a better alternative and fit. In a SaaS referral program<\/a>, your customers are encouraged to share your SaaS with friends and colleagues they know personally.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n When your existing customers refer a friend or colleague who eventually purchases your software, the existing customers receive rewards for their contributions.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n The rewards could be in the form of non-cash benefits as well, such as credits toward their SaaS payments, feature upgrades, or branded swag. Cash isn\u2019t always the biggest incentive for all customers.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n To create the best affiliate program for SaaS companies, it\u2019s best to include and implement these industry best practices:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Set KPIs (key performance indicators) so you have concrete goals and metrics to measure and work toward. KPIs can help you stay on top of your goals and optimize your campaigns for better results.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Here are a few different examples of KPIs you could track:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Do some initial research on other affiliate programs in your industry so you set a commission that\u2019s attractive to affiliates, while still being sustainable for your business in the long run.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Seasoned affiliates will often have questions when it comes to commission rules and bonuses. Set expectations as clearly \u2013 and as early \u2013 as possible. Here\u2019s a list of questions to prepare for:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n When do affiliates receive their commission?<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n How long are affiliates eligible for a commission after someone clicks their link?<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Are affiliates eligible for recurring commissions if a customer they brought in renews their subscription?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Are affiliates eligible for commission bonuses?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n What if someone cancels their subscription within a certain period? <\/strong>Does the affiliate still earn a commission on that sale?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n This is one aspect of your SaaS affiliate marketing program where you cannot afford to be complacent. The wrong affiliates and downgrade your brand, while the right ones will exponentially scale your product sales.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Affiliates don\u2019t always have to be traditional marketers. They can be bloggers, social media influencers<\/a>, and\/or even industry experts. What matters is their relevance to your niche.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The<\/strong> content, personality, and voice of your chosen affiliates should align well with your industry or niche.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Verify potential affiliates haven\u2019t engaged in spammy or unethical behavior. <\/strong>You don\u2019t want affiliates who could ruin your reputation or scam your business out of money. Reputation, once destroyed, can take a while to rebuild. And it may not always completely recover.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Affiliates must have an audience that closely matches yours.<\/strong> That is, their existing audience should find your product appealing enough to make a purchase. Additionally, look for high, positive engagement from their audience. It\u2019s a sign the affiliate is trusted and has a loyal following.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Identify whether the affiliate has a reputable track record of promoting brands.<\/strong> Even better, regardless of their track record, they should have a concrete plan for how they\u2019ll promote your brand as an affiliate.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Pro tip: <\/strong>How to find affiliates<\/a>? Look for them with relevant hashtag or topical searches on social media, on dedicated forums and social media groups, or use brand mention software.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n You could also publish an affiliate application anyone can fill out. Optimize your application page following SEO best practices, for a keyword including your niche plus the words “affiliate program.”<\/p>\r\n But make sure to screen all applicants against the same rigorous standards you use for affiliates you reach out to.<\/p>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It\u2019s tempting to favor marketers and influencers over your customers. But customers are often your biggest brand ambassadors.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Content creators may not always be familiar with your SaaS company. They may not have the in-depth connection with your product that your customers do.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n As someone with personal experience, customers can also authentically share what makes your SaaS stand out. This is a tremendous advantage in an affiliate program!\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n You can reap similar benefits from a SaaS referral program, which encourages all of your customers to share your software with their friends.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It\u2019s important to set up an affiliate marketing agreement<\/a> to clearly lay out the terms of engagement between your SaaS business and your affiliate partners.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The agreement should clearly indicate what affiliates can and cannot do to promote the business, your branding guidelines, how they\u2019ll earn commission, and other conditions of the relationship.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Affiliate networks can give you access to a large network of potential affiliate partners. But even though these networks do much of the initial legwork, they come with several drawbacks.<\/p>\r\n Here are some of the disadvantages of affiliate networks<\/a>:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Another critical component of successful affiliate marketing programs is to pick the right software. Without software at your disposal, it can become difficult to manage all the moving parts, especially as your program scales.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Affiliate software helps you automate the entire process of affiliate marketing, from tracking affiliate sales<\/a> to ensuring all affiliate commissions are paid out on time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n You\u2019re able to recruit affiliates without directly competing with other businesses \u2013 and once you\u2019ve recruited them, you own the relationship with affiliates. In addition, software can streamline the process of communicating and building these affiliate relationships. All communication is centralized and managed easily from a single platform dashboard.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Affiliate software provides a cost-effective option to get your program running. All you have to pay for are the software and affiliate commissions, unlike the additional fees that are charged by affiliate networks.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n You also retain control of your data and all other aspects of running a program, as there\u2019s no middleman hogging all your data.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n How to select the right affiliate software?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The right affiliate marketing software<\/a> is necessary to sustain a profitable affiliate program. Here are some tips to select the right affiliate software for your SaaS business:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Keep your affiliate partners engaged with our relationship-focused platform. Track affiliate activities in detail to optimize your program, and seamlessly integrate with the software you already use. Plus, an onboarding specialist is included with every plan.<\/p>\r\n Learn more about Referral Rock affiliate software<\/a>, or request a demo.<\/a><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It\u2019s important to keep open lines of communication with your affiliates. Staying in touch on a regular basis shows them you\u2019re genuinely invested in the relationship.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Personalize emails and other direct messages with at least the affiliate’s name.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Train your affiliates on the key aspects of promoting your brand.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Give affiliates access to branded material and assets.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Keep your affiliates updated on your brand and affiliate program.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Make sure affiliates know how to contact you if they have concerns.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Use affiliate software to easily set up and track your ROI goals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Then, based on the data you\u2019ve collected, identify whether your SaaS affiliate marketing program is working well, and where it might need some refining.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Up next, we look at some of the best SaaS affiliate programs available and what they do to make them so successful.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Email marketing platform Moosend<\/a> lays out all the details on their affiliate marketing landing pages. This makes it easy for time-pressed affiliates who want to know what\u2019s in it for them as quickly as possible.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The business has opted for a 30% recurring commission structure, which is in the average range for payouts.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n But where Moosend\u2019s affiliate program really shines is the number of resources available to affiliate partners.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Unlike Moosend, Unbounce<\/a> has chosen to be more selective about who they work with and use a more targeted marketing approach.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n So who does Unbounce accept in its affiliate program? If you\u2019re a marketer or an agency, have an existing SMB (small and medium-sized business) audience, and you absolutely love Unbounce, you have a good chance of becoming an Unbounce affiliate partner.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Unbounce has opted for a 20% recurring commission structure and a no-frills affiliate marketing program that delivers on the basics.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Leadpages<\/a> offers a maximum of 50% recurring commissions on their tiered incentive structures, one of the highest incentives in our list. The lowest you can earn is 10% at the base level.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n To add to the excitement, the commission applies regardless of the type of sale, so you can earn up to 50% even if it\u2019s for a one-time purchase.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Leadpages has gone all out to attract top affiliates by positioning themselves as an all-in-one affiliate product that delivers on everything an affiliate might need for marketing.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n ActiveCampaign<\/a> offers a scaled commission structure, starting from 20% to a maximum of 30% on a recurring basis for as long as a paying customer is retained.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Many entrepreneurs and small business owners are as familiar with Elementor<\/a> as they are with WordPress. Such is the appeal of a product that promises to make designing your WordPress site easy and effortless.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Aside from a popular product that\u2019s easy to sell, Elementor does offer many attractive incentives for affiliate partners. Its program offers a very generous 50% commission whenever an affiliate motivates a paid plan signup.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Unlike Unbounce, which has a limited affiliate profile, Elementor has chosen to cast its net wider.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Omnisend<\/a> is an email & SMS marketing platform that has an attractive affiliate program. They offer a suite of goodies to make it easier for affiliates to market Omnisend\u2019s offering, meaning a quick start with a good commission rate.<\/p>\r\n SocialBee<\/a> offers a 20% recurring commission for each new social media management platform customer and a 10% recurring commission for concierge customers. The best part is that commissions compound if referrals opt for both the tool and the concierge services.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n As part of SocialBee\u2019s affiliate program, you can unlock new opportunities by reaching revenue benchmarks inside the program.<\/p>\r\n What’s the difference between SaaS affiliate marketing and other types of partnerships your SaaS might form? SaaS affiliate marketing is one type of channel partnership. But there are plenty of other SaaS partnership<\/a> types available.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n Here, we’ve listed out a few other popular partnerships, and how they are different from affiliate programs.<\/p>\r\nDoes affiliate marketing work for SaaS businesses?<\/h2>\r\n
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Why are SaaS affiliate programs beneficial?<\/h2>\r\n
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SaaS affiliate programs harness trusted authorities\u00a0<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Affiliate programs give you a way to track and measure word of mouth<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Affiliate marketing is cost-effective compared to paid ads<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Affiliate marketing is low-risk<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Affiliate programs are highly targeted<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
You stay in control<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Affiliates help increase your traffic, leads, and sales<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Is an affiliate program right for your SaaS?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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SaaS affiliate program best practices<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Set strategic affiliate marketing KPIs\u00a0<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Choose competitive but sustainable commission rates<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Outline commission rules and bonuses<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Find and select affiliates carefully<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Don\u2019t overlook existing customers as potential affiliates<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Have affiliates sign an agreement<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Don\u2019t rely on existing affiliate networks<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Run your program with the right affiliate software<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Keep open lines of communication\u00a0<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Track ROI and refine your program accordingly<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Top SaaS affiliate program examples<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
1. Moosend<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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![\"Moosend](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/moosendA.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"Moosend](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/MoosendB.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n2. Unbounce<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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![\"Unbounce](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Unbounce-Affiliate-Program-1.png\" "\\"\\"")
![\"Unbounce](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Unbounce-Affiliate-Program-2.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n3. Leadpages<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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![\"Leadpages](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Leadpages-affiliate-program-1.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"Leadpages](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Leadpages-affiliate-program-2.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n4. ActiveCampaign<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/ActiveCampaign-SaaS-affiliate-program-1.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/ActiveCampaign-SaaS-affiliate-program-2.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/ActiveCampaign-SaaS-affiliate-program-3.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n5. Elementor<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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![\"Elementor](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Elementor-affiliates-1.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"Elementor](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Elementor-affiliates-2.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\r\n6. Omnisend<\/h3>\r\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/2022-09-13_13-39-42.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/h2>\r\n7. SocialBee<\/h3>\r\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/image-4.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/image-1-1.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\r\nSaaS affiliate marketing vs. other types of SaaS partnerships<\/h2>\r\n