Under £1m. How Do I Get Started With Affiliate Partner Marketing?

Affiliate marketing can be one of the most profitable growth levers for ecommerce brands under £1m in revenue. Only if it's built with the right thought and strategy upfront. This isn’t plug-n-play no matter what the platforms tell you. Too many brands get stuck in decision paralysis: "Which platform should I use?", "What commission should I offer?", "Do I need to create custom dashboards?"

Those questions matter, but not yet.

In the early stages, the most important decisions aren't about software, they’re about strategy, positioning and scalability. Here’s how to get started the right way.

1. Know What Role Affiliate Marketing Will Play in Your Growth

Before you even think about affiliate platforms, you need to define where affiliate marketing fits in your wider growth strategy.

Ask:

• Are you trying to reduce paid media spend?

• Do you want to build community and deeper creator relationships?

• Are you targeting specific verticals or niches?

• Will this be a main acquisition channel, or just a supporting revenue stream?

Tip: The clearer you are on the role affiliate marketing plays, the easier it is to decide how to build it.

This is a question I raise in the first call I have with my coaching clients. Often affiliate marketing does require a mindset shift (or ‘fundamental change’ is a way of putting it not so nicely…). It can be frustrating as you build early traction. Time is rarely on the side of the ecommerce founder or operator. Extracting time away from paid ads to focus on a slow-building affiliate partner program can seem counter-productive. Again, another reason why it’s so important to map out a process that works for you.

2. Build Your Partner Profile: Who Do You Want Recommending Your Brand?

Don’t open the floodgates. One of the biggest mistakes is recruiting anyone and everyone with an affiliate link. The process you’re putting in place will avoid the coupon-cretins that infest the market. They’re not in the business of partnership. It’s likely during the early stages you’re rejecting more affiliate applications than you’re onboarding.

Instead, get strategic:

• Who are your dream ambassadors?

• What content are they creating already?

• What audiences do they reach that you want to reach?

• Do they naturally align with your product?

Think creators, past customers, micro-influencers, experts in your niche… not the discount bloggers.

3. Clarify What’s in It for Them

You’re asking people to represent your brand. So… why should they?

A compelling affiliate program answers:

• What commission do they earn (and is it recurring, performance-tiered or flat)?

• Do they get free product or early access?

• Can you feature them in your own marketing? THIS IS BIG.

• Is there a sense of community or brand alignment they can feel proud of?

Partners aren’t just performance marketers, they’re co-creators in your brand narrative ← this is really important to remember. Partnership’s a two way thing.

4. Decide How Much Work You Want to Automate (Now and Later)

Yes, affiliate management can be time-consuming if built on spreadsheets and manual emails.

But it doesn’t have to be as long as you think about scale from the beginning.

You want a setup that:

• Automatically tracks sales and commissions

• Easily pays out affiliates

• Lets you approve/reject affiliates quickly

• Gives partners performance dashboards

• Integrates with your ecommerce platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, etc.)

That doesn’t mean choosing the most expensive tool. It means choosing one that won’t break as your program scales. There’s a lot of crap on the Shopify app store… stay clear.

Start simple, but not so simple that you're manually calculating commissions at 2am.

5. Don’t Overthink the Platform…. But Make Sure It Fits Your Direction

Once you’ve mapped out the strategy above, then, and only then, should you choose your platform.

Key questions to ask:

• Can it grow with me?

• Does it support the type of partners I want (influencers, content creators, NOT coupon sites)?

• Is there automation for emails, approvals and payouts?

• Does it integrate with the tools I already use? Klaviyo?

You don’t need perfection. You need momentum. Most affiliate platforms (like UpPromote, GoAffPro, Refersion or Social Snowball) offer core functionality, but your strategy dictates which one’s best.

6. Start with Quality over Quantity

When launching, don’t aim for hundreds of affiliates.

Start with a small group of aligned partners. Test messaging. See what type of content drives results. Give feedback. Improve your tracking and commission structure based on early insights.

This sets the stage for scale without the mess. Things can move very quickly.

7. Set Expectations Early (and Keep Comms Simple)

Create a clear onboarding email or welcome kit that outlines:

• How the program works

• What content performs best

• What promotions or product launches are coming up

• How they can get support

Treat your early affiliates like VIPs. Very Important Partners. That trust goes a long way when they’re choosing which brands to promote. I’m still in regular contact with affiliates I was working with 20+ years ago. There’s a tie you create when you’re building and growing businesses together.

Round Up…

Affiliate marketing isn’t just about links and commissions, it’s about building a partner-powered growth engine. For brands under £1m in revenue, it’s your chance to turn customers, creators and fans into growth advocates.

But to do that, you have to start strategically not just tactically.

Choose clarity over complexity. Direction over dashboards. And partners over platforms.