Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought by the affiliate's own marketing efforts.

Affiliate marketing overlaps with other Internet marketing methods to some degree,because affiliates often use regular advertising methods.Those methods include organic search engine optimization (SEO),paid search engine marketing (PPC – Pay Per Click),e-mail marketing,content marketing,and (in some sense) display advertising.On the other hand,affiliates sometimes use less orthodox techniques,such as publishing reviews of products or services offered by a partner.

Affiliate marketing is commonly confused with referral marketing,as both forms of marketing use third parties to drive sales to the retailer.The two forms of marketing are differentiated,however,in how they drive sales,where affiliate marketing relies purely on financial motivations,while referral marketing relies more on trust and personal relationships.

Affiliate marketing is frequently overlooked by advertisers.While search engines,e-mail,and web site syndication capture much of the attention of online retailers,affiliate marketing carries a much lower profile.Still,affiliates continue to play a significant role in e-retailers' marketing strategies.