AFFILIATE MARKETING
from endorsements to brand collaborations, ET BrandEquity

The rapid growth and popularity of social media marketing has been accompanied by an increasing number of people endorsing different brands, products, and services online, to their large follower bases. This unique form of advertising would come to be known by the term influencer marketing. Today, influencer marketing is almost omnipresent in the advertising space, with brands vying for the attention of the large pool of consumers that these influencers have amassed.
Over the years, influencer marketing has been on a continuous upward trajectory, now being valued at over $21 billion dollars, according to the State of Influencer Marketing 2023 Benchmark Report. Moreover, data from the IMH State of Influencer Marketing Report has uncovered that more than 82% marketers have a dedicated budget for influencer marketing, with more brands looking to increase their spends over time.
Simply put, an influencer is someone characterized by a large follower base that enjoys a fan following from their audience. This gives them the power to influence people via the power of advocacy, i.e., if the influencer endorses something, their followers would follow suit too. This is achieved via a closer-knit rapport that influencers have with their fanbase, which sets them apart from celebrities/ personalities in this regard.
Here, followers see their influencers as regular human beings just like them, and find a sense of reliability with them. This sense of being grounded, to facilitate communication that is more human-like is something that brands struggle with even today, and why they look to influencer marketing as a solution to this conundrum. Building a connection that feels more personal is an important step for brands to succeed in today’s day and age, even more so with the industry saturation that has come as a result of many competitors.
Influencers themselves are real-life consumers of the products and services that brands build. They are an authentic reflection of the same things that consumers go through on a day-to-day basis. This leads to a feeling of transparency between followers and influencers. Collaborating with them thus creates a sense of trust with newer groups of consumers who are already familiar with the influencer they are following.
Influencer marketing has caused major disruptions in the marketing industry by introducing a level of authenticity and transparency that is unparalleled to other forms of traditional marketing. This leads to customers engaging with the influencers’ content directly, creating a two-way communication in the brand’s marketing.
As a spillover effect, it has encouraged many more people to become influencers in their own right. Now, the landscape is filled with micro influencers, each collaborating with brands both small and big. This has further led to a segregation in the types of influencers, namely micro and nano influencers.
Micro influencers that are influencers with a following of 10,000 to 100,000 followers often create content corresponding to a particular niche, such as fitness, or food, as examples. Their larger reach naturally means that brands would have to invest more on collaborating with these influencers.
Nano influencers, as the name implies, come with a smaller follower base, usually less than 10,000 followers. In spite of their reduced reach, this group is considered to be more authentic in nature given that the content they post is a lot closer to what regular consumers who aren’t influencers would post. This is because they have just started out and are amassing a following in their initial stages. Collaborating with nano influencers also incurs lower costs for brands.
One of the biggest reasons why influencer marketing is so successful for brands is because it builds social proof. This refers to a psychological phenomenon wherein people look to others to help them make decisions, especially when they may be uncertain, unfamiliar, or simply unable to decide how to go about a purchase. Here, customers tend to conform to the actions of the people they see around them, especially if they are deemed to be credible.
When it comes to marketing, social proof is an excellent way of influencing potential customers by visually guiding them to make a purchase of a particular product or service. Because the product or service in question is seen as favourable to the influencer, their followers can then know that it would give them the same experience as well. The end result of this is customers feeling confident to make a purchase, because the influencer that they adore has experienced the same.
At present, brands benefit from including influencers in their affiliate marketing programmes. With their large following, influencers are able to put brands right in front of consumers, across social media platforms. This unique partnership between influencer and affiliate marketing involves influencers promoting products via affiliate links. When consumers make purchases via these links, the influencer makes a commission or percentage of the sale.
In recent years, influencer commerce, a new phenomenon, has taken the centre stage in influencer marketing efforts. This is a sub-genre of e-commerce that is characterized by selling products in collaboration with influencers. It enables brands to sell their products to consumers via influencers’ social media channels, thereby allowing for very direct purchases.
As time goes by, influencer marketing will only continue to be heavily leveraged to help customers feel closer to the brands they buy from or subscribe to. One of the biggest trends that is already visible is brands collaborating with influencers that have smaller follower bases. This is to help build that sense of connection with audience groups across a larger pool of influencers, while also managing their allocated marketing budgets better.
Moreover, brands have increasingly been looking to build longer relationships with influencers, which comes as a stark contrast to how influencer partnerships would usually be a short/ one time act. With technology continuously evolving at a breakneck pace, geographical borders will continue to be irrelevant, as brands reach out to influencers on a global level. This will also positively impact the overall reach by introducing their products and services to audiences far across the world.
With every new development and technology, and every impact it has on influencer marketing, brands must always remember one thing – that influencers are themselves customers who face the same problems as people do in their regular lives. This should encourage brands to create strategies that are more collaborative in nature, rather than ones that make influencers emulate celebrities in the way they endorse brands.
AFFILIATE MARKETING
With Its Novel Affiliate Model, The Sporting News Bets on Lifetime Value

Sports publisher The Sporting News raised $15 million in Series A funding in September, in large part because of the unique affiliate marketing model it employs.
The company, like a growing number of sports media newsrooms, generates revenue from referring its readers to sportsbooks and gambling operators.
But unlike traditional affiliate models—where retailers like Amazon pay publishers like Wirecutter on a cost-per-acquisition basis each time a customer makes a purchase—The Sporting News uses a revenue-share structure, meaning that it receives a percentage of the lifetime value of the new customers it sends to gambling operators.
“When it comes to delivering a customer to a platform with a longer use case, it is short-sighted to take a one-time fee,” The Sporting News CEO Rich Routman said. “If I send someone to a streaming platform, and they spend $10 a month for five years, why would I take a $20 bounty? I’ll take $2 a month for five years.”
The model enables The Sporting News to act more as a long-term partner to the sportsbooks it works with, sharing in their successes by generating revenue when their referrals spend money. This year, the sports-betting industry in the U.S. is projected to generate $7.62 billion in revenue, according to Statista.
Interest in this kind of model has risen as publishers look to diversify their revenue streams.
While affiliate marketing and commerce are critical in these efforts, they are challenging because publishers have to stack up thousands—if not millions—of individual purchases to make the operation worthwhile.
But revenue-share models let publishers generate recurring income from the customers they generate while placing the onus on them to source quality referrals—a dynamic similar to performance advertising.
Potential in other publishing sectors
The revenue-share model is commonplace in Europe, where the sports-betting market is more mature. The Dutch firm Better Collective, for instance, projects 2023 revenues of $345 million, according to company filings.
But it’s rarer in the U.S., where gambling on sporting events became legal federally just five years ago. So far, only sports publishers have embraced the model, as it functions best in industries in which customers have high lifetime values.
But there is no technical reason why it wouldn’t suit other media companies with similar market dynamics, such as software sales or subscription services, said Bryce Widelitz, vice president of publisher innovation at partnerships management platform impact.com.
AFFILIATE MARKETING
How Creators Are Powering Social Commerce

Storyboard
In the ever-evolving landscape of social media and shopping, a profound shift is underway as retail giants like Amazon and Walmart, along with social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, rely on creators to delve deeper into social commerce.
At the forefront of this transformative journey are creators, emerging as pivotal players in steering the course of social commerce.
From Walmart launching its own creator marketplace to the emergence of TikTok Shop, here are the key developments.
AFFILIATE MARKETING
Cyber Monday 2023: The best extended deals from Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Apple and more
As a participant in multiple affiliate marketing programs, Localish will earn a commission for certain purchases. See full disclaimer below*
There is still time for Cyber Monday savings. If you didn’t have time to pick stuff up on Cyber Monday, don’t worry as many of your favorite brands still have extended Cyber Monday sales. Here is every major brand’s extended Cyber Monday and Black Friday 2023 sales that you need to know. Check out best Cyber Monday deals under $100 and best Cyber Monday deals on Amazon.
Deals from top retailers
Amazon’s Cyber Monday event has ended, but there’s still time for holiday shopping with sales up to 71% on all things tech, household appliances and more.

This is your last chance to get the Apple Airpods 2nd Gen for under $100.

The most powerful Beats headphones yet, the Studio Pro is on sale for more than 50%.

Hisense 58-Inch ULED 4K Smart Fire TV
The crisp Hisense TV is on sale for 41% off.
Walmart’s Cyber Monday Deals is live until supplies last, with massive sales on items from Dyson, Sony, Apple and more.

PlayStation 5 Spider-Man 2 Bundle
The PS5 bundle comes with the hit Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 disc for 10% off.

The Xbox Series S bundle comes with an additional Xbox controller and a 3-month Game Pass subscription.

The fan-favorite Bissell Vac-and-Steam All-in-one is on sale for nearly $100 off.
Home Depot is offering Cyber Monday deals online and in stores now through 11/29, with up to 60% off on home appliances.
Best home products deals
Gordon Ramsay’s favorite cookware brand is offering 50% off their excellent pan and pot sets for Cyber Monday 2023.

HexClad 12-piece Cookware Set
At 40% off, you could have Gordon Ramsey’s favorite 12-piece cookware set for the lowest price ever.
Dyson deals are the best, with many of its revolutionary hair products and vacuums now on sale for up to 50%.

Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer
Dyson’s revolutionary Supersonic Hair Dryer is on sale for the first time this year – grab this excellent product for 25% off.
West Elm is giving 70% off on many of its best luxury furniture for extended Cyber Monday sales.

Roar & Rabbit Geo Inlay Nightstand
This beautiful nightstand is going for 30% off at West Elm.
Solo Stove is the best fire pit retailer on the market, so get their warmth for up to 40% off.
Secure some holiday warmth with the table top Mesa fire pit for 22% off.
Tech and entertainment
Take advantage of Hulu’s amazing Black Friday deal for a limited time! Subscribe to the Hulu (With Ads) plan for 99 per month for one year, current regular monthly price after. Get this deal now by clicking here. Ends 11/28/23. Eligibility restrictions and terms apply.
Best jewelry, clothing and fashion deals
Crocs’ Cyber Week sale are hosting sales up to 50%.
The Classic Clog is a classic for a reason at 25% off.
UNIQLO is having its only sale of the year, with amazing Cyber Week deals for your online shopping experience.
Nordstrom has Cyber Monday deals until midnight tonight, offering up to 82% off across all categories like Nike, UGG, Calvin Klein, Tory Burch and more.
The popular athleisure wear company has a number of great extended Cyber Monday finds, especially in their “We Made Too Much” page for the holiday shopping season.
Best haircare and cosmetics deals
Find deals from Ulta, Sephora and more.
Ulta’s Cyber Monday sales are now live and ends Tuesday November 28th, with up to 50% select beauty products.
The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of Hulu and this ABC station.
* By clicking on the featured links, visitors will leave Localish.com and be directed to third-party e-commerce sites that operate under different terms and privacy policies. Although we are sharing our personal opinions of these products with you, Localish is not endorsing these products. It has not performed product safety testing on any of these products, did not manufacture them, and is not selling, or distributing them and is not making any representations about the safety or caliber of these products. Prices and availability are subject to change from the date of publication.
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