How to Create an Affiliate Program for Your Digital Products (Step-by-Step)
Want to boost sales of your eBooks, courses, or templates? Learn how to create a profitable affiliate program for your digital products — step-by-step.
Introduction
Selling digital products online? Great — but what if you could multiply your reach and sales without spending a dime on ads?
That’s where affiliate programs come in.
By allowing others to promote your product in exchange for a commission, you unlock free traffic, social proof, and a passive sales force. In this guide, you'll learn exactly how to launch your own affiliate program — no coding required.
Why Create an Affiliate Program?
Here’s what an affiliate program brings to your digital product business:
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✅ More sales from other people’s audiences
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✅ Free marketing without upfront ad costs
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✅ Social proof and influencer promotion
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✅ Scalable growth (you only pay for results)
Whether you’re selling a $9 digital planner or a $300 course, affiliate marketing works — and it’s a monetization strategy that’s fully AdSense-compliant and affiliate-friendly.
Step 1: Choose the Right Platform
Some platforms come with built-in affiliate tools so you don’t need to install anything:
Platforms That Support Affiliate Programs:
| Platform | Affiliate Feature? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gumroad | ✅ Built-in | Easy to manage commissions |
| Podia | ✅ Built-in | Available on paid plans |
| Payhip | ✅ Built-in | Manual approval options |
| ThriveCart | ✅ Built-in | Advanced tracking, split payments |
| Teachable | ✅ Built-in | For course-based creators |
| Systeme.io | ✅ Built-in | Free on all plans |
If your current sales platform doesn’t offer affiliates, you can use external services like:
Step 2: Decide on Commission Structure
Your offer needs to be attractive enough to motivate affiliates — but still leave you profitable.
Standard Commission Rates:
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Digital downloads (eBooks, templates): 30–50%
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Courses or memberships: 20–40%
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High-ticket products: 10–20%
You can also offer tiered commissions or bonuses for high performers.
Step 3: Create Affiliate Assets
Your affiliates are busy — give them everything they need to succeed:
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Unique referral links (automatically created via platform)
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Product images or mockups
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Ready-to-use social media captions
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Swipe copy for emails or blogs
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Promo codes (if applicable)
Make it easy and fast to share.
Step 4: Write Clear Affiliate Terms
Set expectations from day one by defining:
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Payout schedule (monthly, after how many days?)
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Minimum payout threshold (e.g. $20)
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Rules against spammy or unethical promotion
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Whether self-referrals are allowed
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How to apply and get approved
You can publish this on an "Affiliate Program" page on your site.
Step 5: Recruit Affiliates
Where to Find Your First Affiliates:
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Your email subscribers
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Existing customers (they already love your product)
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Bloggers or YouTubers in your niche
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Facebook or Discord groups for creators
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Micro-influencers with engaged followers
Send personal outreach messages and make the signup process simple.
Step 6: Track Performance and Payout
Most affiliate tools will handle:
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Link tracking
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Conversion analytics
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Automatic commission calculation
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Manual or automated payouts via PayPal or Stripe
Use this data to optimize your program over time.
Step 7: Motivate and Scale
To keep your affiliates excited and engaged:
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Run monthly contests or bonuses
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Highlight top earners in your newsletter
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Offer exclusive early access or higher commissions
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Provide fresh graphics and seasonal promotions
The better your program performs, the more affiliates will want to join.
Real Example: Gumroad Affiliate Setup
Want to see how it works?
Check out Gumroad’s official affiliate help guide here:
👉 https://help.gumroad.com/article/198-using-gumroads-affiliate-marketing-tools
Final Thoughts
Launching an affiliate program doesn’t require a big audience or a tech team. With the right tools and a solid offer, you can turn fans and creators into a passive sales force that grows with you.
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Coming up next:
– 21 Types of Digital Products You Can Create (Even as a Beginner)
Tags:
#AffiliateMarketing #SellDigitalProducts #GumroadAffiliates #OnlineCourses #CreatorMonetization #PassiveIncome
