At the heart of your health and wellness brand, it’s all about making your customers and clients feel good. So, it’s no surprise that you’re thinking about starting or growing your affiliate marketing program. Real reviews from influencers passionate about your brand lead to happy customers, happy affiliates, and passive revenue for your business. It’s win, win, win.
But what makes an affiliate program for health and wellness successful? Here’s what you need to know, with samples of companies that have thriving affiliate programs.
An affiliate program is a marketing strategy that involves businesses partnering with influencers (known as “affiliates” once they sign on) to promote their products or services. In exchange for a promotion, the company pays the affiliate, whether that’s on a recurring or one-time basis.
The details of the affiliate agreement may differ between companies, but typically, affiliates are paid a commission for each purchase through the affiliate’s unique referral link. Aside from revenue, affiliate programs are great for increasing brand awareness. The right partnership could last years and be lucrative for both parties.
According to the Global Wellness Institute, the health and wellness industry was valued at $6.3 trillion in 2023. And today, the health and wellness industry is one of the top sectors for affiliate programs, according to Shopify.
Why? If you’re passionate about health and wellness, you’re going to gravitate toward that type of content. You get to know some of the ambassadors and leaders in the space, and from there, it’s only a short jump to wanting to take their product recommendations. People are more inclined to purchase from recommendations they can trust. Enter: a beautiful affiliate partnership for both influencers and brands.
Shoppers can spot an inauthentic review from a mile away. And trust us, you don’t want to be associated with them.
Work with your affiliates to help them produce valuable, informative content that sounds like them. Reviews can follow your branding guidelines while also coming from the heart. When you’re recruiting influencers for your affiliate program, try to find people who put their passion into their reviews. Their genuine enthusiasm translates to happy customers and increased revenue for your business.
It won’t be your affiliate’s first rodeo promoting something on their socials. That being said, the more you can provide in terms of brand resources, the more effective their promotion will be.
Start by researching your audience demographics and nailing down your ideal customer profile (ICP). Note their interests and pain points. Then, solidify your value proposition, messaging, and what sets you apart from the competition. Affiliates can utilize this information to create highly tailored, compelling content.
Remember, they want to see you win just as much as you do. The more they sell, the more commission they make. Help them produce their best work with marketing resources that dig into the details.
The affiliate relationship isn’t one-and-done. It’s far from it.
Your affiliates will likely post semi-regularly. So, it’s important that you check in regularly. Ask them what’s working and what isn’t. Give them some visibility on the numbers, too. How many people clicked their affiliate link versus made a purchase? How has their revenue been trending over the last three months?
Show them you’re there to support them, whether it’s with content ideas, a fresh discount link to share for a sale, or branding resources. This feedback loop will show you care, and keep your affiliates feeling valued and inspired to keep selling.
Speaking of feeling valued, you also need to establish a compensation structure that benefits both parties. There are many ways you could compensate affiliates, with the two most common options being:
Recruiting all these wellness affiliates to your marketing program sounds great, but managing them sounds daunting. Fear not, reader.
There are many affiliate marketing software options on the market today. A great tool can help you with automatic payouts and tax forms, provide simple, comprehensive dashboards, and give you visibility into the most important KPIs.
Do keep in mind that some affiliate apps can be too convoluted. Bells and whistles are nice, but if your tooling is too complex, using it might be more difficult than it’s worth. Go with a tool that supports the features you need, while keeping it simple.
Lastly, don’t forget to have fun with it! Influencers have a fun job, and working with them should be fun, too. Let your affiliates get creative, and don’t forget to cheer them on in the comments. People like to see that your brand loves a certain influencer just as much as they do. Wellness is kindness, and it goes a long way with new audiences.
Like we said, the health and wellness sector of the affiliate marketing industry is huge. Here are a few examples of companies in the industry that are killing it with their affiliate programs.
The next addition to the list? It could be you! These health and wellness companies have strong and successful programs operating through Simple Affiliate, keeping things easy for affiliates and business owners alike.
At Simple Affiliate, we provide health and wellness businesses with the tools they need to launch and grow their affiliate programs. With a 5-star rating on the Shopify App Store, we pride ourselves on helping your business get set up quickly, efficiently, and with success.
Book a demo with the team today to learn more and get started.
