Why Are Sub Affiliate Networks Important?

Sub-affiliate networks play an essential role in affiliate marketing.

In fact, research has shown that 81% of advertisers use affiliate networks as part of their marketing plan. As affiliate marketing becomes more adopted, sub-affiliate networks have become a common way for organizations to expand their reach and increase sales.

But what exactly are sub-affiliate networks, and how do they work? 

In today’s post, we’ll explain everything you need to know about sub-affiliate networks, including why they’re used, the benefits they provide, and why Getlinked.io is the logical choice as your sub-affiliate network provider.

What are Sub Affiliate Networks?

Sub-affiliate networks are networks of affiliates that work under another affiliate network. 

In the traditional affiliate marketing model, the merchant (or advertiser) works directly with affiliates to promote their products or services. The merchant provides the products and services to promote, tracks sales, and pays commissions to the affiliates.

In the sub-affiliate network model, the main affiliate network acts as an intermediary between the merchant and its affiliates. The sub-affiliate network recruits new affiliates (sometimes with an account manager under a sub-id) to work under them and earn commissions, while the main affiliate network provides the products or services to promote, tracks sales, and pays commissions to the sub-affiliate network.

The sub-affiliate network takes on many of the responsibilities that the merchant would typically handle, such as:

• Recruiting and managing affiliates
• Providing marketing tools and resources
• Handling commission payments to their sub-affiliates

The main affiliate network still maintains control over the overall affiliate marketing program, but the sub-affiliate network acts as an extension of the main network with the sub-id by the affiliate network serving as a sub-affiliates affiliate link.

How do Sub-Affiliate Networks Work?

Sub-affiliate networks work by creating a hierarchical structure of affiliates under the main affiliate network. The main affiliate network recruits sub-affiliate networks, who in turn recruit more affiliates to promote the merchant’s products or services on their blog, website, or social channel.

When a sale is made, the tracking and commission payment process flows up the hierarchy. The customer’s purchase is tracked by the main affiliate network, which logs the sale and calculates the commission owed to the sub-affiliate network. The sub-affiliate network then records the commission owed to the affiliate who made the sale.

The main affiliate network is responsible for providing the merchant’s products or services to promote, as well as tracking sales and handling commission payments to the sub-affiliate networks. They may also provide marketing resources and support to the sub-affiliate networks to help them be more successful in promoting the products or services.

Without this level of transparency, affiliate relationships can strain.

5 Common Sub-Affiliate Network Models

A sub affiliate network can support a variety of marketing models. In affiliate marketing, common sub-affiliate network models used include: 

• Two-Tier Model – In this model, the main affiliate network recruits sub-affiliate networks who then recruit individual affiliates to promote the merchant’s products or services. The commissions earned by the sub-affiliate network are typically a percentage of the commissions earned by their affiliates.
• Multi-Level Marketing Model (MLM) – This model is similar to the two-tier model, but with additional layers of affiliates. The main affiliate network recruits sub-affiliate networks who then recruit additional sub-affiliate networks and individual affiliates. Commissions are paid out to each level of the hierarchy based on the sales made by the affiliates they have recruited.
• Loyalty Programs – Some merchants offer loyalty programs where customers can earn rewards for making purchases or completing certain actions. Sub-affiliate networks can promote these loyalty programs to their affiliates, who can then promote them to their customers. Commissions are typically paid out to the sub-affiliate network and their affiliates based on the rewards earned by customers.
• Influencer Marketing – In this model, sub-affiliate networks work with bloggers, influencers, and content creators from social media to promote the merchant’s products or services. The influencers earn commissions on sales made through their unique affiliate links. Sub-affiliate networks can recruit and manage multiple influencers to create a more effective marketing campaign.
• Niche-Specific Networks – Some sub-affiliate networks focus on specific niches or industries, such as health and wellness or travel. By specializing in a particular niche, these networks can provide more targeted marketing efforts and resources to their affiliates, often leading to higher conversion rates and commissions.

Benefits of Sub-Affiliate Networks

The sub-affiliate network model can provide several benefits for both the main affiliate network and the sub-affiliate network. For the main affiliate network, it can help to expand its reach and increase sales by working with multiple sub-affiliate networks. 

Additionally, sub-affiliate networks can offer additional support and resources to their sub-affiliates, which can help them to be more successful in promoting the products or services.

For the sub-affiliate network, it can provide an opportunity to earn additional commissions and receive support and resources to help them succeed in affiliate marketing. By working with a main affiliate network, they can leverage the network’s established reputation and relationships with merchants to create a more effective marketing strategy.

Create Flexible Sub-Affiliate Networks With Getlinked

Sub-affiliate networks are a powerful tool for merchants looking to expand their affiliate marketing efforts. 

By creating a hierarchical structure of affiliates, merchants can tap into the resources and expertise of multiple networks and affiliates to create a more effective and efficient marketing program. The benefits of sub-affiliate networks are numerous, including:

• Increased reach
• Higher conversion rates
• More targeted marketing efforts

When it comes to sub-affiliate networks, Getlinked.io is the logical choice. Our innovative platform provides affiliate publishers with the tools and resources they need to manage and grow their affiliate program, including a comprehensive suite of tracking and reporting tools, marketing resources, and support. 

With Getlinked.io, merchants can easily create and manage their sub-affiliate network, recruit new affiliates, and track commissions and sales in real time. Whether you’re a small business looking to expand your reach or a large corporation looking to optimize your affiliate marketing program, Getlinked.io can help. 

With our cutting-edge platform and experienced team, we are the ideal partner for any merchant looking to create a successful and profitable sub-affiliate network. So why wait? Contact Getlinked.io today and take your affiliate marketing program to the next level!