While affiliate marketing has been around since the 1980s, it has become increasingly popular for big brands and e-commerce. In fact, a study showed that U.S. affiliate marketing spending is set to hit a whopping $15.7 billion in 2024.
So don’t worry — it’s not too late to reap the benefits of setting up your own affiliate program.
In this article, I’ll provide you with affiliate marketing email templates you can send as you launch and manage your program.
1. Affiliate outreach email template
Reaching out to influencers, bloggers, and other creators is the first step to a successful affiliate marketing program. You can look at the outreach email as the friendly handshake that serves as your initial introduction to potential affiliates, setting the tone for future collaboration.
This email aims to gauge their interest and make a good first impression so you’ll want to connect and provide just the right amount of details. As they say, “a first impression can only be made once.”
For example, if you want to reach out to travel vloggers, show that you’ve done your research and truly know their content:
| Subject: 👋Hi [Recipient’s name], quick question about your [platform/social media platform] Hi [First Name], I recently came across your travel vlog, [name and link of the channel]. Your adventurous spirit and engaging storytelling stood out to me. I’m [your name] from [your company name], [a short description of what you do or offer]. Our [service/product name] shares the same audience and helps them to solve [describe the problem and the solution]. I believe there’s a great synergy between your content and our brand. We’re expanding our affiliate program and think you’d be an excellent addition. We offer a competitive commission and extra bonuses for our partners who are constantly on the go. Would you be interested in hearing more about our affiliate program? I’d be happy to share detailed information and answer any questions you might have. Looking forward to the possibility of working together, [Your Name] [Your Title] [Company] [Contact Details and Link to Social] |
As you can see, this email is short and sweet. It doesn’t provide the commission rate yet and piques interest by mentioning extra bonuses.
But, even though you are using a template, make sure you write a custom introduction.
Say something genuine and unique about how you found their information online and why you would be a good match. Another way to increase your chances of getting a reply is to mention previous influencers and creators you’ve worked with.
2. Affiliate recruitment email template
If they responded to your first email and said yes, congratulations! The recruitment email is the next crucial point of contact. The trick here is to provide all the important information without overwhelming them. 🤯
Your potential affiliate partner must instantly decide if the program is right for them. You can even customize it and check out the existing affiliate products they’re already offering.
It’s better to reply to the original email thread instead of starting a new one. This reminds them about who you are, why you initially reached out, and the last time you reached out. So, in this case, you don’t need a new subject line:
| Hi [First Name], Thrilled you’re considering our affiliate program. Our program offers [sales percentage] on sales, paid monthly. There are no minimum payouts! Plus, you’ll get promotional materials and our team’s full support. And if you reach certain milestones, there are extra bonuses, such as getting exclusive [share details of an exclusive offer, gift, or extra commission]. You can sign up here: [insert link] But if you have more questions, please feel free to ask. I’d be happy to jump on a call with you if you prefer. Here’s a link to my calendar [insert link]. Can’t wait to potentially team up! [Your Name] [Your Title ] [Name of Your Company] [Contact Details and Link to Social] |
You can, and should, reflect your brand’s tone in your emails. If your brand is fun and cool, try to convey that with your language. But whatever your brand style is, keep your recruitment email clear and informative.
Spark enough interest to lead to a signup. And make sure to set up the right tracking details in your email. For example, if you know who clicked the signup link but did not sign up yet, you can prioritize following up with them.
3. Welcome email template
You’ve successfully recruited affiliates. That’s a big milestone! The next step is to welcome your new affiliates and provide them with the tools they need for success.
This email should make them feel part of the team and excited about the partnership:
| Subject: Welcome to the [Your Company] Family, [First Name]! 🎉 Hi [First Name], I’m thrilled to officially welcome you to [Your Company] Affiliate Program! Your passion for [related field or interest] resonates with us, and we’re excited to see how we can grow together. As a new member, you have access to a range of resources designed to make your experience as rewarding as possible. Here’s what you need to get started: – Your unique affiliate link: [Insert link] – Access to our promotional material: [Insert link to resources] – Step-by-step guidelines for best practices: [Insert link or attachment] We believe in your potential and are here to support you every step of the way. If you have any questions or need further information, feel free to reach out. Let’s make this partnership a success! Warm regards, [Your Name] [Your Title] [Company] [Contact Details and Link to Social] |
To welcome your affiliates, you can also create a separate landing page, which should have all of the resources listed. And don’t forget to ask them to bookmark the page!
4. Performance feedback email template
Your email marketing strategy doesn’t stop once you’ve successfully recruited affiliates. In fact, you’ll need to be more involved than ever. In general, 80% of your sales will come from your top 20% affiliates.
But every sale adds up, and it’s important to provide your affiliates with regular feedback. This helps them understand what they’re doing well and where there’s room for improvement.
| Subject: 📊 Monthly Performance Update & Tips for Growth, [First Name]! Hi [First Name], We’re so happy you’re working so hard to promote [name of affiliate program] to your followers and community. Isn’t it exciting to know how well your promotion is going? Here’s a peek at your achievements from the past month: – Total Clicks: [Number] – Total Conversions: [Number]Conversion Rate: [Percentage] – Your Top-Performing Link: [Link Name] If you want to take your performance to the next level, here are a few tips: – Tip 1: [Insert tip] – Tip 2: [Insert tip] – Tip 3: [Insert tip] Remember, we’re here to support you. If you have any questions or need advice on optimizing your strategy, don’t hesitate to reach out. You can always access your analytics [insert here]. Keep up the fantastic work! Best wishes, [Your Name] [Your Title] [Company] [Contact Details and Link to Social] |
Performance emails tend to get super long. Make sure to focus on the most important statistics and tips that can make a big impact. Depending on your email software, you can create an automation that sends an email based on the milestones they’ve achieved.
5. Seasonal campaign email template
A seasonal marketing campaign effectively engages with your affiliate partners and increases sales. Plus, it can be a smart way to bring in new customers! Before reaching out, make sure all of the details are ironed out.
Seasonal campaigns work well during Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the holiday season. But it mostly depends on your industry and your target audience.
| Subject: 🎁 Get Ready for Our [Seasonal Campaign] – Exclusive Info Inside! Hi [First Name], Exciting news! Our [Seasonal Campaign] is around the corner, and we want our partners to be the first to know. This is a fantastic opportunity to boost your earnings and engage your audience with fresh content. Here’s what’s coming up: – Campaign Details: [Brief description] – Start Date: [Date] – End Date: [Date] – Special Promotions: [Describe promotions or new coupons] – Creative Assets: [Link to materials] To make the most of this campaign, we recommend: – Planning your content in advance – Using the provided creative assets for consistency – Highlighting the unique benefits of our products/services – [Add other valuable tips or time-sensitive reminders] We’re here to help you succeed, so if you have any questions or need additional materials, just let us know. Let’s make this [Seasonal Campaign] our best one yet! Cheers, [Your Name] [Your Title] [Company] [Contact Details and Link to Social] |
You can also create a special lead magnet that your affiliate can use for this campaign. For example, you can create a free checklist of gift ideas for their target audience. Another idea is to provide resources on how to host a special webinar to celebrate the campaign.
Bonus: follow-up email template
Potential partners won’t reply right away to your first email. That’s why follow-ups are so important.
A follow-up email is what usually seals the deal. It nudges those who haven’t responded to your initial outreach or recruitment email.
The key is to be persistent but not pushy:
| Hi [First Name], I know things can get super busy. I was wondering if you got the chance to review our [name of affiliate program]. Is there anything else you’d like to know? We’re excited about the possibility of collaborating, especially as we launch [your new product] that will beat out [your competitor’s product]! Our first affiliates get extra commission on top of the [percentage] for the launch. If you are ready to sign up, here’s the link: [insert link]. And you can always ping me if you have any questions at any time. Hope to hear from you soon! Best regards, [Your Name] [Your Title] [Company] [Contact Details and Link to Social] |
Timing is everything when you’re following up. Ideally, you want to wait two business days before sending your first follow-up. This respects the recipient’s time and priorities.
You can also adapt your follow-ups based on their actions. Did they open your email or click the link? Tailor your message accordingly.
Always keep your tone friendly and professional. Remember, the goal is to encourage action, not pressure them into a decision.
How to write an affiliate marketing email
Crafting an effective affiliate marketing email is more than just filling out a template. Understand the purpose behind each email and tailor your approach to suit different stages of affiliate outreach and engagement.
While the templates provided cover the core types of emails — outreach, recruitment, and follow-up — remember, email marketing involves a spectrum of communications. Each type of email plays a unique role in your overall strategy.
Here are other types of affiliate marketing emails:
- Newsletter updates – Once affiliates are on board, keep them informed and engaged with regular, perhaps weekly newsletters. Update them about new products, marketing strategies, and success stories.
- Training and support emails – Empower your affiliates with resources and training. Show them how they can enhance their marketing skills and better promote your products.
- Feedback and surveys – Engage with your affiliates by requesting their feedback or conducting surveys. This helps you understand their needs as an affiliate and how their audience is responding.
Remember, each email type serves a different purpose in the life cycle of affiliate marketing. Tailor your content to match the email’s objective, keeping in mind the best practices for each.
Be clear and concise. And always provide value to your affiliates. By leveraging the power of email writing tools, you can ensure that your messages are clear, concise, and impactful.
And one more thing, make sure to optimize your settings to:
- Authenticate your emails – Remove inactive subscribers and incorrect email addresses to maintain a high-quality list.
- Use double opt-in – Use SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to verify your identity as a sender, which helps prevent email spoofing and phishing.
- Avoid spam triggers – Avoid words and phrases commonly associated with spam, such as “free,” “guaranteed,” or excessive use of exclamation marks and capital letters.
- Clear your email list – Maintain proper list hygiene by verifying your emails and removing inactive subscribers and bounced emails. On top of keeping your list high-quality, this process avoids paying for extra contacts on your email software.
Analyze your analytics
If you have successfully reached the number of affiliates you want to recruit, your next step is to focus on onboarding them.
On the other hand, if your affiliate marketing email strategy isn’t converting or performing well, you might want to spend a little time understanding your analytics and making some tweaks. You can also brush up on your cold emailing skills.
That’s why getting the right email software for sending your affiliate marketing emails is crucial.
Here are a few metrics to focus on:
- Open rates – Measures how many recipients are opening your emails.
- Click-through rates – Indicates how many people engage with your content and links in emails.
- Conversion rates – Shows the percentage of people clicking the link and the actual sign-ups.
- Bounce rates – Helps identify issues with email lists or content relevancy.
- ROI – Calculates the return on investment of your email campaigns.
By grasping these metrics, you can refine your approach, ensuring that every affiliate marketing email you send hits the mark and drives results.
Test your emails
Okay, so, I’ve told you you should focus on metrics to improve the performance of your affiliate marketing strategy, but how do you actually go about this?
Personally, I use Mailtrap Email Sending, a part of the Mailtrap Email Delivery Platform, which has been a lifesaver for me so far.
On top of offering a reliable SMTP and API service, Mailtrap Email Sending provides me with detailed analytics and helicopter-view dashboards. Some of these include bounce rates, open rates, click-through rates, and many other important stats for fine-tuning my email infrastructure.
Moreover, Mailtrap sends me deliverability alerts to let me know how my emails are doing by providing me with in-depth stats every Monday. Plus I get hourly alerts when one of the critical metrics goes below a predetermined threshold.
I also use Email Testing, another inseparable part of Mailtrap Email Delivery Platform that allows me to test my emails before I send them out, without which I’d risk having my emails being marked as spam, or even worse, their HTML template not getting poorly rendered by certain web browsers.
With Mailtrap Email Testing, I can inspect the HTML/CSS of my emails and fix faulty lines of code, ensuring they arrive in my recipients’ inboxes the way I intend them to.
Lastly, Mailtrap Email Testing has a seamless setup process.
Here’s how it works:
Wrapping Up
If there’s only one thing you can take away from this article, it’s the importance of adding a touch of personalization, even if you’re using affiliate email templates.
So feel free to copy and paste any of these 5 affiliate marketing email templates to get started and add your personal touch.
The more outreach you do, the better your emails will get as long as you follow best practices and analyze your email campaigns.