Get Clear on These Before You Launch
Launching an affiliate program is one of the most cost-effective ways to grow your mobile app. But jumping in without answering a few foundational questions can lead to misaligned incentives, unsustainable commission rates, or a program that attracts the wrong type of partners.
Here are 15 questions to work through before you go live.
Economics and Pricing
1. What is your average customer lifetime value?
Your LTV determines how much you can afford to pay affiliates per referral while maintaining healthy margins. If you don't know your LTV yet, calculate it from your average subscription length and average revenue per subscriber.
2. What is your current cost per acquisition from other channels?
Your existing CPA from paid ads, organic, or other channels sets a benchmark. Your affiliate CPA should ideally be lower or comparable while delivering equal or better user quality.
3. What commission rate is both attractive to affiliates and sustainable for you?
Research what competitors and similar apps offer. Typical ranges are 15% to 30% for recurring commissions or $3 to $20 for one-time bounties, depending on your app's price point.
4. Will you offer recurring or one-time commissions?
Recurring commissions attract long-term content creators. One-time bounties attract performance marketers. Many apps start with one-time and add recurring options as the program matures.
Program Structure
5. What actions will you commission on?
Will affiliates earn commissions on installs, free trial signups, first purchases, or all purchases? Commissioning on actual revenue (purchases and subscriptions) ensures you only pay when you earn.
6. What is your attribution window?
The attribution window is how long after an affiliate link click a conversion can still be credited. Seven to 30 days is standard for mobile apps. Shorter windows reduce costs; longer windows fairly compensate content creators whose audiences convert slowly.
7. How will you handle refunds and chargebacks?
Decide upfront whether affiliate commissions are clawed back when a user requests a refund. Most programs reverse commissions on refunds that occur within a defined period.
8. Do you need tiered commission rates?
Tiered structures reward top performers with higher rates as they drive more volume. This motivates growth but adds complexity. Consider starting flat and introducing tiers once you have performance data.
Tracking and Integration
9. How will you track affiliate referrals through the app install flow?
Mobile affiliate tracking requires connecting the affiliate link click to the eventual in-app purchase. Insert Affiliate handles this through deep linking and integration with purchase verification services like RevenueCat, Adapty, and direct App Store and Google Play connections.
10. Which purchase verification service are you using?
Your choice of RevenueCat, Adapty, Iaptic, Stripe, or direct store connections determines your integration path. Have this decided before launching so your tracking is accurate from day one.
11. Are your deep links working correctly?
Test your universal links (iOS) and app links (Android) thoroughly before inviting affiliates. Broken deep links mean lost attributions and frustrated partners.
Partner Strategy
12. Who are your ideal affiliate partners?
Define the types of affiliates you want: bloggers, YouTubers, social media creators, review sites, complementary app developers, or existing users. Different partner types require different recruitment approaches and commission structures.
13. How will you recruit your first affiliates?
Your existing users, social media followers, and industry contacts are the easiest first recruits. Having 5 to 10 committed partners at launch gives you immediate momentum and early performance data.
14. What marketing materials will you provide?
Affiliates need assets: app descriptions, key feature lists, screenshots, and talking points. Preparing these before launch helps partners promote effectively from day one.
15. How will you communicate with and support affiliates?
Decide on your communication cadence and channels. A monthly email update with performance highlights, new features, and promotional opportunities keeps affiliates engaged and informed.
Ready to Launch
You do not need perfect answers to all 15 questions before starting. But having clear positions on your economics (questions 1 through 4) and your tracking setup (questions 9 through 11) is essential. The rest can be refined as your program grows and you learn what works for your specific app and audience.
Insert Affiliate provides the tracking, attribution, and commission management infrastructure so you can focus on the strategic questions — who to partner with and how to structure your program for growth.