How to Use Affiliate Marketing to Sell More Online Courses

As an online course creator, you’ve likely heard about passive income—the dream of making money while you sleep. In theory, once you create and launch your digital course, the revenue should start rolling in effortlessly. But in reality, attracting customers and maintaining steady sales isn’t that simple.

This is where affiliate marketing becomes a game-changer. By leveraging affiliates to promote your course, you can expand your reach, increase your sales, and establish credibility in your niche—all without spending thousands on advertising.

But what exactly is affiliate marketing, and how can you implement it successfully as a course creator? Let’s break it down step by step.

What is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing strategy where individuals (affiliates) promote your online course in exchange for a commission on sales generated through their referral links. These affiliates can be influencers, bloggers, content creators, or even previous students who believe in the value of your course.

This approach benefits both parties:

• Course creators get increased visibility and sales with minimal upfront costs.
• Affiliates earn passive income by promoting products they trust.

How Affiliate Marketing Works for Online Courses

1. You create an affiliate program – Set up a system where people can sign up to promote your course.
2. Affiliates join and get unique tracking links – These links help you track who is referring sales.
3. Affiliates promote your course – They share links on social media, blogs, YouTube, and email newsletters.
4. Customers purchase through affiliate links – Each sale is recorded, and affiliates earn commissions.

Now, let’s dive into the strategies that will help you build and scale a successful affiliate marketing program for your course.

5 Essential Affiliate Marketing Strategies for Course Creators

1. Choose the Right Affiliates for Your Course

Not all affiliates are created equal. The success of your program depends on selecting affiliates who align with your niche and audience. The best affiliates are those who:

• Have an engaged following that matches your ideal students.
• Create high-quality content that resonates with their audience.
• Have authority in your niche and can genuinely recommend your course.

For example, if you offer a blogging course, partnering with influencers who teach digital marketing, SEO, or freelance writing would be more effective than collaborating with a general lifestyle blogger.‍

Where to Find Affiliates:

• Past Students: Satisfied students are often your best promoters. Offer them an incentive to share your course.
• Industry Bloggers & YouTubers: Reach out to content creators who regularly discuss topics related to your course.
• Email List Owners: Partner with entrepreneurs who send newsletters to audiences interested in online learning.
• Social Media Influencers: Engage with Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok creators in your field.

Choosing the right affiliates ensures you attract students genuinely interested in your course rather than just random traffic.

‍2. Use the Right Affiliate Management Software

‍To track clicks, conversions, and payouts efficiently, you need reliable affiliate management software. There are many platforms available, ranging from free options to advanced paid tools with automation and analytics features.

‍Top Affiliate Software for Course Creators:

• Teachable Affiliates – Built-in for Teachable course creators.
• Thinkific’s Affiliate Program – Integrated with Thinkific’s learning platform.
• Post Affiliate Pro – A standalone platform with robust tracking and reporting.
• Refersion – Best for tracking high-volume affiliate programs.

Choosing the right tool ensures transparency and smooth payouts, making affiliates more motivated to promote your course.

‍3. Set Up a Profitable Commission Structure

‍Your commission structure determines how appealing your affiliate program is. While e-commerce companies like Amazon offer commissions as low as 1-5%, online course commissions typically range from 20-50% because digital products have higher profit margins.

‍Example Commission Structures for Course Creators:

• 30% for new affiliates – A solid starting point for beginners.
• 40-50% for high-performing affiliates – Encourage top promoters with higher payouts.
• Flat-rate commissions – Offer a fixed amount per sale (e.g., $100 per sale for a $500 course).

Keeping your commission structure simple and competitive will attract motivated affiliates who actively promote your course.

‍4. Equip Your Affiliates with Marketing Resources

‍Your affiliates will perform better when you provide them with the right promotional materials. Make it easy for them to sell your course by giving them:

• Pre-written email templates for their newsletter subscribers.
• Social media graphics they can share on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
• Swipe copy for blog posts and video scripts to make content creation easier.
• Exclusive discount codes to increase conversion rates.

For example, if you run a course on Instagram marketing, create high-quality Instagram story templates your affiliates can use. This not only helps them promote your course but also ensures brand consistency.

‍5. Optimize Your Landing Pages for Conversions

‍No matter how many visitors your affiliates send to your website, if your landing page isn’t optimized, you won’t see conversions.

Here’s how to create a high-converting landing page:

• Know your audience – Speak directly to their pain points and goals.
• Make it scannable – Use bullet points, short paragraphs, and compelling headlines.
• Have a strong CTA – Use a clear call to action like “Enroll Now” or “Get Instant Access.”

A/B test different page layouts, copy, and CTAs to see what works best. Even a small improvement in conversion rates can lead to significant revenue growth.

6. Leverage Affiliate-Exclusive Bonuses

To incentivize affiliates and increase conversions, offer exclusive bonuses that only customers who purchase through an affiliate link can access. These could include:

• Bonus coaching calls – A live Q&A or group coaching session for students who enroll through an affiliate.
• Exclusive templates or resources – PDFs, worksheets, or scripts that complement your course content.
• A mini-course or additional module – Offer extra training that enhances the main course.
• Discounts on future courses – Encourage repeat customers by offering affiliate-referred students a discount on your next program.

This method benefits both the affiliate and the buyer—affiliates can use the bonus as a compelling selling point, and students feel they’re getting extra value for their investment.

7. Run an Affiliate Contest or Leaderboard Challenge

Gamifying your affiliate program can drive engagement and competition among your top promoters. Offer rewards for the most sales during a specific timeframe, such as:

• Cash bonuses for the top-performing affiliates.
• Feature and shoutouts on your website, podcast, or social media.
• VIP mastermind calls or coaching sessions for the highest earners.
• Early access to new course materials for winners.

For example, some course creators run "30-day affiliate sales sprints", where the top affiliate during that month wins a special prize. This keeps affiliates motivated and engaged while increasing course sales.

8. Host an Affiliate-Exclusive Webinar

One of the most effective ways to boost conversions is by running affiliate-hosted webinars where affiliates invite their audience to a live session featuring you. These webinars can showcase:

• A behind-the-scenes look at your course.
• Student success stories and testimonials.
• A live Q&A session to address objections and concerns.
• A limited-time offer or discount for attendees.

Affiliates drive traffic to the webinar, and you handle the sales pitch—creating a win-win situation. Course creators like Amy Porterfield and Stu McLaren have successfully used this strategy to generate millions in affiliate-driven course sales.

9. Offer a Two-Tier Affiliate Program

A two-tier affiliate program allows affiliates to earn commissions not only from their direct referrals but also from affiliates they bring into the program.

For example, if an affiliate refers another affiliate, they could earn 10% of that new affiliate’s commissions in addition to their own direct commissions. This creates an incentive for affiliates to recruit others, leading to exponential growth in your marketing reach.

Platforms like Post Affiliate Pro, FirstPromoter, and Tapfiliate offer this feature, making it easy to manage multiple affiliate tiers.

Case Study: How Amy Porterfield Uses Affiliate Marketing to Scale Her Course Business

One of the best-known online course creators, Amy Porterfield, has built a highly successful affiliate marketing program to promote her Digital Course Academy (DCA). Rather than promoting all her digital products, Amy focuses her affiliate program on this flagship course, which sells for $1,997 per student.

Her strategy is simple yet powerful:

• High commission incentives: Amy offers affiliates 50% per sale, making it highly lucrative for influencers and marketers to promote her course.
• Comprehensive marketing support: She provides affiliates with promotional materials, including email sequences, social media posts, and webinar scripts.
• Exclusive early access: Affiliates get behind-the-scenes previews and training to help them promote her launch successfully.

By focusing on a few high-value affiliates rather than thousands of smaller ones, Amy has created a streamlined, profitable affiliate system that generates millions in revenue per launch.

Final Thoughts: Start Scaling Your Course Sales with Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is one of the most effective ways to scale your online course business while minimizing ad spend. By carefully selecting the right affiliates, using affiliate management software, structuring commissions effectively, providing marketing assets, and optimizing your landing pages, you can create a powerful revenue stream that grows over time.

If you’re ready to take your online course business to the next level, start building your affiliate program today. Want more tips on course creation and digital marketing? Check out our resource center for expert insights on launching and growing a profitable online course business.