In 2025, affiliate marketing is poised to continue its growth as one of the most effective and profitable channels in the digital marketing landscape. According to Joelle Mullin of Awin UK, affiliate marketing is already outperforming traditional marketing channels by 50%. But how can leading brands use affiliate marketing to stay ahead of competitors, maximise performance, and improve return-on-ad-spend (ROAS)? Let’s dive into the affiliate marketing strategies that are setting top brands up for success.
Why Affiliate Marketing Should Be Your Key Growth Channel in 2025
If you didn’t already know, affiliate marketing drove a staggering £20.9 billion in revenue through 356 million sales in 2023. Surprising, right? It’s a channel that’s growing rapidly and becoming a vital component in the marketing strategies of industry giants like Currys, Boots, and other major players. They’re using affiliate marketing to outperform their competitors, drive sales year-on-year, and achieve higher ROAS.
As 2024 comes to a close, Awin has conducted research to understand the key characteristics of the most successful enterprise brands in the affiliate marketing space. After analysing these insights, we’ve discovered a powerful formula that can help any brand scale its success in 2025.
5 Key Affiliate Marketing Strategies for Digital Growth in 2025
The key to excelling in affiliate marketing lies in a few simple yet highly effective strategies. These tactics can dramatically boost your brand’s performance and establish long-term digital partnerships.
1. Share Small Data for Big Performance Gains
A common mistake many brands make is not providing enough insight to their marketing agencies and partners. The more data you can share, the more effectively your partners can optimise your campaigns. Insights into customer behaviour, journey data, and conversion metrics can make all the difference.
- Data-backed investment decisions: These lead to real, incremental value.
- Better optimisation: More insights equal better alignment with your goals.
For example, David Evans, Senior Paid Marketing Manager at Currys, stresses the importance of sharing insights for better campaign optimisation. The more information you provide, the quicker your partners can act to improve your affiliate results.
2. Outsource Technology Needs to Empower Faster Growth
If you want to stay ahead of the competition, don’t waste time trying to build everything in-house. Outsource technology needs to affiliate marketing partners who can help you innovate, maximise reach, and overcome technical hurdles. This is a low-risk, high-reward strategy that can fast-track your success.
- Awin MasterTag: A powerful tool that helps brands quickly assess current performance and test new partnerships without needing major internal resources.
- Minimise internal roadblocks: Focus on high-level strategy while your partners handle the technology and optimisation.
3. Build Strong, Long-Term Partnerships for Sustained Growth
There’s no such thing as a quick win in affiliate marketing. To achieve lasting success, focus on building deep, meaningful relationships with your partners. True success comes from strong, strategic relationships, not just sales metrics.
- Open communication: Foster partnerships built on mutual trust and transparency.
- Win-win mindset: Align affiliate goals with your long-term objectives.
As Ollie Shayer, Omni-Media Director at Boots, explains: Affiliate marketing offers a range of opportunities that drive growth by tapping into diverse partnerships. It’s not just about one-offs; it’s about creating sustained value over time.
4. Flexible Budgeting and a ‘Fail Fast’ Mentality
The brands that excel in affiliate marketing often do so because they aren’t afraid to test new ideas upfront. Allocate a portion of your budget to experimentation and testing so you can figure out what works for your brand.
- Test quickly, scale rapidly: Allocate a budget to experiment with different partners and campaigns.
- Adapt to changing market conditions: A flexible approach lets you strike while the iron’s hot.
A “fail fast” mentality is especially vital when market conditions are unpredictable. In times of economic uncertainty, being able to pivot quickly and test new strategies gives you a competitive edge.
5. Secure C-Suite Buy-In for Long-Term Affiliate Marketing Success
No affiliate marketing strategy can succeed without senior-level support. Make sure your executives understand how affiliate marketing aligns with broader business goals and marketing objectives.
- Strategic alignment: Share your goals with senior stakeholders and ensure they are fully invested.
- Unlock growth potential: With C-suite backing, barriers to affiliate success are removed.
By ensuring alignment at the top, you remove internal friction and set your brand up for long-term affiliate marketing success. Getting executive buy-in is crucial for unlocking greater potential within your affiliate programme.
The S-U-C-C-E-S-S Formula for Affiliate Marketing Success
Through research and in-depth analysis, we’ve pinpointed the key traits that the top 18 brands on the Awin network share. These traits form the S-U-C-C-E-S-S blueprint for affiliate marketing success.
- S – Seamless solutions with MasterTag: Streamline your affiliate programme with powerful tools like the Awin MasterTag for quick performance insights.
- U – Utilise data with conversion analytics: Use data-driven insights to optimise campaigns and boost ROAS.
- C – Complete attribution to measure incremental value: Track every step of the customer journey to measure your affiliate campaign’s true success.
- C – Continuous flexibility with fluid budgets: Allow for flexible spending to test new ideas and maximise performance.
- E – Executive buy-in for long-term success: Secure C-suite support to drive affiliate marketing alignment with broader business goals.
- S – Skills & expertise in industry knowledge: Ensure your team has the right expertise to manage and optimise affiliate marketing campaigns effectively.
- S – Staying power with strategic partnerships: Build lasting relationships with affiliate partners for sustained success.
Conclusion: Driving Affiliate Marketing Growth in 2025
In 2025, affiliate marketing is set to be a game-changer for brands looking to maximise their digital partnerships and boost performance. By following the strategies outlined in the S-U-C-C-E-S-S formula, you can position your brand for sustained growth and success.
Investing in affiliate marketing is no longer just an option – it’s essential. The companies that adapt quickly and embrace the power of partnerships will outperform their competitors, gain market share, and boost their ROAS.
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Photo credit: The Drum
