Partner Marketing: A Beginner's Guide to 37 Essential Terms You Need to Know

Partner marketing, also known as affiliate marketing, is a popular marketing strategy used by businesses to promote their products or services through partnerships with other businesses or individuals. If you're new to partner marketing, there are several key terms and concepts that you'll need to understand to be successful. In this article, we'll provide a beginner's guide to 37 essential terms you need to know in partner marketing.

• Affiliate - A partner who promotes a company's products or services in exchange for a commission.
• Affiliate network - A platform that connects affiliates with merchants and manages tracking, reporting, and payments.
• Affiliate program - A program offered by a merchant that allows affiliates to earn commissions for promoting their products or services.
• Attribution - The process of identifying which affiliate is responsible for a sale or conversion.
• Banner ad - An online advertisement in the form of an image or graphic that is typically placed on a website.
• Click-through rate (CTR) - The percentage of clicks on a link or ad compared to the number of times it was displayed.
• Commission: - The amount of money paid to an affiliate for each sale or conversion.
• Conversion - The action taken by a customer that the merchant considers valuable, such as making a purchase or filling out a form.
• Conversion rate - The percentage of visitors who complete a desired action, such as making a purchase.
• Cookie - A small text file stored on a user's computer that allows affiliates to track and receive credit for sales and conversions.
• Cost per action (CPA) - A pricing model in which the affiliate is paid a commission for a specific action, such as a sale or lead.
• Cost per click (CPC) - A pricing model in which the affiliate is paid for each click on an ad or link.
• Cost per impression (CPM) - A pricing model in which the affiliate is paid for each impression of an ad or link.
• Creative - The promotional material used by affiliates to promote a product or service, such as banners, text links, and email templates.
• Deep link - A hyperlink that directs users to a specific page or product on a merchant's website.
• Earnings per click (EPC) - The average amount of commission earned per click on an affiliate link.
• Fraud: - Any fraudulent activity that leads to false or illegitimate clicks, leads, or sales.
• Impressions - The number of times an ad or link is displayed.
• Incentive - A reward or bonus offered to affiliates for achieving specific goals or milestones.
• Landing page - The web page that a user is directed to after clicking on an affiliate link or ad.
• Lead: - A potential customer who has expressed interest in a product or service but has not yet made a purchase.
• Merchant - A business or company that offers an affiliate program.
• Multi-tier affiliate program - An affiliate program that allows affiliates to earn commissions not only for their own sales, but also for sales made by other affiliates they refer to the program.
• Network earnings: - The total amount of commissions earned by all affiliates in a network.
• Offer: - The product or service that is being promoted by an affiliate.
• Pay-per-click (PPC) - A pricing model in which the affiliate is paid for each click on an ad or link.
• Pay-per-lead (PPL) - A pricing model in which the affiliate is paid for each lead generated, such as a user filling out a form or signing up for a trial.
• Pay-per-sale (PPS) - It is a pricing model used in affiliate marketing where advertisers or merchants pay commissions to their affiliates only when a sale is made. This means that the affiliate earns a percentage of the sale amount or a fixed commission when a customer they referred to the merchant's website completes a purchase.
• Performance marketing - A type of marketing in which advertisers only pay for specific actions that have been completed, such as a sale or lead.
• Publisher - An individual or company that promotes a merchant's products or services through their website, blog, social media, or other channels.
• Referral link: - A unique link given to an affiliate that tracks clicks and sales made through that link.
• Revenue share - A pricing model in which the affiliate receives a percentage of the revenue generated by the merchant.
• Return on investment (ROI): - The measure of how much profit or value is gained compared to the cost of the investment.
• ShareASale - One of the largest affiliate networks that connects merchants with affiliates and provides tracking, reporting, and payments.
• Sub-affiliate - An affiliate who is referred to an affiliate program by another affiliate.
• Tracking code - A unique code that is added to a link or ad to track clicks and conversions.
• Vertical - A specific industry or niche, such as fashion or travel, in which affiliate programs and networks specialize.

Partner marketing can be a valuable strategy for businesses of all sizes and industries, but it's important to have a solid understanding of the terminology and concepts involved. By familiarizing yourself with these essential terms, you'll be better equipped to launch a successful partner marketing program and build strong partnerships with affiliates.