When Ben Francis was starting up his small sportswear brand, he didn’t have the budget of Nike or Under Armour. He couldn’t sponsor top athletes or even get a meeting with top influencers.
Instead, he sent some products and an affiliate link to a small YouTuber named Lex Griffin to do a review. Francis couldn’t offer Griffin any money upfront, so he offered a commission for a percentage of the sales referred.
An early GymShark outfit review from Lex Fitness.
Five years later, Lex Fitness has over 1 million subscribers. He is one of many Gymshark Athletes, content creators who also serve as brand ambassadors. And Ben Francis has built Gymshark into a billion-dollar D2C brand.
That’s the power of affiliate marketing.
Wanna know more? Let’s go through how you can use affiliate marketing to get more customers for your ecommerce brand.
[su_box title=”ReferralCandy’s guide to affiliate marketing programs” box_color=”#2983E4″ title_color=”#ffffff” radius=”2″ ]
- What is affiliate marketing?
- How to start an affiliate marketing program that works
- How to find affiliates for your program
- How to drive affiliate sales
- Gymshark’s affiliate program: Gymshark athletes
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Affiliate marketing has come a long way since Gymshark’s early days, and in 2025, it’s more relevant than ever. With rising ad costs, growing skepticism around paid promotions, and a crowded ecommerce landscape, brands need smarter, performance-based ways to reach new customers.
That’s why this guide exists. Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to level up your current affiliate setup, everything you need is right here: how to build your program, recruit the right partners, and scale it like a pro.
Let’s get into it.
First up, what is affiliate marketing?
Chances are you’ve already been exposed to affiliate marketing on the internet; maybe even today.
Remember the podcast you listened to with an ad in the middle? Or the last YouTube video you watched with a sponsor? That unique discount code or the special link is likely from an affiliate marketing program. When you make a purchase with the code or via the link, the affiliate will earn some commission.
An affiliate marketing program is a marketing strategy where a brand works with affiliates to drive sales.
Wait. How is that different from a referral program or influencer marketing?
- Affiliate marketing: Affiliates create videos, publish review articles, or post on social media about your products in exchange for a commission for the sales they generate. Think of your affiliates like a combination between a sales team and your spokespersons.
- Referral program: Referrers like your products and want to share them with their friends. They are your most loyal customers, and maybe even super-fans. They want more of your products or a discount on their next purchase.
- Influencer marketing: Influencers are usually paid to post promotional content for their followers to see. These days, influencers are more like human billboards.
Of course, in reality, the lines are a little blurry. Your affiliates can be influencers or ordinary folks like me who recommend products to friends.
The biggest difference is who is doing the posting. Your friend posting about their new Evolve Skateboard is likely to be a customer referral program. If your friend is Selena Gomez, posting a selfie with Coca-Cola to 200 million followers, that’s influencer marketing. If you watch Nikki Blackketter’s YouTube channel and see a Gymshark review, that’s affiliate marketing.
Doesn’t matter if it’s Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube – it’s about who is doing the posting.
Affiliate marketing is a powerful channel. It is estimated that 4 out of 5 brands use affiliate marketing, while in the United States alone, affiliate marketing is a $7.4 billion industry.
The key characteristic of affiliate marketing is that you only pay affiliates for the sales they generate for you – which means that affiliates are incentivized to create content that generates sales or present your product in the best light.
As you research more on affiliate marketing, you will likely come across affiliate agencies or affiliate networks. In general, they are more suited for big brands with huge budgets. For example, CJ Affiliate charges about $6,500 to set up an affiliate program and takes 30% of sales through their affiliates.
If you’re running your own ecommerce store, an affiliate marketing app is usually all you need. And it is a lot more affordable. (ReferralCandy starts at $49 per month.)
With that in mind, let’s take a look at how to start an affiliate marketing program.
How to start an affiliate marketing program that works
You can get your affiliate marketing program up in just three steps:
1. Decide the terms of the program
The important things to think through are:
- Affiliate commission: The amount of commission your affiliates will receive from sales they generate
- Offer value: The discount your affiliates can offer to their audience
- Payment terms: The timing of your payment to the affiliates
- Validity & exclusions: Any other details to consider. For example, sale items or discount items may not be eligible for commission
You can make your affiliate commission and offer value more attractive by using the Rule of 100. If your product costs more than $100, offer a flat discount amount (e.g. $30 off). If your product costs less than $100, offer a percentage discount amount (e.g. 15% off). For more details, you can also check out our handy guide on referral program incentives.
Calculate the affiliate commission and offer value carefully to avoid making a loss on products sold. You can also experiment with different amounts to see which is most effective in driving affiliate sales.
But note that affiliates take payment terms seriously because it is revenue for their work. If you miss a payment or pay late, they may warn other affiliates away from you.
Once you’ve figured out the mechanics of your program, you can set this up in an affiliate marketing app.
2. Pick an affiliate marketing app
Affiliate marketing apps help you set up and automate your affiliate program.
In general, when looking for affiliate marketing apps, you want to find ones that allow affiliates to register and enter their own details, give each affiliate their unique affiliate link or discount code, track the sales of each affiliate, and pay commissions at regular intervals. There are many affiliate marketing apps available, and ReferralCandy is one option that may suit your needs.
With an affiliate marketing app in place, all you need to do is recruit and manage affiliates. Ideally, affiliates should have an audience that aligns with your target customer base. You don’t need to start with a large number of affiliates; even starting with just five can be effective. As you start seeing results, you can scale up the program by recruiting more affiliates.
To find affiliates for your program, look for individuals who have an existing audience, maintain a regular publishing schedule, and have a business email showing professionalism. Content creators, reviewers, and social media influencers are three groups of people who make great affiliates. Each group offers unique benefits and can help drive affiliate sales for your brand.
Once you have recruited affiliates, it’s important to set them up for success by providing them with their custom affiliate link or code, marketing collateral, and any necessary support. Keeping track of affiliate sales and adjusting your program accordingly using your affiliate marketing app is key to maximizing the success of your affiliate program.
Exploring ways to enhance your affiliate program is a topic we will delve into in our next discussion.
The Success of Gymshark’s Affiliate Marketing Strategy
Before we conclude, let’s take a look at Gymshark’s remarkable journey with their affiliate program. What began as a small experiment has blossomed into a major triumph in affiliate marketing.
Gymshark Athletes are given the star treatment, serving as brand ambassadors and receiving sponsored Gymshark apparel. They are also flown to offline events and meetups, further solidifying their connection to the brand.
The athlete roster continues to expand, with Gymshark recently adding their first Crossfit athlete and welcoming Beyant Kaur, a powerlifting Sikh woman and mother, to their team. This diversity helps Gymshark appeal to a broader audience across different demographics.
Beyant Kaur sharing her appointment on Instagram
Reports suggest that Gymshark is eyeing expansion into the United States, indicating that more American athletes may soon join the ranks of Gymshark Ambassadors.
Many individuals aspire to become Gymshark Athletes due to their celebrity status. In fact, Ben Francis released a video outlining his process for selecting athletes, hinting that wearing Gymshark apparel, attending events, and posting regularly in Gymshark gear could increase one’s chances of being chosen.
This clever marketing strategy encourages everyone, including aspiring athletes and fans, to engage with the Gymshark brand. The approach seems effective, with over 10 million Instagram posts featuring the #gymshark tag.
A selection of images tagged #Gymshark. None of these individuals are Gymshark Affiliates…yet
The Gymshark affiliate program has evolved over time. Initially offering a 10% discount through affiliate links in 2015, the program now simply directs users to the store without any discount incentive.
This change likely reflects Gymshark’s established brand image, no longer necessitating discounts to attract customers. Instead, the affiliate links support content creators while driving sales and customer growth for the brand.
Gymshark Athlete Nikki Blackketter sharing her affiliate link on YouTube – even in unrelated videos!
Embrace Affiliate Marketing for Your Business Today!
Integrating affiliate marketing into your strategy can yield significant benefits. By allowing affiliates to expand your brand’s reach, you can focus on core business activities.
If you seek further inspiration, explore our collection of affiliate programs from leading ecommerce brands and examples of WooCommerce brands using ReferralCandy for affiliate marketing. For guidance on implementing ReferralCandy for your affiliate program, refer to our helpful article.
P.S. Stay updated on ecommerce insights by subscribing to our newsletter for the latest articles and updates.
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