Affiliate Tiers & Groups

Organize affiliates and reward top performers with tiered commissions

Table of Contents

Affiliate Tiers & Groups

Organize your affiliates into tiers and groups to manage commission rates, recognize top performers, and streamline program management.

Affiliate Tiers

Tiers let you reward affiliates based on performance with higher commission rates.

Example Tier Structure

TierRequirementCommission Rate
BronzeDefault20%
Silver10+ sales/month25%
Gold25+ sales/month30%
Platinum50+ sales/month35%

Benefits of Tiers

  • Motivation: Affiliates work harder to reach next tier
  • Retention: Top affiliates feel valued
  • Fairness: Rewards based on actual performance
  • Simplicity: Automatic rate adjustments

Setting Up Tiers

Creating Tier Structure

Currently, implement tiers using individual commission overrides:

  1. Identify affiliates meeting tier criteria
  2. Go to their profile → Settings
  3. Set custom commission rate
  4. Note their tier in affiliate notes

Tier Evaluation

Regularly review affiliate performance:

  1. Export affiliate performance data
  2. Identify tier qualifications
  3. Update commission rates
  4. Notify affiliates of tier changes

Affiliate Groups

Groups help organize affiliates by type, relationship, or campaign:

Common Group Types

GroupDescription
InfluencersSocial media personalities
BloggersContent creators with blogs
PartnersStrategic business partners
CustomersCustomers who refer others
AgenciesMarketing agencies

Using Groups

Groups help you:

  • Apply bulk actions
  • Segment reporting
  • Customize communication
  • Manage different relationship types

Campaign-Based Organization

Use campaigns to organize affiliates by product or offer:

Multiple Campaigns

Create separate campaigns for:

  • Different products
  • Different commission structures
  • Geographic regions
  • Promotion types

Assigning Affiliates

  1. Go to affiliate profile
  2. Add them to relevant campaigns
  3. Each campaign can have different rates

Example:

  • Basic Plan: 20% commission
  • Pro Plan: 25% commission
  • Annual Special: 30% commission

Performance Tracking by Group

Analyzing Group Performance

Track metrics by affiliate type:

  • Which groups drive most revenue?
  • Which have highest conversion rates?
  • Which have best customer quality?

Optimizing Your Program

Use insights to:

  • Focus recruitment on high-performing types
  • Adjust rates for underperforming groups
  • Create targeted promotions

Tier Advancement

Automatic vs Manual

Manual Advancement (current):

  • You review performance monthly
  • Manually update commission rates
  • Notify affiliates of changes

Automatic Advancement (future feature):

  • System tracks performance
  • Automatically adjusts tiers
  • Sends notifications

Communication

When affiliates advance (or decline):

Advancement Message:

“Congratulations! Your outstanding performance has earned you Silver tier status. Your commission rate is now 25%!”

Decline Message:

“Your tier status has been adjusted based on recent performance. You can regain higher tier status by increasing your monthly sales.”

Best Practices

Clear Tier Criteria

Document and share:

  • Exact requirements for each tier
  • Evaluation period (monthly/quarterly)
  • What metrics count
  • How ties are handled

Realistic Goals

Set achievable tiers:

  • Bronze: Anyone can reach
  • Silver: Top 30% of affiliates
  • Gold: Top 10% of affiliates
  • Platinum: Top 1% of affiliates

Grace Periods

Consider offering:

  • One-month grace period before tier drops
  • Seasonal adjustments
  • New affiliate ramp-up period

Tier Benefits Beyond Commission

Consider additional perks:

  • Early access to new products
  • Exclusive promotional materials
  • Direct contact with your team
  • Co-marketing opportunities
  • Higher payout frequency

Managing VIP Affiliates

Identifying VIPs

Top affiliates often need special handling:

  • Higher commission rates
  • Dedicated support
  • Custom promotional materials
  • Flexible terms

VIP Treatment

For your best affiliates:

  1. Assign a dedicated contact
  2. Offer custom commission rates
  3. Provide exclusive offers
  4. Prioritize their requests
  5. Include in product feedback

Reporting by Tier/Group

Metrics to Track

MetricBy Tier/Group
Total revenueWhich drives most?
Conversion rateWhich converts best?
Average order valueWhich brings quality?
Refund rateWhich has issues?
Growth rateWhich is trending?

Using Data

Make decisions like:

  • Increase investment in high-ROI groups
  • Adjust rates for underperforming tiers
  • Recruit more of successful types
  • Address quality issues by group

Future Features

Planned tier/group features:

  • Automatic tier progression
  • Group-based bulk actions
  • Tier badges in affiliate portal
  • Group-specific landing pages
  • Automated tier notifications

Troubleshooting

Affiliate Not in Correct Tier

  1. Review their recent performance
  2. Check evaluation period
  3. Manually adjust if needed
  4. Communicate the change

Group Reporting Issues

  1. Verify affiliates are tagged correctly
  2. Check date range filters
  3. Export data for manual analysis

Next Steps