Affiliate marketing is often the first choice for those building their business to business partnership programs. It’s a low-risk partnership that’s scalable and relatively easy to start. Plus, getting started can be even more simple when you apply learnings from the business to consumer world to your new program.
“These programs can be highly effective for both B2B and B2C, so long as you understand the nuances,” says Madison Gaudry-Routledge, VP of Social Strategy and Community at Viral Nation. “It might just take some time to find those folks that have the engaged audiences in the niche B2B space you’re looking for.”
So how can B2B professionals use B2C insights to consolidate their affiliate marketing efforts? Read on to learn more about the nuances to target the right affiliate partners and scale your program.
You might also like: B2B influencer marketing for SaaS in 2025.
Key differences between B2B and B2C affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing has a stronger foothold in the consumer market simply because it’s been around for longer than in the B2B world. There are some key differences between the strategies needed to net in the desired target audience.
Target audience: Businesses vs. individual consumers
Products in the consumer space often have shorter sales cycles. Affiliates marketing these products often use a more entertaining content style to capture a larger target audience that relies on emotions to make snap purchasing decisions. There tends to be a lower payout per sale — but sales occur at a higher volume.
The opposite is true in B2B, where products have longer sales cycles and more touch points before purchase. B2B affiliates tend to focus on creating educational and data-driven content to inspire their more niche target audience to make informed purchasing decisions.
See more: B2B influencer marketing negotiation strategies for vendors and influencers.
Sales cycles: Longer in B2B, short in B2C
B2B affiliate marketing space has a longer nurturing cycle as there are multiple decision-makers involved. The prospect audience often requires further education and time to evaluate as leads that are transferred into a sales funnel.
That isn’t necessarily the case in the B2C space, where consumers make quick decisions and fast transactions that immediately convert.
Lead generation vs. immediate purchases
When consumers shop, they tend to make decisions based on their immediate wants and needs. That’s why companies that are social-first are able to capitalize on scrolling trends and influencers to succeed in the affiliate marketing space.
“Companies like GymShark are a social-first brand with a long reputation of working with influencers and finding different ways to incentivize them. They ensure their partners are sharing personal testimonials about the brand and are showcasing the product and oftentimes driving commerce through those trackable affiliate links,” says Gaudry-Routledge.
She adds B2B marketers are less inclined to invest in that space because the sales process is less transactional. It’s still important to ensure your brand feels social-first though, because in both cases it’s a matter of creating a social-first consumer. In the case of B2B, that consumer happens to be a lead generation.
“A brand that has already cracked the code of social is more primed and they’ve already set the foundation,” Gaudry-Routledge continues. “Obviously B2B pushes different things, like software, but something like HubSpot has a very robust affiliate program and their affiliates are incentivized.”
Related: The power of micro-influencers in SaaS affiliate programs.
Commission models: Flat fees vs. recurring revenue
Since the sales cycle is longer in B2B, paying out partner commissions looks different than for a B2C affiliate where the purchase and tracking is more instantaneous.
As a result, B2B models tend to involve higher payouts, less volume and flat fees, while B2C models feature lower rates at a higher volume and recurring revenue. In both cases, Gaudry-Routledge says it’s important to gamify the commission model in order to incentivize the affiliates and build relationships.
“What are they getting out of this partnership that makes them want to be an ambassador or an affiliate? Are we gamifying it in any sort of way amongst the affiliates that we have?” she poses. “From a cost perspective, it's much more beneficial to build relationships with different professionals in the space and ensure you're able to use them again and build that familiarity versus one and done.”
As discussed, B2C affiliate marketing programs focus on immediate purchases while B2B programs are about lead generation. That means that, while consumer affiliates can target mass purchasers, B2B affiliates need to attract high-quality leads that are likely to convert to sales.
Creators vs. influencers
Due to the nature of the B2B sales cycle, it’s essential to target knowledgeable or expert affiliates who can also serve as educators. Thought leaders are prime affiliate targets as they can speak to your niche market and help bridge the gap between education and sales. Their content will be equally educational, versus a content creator in the B2C space who is more likely to rely on emotion or lifestyle content to get their click-throughs.
Affiliate marketing strategies for B2B companies
Want to create stronger strategies for your B2B affiliate marketing program? Here are a few ideas.
How to find and recruit high-performing B2B affiliates
“If you can find someone who’s a well-known social media personality but also has a niche for what your product is in the space, that’s like hitting the jackpot,” says Gaudry-Routledge. “But it’s more difficult to find than in the B2C space.”
A good start is to focus on industry networks and consultants in the space, see who they follow and learn from as well. You aren’t necessarily looking for those with mass followings — it’s more important to tap into the voices that your customers are already turning to.
B2B influencers and thought leaders can also be good sources, particularly if they’re active in the podcasting or YouTube space.
See more: How B2B influencers fit into your partner program strategy.
Content marketing for B2B affiliate success
To set your B2B affiliates up for success, share marketing assets like whitepapers, webinars and case studies that they can turn into content and socialize. Allow affiliates to use parts of those marketing materials and link to the full thing or create videos or posts that deliver the same messaging.
“There are multiple approaches in how you could run that strategy,” says Gaudry-Routledge. “I'm pro giving people value in your content. That's what makes people want to follow your channels and stay with your socials.”
LinkedIn and email outreach for affiliate recruitment
While YouTube and podcasting may be better suited for B2B affiliate recruitment than platforms like TikTok or Instagram, don’t forget direct communication channels like LinkedIn and email outreach.
“LinkedIn is definitely a platform you want to show up on as a B2B affiliate marketer,” says Gaudry-Routledge. “But we are seeing a shift and there are B2C brands on there too. What you want is to be on platforms that have proximity to the audience you’re looking for.”
At the end of the day, it can be challenging to transform drier subjects into captivating social-first content. But, by bringing in the right affiliate partners, gamifying the commission structure to peak their interest and providing partners with supporting messaging and marketing materials, you’re setting yourself up for a winning strategy.
“Find a way to make your brand and product feel socially and culturally relevant and understand the nuances on the different platforms,” wraps Gaudry-Routledge. “It may take some time and they may not have the largest social followings, but find the folks with those engaged audiences and you’ll be able to build those relationships in the niche you’re looking for.”
