All figures below are in Colombian pesos (COP).

This is piece 08 of the series. The pillar guide covers the full menu.

Affiliates only promote what converts. If your offer doesn't convert on its own, no affiliate program will save it. Rule #1: have product-market fit before opening the commission spigot.

01 When affiliates make sense (and when not)

Makes sense if

  • Your AOV or LTV is $5 million COP or more.
  • Warm traffic converts at 5%+.
  • You can manage 20 to 100 active affiliates.
  • Your product has "story-telling appeal" (easy to explain in 1 minute).
  • You can pay commissions regularly (monthly or biweekly).

Doesn't make sense if

  • You sell products under $200.000 COP with thin margin.
  • Your product requires heavy customization per sale.
  • No replicable use case.
  • Sales cycle exceeds 6 months.
  • You legally can't pay commissions (no proper invoicing).

02 Commission structures that work

StructureHow it worksBest for
% of sale10 to 30% of sale valueSaaS, info-product, services
Recurring %10 to 20% monthly while customer paysSaaS, memberships, subscriptions
Fixed per sale$100.000 to $1M COP per converted customerHigh-ticket services, B2B
Per qualified lead$20.000 to $100.000 COP per qualifying leadReal estate, finance, long B2B
Tiered10% first 5 sales, 15% 6-15, 20% over 15Mature programs rewarding top performers

The 30% rule

Your commission should never exceed 30% of net margin per sale. If you sell at $1M COP with 40% margin ($400k profit), max commission is ~$120k COP. Beyond that, the program loses money.

03 Tracking software

RewardfulSaaS. Stripe integration. From $200.000 COP/month.
ReferralCandyShopify e-commerce. From $200.000 COP/month by volume.
RefersionSerious e-commerce. From $400.000 COP/month.
PartnerstackB2B SaaS, enterprise partners. Custom quote.
TapfiliateGeneralist, good price/feature ratio.
FirstPromoterSmall/mid SaaS. From $200.000 COP/month.

No-software version: To start with 5 to 10 affiliates, a Google Sheets + unique discount codes in your store (Shopify, Wix, custom) does the job. Each affiliate has a code (ex: MARIA10) and you see in your dashboard how many sales used that code.

04 How to find affiliates (the good ones)

Affiliate types, in order of quality

1

Happy existing customers

The best affiliates are your best customers. They know the product, have real testimonials, their recommendation is credible. Start here.

2

Niche creators

Mid-sized influencers (10K to 100K followers) in your vertical. Better conversion than mega-influencers.

3

Sector professionals

Consultants, accountants, lawyers who already refer clients. Turn the informal referral into a formal commission.

4

Niche bloggers / podcasters

If your product solves a problem they already write about, they're natural affiliates.

5

Professional affiliates

People whose business is promoting affiliations exist. Quality varies. Useful once you have a proven program.

05 Approval process

Don't accept everyone. A spam affiliate can damage your brand.

Basic filters

  • Real audience (not bought)?
  • Audience relevant to your product?
  • Ethical, professional, non-deceptive content?
  • Capable of generating 1 to 3 sales/month minimum?

Application form

Minimum fields: Name · Email · ID/NIT · Affiliate type (creator, pro, other) Audience: size + platform + main URL Why do you want to promote our product? Promotion methods you'll use Terms acceptance

06 Materials affiliates need

The average affiliate isn't a marketer. If you let them invent materials, the result is mediocre. Provide a ready kit.

Unique tracking linkWith their affiliate ID. Auto-generated by software.
Personal discount codeDual function: tracking + customer incentive.
Banners in 3 sizesVertical, horizontal, square. For their newsletters/web.
Email template3 to 5 proven versions, they just customize.
Social postsText + image ready for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn.
Short video (15s)For Stories, Reels. Most-used by new affiliates.

07 Payments in Colombia: legal and operational

Payment methods

  • Natural person (individual affiliate): Bank transfer. If exceeds 4 SMMLV/month (~$5.7M COP), you must withhold tax (retención en la fuente).
  • Company or person with RUT: The affiliate issues a cuenta de cobro or invoice. You withhold per regime (typical 4% on commission).
  • Wompi mass payments: Useful for paying 20+ affiliates at once via PSE.

Recommended cadence

  • Monthly: standard. Pay between day 5 and 10 of next month.
  • Biweekly: if volume is high and affiliates are top performers.
  • Per sale: complex to operate. Only if affiliates are corporate.

Hold period

Wait 14 to 30 days before paying commission to cover returns. Industry standard: 30 days.

In Colombia, the SIC and Law 1480 of 2011 (Consumer Statute) require affiliate advertising to be transparent.

  • Affiliate MUST indicate in their posts that they receive commission. Hashtag #publicidad, #afiliado, #partner.
  • If they hide this relationship, both (you and the affiliate) are subject to sanction.
  • Your program terms must include a Law 1480 compliance clause.
  • For Influencer Marketing in Colombia, the SIC published official guidance in 2020 still in force.

09 Mistakes that kill affiliate programs

1

Inflated commission

"We pay 50% to attract affiliates". Margin can't sustain it. Program breaks in 6 months.

2

Broken tracking

If affiliate sells 10 and you credit 7, they leave. Use reliable software from day 1.

3

No materials

Expecting the affiliate to invent everything. Most won't.

4

Approving everyone

Spam affiliates damage brand. Filter.

5

Late payments

You lose good affiliates in 2 cycles. Pay on time.

6

No commission segmentation

Same % for top performer and for someone who sold 1. Tiered programs improve retention.

7

No communication

Affiliates want to know what's working, changing, coming. Monthly newsletter minimum.

10 90-day plan

Month 1: Design and setup

  • Define commission structure (% or fixed).
  • Choose tracking software (Rewardful, ReferralCandy, etc.) or set up no-software version.
  • Draft program terms + legal clause.
  • Prepare materials kit (link, code, banners, templates).
  • Identify 10 affiliate candidates from existing base.

Month 2: Beta launch

  • Invite the 10 candidates. 1-on-1 onboarding.
  • First round of payments at end of month.
  • Iterate materials based on feedback.
  • Internal success case: the first top affiliate.

Month 3: Open

  • Public affiliate program page on your site.
  • Launch on social and newsletter.
  • Target: 30 applications, 15 approved, 10 active in month 3.
  • Evaluate program ROAS. If above 3x, scale.

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