31 Insightful Affiliate Marketing Statistics in 2024
QR TIGER compiles the most relevant affiliate marketing statistics and trends that every business and marketer should know in 2024.
Affiliate marketing is taking over the digital space, there’s no doubt about that. If you check TikTok, you’ll find that it’s flooded with thousands of videos from creators promoting certain products from brands and online stores.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of how big this marketing industry is becoming, with an approximate yearly growth rate of 10%.
Get in on the action and stay ahead of the game with these lists of reports and insights on affiliate marketing trends, plus tangible marketing tips to help you expand your reach using the best QR code generator.
Let’s dive right in.
Table of Contents
- What is affiliate marketing?
- Part I. Insights into the affiliate marketing market size
- The affiliate marketing industry is valued at over $17 billion
- The global affiliate marketing market for software is expected to reach US$ 7.72 billion in value in 2033
- Retail generates more affiliate marketing revenue than any other industry
- Over half of the total affiliate marketing industry expenditure was spent with US dollars
- Affiliate marketing can give brands an average ROI of $15 for every dollar spent
- Part II. The demographics of affiliate marketers
- A majority of affiliate marketers are between the ages of 35 to 44 years old
- Affiliate marketing is a space slightly dominated by males
- A significant number of affiliate marketers are based in the United States
- The average affiliate marketer has about 2.8 years of experience
- Affiliate marketing teams with more than 6 members earn more than 6 figures annually
- 64.4% of affiliate marketers do not socialize with their peers
- Part III. Trends in affiliate marketing networks and platforms
- The global affiliate network industry market size is over 100k companies
- 83% of brands and publishers use network dashboards to recruit new affiliates
- Amazon Associates is the most popular affiliate network
- 71% of publishers are members of 3 or more affiliate networks
- More than half of all publishers manage their affiliate programs with network-provided reporting platforms
- Part IV. Niche-specific affiliate marketing statistics
- Part V. Statistics on affiliate marketing on social media
- 65% of affiliate marketers say that social media is the best way to drive organic traffic
- Influencers have found major success by entering affiliate partnerships
- Most affiliate marketers who drive traffic with social media have less than 10,000 followers
- The average number of social media platforms an affiliate marketer is 3.02
- Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest are the most popular social media platforms for affiliates
- Part VI. Facts about fraud in affiliate marketing
- Part VII. Trending technologies in affiliate marketing
- Mobile devices account for 50% of affiliate-related traffic
- Data will continue to be integral to the success of affiliate marketing
- A quarter of affiliate marketers have been negatively affected by updates to search algorithms
- Affiliate marketers have begun using AI
- Contextual targeting is gaining popularity in the US
- Empower your affiliate marketing strategies with QR TIGER
- FAQ
What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is a digital marketing strategy where third-party publishers market a brand’s products and services in exchange for a percentage of the sales made.
These third-party publishers are known as affiliates, which can include celebrities, social media influencers, and digital content creators.
Their content often contains affiliate links that direct viewers to product pages or websites. When products are purchased from these links, the affiliate receives commissions as the business gains sales.
Maybelline New York is one of the top cosmetic brands that can provide us with the best example of how affiliate marketing works.
The brand collaborates with UGC creator Grace Wells (@gracewellsphoto) to produce mind-blowing commercials for its newly released products on her social media handles.
With over two million followers, just one of her videos can gather thousands—if not millions—of views, likes, and comments, which can convert into a stream of customers for Maybelline.
Part I. Insights into the affiliate marketing market size
The market size of this marketing space says a lot about its demand in the present and future. To see the value of affiliate marketing, have a look at the insights we’ve gathered:
The affiliate marketing industry is valued at over $17 billion
Affiliate marketing has leaped in value since 2016. According to data from OptinMonster, the industry was worth $13 billion.
This growth is partly attributed to the rise of affiliate marketing among businesses of all shapes and sizes as a low-risk means of boosting revenue.
The global affiliate marketing market for software is expected to reach US$ 7.72 billion in value in 2033
Based on a report from Future Market Insights, the affiliate marketing market size for software is growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17.7%.
This rate of increase can be due to the adoption of cloud-based solutions and low-cost on-premise solutions by smaller businesses.
Retail generates more affiliate marketing revenue than any other industry
According to marketing trends from Influencer Marketing Hub’s Affiliate Benchmark Report 2023, retail businesses generate 44% of all revenue in the affiliate marketing space.
The businesses with the second-most revenue are telecom and media businesses, with 25% of all affiliate marketing revenue. Travel and leisure businesses come in third, with 16% of all revenue.
Over half of the total affiliate marketing industry expenditure was spent with US dollars
Another statistic from Influencer Marketing Hub states that 62.7% of all affiliate marketing industry dollars were spent by American affiliate marketers.
Additionally, experts expect US businesses to spend almost $10 billion in 2024 alone.
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Affiliate marketing can give brands an average ROI of $15 for every dollar spent
According to data from Impact, this is equal to a 1400% return! They also state that affiliate marketing can bring more than 30 percent of total revenue to businesses that take part in it.
Part II. The demographics of affiliate marketers
Statistics on the affiliate marketer population can help you develop your recruitment and marketing strategies. To learn more about what marketers are like, go over these facts:
A majority of affiliate marketers are between the ages of 35 to 44 years old
This data from AffiliateWP suggests that affiliate marketing is prevalent among both those just beginning their careers and those with plenty of professional experience.
In fact, Authority Hacker states that marketers between the ages of 35 and 44 make up 32% of the affiliate marketing industry.
Affiliate marketing is a space slightly dominated by males
According to statistics on affiliate marketing from AffiliateWP, there is a slight male dominance in the affiliate marketing space, with 54% of marketers being male.
However, while females only make up 43% of marketers in the industry, more than 75% of affiliate marketing managers are female.
A significant number of affiliate marketers are based in the United States
57% of affiliate marketers in the world, in fact. Additionally, 10% are found in Canada, while 2% live in India.
This data from Authority Hacker suggests that affiliate marketing is strongly concentrated in North America but does have some reach across the world.
The average affiliate marketer has about 2.8 years of experience
AffiliateWP suggests that there is a mix of experienced marketers and newcomers in the affiliate marketing space.
The average size of an affiliate marketing team size is about 2.3 people
While it’s only the average size, this data from Authority Hacker could be attributed to the fact that 77.1% of affiliate marketers identify as solopreneurs. This means that most marketers in the industry operate alone.
Affiliate marketing teams with more than 6 members earn more than 6 figures annually
More information from Authority Hacker suggests that teams with more than double the average size can expect to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.
64.4% of affiliate marketers do not socialize with their peers
According to affiliate marketing results from a survey done by Authority Hacker, over half of affiliate marketers that responded to their survey don’t interact with other marketers.
Additionally, those who socialize are likely to earn more than $10,000 a month and attend more in-person conferences.
A possible reason for this is that by earning more, affiliate marketers have the freedom to build relationships with their peers. Another reason could be the need to overcome the challenge of building and managing marketing teams.
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Part III. Trends in affiliate marketing networks and platforms
Joining an affiliate network or program is an essential step to becoming an affiliate marketer. Knowing the right one is just half the battle. To arm yourself, take a look at the following trends.
The global affiliate network industry market size is over 100k companies
According to Datanyze, the affiliate network industry is comprised of a whopping 107,179 companies worldwide. Additionally, only 55 of those companies develop and produce the technologies used by various networks.
83% of brands and publishers use network dashboards to recruit new affiliates
While this data from Rakuten’s Forrester Report accounts for most brands, it should be noted that 79% of them also find recruits during events hosted by networks. On the other hand, 56% of brands host their own recruitment events.
Lastly, 71% go for the simplest approach: a “Join Network” button on their websites.
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Amazon Associates is the most popular affiliate network
With over 900,000 active affiliates according to Luisa Zhou, Amazon takes the number one spot as the most popular network for affiliate marketers. This accounts for 58.5% of all affiliate marketers; more than half of the industry!
This popularity can be attributed to the platforms vast range of products that affiliates can promote. The network also offers link-building tools that affiliates can use to direct their audiences to products easily.
Other affiliate networks and their corresponding share of the industry include:
- Clickbank (24.6%)
- ShareASale (21.8%)
- CJ Affiliate (20.5%)
- Impact (15.7%)
- Awin (11.7%)
71% of publishers are members of 3 or more affiliate networks
More affiliate marketing statistics from Rakuten’s Forrester Report suggest that being a part of at least 3 affiliate networks is popular in the industry. On the opposite end of the spectrum, only 4% of publishers are a part of only one network.
More than half of all publishers manage their affiliate programs with network-provided reporting platforms
This data also comes from Rakuten’s Forrester Report and it suggests that network-provided reports are considered very effective by the industry.
Part IV. Niche-specific affiliate marketing statistics
When it comes to niche-specific data, the fashion industry holds the most market share of affiliate marketing programs. According to statistics from WPBeginner, 25% of affiliate programs can be found here.
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As for other niches, the hobby, technology, finance, and health markets are often seen as the most profitable, according to Scaleo.
This profitability can be due to its strong demand, which leads to consistent viewership. Moreover, these markets often have more than enough goods and services to promote.
When it comes to good earning potential, the education and online learning niches have seen a CAGR of 30.15% according to Think Orion. Affiliate marketers in this niche have also earned a monthly income of $15,551 on average.
Below is a list of other niches and the average monthly income marketers can expect according to data from Authority Hacker.
- Travel ($13,847)
- Beauty and skincare ($12,475)
- Finance ($9,296)
- Technology ($7,418)
- Digital marketing ($7,217)
- Health & Fitness ($7,194)
- E-commerce ($5,967)
- Home & Garden ($5,095)
- Sports & outdoors ($4,849)
- Entertainment ($4,416)
- Food & Nutrition ($3,015)
- Fashion ($2,049)
- Personal development ($1,566)
- Parenting & family ($1,145)
- Arts & crafts ($1,041)
- Pets & animals ($920)
Part V. Statistics on affiliate marketing on social media
Social media is an essential tool in any affiliate marketing strategy. Here are a few statistics to help you find the ones to focus on.
65% of affiliate marketers say that social media is the best way to drive organic traffic
While this is a significant number, social media is only the second-best source of traffic according to Luisa Zhou. First place actually goes to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) with over 69% of marketers crediting the process.
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Influencers have found major success by entering affiliate partnerships
According to Influencer Marketing Hub, 59% of companies have influencers as affiliates. This is more than half of the companies that take part in this marketing scheme.
Moreover, data from WPBeginner state that influencers on Instagram are paid up to $2 thousand for every post.
While this figure depends on the influencer’s follower count and the type of promotion performed, it still tells us that many have found success as affiliates.
So much so that according to eMarketer, 58% of new publishers to the Awin network in the first half of 2023 were influencers.
Most affiliate marketers who drive traffic with social media have less than 10,000 followers
Based on data from Authority Hacker, this accounts for 85.8% of affiliate marketers. This is a significant number of professionals and reinforces the effectiveness of social media as a tool in affiliate marketing.
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The average number of social media platforms an affiliate marketer is 3.02
With how popular social media is today, it is very clear why affiliate marketers would use at least 3 platforms at the same time. This statistic from Authority Hacker shows us that social media is an effective channel for marketing.
Social media is also used to network as well. The same report from Authority Hacker states that 20.3% of marketers build relationships through social media.
Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest are the most popular social media platforms for affiliates
These famous platforms find a significant amount of use for affiliate marketing strategies. On the other hand, popular platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn are seeing less use among affiliates.
Here are the most used social media platforms and the percentage of marketers who use them for affiliate marketing according to data from Authority Hacker.
- Facebook (75.8%)
- Instagram (61.4%)
- Pinterest (42.2%)
- YouTube (36.9%)
- Twitter (31.1%)
- TikTok (29.6%)
- LinkedIn (19%)
Part VI. Facts about fraud in affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketers aren’t safe from fraud. Here are but a few statistics that show the impact of fraudulent activities on the industry.
30% of brands have experienced fraud
The fraud these brands reported, according to affiliate marketing statistics from AffiliateWP, is in the form of chargebacks and other types of misleading sales.
These unethical methods are used by scammers to get commissions from affiliate programs even when sales and traffic aren’t generated.
$1.4 billion in revenue was lost due to affiliate fraud
This loss in revenue occurred back in 2020 according to data from WPBeginner back in 2020.
What’s significant about this statistic is that, according to AffiliateWP, 10% of affiliate traffic in that year was fraudulent. If only a tenth of all traffic can lead to such loss, it only emphasizes the need for more preventative methods.
63% of marketers are worried about affiliate marketing fraud
With a massive loss in revenue due to fraud in 2020, many affiliate marketers are in search of protection against fraudulent activities.
Part VII. Trending technologies in affiliate marketing
The digital world is constantly on the move, so affiliate marketers need to keep up with it. Take a look at the latest trends in affiliate marketing technology.
Mobile devices account for 50% of affiliate-related traffic
This information from BloggingX suggests that almost half of all consumers are likely to access affiliate links on the go.
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Data will continue to be integral to the success of affiliate marketing
According to HubSpot, data helps affiliate managers optimize ROI by determining partners that perform the best while avoiding issues that can hurt the business’s profitability. Key metrics to consider include:
- Click-Through Rate (CTR)
- Conversion Rate (CVR)
- Lifetime Value (LTV)
- Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)
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A quarter of affiliate marketers have been negatively affected by updates to search algorithms
Based on affiliate marketing website statistics from AffiliateWP, 47.4% of the affected marketers adapted by changing their content strategies.
Changes to systems essential to your business can be difficult to deal with, but these statistics show that it isn’t impossible.
Affiliate marketers have begun using AI
The American publishing company Forbes stated that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly used in affiliate marketing.
This is backed up by data from AffiliateWP that states that 79.3% of marketers are using AI in content creation.
Contextual targeting is gaining popularity in the US
According to recent studies by GumGum, 61% of US advertisers are already making use of the strategy. This is in response to the decline of cookies as well as the development of new advertising technologies.
Empower your affiliate marketing strategies with QR TIGER
It is clear that affiliate marketing is thriving in today’s digital age. The market continues to grow and marketers keep on adapting to the changing times and the development of new technologies.
Any affiliate marketer, both old and new, will need to keep up with all these trends to make the best decisions to enhance their marketing.
Affiliate marketing statistics are just one tool to include in your marketing utility belt. However, there is another that will greatly boost your reach and effectiveness: QR codes.
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FAQ
What is the success rate of affiliate marketing?
Authority Hacker’s data states that the estimated successful conversion rate for affiliate marketers can be 0.5% to 1% per visitor. This rate increases the more experience a marketer has.
What is the percentage of affiliate marketing profit?
The average commission rate for affiliates ranges from 15% to 25%, with a median around 20%.
What is the 80/20 rule in affiliate marketing?
The 80/20 rule states that 20% of your actions bring in 80% of your results. This means that a small investment can lead to many returns.