SaaS Affiliate Onboarding Done Right: Insights From Experts

Hiring affiliates is just the beginning of building a high-performing affiliate marketing program.

To truly unlock the potential of each partner, an effective, well-structured onboarding process is essential.

Think of onboarding as the bridge between recruiting affiliates and activating them as valuable contributors to your MRR growth.

Without it, even the most promising affiliates may struggle to understand your product, miss out on essential resources, or fail to align with your brand’s goals.

This guide brings together the insights from leading experts in SaaS affiliate marketing, offering actionable, experience-based strategies for onboarding affiliates effectively - not generic advice.

These experts, from well-known companies like Surfer and Hunter.io, share their proven methods to help SaaS companies streamline onboarding, engage affiliates, and avoid common mistakes that can hinder long-term success.

Let’s dig deeper into expert-recommended best practices for affiliate onboarding that will keep your partners motivated, aligned, and performing at their best from day one.

What is affiliate onboarding and why does it matter?

Affiliate onboarding is a structured workflow that brings new affiliates into your program and equips them with the knowledge, tools, and motivation they need to promote effectively. This process often includes a mix of training, resource sharing, and strategic communication.

While we’ve touched upon the role of affiliate onboarding in our opening, let’s dive deeper into why a robust onboarding process is indispensable for SaaS growth.

• Accelerates affiliate readiness: Effective onboarding prepares affiliates to start promoting immediately, shortening the time to their first sale and driving early momentum for your program. So, how long does affiliate onboarding take? Typically, the process can be expedited with a clear timeline, often within the first week or two.
• Boosts affiliate engagement: Personalized onboarding shows affiliates that they are valued, encouraging greater participation and loyalty from the outset. This is a critical component of how to manage affiliates effectively to ensure long-term program success.
• Enhances brand alignment: A well-structured onboarding program clarifies your brand’s mission, product value, and unique selling points, ensuring affiliates represent your brand accurately and effectively.
• Increases conversion potential: When affiliates understand your product and audience deeply, they are better positioned to create impactful content that converts, directly contributing to your revenue.
• Minimizes support costs: By giving affiliates the resources they need utilizing top affiliate marketing tools, you reduce the need for ongoing support. These tools allow affiliate managers to handle essential tasks independently, freeing up resources to focus on program growth and relationship building.
• Builds long-term partnerships: Affiliates who feel supported and equipped are more likely to form lasting relationships with your brand, resulting in sustained promotion and revenue over time.

6 strategies for effective affiliate onboarding as shared by domain experts

Now that we’ve covered the impact of a well-executed affiliate program onboarding process, let’s dive into actionable advice from top industry experts. These strategies, honed through experience, highlight what it takes to transform new recruits into motivated affiliate partners who drive real results. You can pull out the insights you like to compose your company's own affiliate onboarding guide.

1. Maintain a central resource hub for self-service information access

A centralized resource hub stocked with essential tools and information is critical for effective affiliate onboarding. Dustin Howes, from Affistash, emphasizes that providing affiliates with “lots of assets at the ready” enables them to start promoting right away. His recommended approach includes sharing essential resources such as email swipes, banner ads, product one-sheets, and logos immediately upon acceptance into the program. By including these materials in the first welcome message, affiliates receive the boilerplate stuff they need without delay, empowering them to jump into action from day one.

Ovi Negrean, Co-Founder of SocialBee, highlights a similar strategy, recommending a “quick-start” guide that covers the essentials, such as accessing links, tracking, and using ready-to-go promotional content.

According to Ovi, “successful affiliate onboarding is about providing clear resources, personalized support, and ongoing engagement.” By organizing these materials in an easily navigable hub, affiliates feel well-prepared and confident, reducing the risk of them feeling lost or unprepared in the early stages.

Both experts underscore the importance of clarity and accessibility in a resource hub. Including FAQs, troubleshooting tips, and a dedicated contact for questions in the hub enables affiliates to find answers on their own, reducing support needs and allowing them to stay focused on promotion.

2. Personalize onboarding to boost affiliate engagement

Personalized onboarding is essential for building strong, productive relationships with affiliates. Both Shahzaib Javed of vTechnica and Muhammad Usama, Head of Partnerships at AuthoredUp, emphasize that tailoring the onboarding experience to each affiliate’s specific needs fosters engagement and alignment from the start.

Shahzaib advocates for a consultative approach, beginning with a data capture form as soon as affiliates sign up. This initial step allows his team to gather key information and lay the foundation for a customized onboarding experience. Keeping an open calendar for high-impact affiliates to discuss deeper challenges and collaborative efforts is a method he highlights.

He explains,

We set up the base for future collaboration and this also gives us the opportunity to understand our affiliate's business and network in detail.

From there, Shahzaib segments affiliates based on the type of partnership, industry, and social reach, enabling him to share resources and present collaboration opportunities suited to each affiliate's strengths. This segmented, individualized approach avoids the common mistake of applying a “one-size-fits-all” model and instead builds a support structure tailored to each affiliate’s specific goals.

Similarly, Muhammad Usama underscores the importance of 1:1 meetings to assess each affiliate’s profile and provide tailored guidance.

In his words,

We always focus on making sure that our affiliates understand the product and go to market, starting with in-depth product training.

These personalized sessions help affiliates not only understand the product deeply but also align with the company’s go-to-market strategy. With this product knowledge, affiliates are better equipped to promote confidently, fully understanding the product’s strengths.

3. Automate and streamline partner communication

Automation is a powerful tool to onboard affiliates efficiently, ensuring timely communication and consistent support. Antonio Gabric, Outreach Manager at Hunter.io, emphasizes the importance of automating onboarding emails to prevent affiliates from becoming overwhelmed while providing them with the guidance they need to succeed. His team uses Zapier to integrate their affiliate management software with their email platform, creating an automated onboarding sequence that starts as soon as a new affiliate joins.

Antonio’s onboarding sequence includes six emails over a two-week period with the primary goal of helping affiliates earn their first commissions. This demonstrates how to automate affiliate marketing effectively to ensure affiliates get the right information at the right time.

Antonio notes,

Sharing too much information at once can be overwhelming… It's better to send more frequent, smaller, and focused emails than to have a few long emails covering multiple topics.

By breaking down the information into digestible parts, affiliates can focus on each step, minimizing confusion and enhancing their onboarding experience.

Antonio also offers additional best practices to maximize the effectiveness of automated emails. He recommends A/B testing to find out which formats and messages resonate best, keeping emails concise, and timing them to reach recipients during working hours. He also advises, “be as personal as possible,” even within automated sequences, so affiliates feel supported and valued throughout the affiliate onboarding process.

In addition to the initial onboarding sequence, Antonio suggests that affiliate managers keep affiliates “in the loop” with regular updates about new products and program opportunities. These updates help maintain ongoing engagement, making affiliates feel connected and informed as they continue promoting.

By automating and structuring communication in this way, affiliate managers can streamline onboarding, provide consistent support, and keep affiliates engaged - all while freeing up time to focus on broader affiliate management tasks.

4. Leverage check-ins to build rapport and address affiliate needs

Regular check-ins play a vital role in maintaining engagement and fostering productive relationships with affiliates. Both Johannes Rastas of Supermetrics and Evan Weber of Experience Advertising highlight the value of periodic follow-ups to address questions, offer updates, and strengthen the connection with affiliates.

Johannes emphasizes a balanced approach, noting that while affiliates appreciate staying informed, they also need flexibility. He explains that many affiliates are busy with primary jobs and value the freedom to catch up at their own pace. Rather than bombarding affiliates with constant communication, Johannes suggests sending occasional updates on product news and affiliate campaigns, allowing affiliates to stay in the loop without feeling pressured.

According to Johannes,

When the time is right, affiliates who have the potential to bring in sales will follow up and agree to a meeting.

This thoughtful, low-pressure approach allows affiliates to engage when they’re ready, reinforcing their independence while keeping them connected to the program.

Evan Weber shares a similar philosophy, stressing that consistent follow-ups help build strong affiliate relationships. He recommends reaching out regularly via various methods like weekly newsletters to provide updates, monthly personalized emails to touch base with affiliates, and direct calls to discuss individual promotion strategies. Evan sees these follow-ups as crucial to ensuring that affiliates feel supported, valued, and motivated to promote effectively.

In his experience,

Not following up enough to build the relationship is a common pitfall, which can lead to disengagement and missed opportunities for collaboration.

Regular check-ins also provide a chance to address any promotional obstacles or questions that affiliates might have. Both experts advocate using check-ins as an opportunity to answer questions, share promotional ideas, and offer feedback on affiliate strategies. Johannes recommends using introductory calls to connect with new affiliates, while Evan’s team reaches out to gather details on affiliates’ promotion plans and offers feedback on strategies.

5. Adjust onboarding strategies based on affiliate type

Customizing onboarding to match the unique needs and strengths of different affiliate types can significantly enhance engagement and effectiveness. Rutger Bogaert, Affiliate Marketing Manager at Miro and Yahly Bar Lev, a digital marketing consultant, emphasize the importance of tailoring onboarding materials and outreach based on the affiliate’s content style and promotional approach, ensuring affiliates feel supported and aligned with the program from day one.

Rutger highlights that customizing onboarding communication is key to affiliate success. For example, he adapts promotional strategies and resources based on each affiliate’s profile - bloggers may receive content that aligns with written formats, while YouTube publishers might get video-friendly content.

According to Rutger,

I customize the information based on the publisher's profile. For example, bloggers receive different types of content and promotional strategies compared to publishers who manage a YouTube channel.

This targeted approach provides affiliates with resources directly applicable to their medium, making it easier for them to incorporate the brand authentically into their content.

This targeted approach provides affiliates with resources directly applicable to their medium, making it easier for them to incorporate the brand authentically into their content.

Yahly focuses her onboarding strategy on building partnerships that align closely with each affiliate’s growth stage and audience. Yahly uses a personalized outreach process, targeting affiliates based on their content focus and potential impact. By gathering traffic source details and understanding affiliates’ needs, whether they are looking to expand reach, monetize, or pursue long-term partnerships, she tailors promotional content and briefs accordingly.

She shares,

We provide customized promotional content, including detailed briefs for smooth integration into their content, highlighting USPs and SaaS usage.

This approach enables affiliates to present the product in a way that resonates with their audience while keeping brand messaging consistent.

As Rutger and Yahly show, addressing affiliates’ specific content formats, audience needs, and growth goals helps affiliates feel empowered to promote with authenticity and precision. By making these personalized investments, brands can cultivate lasting relationships and set affiliates up for success that feels aligned with both their style and their potential impact.

6. Reignite dormant affiliates with targeted re-engagement strategies

When affiliates become inactive, a well-planned re-engagement strategy can renew their interest and commitment.

Ovi recommends a friendly, personal approach as a starting point. By reaching out directly to dormant affiliates, managers can show they genuinely care about the partnership and offer support.

A friendly email or message asking how they’ve been and if there’s anything you can do to support them can make a big difference,

Ovi notes personal touch reminds affiliates of the benefits of the partnership and shows that the program values them as individuals, not just participants.

Offering exclusive discounts or incentives is another effective method Ovi highlights. By giving dormant affiliates access to special promotions or unique discounts to share with their audience, managers can motivate them to re-engage and promote again. This added value serves as a fresh incentive, sparking excitement and giving affiliates a compelling reason to restart their promotional efforts.

Ovi also suggests using re-engagement campaigns, such as webinars, Q&A sessions, or training events that offer updated insights on product features or new marketing tactics. This content gives dormant affiliates the tools and confidence to reconnect with the program while creating opportunities for meaningful interaction with the brand.

Johannes emphasizes the importance of understanding why affiliates went dormant in the first place. He suggests identifying who these affiliates are and learning about their work and audience before launching a re-engagement effort.

To activate dormant affiliates, you need to first figure them out… Find out who they are, who they work with, and what they work on,

Johannes advises. This information helps tailor outreach that resonates with affiliates’ current interests and needs, making it more likely they will respond positively.

In addition to personalized outreach, Johannes recommends using a scaled approach, especially for larger programs. For instance, newsletters or updates that share new materials, campaigns, or product news can serve as valuable touch points for reactivating dormant affiliates across the board.

What not to do? Common affiliate onboarding mistakes to avoid

Experts Jason Lilien, VP Client Services at Partner Commerce and Tamara Djurovic, Partnership & Affiliate Manager at Surfer highlight frequent errors that affiliate managers make, such as sending generic emails, failing to follow up, and overwhelming affiliates with information. By addressing each issue with practical solutions, an affiliate manager can improve the onboarding experience and set partners up for success.

Sending generic emails

Tamara emphasizes that generic emails lacking specific guidance can miss the mark, making affiliates feel disconnected from the program. She notes that outreach should indicate where and how the product fits into the affiliate’s content and target audience. Without this personalization, affiliates may not see how the product is relevant to them.

To engage affiliates, personalize each email by referencing their content or target audience and explaining how they can effectively incorporate your product. This targeted approach makes affiliates feel valued and aligns their promotional efforts with the program’s goals.

Failing to follow up

Both Jason and Tamara stress the importance of timely follow-ups, especially during early onboarding. A lack of follow-up can make affiliates feel unsupported, causing their interest to wane. Jason highlights the need to “be deliberate about when you are going to follow-up with them to check in.” Establishing a follow-up schedule ensures that affiliates feel engaged and supported, reinforcing their commitment to the program from the start.

Overwhelming affiliates with too much information

Providing affiliates with too much information all at once can be overwhelming and counterproductive, potentially complicating the affiliate relationship in its early stages. Jason advises that onboarding guides should be “detailed yet easy” for a smooth launch. Similarly, Tamara supports using concise, streamlined resources that focus on getting affiliates “up and running quick and easy.”

Assuming affiliates know how to promote effectively

Jason also highlights that assuming affiliates inherently know how to promote effectively is a common mistake. Without guidance on a launch strategy, affiliates may struggle to drive initial results. Jason suggests aligning on a kick-off campaign during onboarding to provide affiliates with direction and resources.

Closing remarks: Elevate your affiliate program with strategic onboarding

A well-executed onboarding process built on proven strategies is critical to transforming affiliates into motivated partners who drive growth. By focusing on personalization, consistent support, quality marketing materials and automation, SaaS companies can keep affiliates engaged, aligned with brand goals, and empowered to succeed.

With Reditus, you can take these onboarding principles further.

Reditus enables you to efficiently recruit top-performing affiliates, track performance with real-time insights, and maintain ongoing communication via an intuitive portal. This streamlined approach makes it easy to implement a successful onboarding strategy that positions affiliates for long-term success.

Ready to take your affiliate onboarding to the next level? Learn more about Reditus.

Meet the author

Joran Hofman

Back in 2020 I was an affiliate for 80+ SaaS tools and I was generating an average of 30k in organic visits each month with my site. Due to the issues I experienced with the current affiliate management software tools, it never resulted in the passive income I was hoping for. Many clunky affiliate management tools lost me probably more than $20,000+ in affiliate revenue. So I decided to build my own software with a high focus on the affiliates, as in the end, they generate more money for SaaS companies.