How do affiliate marketers earn commissions?

Affiliate marketers earn commissions by promoting products or services on behalf of businesses and generating sales, leads, or other desired actions. Here's how affiliate marketers typically earn commissions:

1. **Affiliate Links**: Affiliate marketers receive unique tracking links or URLs from businesses that they promote. These affiliate links contain special tracking codes that identify the affiliate marketer as the source of the referral. When a customer clicks on an affiliate link and makes a purchase or performs a desired action (such as signing up for a service or filling out a form), the affiliate marketer earns a commission.

2. **Cookies and Tracking**: When a customer clicks on an affiliate link, a small piece of code called a cookie is stored on their device. This cookie contains information about the affiliate marketer and the referral, allowing businesses to track and attribute sales or conversions back to the affiliate. Cookies typically have a predefined lifespan, during which affiliate marketers can still earn commissions on subsequent purchases made by the same customer.

3. **Commission Structures**: Affiliate programs offer various commission structures and payment models based on the desired actions or outcomes. Common commission structures include:

   - **Pay-Per-Sale (PPS)**: Affiliate marketers earn a commission for each sale they generate through their affiliate links. The commission is typically a percentage of the total sale amount.
   
   - **Pay-Per-Lead (PPL)**: Affiliate marketers earn a commission for each qualified lead they refer to the business. A qualified lead is usually defined as a potential customer who takes a specific action, such as signing up for a free trial or filling out a contact form.
   
   - **Pay-Per-Click (PPC)**: Affiliate marketers earn a commission for each click on their affiliate links, regardless of whether the click results in a sale or conversion. PPC commissions are less common and are typically lower than PPS or PPL commissions.

4. **Affiliate Networks**: Many businesses run their affiliate programs through affiliate networks, which serve as intermediaries between businesses and affiliate marketers. Affiliate networks provide tracking, reporting, and payment processing services, making it easier for businesses to manage their affiliate programs and for affiliate marketers to find and join programs.

5. **Performance Metrics**: Affiliate marketers can track their performance and earnings through affiliate dashboards provided by businesses or affiliate networks. These dashboards typically provide insights into key metrics such as clicks, conversions, earnings, conversion rates, and commission payouts.

Overall, affiliate marketers earn commissions by driving traffic and referrals to businesses through their promotional efforts, and they are compensated based on the agreed-upon commission structure and the outcomes achieved through their affiliate links.