How does an affiliate link work?
An affiliate link is a special type of data link used in influencer & affiliate marketing to track sales or traffic generated from a specific source. When someone clicks on an affiliate link and then makes a purchase or performs a desired action on the website that the link leads to, the affiliate marketer (publisher or influencer) receives a certain percentage of the sale or compensation for the generated traffic.
To track this, the affiliate marketer (publisher or influencer) uses a unique identifier in the link called an affiliate tag or affiliate marker. This tag is a piece of code added to the end of the link and can contain information that identifies the affiliate marketer (publisher or influencer) as responsible for sending traffic to the website.
When someone clicks on an affiliate link with an affiliate tag, the visitor is sent to the website with the affiliate marketer's (publisher or influencer's) identifier tied to the visit. When the visitor then performs a desired action, such as making a purchase, the affiliate marketer's (publisher or influencer's) identifier is used to track the sale or traffic generated, so that the affiliate marketer (publisher or influencer) can get paid for it.
Affiliate links are often used in affiliate marketing programs, where companies collaborate with other websites or individuals to promote their business. By using affiliate links, companies can track how much traffic or sales are generated from each affiliate marketer and pay them a commission or compensation for their performance.