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Part of How to recruit affiliates UK: ecommerce outreach tactics
How to recruit affiliates UK: ecommerce outreach tactics
A practical UK guide to recruiting ecommerce affiliates: network selection, partner shortlists, GDPR-safe outreach emails and British influencer partnerships.
What to take away
- Recruit on the networks UK publishers already use, then approach individual sites by name.
- Shortlist partners whose content matches your margin, not just your product category.
- UK GDPR applies to named business contacts, so keep records minimal and offer an opt-out.
- Affiliate links in influencer posts are ads under the CAP code and must be labelled.
Choose the network your UK buyers already use
Two networks come up repeatedly when UK shops compare affiliate platforms: Awin and Tradedoubler. Both run searchable publisher directories, so you can check category depth before you commit.
Fees vary. A setup charge, an override on commission or a monthly minimum can matter more to a small programme than the headline rate.
Our Awin vs Tradedoubler UK comparison sets out how the two compare on commission handling and publisher access, which matters more than price when you choose between them.
Smaller networks and in-house tracking suit shops with a narrow range. The deciding factor is publisher fit rather than brand recognition.
Build a shortlist that matches your margins
Work backwards from gross profit. Take a £60 candle that leaves £30 of gross profit: an illustrative 10% commission is £6 and the order still pays, while 25% would take £15.
Check the ONS retail industry releases before you commit to a category, because they show how spending is moving across store types and product groups.
Then build the list by hand. Search for your product plus the word review, keep the UK results, and note each site's contact route and posting frequency.
Look for sites that already link to competitors and rank on page one for your product terms. Those publishers have an audience that buys similar products.
Our guide to average affiliate commission rates in the UK gives the ranges publishers expect, so you can sort a long list into realistic and unrealistic.
Keep the shortlist in a spreadsheet with a status column. Recruitment stalls when nobody owns the follow-up.
| Route | Where to look | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Cashback and voucher sites | Network publisher directories | High-volume, low-margin ranges |
| Review blogs and content sites | Search results plus network directories | Considered purchases with long research |
| Email newsletter writers | Newsletter platform directories and site contact pages | Repeat-purchase categories |
| Instagram and TikTok creators | Platform search and creator agencies | Visual products and younger buyers |
Write outreach emails that pass UK GDPR checks
Business outreach is not exempt from data protection law. A named work email is personal data, so the ICO's UK GDPR guidance applies once you store it and use it to make contact.
Keep a short record for each contact: name, source, date and what you sent.
- Pick one named contact per site rather than a generic info@ inbox.
- Open with where you found them and which page or post you read.
- State the commission rate, cookie window and payment terms in the first email.
- Ask for one clear next step, such as a test link or a 15-minute call.
- Offer an opt-out and stop after two follow-ups if there is no reply.
Personalise the subject line with the site name. Templates are a starting point rather than a script, and publishers spot a copy-and-paste pitch in the first line.
Partner with British influencers and follow disclosure rules
Affiliate links in creator content sit inside the CAP code, which requires marketing communications to be obviously identifiable. The ASA's online affiliate marketing advice explains where a plain link ends and an ad begins.
Gifted product plus a tracked link is still an ad, so agree the label with the creator before the post goes live. Ask for audience insights covering the last 30 days too.
Check audience location before you agree terms. A shop that only ships to the UK gets little from a creator whose followers are mostly overseas.
Creators in fashion, home and beauty often work on a hybrid deal: a flat fee plus commission. Track the two separately so you can see which part earns its keep.
Common questions
Why recruit affiliates through a network instead of directly?
Networks look after tracking and payment, which saves admin time when you work with dozens of publishers. Direct deals can pay better but leave you chasing invoices and click data yourself.
How many publishers should I contact each week?
Send a small batch of personalised emails rather than one mass mailout. Volume plus a named contact in each message produces better replies than a template sent to everyone.
Do I need a contract with every affiliate?
Network terms usually cover the basics. For direct deals, put commission, cookie window and payment date in writing.
What commission should I open with?
Open at the lower end of the range for your sector and offer a higher tier once a publisher hits a volume target. Keep the headline rate consistent across partners.