HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Run an Affiliate Program From Day One With Above-Market Commission

Run an Affiliate Program From Day One With Above-Market Commission is a partnerships & affiliates tactic for getting your first users: Launch an affiliate program immediately (via Rewardful or Tapfiliate) and even start commissions above the niche norm (e.g. 40% vs the usual 30%) to actively incentivize people to promote you.

It's a strong fit for B2B SaaS and Newsletters / media teams, and works especially well for SaaS with product-market fit and margin to share. As a partnerships & affiliates play, plan for medium effort and expect results to arrive at a steady pace, all grounded in 1 linked primary source.

Partnerships & affiliatesMedium effortMedium

Why does partnerships & affiliates work for this?

A commission literally pays people to mention and praise you, generating buzz, conversions, and SEO backlinks at once.

The exact steps (4)

The full step-by-step this founder ran, what they posted, where, and in what order, plus the watch-outs, is part of the library.

Unlock the steps · $29 oncePlus all 3,000+ tactics and the new ones we add weekly.

Sources

Works for
B2B SaaSNewsletters / media

Frequently asked

What kind of products does the "Run an Affiliate Program From Day One With Above-Market Commission" tactic work for?
It is a good fit for B2B SaaS and Newsletters / media — pick it when your product looks like one of those, since the play is shaped around how those users find new tools.
How is the "Run an Affiliate Program From Day One With Above-Market Commission" tactic verified?
It is drawn from 1 primary source — a real founder write-up or interview, not generic advice. It is linked in the Sources section above so you can read the original account yourself.
How much effort is it and how fast are results?
It is medium effort, and results tend to be medium.
Where can I see the exact step-by-step?
The full step-by-step a founder ran, documented via Source — IndieHackers, is in the paid library.

Related tactics

Partnerships & affiliatesMedium effort· Slow

Do Their Homework: Hand Partners the Content, Not Just the Link

Remove the friction of promoting you by producing the briefs, keyword research, article outlines, and content concepts your partners would otherwise have to create themselves.

Read the steps →
Partnerships & affiliatesLow effort· Medium

Land a Founder-Interview Feature, Then Syndicate the Link

Get profiled by a niche founder-interview series or newsletter, then submit that interview link to founder communities for a second wave of traffic off the same content.

Read the steps →
Partnerships & affiliatesMedium effort· Medium

Build the Official Plugin a SaaS's Users Are Begging For

Find a SaaS missing an integration its customers want (e.g. a WordPress plugin), partner with that company to build the official version, and tap their existing user base.

Read the steps →
Partnerships & affiliatesMedium effort· Slow

Build a Creator Bench from Scratch

A repeatable process for sourcing the user-generated-content creators who will actually make videos for your brand, whether you find them yourself or through marketplaces.

Read the steps →
Partnerships & affiliatesHigh effort· Slow

Integrate with Popular Tools

Integrations with popular tools like Airtable, Zapier, and WordPress

Read the steps →
Partnerships & affiliatesMedium effort· Medium

Stock a Giveaway by Asking Featured Founders for Free Copies

Replicate the AppSumo playbook for free by directly asking the founders of products you list or feature to hand you free licenses you can give away to build your audience.

Read the steps →

Get all 3,000+ tactics in one place

Filter by your product and channel, follow the exact steps, and get the new tactics we add every week. One payment, yours for good.

Unlock for $29 onceBrowse by channel