Harnessing Affiliate Revenue as a Creative Entrepreneur
Affiliate revenue is an important part of small business ownership that can oftentimes feel mysterious and confusing if you are not educated on the “influencer” world. Despite what you might think, you do not need to be an influencer, have a massive following, or be reached out to by a brand to earn affiliate revenue. Let’s answer some basic questions about affiliate revenue:
What is affiliate revenue?
Affiliate revenue is money that you can make by being an advocate/spokesperson/partner for brands that are relevant to your business. It typically requires a mutually beneficial relationship: you help sell products or services for a third party brand, and that brand gives you a piece of the revenue from your sale.
What are the benefits of implementing affiliate revenue programs in your marketing?
Affiliate revenue, when implemented properly, has the capacity to:
- Build a really get set of resources for your customers. By sharing affiliate platforms, you are sharing links to products and services that you think will better the lives of your consumers. Thus, your consumer is getting access to your expert advice and receiving the value of not just your services, but your affiliate partner’s services as well.
- Be a great source of passive revenue, as you have the ability to set up marketing campaigns once and then let your systems do the work to make you money while you are running other parts of your business.
- Build your brand capital. Offering trustworthy and relevant resources to your consumers that actually improves their lives builds your identity as a reliable guide people want to come back to.
How do I access affiliate revenue?
As a creative entrepreneur, you use platforms every day that offer affiliate revenue in exchange for you bringing them clients. Many of your platforms will have an affiliate program built in to their offering that you are already signed up for simply by using the platform. Other businesses might require you to apply to become an affiliate to begin generating revenue.
Do I have to have a big following in order to earn affiliate revenue?
No! Many systems offer affiliate revenue programs to all of their users. Platforms like Ivoery, Honeybook, Flodesk and more automatically set up affiliate portals for you without any requirement other than that you use their product. Other application-based programs may have minimum requirements you need to fulfill, but oftentimes the most effective brand ambassadors are those with an engaged audience, not necessarily a big one, and brands know that.
Affiliate Programs To Consider
THIS IS A PSEUDO-COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF PROGRAMS CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS COULD BE HARNESSING TO ACCESS AFFILIATE REVENUE IN THEIR BUSINESS. I will continue to add more resources to this list based on positive personal experience by myself and my clients.
Last updated September 2025
Business Operations Platforms
| Platform | Application | Consumer Offer | You receive |
| Ivorey Business management CRM and operations system | Must be a user of Ivorey. Learn more about Ivorey here. *this is my affiliate link | Ability to set up custom offers and campaigns to give to your consumers | 20% commission on all subscriber plans |
| Google Workspace Referral Program | Sign up for google workspace here . Use this code to get 10% off of the Business Starter plan: M74MLNJHVDFJ7L9 Use this code to get 10% off of the Business Standard plan: J433PLNAMENLHQ3 *this is my affiliate link Need more info? Learn about the program here. *this is purely education | 10% off to your user and 14 day free trial | Earn for up to 200 new Google Workspace users per year. United States rates: Business Starter: USD 8 per user Business Standard: USD 15 per user Business Plus: USD 23 per user Rewards are per new user. Earn for up to 100 users per account you refer. |
| Google Workspace Affiliate Program | https://public.cj.com/signup/publisher?advertiserId=5230914#/branded?_k=trgmdr *this link will redirect you to CJ.com, a common affiliate revenue management platform for creators | ||
| Flodesk Affiliate Program | Accessible in your account dashboard Learn about the Flodesk affiliate program here *this link is purely educational | 50% off their first year | $19 per account |
| Flodesk Partner Program | Learn about the Flodesk Partner Program here *this link is purely educational Apply for the program here | 50% commission on all wins for one year, as well as exclusive access to all program perks | |
| Honeybook User | Automatically built into your Honeybook platform. Learn more about the referral program here. https://www.honeybook.com/lp/referrals *this link is purely educational | 30% off their first year | $100 for everyone who joins HoneyBook. Refer five and you’ll unlock a $200 bonus. |
| Honeybook Affiliate Program | Apply to be a part of the affiliate program here *this link is purely educational | 25% of their first year of HoneyBook | $50 for each new member who joins |
| Dubsado | https://www.dubsado.com/affiliate-program *this link is purely educational | 20% off their first month or year | $35 per referral |
Designer Tools
| Platform | Application | Consumer Offer | You Receive |
| Adobe | Learn about the affiliate program here. *this link is purely educational | Varies | Monthly subscriptions: 85% of first month Yearly subscriptions (monthly payment): 85% of first month Yearly subscriptions (one-time payment): 8.33% of first year and more |
| Canva | https://public.canva.site/empower-canvassador-program *this link is purely educational | Currently closed | Currently Closed |
| Creative Market | Learn about the program here Apply through CJ.com *this link is purely educational | Earn 20% for new customers, 10% on returning customers, and 30% on membership sign ups. | |
| Envato | Apply to the program here *this link is purely educational | Up to $120 for eligible annual subscribers, or up to $60 for eligible monthly subscribers. | |
| Placeit by Envato | Apply to the program here *this link is purely educational | Earn $50 on new annual subscribers, $20 on new monthly subscribers and 50% on one-time transactions. | |
| Envato Market | Apply to the program here *this link is purely educational | Earn 30% commission on any first purchase you refer. |
E-Commerce
| Platform | Application | Consumer Offer | You receive |
| Like To Know (LTK) An e-commerce platform where you can recommend many products from many brands | https://www.shopltk.com/ *this link is purely educational | Many | Varies by product |
| Shopmy An e-commerce platform where you can recommend many products from many brands | https://shopmy.us/home *this link is purely educational | Many | Varies by product |
| Amazon Storefront An e-commerce platform where you can recommend many products from many brands | https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/ *this link is purely educational | Many | Varies by product |
Wedding and Event Vendors
| Platform | Application | Consumer Offer | You receive |
| Artifact Uprising Affiliate Program | Learn about the program here *this link is purely educational | Varies | |
| Artifact Uprising Ambassador Program | Learn about the programs here *this link is purely educational | Varies |
A little disclaimer: Some of the links in this list are affiliate links to my own affiliate revenue streams, which means I could make money if you click on a link and sign up for a program. Some of these links will simply take you to the platform and educate you on the program. I am not an affiliate for all of these platforms, and will not recommend any platforms or programs that I do not believe will help your business. At the end of the day, this list is only for your education and betterment. Only sign up for programs that are the right fit for you and your business.
