9 Best Practices for Promoting Affiliate Links in Your Email Marketing

To help you effectively promote affiliate links in your email marketing campaigns, we’ve gathered insights from ten marketing professionals, including founders, CEOs, and marketing managers. From adding authenticity and humor to offering exclusive bonuses, these experts share their top nine best practices for promoting affiliate links in your email marketing campaigns.

• Add Authenticity and Humor
• Be Transparent
• Share Personal Product Experiences
• Leverage the Post-Script Section
• Build Trust by Providing Value
• Ensure Contextual Relevance 
• Utilize Trigger-Based Campaigns
• Integrate Affiliate Links Naturally
• Offer Exclusive Bonuses

Add Authenticity and Humor 

Here’s a tongue-in-cheek best practice for promoting affiliate links in email marketing campaigns: Be as authentic as a unicorn riding a unicycle. Blend your affiliate links seamlessly into your content, making readers think, “Wait, did they just slide in an affiliate link? Sneaky, yet impressive!” 

Share your personal experience with products, dropping the bombshell that you might receive a small commission. Offer exclusive bonuses or discounts to make subscribers feel like they’ve found a secret treasure chest. Segment your email list, serving relevant offers based on readers’ interests. 

Analyze and optimize click-through and conversion rates, experimenting with humorous subject lines, irresistible CTAs, and captivating email formats. Embrace your inner humor and watch those affiliate links soar, while your emails entertain and conversions flourish.

Ntinyari Kimathi, Founder, XLURU.com

Be Transparent

If there’s one thing I would underscore, it would be this: transparency is key. Make sure to always disclose your affiliate relationships to maintain trust with your subscribers. Weave your affiliate links organically into useful content—don’t just drop a link without context. Keep emails interesting, engaging, and above all, valuable. 

That way, your subscribers will be excited to open your emails, increasing the chances they’ll click on your affiliate links. And remember, the most successful affiliate marketers are the ones who add value first, sell second.

Melanie Balke, CEO and Founder, The Email Marketers

Share Personal Product Experiences

In affiliate email marketing, being real and trustworthy is key. You are not just selling stuff, you are sharing valuable content to help your subscribers solve a problem. Make it really useful, insightful, and relatable. Don’t just say “This product is great”—explain why.

When you talk about affiliate products, get personal. Tell your readers how you used it and how you personally benefited from it. This real-life experience makes the product more genuine and sparks enough curiosity to encourage your readers to click that link.

Juliet Dreamhunter, Founder, Juliety

Leverage the Post-Script Section

One best practice for promoting affiliate links in your email marketing campaigns is leveraging the power of the post-script section, the “P.S.”

Why the P.S., you may ask? Often, when people skim through emails, the P.S. catches their attention. It’s like a bonus after the main content and arouses curiosity. You can take advantage of this to give one last persuasive nudge about your affiliate product or service.

When using the P.S. section, keep it concise and compelling. Use it to reiterate the benefits of the affiliate product, share a powerful testimonial, or highlight a limited-time offer. Link the product or service directly in the P.S. to make it as easy as possible for readers to access it.

Remember, even while using this strategy, transparency is key. Always disclose that it’s an affiliate link to maintain trust with your subscribers. An honest, strategically placed P.S. can boost your click-through rates and foster a loyal and engaged audience.

Will Gill, Event Entertainer, DJ Will Gill

Build Trust by Providing Value

Building a loyal audience comes before you can make your audience buy from your affiliate links. And when it comes to email marketing campaigns, you need to go the extra mile and focus only on giving value before you even talk about your products. 

Putting value on the top will help you win the trust of your audience. The audience will automatically connect with your business and brand if you can solve their problem. So, provide value and build a following of loyal audience. Once you do that, whether you are starting an email marketing campaign or not, your audience will buy from your affiliate links.

Ilan Nass, Chief Revenue Officer, Taktical

Ensure Contextual Relevance

One best practice stands out above the rest: contextual relevance. Ensuring that the affiliate links you include are contextually aligned with your content and offer products or services you genuinely support is paramount.

Contextual relevance not only increases the chances of capturing your audience’s interest but also enhances their trust in your recommendations. By featuring products or services that you would personally subscribe to, you convey authenticity and credibility.

Additionally, it is worth considering the power of offers. Affiliate programs that provide a “no-brainer” offer, such as a free item or a substantial discount code, can further entice your audience.

Finally, transparent labeling of affiliate links is a personal preference I appreciate. While not explicitly required, being honest and upfront about affiliate links fosters trust.

Rafael Sarim Özdemir, Founder and CEO, Zendog Labs

Utilize Trigger-Based Campaigns

The core concept of trigger-based email marketing campaigns is to send emails automatically based on particular client activities called triggers. Trigger emails are sent to the audience based on their behavior. 

The majority of trigger emails fall into two categories: segment-based and event-based. When your subscribers satisfy certain parameters, segment-based trigger emails are sent, whereas event-based trigger emails are sent when they opt-in or make a purchase. 

Trigger emails are used to provide consumers with assistance and nurturing so that they can reap the maximum benefits of a product or service. They are also used to deliver vital updates and to inspire positive behaviors. 

Triggers are extremely efficient for marketing affiliate links since they track the behavior of clients and send customized triggers to them, causing them to perform the desired action like clicking on the links and making a purchase.

Marco Andolfatto, Chief Underwriting Officer, Apollo Cover

Integrate Affiliate Links Naturally

Natural integration of affiliate links in your email marketing campaigns is vital for maintaining a positive user experience and establishing credibility. By seamlessly incorporating relevant recommendations within valuable content, you can enhance engagement and increase the likelihood of conversions. 

Techniques such as contextual storytelling, value-driven recommendations, and personal endorsements contribute to a more authentic and trustworthy approach. Natural integration benefits both you and your subscribers by providing valuable information while also presenting affiliate products as genuine solutions.

Natural integration benefits both you and your subscribers. It enhances the user experience by providing valuable content beyond promotional messages. Your subscribers will appreciate the informative and engaging emails, resulting in higher engagement rates and reduced chances of them unsubscribing.

Sreejith Sreekumar, Email Marketer, Changing Tree

Offer Exclusive Bonuses

When you’re promoting affiliate links to your email list, you can add even more value to your subscribers by offering an exclusive bonus for purchasing through your affiliate link. 

For example, you can offer one of your related products as a bonus, an hour of your time for some personalized strategies, or even store credit they can use in the future. 

Offering a bonus for using your affiliate link shows your subscribers that you stand behind the product that you are promoting, and that even though you’re promoting someone else’s resource, you are still invested in helping them make the most of it.

Anna Crosby, Owner, Geni Collective

How Do You Know If Your Emails Are Going To Spam?

From discovering low open rates to receiving automated reactions, here are eight answers to the question, “What are a few important indicators that your emails are going to spam?”

• Low Open Rates
• High Bounce Rate
• Inconsistent Sending Patterns
• Blacklisting
• Low Engagement Rate
• Poor Sender Reputation
• High Unsubscribe Rates
• Receiving Automated Reactions

Low Open Rates

Low open rates can be a clear indicator that your emails are going to spam. When I notice that most of my recipients are not opening my emails, I usually wonder if my messages are even getting delivered to their inboxes.

It’s important to remember that spam filters are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and they can easily flag your emails as spam if they contain certain trigger words, excessive use of capital letters, or come from an unverified sender. 

If I notice low open rates, I typically review the content of my emails and ensure that I am not using any spam-triggering words or phrases, and I also check if my email is properly authenticated to avoid being flagged as a spammer.

Natalia Brzezinska, Marketing and Outreach Manager, ePassportPhoto

High Bounce Rate

A higher bounce rate can be a solid indicator that one’s emails are going straight to the spam folder. Bouncing, of course, implies that the server itself rejected the emails because of their contents. 

When one server rejects emails as spam, it is highly likely that others will follow suit. Adjusting the content accordingly and following HTML best practices is a simple remedy for this ailment.

Max Schwartzapfel, CMO, Schwartzapfel Lawyers

Inconsistent Sending Patterns

Sending emails inconsistently could cause your emails to be marked as spam. Spam filters examine patterns in the frequency and timing of emails to assess whether they are real. If you suddenly start sending more emails than normal, or if you go for lengthy periods sending no emails, they may tag your emails as spam.

Max Whiteside, SEO and Content Lead, Breaking Muscle

Blacklisting

If your domain or IP address has been blacklisted by email providers, it signifies that recipients or email providers have identified your emails as spam. 

This can happen if your email practices violate the restrictions of your email provider or if you send emails to invalid email addresses. To resolve this issue, I believe that contacting your email provider to see why your domain or IP address was blacklisted and take corrective actions to enhance your email practices.

Rasa Bernotiene, SEO Specialist, No Win No Fee

Low Engagement Rate

You are sending enough emails to customers, yet the engagement rate is still so low. What could be the reason? It is possible that your emails are going to spam. A low engagement rate is a clear sign you need to work on your email strategy again. Spam filters can detect whether your recipients are engaging with your emails, and this is a common reason emails go to spam.

If recipients are not responding to your emails, they are more likely to be flagged as spam. When you receive low engagement from your email recipients, start working on content strategies to make emails more engaging and effective. This will help you increase the engagement rate.

You should stop sending emails to the same addresses that are not opening your emails after several tries. Take the help of some tools to easily find the reason behind email spam. This way, you can save time and leap from a low engagement rate to a high engagement rate.

Yogesh Kumar, Digital Marketing Manager, Technource

Poor Sender Reputation

I believe your sender reputation impacts whether your emails are labeled as spam. Your sender reputation is a score granted to you by email service providers that shows your sender reliability. 

If your reputation is bad, it might impair email delivery and cause it to be labeled as spam. Maintain a strong sender reputation by adhering to proper email practices, avoiding spamming activity, and cleaning your email list regularly to remove incorrect or inactive email addresses.

Matt Magnante, Director of Content and SEO, Fitness Volt

High Unsubscribe Rates

A clear sign that your emails are being spammed is a high rate of unsubscribes from your email list. This is especially true if you see more than average compared to what you typically expect. Typically, people flag intrusive messages as spam before eventually unsubscribing. 

So, if you’re noticing a sharp increase in your unsubscribe rate, it could indicate that your emails are ending up in the wrong places.

Karl Robinson, CEO, Logicata

Receiving Automated Reactions

Email providers’ automated answers, such as “undeliverable” or “blocked,” can indicate that your emails are not reaching the recipient’s mailbox. In my opinion, this is a clear sign that your emails are being routed to spam. To remedy this issue, contact your email provider to see why your emails are being blocked and take the necessary steps to enhance deliverability.

Adam Crossling, Head of Marketing, Zenzero

From starting with a free offer to putting solutions front-and-center, here are 13 answers to the question, “Fill in the blank: Email click-through rates can be improved by ___________.”

• Offering Something Free
• Adding an Element of Play
• Crafting Compelling Subject Lines
• A/B Testing
• Avoiding Spammy or Salesy Words 
• Segmenting the Email List
• Putting in an Infographic 
• Personalizing the Content
• Sending Fewer Emails
• Testing and Adjusting Send Times 
• Including Powerful Calls-to-Action
• Using Emojis
• Providing Value Through Solutions

Offering Something Free

You can improve your email click-through rate by offering something for free. For example, if you’re trying to sell a product online, you could give a free sample for people to try before purchasing. 

This way, you’re increasing your chances of them clicking through to your site to purchase. Offering something for free can help increase your click-through rate by making your emails more appealing to potential customers.

Matthew Ramirez, CEO, Paraphrase Tool

Adding an Element of Play

Get really creative and challenge your subscribers! Email gamification is a highly interactive way to increase your click-through rates. 

I’ve seen brands embrace games within emails by combining GIFs and landing pages to include “Spin the Wheel” games, or specially formatted “Where’s Wally?” style images with hidden objects to drive engagement. 

You can easily introduce occasional puzzles, mazes, or brain teasers. Ask subscribers to enter their answers in an email form or select a button to play.

Vicky Smith, Email Strategist and Copywriter, Flic Email

Crafting Compelling Subject Lines

Email click-through rates can be improved by crafting compelling subject lines. 

Well-crafted, specific, and concise subject lines have the power to grab your subscribers’ attention. It’s the first thing your subscribers see, and it can make or break their decision to read your email. 

Hence, a compelling subject line will stand out from the crowd and increase the chances of your email being opened.

Shaun Connell, Founder, Writing Tips Institute

A/B Testing

A/B testing is a powerful tool that allows marketers to optimize their email campaigns. 

By testing different versions of an email, marketers can gain insights into what works and what doesn’t. This approach helps to identify the most effective elements of an email, such as subject lines, images, and calls-to-action. 

With this information, marketers can refine their emails to improve click-through rates and ultimately drive more conversions. 

A/B testing is a solid strategy for optimizing your click-through rates.

Jennifer Ayling, Content Marketer and Copywriter, The Mulberry Pen

Avoiding Spammy or Salesy Words 

Because of the huge number of emails received by prospects daily, your emails most likely won’t be opened. Creating urgency and excitement for the viewers should be the aim you’re striving for. Your subject line must be powerful enough to get recipients to open the email; that should be your priority.

As a rule, avoid using words such as “get,” “register,” and so on. The email algorithms and human minds are so well-versed in such words that they’ll either go into the spam box or just be ignored. A great hack I’ve been using lately is Mailmeteor’s spam checker, which checks and detects spammy words that might affect your deliverability.

Another point is, always make sure your CTA is highlighted and directed to the right landing page. Even if you’re not working on those creative branded emails, just make sure you use the right font and color schemes to grab attention. Testing regularly and retaining the ones that are working will turn your email campaigns into successes.

Johannes Larsson, Founder and CEO, Financer.com

Segmenting the Email List

Email click-through rates can be improved by segmenting the email list. The method refers to dividing the email subscribers into different groups based on specific criteria such as demographics (e.g., age, gender, location), behaviors (e.g., purchase or browsing history), interests (e.g., wish list), or actions (e.g., clicking on specific links, filling out a form). The underlying concept behind email segmentation is to deliver more targeted and personalized content to each group of subscribers, which can lead to increased engagement, open rates, and click-through rates.

Email segmentation involves tailoring the email content, design, and call-to-actions to each group. For instance, a company selling outdoor gear might segment its email list into hikers, campers, and rock climbers. The marketing team then crafts targeted emails with relevant products, tips, or promotions specific to each subgroup. Doing so increases the likelihood that subscribers will find the email content valuable.

Nina Paczka, Community Manager, Resume Now

Putting in an Infographic

Images are great—they draw the eye in and break up long paragraphs. But for click-through rates, I’ve found that infographics are even better. 

Studies have shown that the average customer only looks at an email for a single second. They’re scanning the contents, at best. By combining images with pertinent information, you’ll convey a concise message that they can quickly absorb, improving the odds that they’ll continue on to your site.

Remember though, to leave them wanting more, your infographic should hint at the conclusion, not reveal it. It’s about the tease and the chase.

Tim Walsh, Founder, Vetted

Personalizing the Content

One way to improve email click-through rates is to personalize the content to the recipient. By incorporating the recipient’s name, past purchase history, or other relevant details, the email feels more tailored to their interests and needs. This can lead to higher engagement and more click-throughs. 

For example, a digital marketing agency sent personalized emails to a client’s email list with customized product recommendations based on their past purchases. This resulted in a 35% increase in click-through rates compared to non-personalized emails.

Himanshu Sharma, CEO and Founder, Academy of Digital Marketing

Sending Fewer Emails

Email marketing is all about finding the right balance between content and frequency—a policy of more emails equaling more engagement simply doesn’t work here. 

When sending emails to a target audience, it’s essential to arrive at a frequency that does not overwhelm them because of high numbers. If they see too many emails from your brand, they’ll simply stop engaging or, worse, unsubscribe. The trick is to send fewer but more impactful emails that not only improve your click-through rates but also engage your audience without making them feel swamped.

Ariav Cohen, VP of Marketing and Sales, Proprep

Testing and Adjusting Send Times 

Testing and adjusting send times and frequencies can significantly improve email click-through rates (CTRs) by ensuring content reaches subscribers when they are most likely to engage. Optimal send times depend on factors like location, demographics, and habits; A/B testing and engagement metric analysis can help determine the best time to reach a specific audience.

Balancing email frequency is crucial: too many emails lead to subscriber fatigue, while too few result in missed opportunities. Monitoring metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribe rates helps fine-tune frequency for maximum engagement.

Moreover, relevance and timeliness play a critical role in improving CTRs. Sending emails to coincide with relevant events or promotions creates urgency and boosts engagement. In summary, by optimizing send times, frequencies, and content relevance, marketers can significantly enhance email CTRs and foster stronger relationships with subscribers, improving CTR success.

Jorge Alberto Fuentes Zapata, Founder, Fuentes Zapata Co.

Including Powerful Calls-to-Action

Email click-through rates can be improved by seasoning your content with irresistible calls-to-action. Just like a delicious dish that entices people to take a bite, your emails should include captivating invitations that encourage readers to click and explore further.

Craft your calls-to-action to be clear, concise, and compelling, while ensuring they align with your email’s overall message. By sprinkling these tantalizing elements throughout your content, you’ll create a savory experience that leaves your audience hungry for more, ultimately boosting your click-through rates.

Robert Wolski, Co-founder, Halftone Digital

Using Emojis

Using emojis in email subject lines can improve click-through rates by adding visual interest and emotional appeal to the message. However, it’s important to use emojis sparingly and only when they align with the tone and content of the email. Testing different variations can help identify which emojis resonate with your audience and drive the most engagement.

Ben Lau, Founder, Featured 

Providing Value Through Solutions

When your email content provides valuable information and, more importantly, solutions to your audience, you can count on enhanced engagement. A good click-through rate is achieved by giving your subscribers enough reasons to click on those well-placed CTA buttons and taking that next step in building a beneficial relationship with your brand. 

One way to do this is to package your product or service as just the solution your subscribers were looking for. Whether it is a product tweak that ensures better quality or a service enhancement that reduces effort, it’s all about convincing your audience that what you have on offer is a problem-solver. This will eliminate any hesitation or doubt and give your subscriber a powerful reason for further engagement.

Wasim Kagzi, Director of Marketing and Development, MuscleLead

What Do You Put In The Subject Of An Email?

From putting the value front and center to using your sense of humor, here are 13 answers to the question, “What are the most effective things to put in an email subject line that inspire opening and action?”

• Value
• Numbers
• Power Words
• Personalization
• “Alert”
• Localization
• A Question
• Urgency
• A Review Request
• A Specific Call-to-Action (CTA)
• Emojis
• A Solution
• Humor

Value

The subject line should convey the importance of the email to the recipient. The recipient should be able to understand why they should open the email. Employ phrases like “free,” “exclusive,” or “limited-time offer” to emphasize value. Providing value in the subject line can entice the recipient to take action and open the email.

Gerrid Smith, Chief Marketing Officer, Joy Organics

Numbers

I’ve tried it and it works great because using numbers in the subject line can catch the recipient’s attention and make the email stand out in their inbox. For example, “10 Strategies to Save Money” or “3 Sleep Tips.” In addition, using a number in the subject line can give the reader an idea of what to expect in the email.

Kenny Kline, President and Financial Lead, BarBend

Power Words

I believe that using strong words in the subject line can catch the recipient’s attention and make them more inclined to open the email. Power words elicit emotion and generate a sense of urgency or excitement.

“Discover,” “Proven,” “Limited,” “Breaking,” and “Secret” are examples of power words. When you use powerful words in the subject line, the recipient may feel as if they are missing out if they do not read the email.

Max Whiteside, SEO and Content Lead, Breaking Muscle

Personalization

We use a personalized subject line that includes the recipient’s name and a relevant topic. According to research, personalized subject lines can increase email open rates and engagement. 

By including the recipient’s name in the subject line, we can show that the email is personalized for them rather than a generic mass email. Including a relevant topic also helps pique the recipient’s interest and encourages them to open the email to learn more.

For instance, instead of using a generic subject line like “Important Update,” we use a personalized subject line like “John, Your Feedback on Our New Product Design,” which is more inspiring and more effective in encouraging opens and action. This subject line includes the recipient’s name and a relevant topic that they may be interested in.

Johannes Larsson, Founder and CEO, JohannesLarsson.com

“Alert”

Adding “alert” to your email subject creates a sense of urgency. This easily catches the recipient’s attention and makes them more inclined to open the email. It is also important to keep subject lines short and clear, and they should allow the recipient to know what they can expect and make them want to know the contents of the message.

Michelle Siy, Content Writer, Oliver Wicks

Localization

I believe that using localization in the subject line can make the email feel more relevant to the recipient. This can involve including the recipient’s city or state in the subject line, as well as terms relevant to the recipient’s area. 

For example, “Get Ready for Fall in New York City” or “The Best Tacos in Austin.” Localization can make the recipient feel as if the email is personalized to their interests, increasing the likelihood that they will open it.

Andrew Priobrazhenskyi, CEO and Director, Discount Reactor

A Question

I’ve found that one thing you can put in the subject of an email that inspires opens and action to be taken is a question.

I think people like to be asked questions because it makes them feel like their opinion matters and that they’re being listened to. It also gives them a chance to show off their knowledge or expertise, which can make them feel good about themselves. And of course, if they answer your question, they get the satisfaction of helping someone who might need it—and that feels good too!

Rengie Wisper, Marketing Manager, Check CPS

Urgency

Any specific phrase you may include to inspire action in an email subject should be concise and relevant to the topic at hand. Using a call-to-action such as “Act Now,” “Limited Time Offer,” or “Last Chance” can help motivate the reader to open the message and take the desired action. 

Word choice is an important factor when crafting an email subject because overly long, boring, or vague subjects may be overlooked by the reader. Furthermore, using words related to urgency, scarcity, or excitement can help capture the reader’s attention and motivate them to take action.

Victor Mathieux, Co-founder and CEO, Miracle Brand

A Review Request

Asking email recipients to leave a review is one surefire way to get more emails opened. People love sharing their opinions about things. For customers who just bought a product, the timing is perfect for them to share their honest feedback with others, for example. Providing a reward system, like points for a review, can further boost engagement too.

Alexandre Robicquet, Co-founder and CEO, Crossing Minds

A Specific Call-to-Action (CTA)

Using a call-to-action (CTA) that is obvious and specific to the reader’s needs or wants is one of the best subject lines for motivating action. Because it provides a clear CTA (joining the group) and speaks to the recipient’s desire to make a difference, a subject line like “Join our group and start making a difference today” can motivate action. 

Also, the use of terms like “today” conveys urgency and immediacy, which may inspire the recipient to act. An effective subject line should be brief, precise, and catered to the target audience. The advantages of taking action should be emphasized, and the next steps should be made obvious. You can improve your email’s chances of being opened, read, and responded to by doing this.

Dayna Carlin, Director of Marketing and Sales, NovoPath

Emojis

Emojis, when used appropriately, can be an easy win for boosting open rates. The aim of a subject line is always to grab the recipient’s attention, and even the most click-inducing copy can sometimes be overlooked. An emoji, on the other hand, instantly makes your email stand out, making it a lot more likely for your subject line to be acknowledged and allowing your copy the opportunity to encourage engagement. One especially effective use of emojis in subject lines is to consistently use one that is associated with your brand. 

Take Morning Brew, for example. This newsletter includes a coffee emoji at the start of every subject line. This emoji usage is obviously relevant, but as this is a frequent newsletter, it builds brand loyalty. The pitfall of emojis is, of course, over-usage, or using an irrelevant choice. Make sure you choose one that either relates to the content within the email or can be used consistently in line with your branding.

Joe Cowman, Head of SEO, FATJOE

A Solution

Everyone loves a solution to their problems, issues, needs, or wants, and if your email’s subject line promises this, you’re bound to open the email and act on it. This is the formula I invariably put to use, whether it’s my personal and professional emails or the email marketing campaigns I lead. 

With scores of emails making their way into people’s inboxes each day, the ones that directly offer a timely solution to a current problem invariably gain precedence over others. This email immediately conveys value and gives the receiver enough reason to click on it and learn more.

Ariav Cohen, VP of Marketing and Sales, Proprep

Humor

I believe that including humor in the subject line can help the email stand out in the recipient’s inbox. A subject line that makes the receiver grin or chuckle might form a favorable association with the sender and increase the likelihood that they will open subsequent emails. Yet, I believe it is critical to use humor sparingly so as not to insult the recipient.

Tiffany Hafler, Marketing Manager, FORTIS Medical Billing Professionals