Behind the Scenes of Successful Affiliate Marketing

Episode 516

The Power of Successful Affiliate Marketing for All Creators

Affiliate marketing is experiencing a renaissance in the digital business world, and nobody understands this better than Laura Sprinkle, founder of Rootabl and former affiliate manager for industry giants like Amy Porterfield. In a recent conversation on The Proffitt Podcast, Laura shared insights that challenge common misconceptions about affiliate marketing and reveal strategies that can benefit creators of all sizes, not just those with massive audiences.

Real-Life Results from Successful Affiliate Marketing Campaigns

Perhaps the most striking revelation from Laura’s experience is how accessible affiliate marketing truly is for smaller creators. While many view affiliate programs as exclusive to established brands with six- or seven-figure businesses, Laura’s journey proves otherwise. When she first launched her course in 2020, she earned $15,000 with just five customers from a webinar that had 27 attendees. However, when she relaunched three months later with eight affiliates—simply friends who believed in her product—she saw remarkable growth: 297 webinar attendees (a 10X increase) and $60,000 in revenue (four times her previous launch). This dramatic transformation didn’t require hundreds of affiliates or complex systems—just eight strategic partnerships with people who already knew and trusted her.

Successful Affiliate Marketing as a Brand Growth Strategy

This highlights a fundamental truth about affiliate marketing that’s often overlooked: it’s not just about sales; it’s also about brand building. As Laura poignantly stated, “The person we know as Amy Porterfield, or the brand we know as Amy Porterfield today, would not exist if it weren’t for people like you, the hundreds of affiliates she’s had spreading the word.” This “omnipresence” effect—where potential customers suddenly see a brand everywhere—creates powerful momentum that paid advertising alone cannot replicate.

Types of Partners that Drive Successful Affiliate Marketing

Looking toward the future, Laura predicts affiliate marketing will evolve into more specialized relationships. She describes two categories: “keystone affiliates” (major partners who drive significant traffic, warrant customized materials, and may participate in joint webinars) and “pollinator affiliates” (smaller partners who might bring just one or two customers but collectively create that crucial halo effect of widespread visibility). While some brands are focusing exclusively on keystones, Laura cautions against overlooking the collective power of pollinators.

Why Trust Fuels Successful Affiliate Marketing in 2025

This evolution comes at a critical time in digital marketing. With AI-generated content creating a crisis of trust online, genuine human recommendations have never been more valuable. “We’re in this point of lack of trust in the internet,” Laura notes, “and so I think affiliate marketing is going to become even more important because I don’t know that I believe an ad, but I believe you.” In an era where authenticity is currency, the trust transfer that happens through affiliate partnerships becomes an invaluable asset for brands.

Laying the Foundation for Successful Affiliate Marketing

For creators hesitant to start an affiliate program, Laura offers simple, actionable advice: start building relationships now. Long before Rootabl existed, she invested in creating connections with no immediate payoff, planting seeds that later blossomed into valuable partnerships. These relationships become the foundation for both sides of affiliate marketing—whether you’re promoting others’ products or inviting affiliates to promote yours. The key is authenticity; as Krystal pointed out, she only promotes products she has personally used and gotten results from, thereby maintaining the trust her audience places in her recommendations.

Unlocking Your Affiliate Marketing Potential

Whether you’re just starting your creator journey or looking to scale an established business, affiliate marketing offers a pathway to growth that combines the best elements of word-of-mouth marketing with the measurability of digital campaigns. By focusing on genuine relationships and strategic partnerships, creators of all sizes can harness the power of affiliate marketing to build their brands, expand their audience, and boost their revenue, all without the need for massive marketing budgets or complex systems.

Listen to more inspiring interviews on The Proffitt Podcast!