Building a successful B2B affiliate marketing program isn’t just about scaling numbers, it's about driving the right audience, the right leads, and lasting partnerships. At Affiliate Summit West 2025, our all-women panel, featuring industry leaders Neha Anada (Bankrate), Nancy Harnett (HubSpot), Michelle Koehn (PESI), and Limmor Kfiri (Fiverr) broke down why their approaches work, and how brands can adapt them to achieve measurable success. 

Step 1. Build a Customer-Centric Affiliate Program 

The Why: If you’re a regular on these blogs, you won’t be surprised to hear it again: Customers, Customers, Customers. As Nancy Harnett, Head of Affiliate Marketing at HubSpot, said, “It all starts with your customers.” The foundation of any strong affiliate program lies in truly understanding your audience. By partnering with affiliates who align with their needs, you’ll drive better-quality leads and build meaningful, results-driven relationships. 

The How: 

• Understand Your Audience: Use surveys, focus groups, or analytics tools like Google Analytics and your CRM to uncover customer demographics, behaviors, and pain points. 

• Map the Customer Journey: Identify where customers interact with your brand (awareness, consideration, purchase, retention) and align affiliate strategies to key touchpoints. 

• Recruit Affiliates Who Align: Prioritize affiliates whose audience and content match your customer journey. HubSpot uses tools like SimilarWeb and Ahrefs to reverse-engineer competitor traffic and find ideal partners. 

• Equip Affiliates to Add Value: Share customer insights, SEO trends, and other data-driven tools to empower affiliates. Fiverr, for example, helps their affiliates succeed by sharing PPC and SEO trends directly with partners. 

Why It Works: Adopting a customer-centric strategy ensures that every affiliate can deliver meaningful value, building trust and alignment with your brand’s goals. 

Step 2. Recruit High-Quality Partners 

The Why: When it comes to affiliates, quality trumps quantity, as your partners will directly impact the relevance and success of the traffic they drive. As Limor Kfiri from Fiverr emphasized, "It's not about how many affiliates we have, it's about nurturing the ones that matter." 

The How: 

• Leverage Targeted Networks: Use affiliate networks specific to your industry. Build relationships with network representatives who can introduce you to high-performing partners. 

• Run Strategic Recruitment Campaigns: Use ads, webinars, or industry-specific events to attract affiliates. PESI scaled its program from 100 to 3,000 affiliates in a year by combining targeted campaigns with webinars and events. 

• Foster a Community Atmosphere: Host events, town halls, or even partner groups to create emotional buy-in with your affiliates. PESI found high-performing partners by building relationships through quarterly networking events. 

• Use Referrals: Offer incentives for existing affiliates to recommend others. Affiliates with strong industry connections can introduce you to like-minded, high-value partners. 

What This Means for You: Recruiting the right affiliates ensures a higher ROI, stronger program loyalty, and partnerships that are built to last. 

Step 3. Test, Learn, and Scale 

The Why: Scaling an affiliate program requires constant experimentation. By testing strategies, refining what works, and learning from failures, you'll be better equipped to grow without sacrificing quality. Nancy Harnett of HubSpot noted, "Fail fast and fail forward." 

The How: 

• Experiment Regularly: Run small, controlled experiments on payout models, marketing approaches, or affiliate types. HubSpot runs around 20 experiments quarterly to identify growth opportunities. 

• Act on Affiliate Feedback: Affiliates can offer valuable insights into what resonates with their audiences. PESI adopted hybrid payout models (CPA + revenue share) based on partner feedback, resulting in stronger partnerships and sustained growth. 

• Optimize What Works: Focus your resources on scaling high-performing campaigns, while quickly iterating or dropping ones that don’t deliver results. 

Case Study: 
Recognizing the growing power of video content, Fiverr tested a dedicated YouTube Creator Program. They recruited 600+ YouTubers who produced 100+ videos monthly, driving traffic to Fiverr’s platform. By continuously testing and refining their approach based on performance data, Fiverr turned this into a key driver for scaling their affiliate program while ensuring quality leads. 

The bottom line - experimentation allows for optimization, which in turn helps you find scalable strategies without losing focus on what works best for your audience. 

Step 4. Adapt to Industry Trends 

The Why: Affiliate marketing evolves constantly. Trends like AI, algorithm updates, and new content formats can reshape the landscape overnight. Staying ahead of these shifts ensures your program remains sustainable. 

The How: 

• Utilize AI Tools: Automate repetitive tasks like fraud detection and reporting. HubSpot uses AI-powered tools like ChatGPT to increase efficiency, allowing their team to focus on strategic growth. 

• Diversify Affiliate Types: Protect your program from algorithm changes by partnering with creators across multiple platforms. Fiverr works with UGC creators on Reddit, Medium, LinkedIn, and YouTube to spread risk and engage niche audiences. 

• Track Emerging Platforms: Keep an eye on rising channels where your audience is shifting (e.g., Quora, TikTok). Expanding early ensures first-mover advantage. 

• Invest in Long-Term Relationships: Build trust and loyalty with high-quality affiliates through ongoing support, transparent communication, and shared success stories. 

Case Study: Fiverr’s multi-platform UGC strategy allowed them to reduce reliance on YouTube and tap into new, authentic audiences on platforms like LinkedIn, Medium, and Reddit. By diversifying traffic sources and tracking trends using AI tools, Fiverr future-proofed their affiliate program against sudden disruptions. 

Why It Matters: Staying agile and embracing new tools positions you to handle industry disruptions while maximizing your program’s reach and sustainability. 

Step 5. Empower Affiliates with Data and Insights 

The Why: Affiliates thrive when you provide them with the tools and insights they need to succeed. Sharing valuable information not only drives better results but strengthens the relationship between you and your affiliate partners. 

The How: 

• Share Actionable Insights: Fiverr provides their affiliates with SEO data, PPC trends, and conversion benchmarks, helping them run more effective campaigns. 

• Offer Personalized Support: Use AI-driven onboarding and coaching to ensure affiliates feel supported. PESI personalized its approach for smaller affiliates, helping them scale into top-performing partners. 

• Maintain Regular Communication: Send newsletters, host webinars, or schedule check-ins to provide updates and reinforce their connection to your program. 

Your Next Step: Share meaningful data, maintain open communication, and empower affiliates to excel, your success is tied to theirs. 

To Recap: Innovate, Diversify, and Build Relationships for Lasting Success 

The message from B2B industry leaders couldn’t be clearer: success in affiliate marketing comes from innovation, adaptability, and a commitment to building strong, mutually beneficial relationships. Whether it’s putting customers at the core of your affiliate strategy, experimenting with new approaches, or staying ahead of industry trends like AI and emerging platforms, thriving in this space requires constant evolution. 

But the key isn’t just in what you know, it’s in what you do next. 

So, what is your next step?  

• Audit your current affiliate program. 

• Experiment with the strategies outlined here. 

• Test, learn, and adapt for continuous growth. 

Want to accelerate your results? Don’t miss Affiliate Summit East this August 4-5 in NYC! You'll get the chance to connect directly with industry leaders, uncover the latest trends, and discover actionable strategies to transform your affiliate program.