Last update: April 7, 2025
This guide is designed to help brands navigate affiliate PR and harness the power of affiliate links in the media. Brand owners and partners will learn the importance of joining one of the leading affiliate networks and how to run campaigns that connect them directly with publishers.
Print media's online channels are becoming increasingly dependent on affiliate revenue as advertising revenue declines.Magazines are increasingly looking to affiliate programs to earn a commission for their online editorial coverage.
To get a further understanding, look at these examples of media that dedicate parts of their coverage to recommending products with affiliate links: Telegraph Recommends, The Independent's IndyBest, New York Magazine's The Strategist, and the Hollywood Reporter's lifestyle shopping section.
The growing importance of this revenue stream to the magazine means that your brand may need to join an affiliate program to be considered for editorial coverage. This is not only true for big brands, but new brands will also be considered if they are part of a reliable affiliate network.
The traditional media's online channels, where most brands aspire to get coverage, have editorial guidelines on which affiliate platforms to work with. For them, this ensures that their workflows are streamlined. For brand owners, this means that setting up their own affiliate program, such as a Wordpress plugin, is unlikely to be considered by top-tier media. As you can imagine, magazine editorial departments cannot join hundreds or thousands of affiliate networks.
What this means for you is that you need to become part of the top affiliate networks used by magazines.
Amazon Associates, ShareASale, CJ Affiliate and Rakuten Affiliate Network are among the top choices.
The easiest way is to list a selection of your brand's products on Amazon and then automatically make them available to editorial via the Amazon Associates affiliate network. This is the free option.
If you choose one of the other established affiliate networks mentioned, the main benefit is that they will introduce your brand and products directly to editorial departments. This exposure gives you a significant advantage. If you choose an affiliate network other than Amazon, be sure to check their list of publishers to see if your desired magazines are registered with that network.
The hurdle to these desired affiliate networks comes through a brand application process and a listing fee, which can be around $3,000 or more or less. Another factor that brand owners often forget is that these networks also require proper maintenance. You would need to regularly update your products by season, provide proper image and campaign materials and descriptions. A PR consultant can do this for you.
Amazon Associates automates the commissions that magazines receive. With the other affiliates, you set the terms between 4%-20%. The newer your brand, the higher your commission needs to be to attract coverage where the sales volume is likely to be lower than with the big brands.
When pitching your brand's products to journalists, be sure to clearly state your commission rates and affiliate program details. This won't be necessary if the press pitch is about your founder's story, but if you want to see your products featured, have the details ready.
If you choose Amazon, you will not automatically be pitched to editors. You will need to mention Amazon listings as an affiliate option in your PR pitches.
Even with the major affiliate networks, it's worth reaching out to journalists and mentioning the network where your brand is hosted.
E-commerce writers, commerce editors and shopping writers are the titles of the journalistic roles that are expanding across the lifestyle media landscape. The main goal of these new positions is to bridge the gap between editorial recommendations and commercial brand collaborations by recommending shoppable items through affiliate systems. These are the journalists you want to tell about your products and their availability in a particular affiliate network.
Connect with these Shopping Writers from our network:
Erin Lassner is E-Commerce Writer at entertainment magazine The Hollywood Reporter. See their shoppable articles here, and find their contact info in the PR ON THE GO journalist profile.
Hannah Fox is Ecommerce Editor at Good Housekeeping UK. See their shoppable articles here, and find their contact info in the PR ON THE GO journalist profile.
Emily Scrivener is Deputy Commerce Editor at MailOnline UK. See their shoppable articles here, and find their contact info in the PR ON THE GO journalist profile.
Luke Chamberlain is Ecommerce Editor at Men's Health UK. See their shoppable articles here, and find their contact info in the PR ON THE GO journalist profile.
Meghan writes affiliate-led content for Mirror.co.uk and OK.co.uk. See their shoppable articles here, and find their contact info in the PR ON THE GO journalist profile.
Matt Breen is Deputy Editor within the eCommerce team of The Sun. See their shoppable articles here, and find their contact info in the PR ON THE GO journalist profile.
Lauren Savoie is Deputy Executive Editor, Reviews at Business Insider. See their shoppable articles here, and find their contact info in the PR ON THE GO journalist profile.
Alanna Martine Kilkeary is Commercial Writer Beauty for Glamour USA. See their shoppable articles here, and find their contact info in the PR ON THE GO journalist profile.
Naomi Smart is the Shopping Director, Europe, overseeing the shopping strategy for all European Vogue titles. See their shoppable articles here, and find their contact info in the PR ON THE GO journalist profile.
Alaina Chou is Commerce Writer at Condé Nast USA's Bon Appétit and Epicurious food recipe platforms. See their shoppable articles here, and find their contact info in the PR ON THE GO journalist profile.
Laura Forsyth workS for the London Standard’s Shopping section, focussing on affiliate-linked product round-ups and reviews for anything from laser hair removal devices, fitness trackers to the best electric bikes to ride in the city. See their shoppable articles here, and find their contact info in the PR ON THE GO journalist profile.
Stacia Datskovska is Senior Commerce Writer at WWD (Women's Wear Daily). See their shoppable articles here, and find their contact info in the PR ON THE GO journalist profile.
Aimée Robinson is Affiliates and Shopping Editor at Express.co.uk. See their shoppable articles here, and find their contact info in the PR ON THE GO journalist profile.
Margo Ghertner is Commerce Editor at New York-based news and lifestyle platform theSkimm. See their shoppable articles here, and find their contact info in the PR ON THE GO journalist profile.
Madison Flager is Associate Commerce Director at Condé Nast Traveler USA. See their shoppable articles here, and find their contact info in the PR ON THE GO journalist profile.