Creators put time, creativity, and trust into every piece of content they share, yet affiliate marketing is increasingly asking them to take on the work—and the risk—for the possibility of earning a commission.
Can We Talk About the Elephant in the Room?
Lately, I’ve been getting quite a lot of emails and DMs inviting me to join creator networks, sign up for affiliate programs, or receive products in exchange for the opportunity to earn commissions from the sales or sign-ups my content generates.
And I completely understand why these programs are appealing. For brands and agencies, performance-based partnerships make sense. You want to know that the marketing you’re investing in is actually producing results, and you want creators who are genuinely motivated to help drive those results.
But I have to be honest—I’ve started to feel a little uncomfortable with the way these partnerships are increasingly being presented to creators.
When I’m asked to create a post, film a video, write an article, or promote a product with the only compensation being the possibility of earning a commission, I often feel like the risk is sitting almost entirely on the creator’s side.
Because the work still has to happen whether or not someone clicks the link.
And that’s why, when I received another invitation recently, I politely explained that I don’t work solely for commissions. I wasn’t rejecting affiliate marketing, and I certainly wasn’t saying I don’t want to help a brand generate sales. I was simply saying that I don’t see myself as a salesperson working on commission. I see myself as a creator bringing creative work, experience, and an audience relationship to a partnership.
The response I received was:
“We normally structure professional partnerships around performance because we want creators to earn directly from the results they generate.”
And honestly?
My ears rang a little.
Not because I disagree with wanting to reward performance. I actually think creators should be rewarded when they deliver great results.
But it made me stop and think:
What about the work that happens before the result?
Because that is the part I think we sometimes forget.
I Understand Why Brands Love Affiliate
What's Inside
I understand the brand’s side.
Affiliate marketing makes sense.
A brand gets exposure and only pays when a creator generates a sale or sign-up. There’s measurable performance, less upfront risk, and a clear connection between marketing spend and results.
For brands and agencies, I completely understand why that model is attractive.
And I’m not saying affiliate marketing is bad.
It isn’t.
What I’m questioning is when affiliate commission becomes the only compensation for content that requires significant work to produce.
Because those are two different things.
The Part We Sometimes Forget
Before someone clicks an affiliate link, something had to happen first.
Someone had to create the content.
Maybe a creator spent an hour researching a product.
Maybe they spent another few hours writing a blog post.
Maybe they planned a video, set up the camera, filmed multiple takes, edited the footage, created captions, made thumbnails, posted it, answered comments, and shared it across multiple platforms.
Maybe they spent years building an audience that trusts their recommendations in the first place.
That work doesn’t suddenly become free because the final payment happens through a commission link.
There is work before the click.
And that work has value.
I Remember What It’s Like to Be New
This is probably the part I feel most strongly about.
I understand why newer creators say yes.
I’ve been there.
When you’re just starting out, an opportunity can feel incredibly exciting. Someone noticed you. A brand wants to work with you. You get to create something. You get exposure.
And sometimes you tell yourself:
Maybe the commission will be worth it.
Or:
At least I’ll have something to put in my portfolio.
Or simply:
I don’t want to say no and lose the opportunity.
I don’t blame creators for thinking that way.
If anything, I have a lot of empathy for them.
But when enough creators are willing to work that way, the market slowly starts expecting it.
And suddenly, something that should have been an exception becomes the standard.
The Affiliate Market Is Getting Saturated
There are now so many creators, affiliates, bloggers, TikTokers, YouTubers, Instagram creators, and niche communities competing for attention.
That has created incredible opportunities—but it has also created enormous pressure.
Creators are producing more content than ever.
Posting more.
Filming more.
Reviewing more.
Promoting more.
Trying to keep up with algorithms.
Trying to grow their audience.
Trying to make brands happy.
And trying to make enough money to justify all of it.
I’ve seen creators openly talk about how frustrating it has become when the amount of content expected keeps increasing while the compensation doesn’t.
And I understand why they feel that way.
Because content creation is work.
Affiliate Income Can Be Passive. Creating the Content Isn’t.
This is where I think the conversation gets confusing.
Yes, affiliate income can become passive.
A blog post written today might generate commissions six months from now.
A YouTube video might continue generating affiliate sales for years.
An Instagram post might keep sending people to a product.
That’s one of the beautiful things about affiliate marketing.
But let’s not confuse passive income later with passive work upfront.
Someone had to create that content.
Someone had to build the audience.
Someone had to earn the trust.
Someone had to take the risk that the content might generate absolutely nothing.
And that person is the creator.
I’m Not Against Affiliate Commissions
Actually, I think affiliate commission can make a partnership even better.
If I genuinely like a product and believe my audience will benefit from it, I want to have a reason to keep talking about it.
That’s where affiliate commission can be fantastic.
But I don’t think the choice has to be:
We’ll pay you upfront OR we’ll give you affiliate commission.
Why can’t it be:
We’ll pay you for the creative work AND give you an incentive to drive results?
That feels much more like a partnership to me.
A Better Way to Work Together
Imagine a brand approaches a creator and says:
We’d love for you to create a video introducing our product.
The creator gets an agreed-upon upfront fee for the creative work.
Then they also receive an affiliate commission for every sale or sign-up they generate.
Now both sides have something to gain.
The creator knows their time and work are valued.
The brand knows the creator has an additional incentive to promote the campaign and drive results.
And instead of the creator thinking:
“I hope someone buys this so I can make something from all the time I spent,”
they can think:
“I’m being fairly compensated for creating this, and now let’s see how well we can make it perform.”
That’s a completely different relationship.
And This Isn’t About Being “Entitled”
I know conversations like this can sometimes be interpreted as creators simply wanting to be paid more.
That’s not what I’m saying.
I’m not asking brands to pay me just because I have followers.
I’m not asking to be paid simply to post a link.
And I’m certainly not saying every affiliate opportunity needs to come with a huge fee.
I’m saying that creative work should be valued according to the work involved.
There is a difference between:
“Here’s an affiliate link. Share it if you want.”
and
We’d like you to create a dedicated piece of content for our brand.
Those are not the same ask.
Brands and Agencies: We See You Too
And I want to say this directly to brands and agencies because I don’t think this conversation should become an “us versus them” argument.
Most brands are trying to make their marketing budgets work.
Agencies are working with client budgets and trying to deliver results.
Everyone is trying to get the best possible return.
I understand that.
But I also think the best partnerships happen when the creator isn’t treated simply as another distribution channel.
Creators bring something different.
They bring their voice.
Their creativity.
Their relationship with their audience.
Their experience.
Their credibility.
And sometimes, years of work that happened long before a brand ever discovered them.
That deserves consideration too.
Maybe We Just Need to Change the Conversation
I don’t think affiliate marketing needs to disappear.
Quite the opposite.
I think it can be part of a really good creator-brand partnership.
But maybe it’s time to stop looking at affiliate commission as a replacement for creative compensation and start looking at it as an additional reward for performance.
Pay for the work.
Reward the results.
That feels fair to me.
And honestly, I think it creates better content, better relationships, and ultimately better results for everyone.
Because when a creator feels valued, they aren’t just checking a deliverable off a list.
They’re invested.
And when a brand values the creator’s work, the creator has a reason to bring their best ideas, creativity, and audience relationship to the table.
That’s the kind of partnership I want.
Not simply “Here’s your affiliate link. Good luck.”
But:
“Let’s create something great together—and let’s make sure both of us have a reason to see it succeed.”
And maybe that’s the conversation we should be having more often.
What do you think?
If you’re a creator or affiliate, have you ever been asked to produce content purely for commission?
And if you’re a brand or agency, how do you approach affiliate partnerships?
I’d genuinely love to hear both sides.