Affiliate Marketing for CBD Brands – Managing a CBD brand is both fun and challenging. On the one hand, your brand can offer much-needed supplies and education regarding the exciting hemp-based cannabinoid. On the other hand, getting that brand in front of the millions of people who should experience it is a massive endeavor. Fortunately, you can employ some clever hemp marketing tricks to propel your CBD start-up right into the spotlight. One such method, CBD affiliate marketing, is today’s discussion topic.
What is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing is a strategy by which companies pay content creators for the sales they bring in. Generally, companies track sales using unique promotional tools like affiliate links, promo codes, and tagged banner ads. Notably, affiliate programs also help brands reach a wider audience by tapping into the existing audiences of active CBD promoters.
Essentially, affiliates share their unique promotional tools to their audience encouraging them to buy. When a shopper enters a website through these tools then buys something, that affiliate earns a commission. The more sales an affiliate helps generate, the higher their pay-out. Hence, affiliates are extremely motivated to sell your CBD hemp products and advocate for your brand. This is especially true if you offer a generous commission or other attractive incentives.
Unlike standard cost-per-action advertising (for example, pay-per-click or pay-per-view ads), most affiliate program models pay per sale. No sale = no expense. This makes affiliate marketing for CBD brands an affordable, effective hemp marketing strategy.
How Your Business Can Start a CBD Affiliate Program
So you’ve decided to create CBD affiliate program for your business. The first step is to determine exactly what you’re trying to promote and who you hope will promote it. Research competitors’ affiliate program structures to determine what works, what doesn’t, and how your company might improve their model.
Also, consider the best ways to acquire and screen affiliates then build your recruitment and payment structure accordingly. To begin, ask yourself the following questions:
- What kind of commissions will you offer?
- When and how will you pay your affilates?
- How will you educate your affiliates?
- How will affiliates track sales and other important information?
- Will you provide any marketing material?
- Will you offer any other incentives to engourage affiliate promotions?
Once you’ve determined your business’s CBD affiliate program details, you can either integrate them into your e-commerce website or work with an affiliate network to integrate your program into their system.
How to Find CBD Affiliate Marketers
There are thousands of CBD affiliates eager to promote your products, they just have to find you! As such, you must market your program just like you market your CBD business. Digital marketing strategies like SEO, email marketing, and social media are great ways to promote your CBD affiliate program, but they are only the beginning.
Remember, CBD marketing – including those who market on your behalf — must meet strict compliance regulations. As such, you must ensure all CBD affiliates understand and adhere to these restrictions.
This highlights an important component of the CBD affiliate screening process. Not only must you ensure that your affiliates are equipped to reach a large audience, but you must also ensure that they tell their audience the right information. You can do this through the application and approval process or leave it to affiliate networks like Impact and ShareASale to vet your affiliates for you and host activity on their platform (for a fee, of course).
Things to Consider About Hemp Affiliates
While a hemp influencer’s primary goal is to build their brand, a hemp affiliate’s goal is to build yours. By offering an excellent incentive package (and stellar CBD products), your affiliates will eagerly promote your brand across the internet via blogs, social media posts, emails, and more while your CBD business rakes in sales.
Having said that, there are a few things to consider when launching a CBD affiliate program. To begin, you must ensure that all expectations are clear from the beginning, including permissible language and visuals, commissions and minimum payouts, and any other legal information necessary to protect your business and your affiliates. Always include a detailed contract at registration and ensure it’s always accessible.
Also, always track the analytics of your affiliate programs and adjust your promotional strategy accordingly. Consider adding educational material or incentive programs for top sellers, and always look for ways to promote the program to more eager marketers.
Final Thoughts About Affiliate Marketing for CBD Brands
You’ve got an awesome brand and awesome products, you’d just like a little boost in your promotions. Fortunately, with affiliate marketing for CBD brands, your advocates can become some of your best promoters. Just choose a payment structure, an affiliate platform, and of course, give them great products to promote. The rest will take care of itself.
Contact us to learn more ways we can help support your CBD brand. Between our consultants and an amazing selection of white- and private-label CBD products, we’ve got you covered.

Abby is a freelance cannabis writer and Founder of Cannabis Content, a marketplace and training platform designed to connect cannabis creatives with businesses that need their services. Learn more at CannabisContent.net