Turn your best members into ambassadors

Opening an affiliate programme isn't enough. The members who recommend you most are rarely the ones who sign up on their own: they are the ones you went to find, whom you told what to say, and whom you thank when it works.

Who to invite first

Start small. The best ambassadors have three things in common:

• They have got results thanks to your course or your community, and can talk about them.
• They are active: they post, comment and come to live sessions.
• They have an audience, however modest: a newsletter, a LinkedIn account, a local group, colleagues.

In your space, the leaderboard, the member list and the live session statistics show you who comes back most often. Make a list of ten names and write to them personally, before any general announcement.

Hi Claire,

You're one of the members who keep the space alive, and several people
have already asked you what you think of it.

I'm opening an affiliate programme: with your personal link, you earn
25% of what the people you bring in pay, for 12 months.

Your page is here: [link to the space's Affiliates page]
If you have any questions, just reply to me directly.

Thanks for being here,
Patrick

Announce the programme to everyone

Once your first ambassadors are up and running, open the programme to all members:

1. A pinned post in the feed, explaining the idea in three lines and linking to the Affiliates page.
2. An e-mail campaign to members who were active last month. To target them, create a segment.
3. Two minutes at the end of a live session: show the Affiliates page on screen, copy the link in front of them, answer questions in the chat.

Many of you already recommend the space to people around you. Now it
earns you something.

Every member can create their personal link in the Affiliates menu.
When someone joins the space with your link and subscribes, you earn
25% of what they pay for 12 months.

All the rules are on the Affiliates page. Thank you to everyone who
spreads the word about the space!

Tell them what to say

Your affiliates aren't salespeople. Give them something to talk about, in the message to affiliates in your settings or in a dedicated post:

• The sentence that sums up the space: who it's for, what result, in how much time.
• Three arguments that convinced your current members.
• One or two member stories, with their permission.
• Useful links: the space's public page, an introduction video, the next open live session.

An example message an affiliate can reuse:

For six months I've been following Breathwork Academy: a live session
every Tuesday, 10-minute exercises and a community that really answers.

I've stopped hunting for videos all over the place. If you want to try it:
[affiliate link]

Where to share the link

The link is remembered for 60 days in the visitor's browser: they can join later. The places that work best:

• The bio on their social media and their e-mail signature.
• Their newsletter, in a "what I use" section.
• The description of their videos on YouTube or of their podcast.
• The groups where people ask them for advice: forums, WhatsApp groups, associations.

And the ones that damage your image: strings of comments under other people's posts, unsolicited messages, paid ads on your name. State clearly in your terms what you won't accept.

Transparency

Ask your affiliates to disclose that it's an affiliate link ("affiliate link", "I earn a commission if you sign up"). It's a matter of trust with their audience, and in many countries a legal requirement for paid recommendations. Add the rule to your terms.

Say thank you and keep the momentum going

An ambassador who is thanked keeps going. A few simple gestures:

• Celebrate every new member in the feed, mentioning the affiliate if they agree.
• Pay on time, as soon as the threshold is reached.
• Give visibility to the best: a badge, a mention in a live session, access to exclusive content.
• Share the figures once a quarter: how many members came through recommendations.

Affiliates see their tier and the next one on their page: tell them when they're getting close.

Key takeaways

• Ten hand-picked ambassadors are worth more than a hundred inactive affiliates.
• Give them words, links and examples: nobody recommends what they can't explain.
• Be transparent about commissions and demanding about practices.
• Thank people in public, pay on time.

To set up the programme, see the launch guide and how much to pay your affiliates.