Paid media has long been the backbone of many marketing strategies. But for brands facing stalled campaigns or diminishing returns, traditional ad investments can feel like taking two steps forward and two steps back. If you’ve struggled with overcoming a growth plateau, you aren’t the only one. Many businesses are rethinking how they allocate budgets and looking for smarter ways to drive measurable outcomes. That’s where performance-based partnerships come in. By aligning spend with results, brands are seeing renewed momentum and achieving scalable, sustainable growth.
Courtney Rieker, Director of Influencer Brand Management at Acceleration Partners, described the shift in strategy this way: “Taking a purely transactional approach to creator partnerships just is not enough to stand out anymore. We’ve now identified that the real growth engine is loyalty—building relationships that are rooted in trust and long-term value.”
This pivot doesn’t just reduce risk; it also encourages stronger collaboration between brands and their partners, leading to richer campaigns and more consistent results. Learn more about what performance-based marketing means, why it’s getting popular, and how brands can leverage influencer and affiliate programs together to boost results.
So, what is performance-based marketing? At its core, performance-based marketing strategies leverage a results-first approach. Instead of paying for impressions or exposure, brands only pay when a defined outcome is achieved. This could mean:
This model provides benefits for both brands and their partners. Brands gain cost efficiency, while partners have the opportunity to maximize earnings by driving meaningful results.
Kristen Hayes, Influencer Marketing Manager at Newton Baby, emphasized the importance of trust in these relationships: “If you can develop a huge community of people that would go to bat for your brand and your products, that’s always the goal… People want to work with people who are going to take care of them.”
By fostering trust and loyalty, brands can move beyond one-off campaigns and instead build long-term momentum, which is an essential factor in any affiliate program case study.
Performance-based models are gaining traction across industries because they deliver flexibility, scalability, and accountability. Business growth case studies show that they can help with:
Gregg Coffman, SVP of Finance & Operations at Select, captured this balance well: “When creators feel like they are treated like a true partner, you see the success. It’s collaboration, communication, and mutual respect that sustain long-term results.”
As more brand strategy and growth teams face pressure to prove ROI and push ahead of competitors, performance-based partnerships are taking the lead and replacing traditional media in many marketing mixes. If you take lessons from successful companies, the results show how this shift can help companies break free from stagnant performance.
Influencer marketing has grown into a $30+ billion industry, but not all campaigns deliver equally. The difference in results often comes down to whether brands treat creators as true partners or if they’re valued like ad space.
Performance-based influencer marketing ensures compensation aligns with tangible results shown in sales, sign-ups, or engagement milestones. This helps ensure that every dollar of your marketing investment is contributing to growth. Here are some key benefits:
Courtney Rieker noted the importance of open dialogue: “It’s about working together and really identifying where we can do things differently. Finding a way that works for everybody is really the way to sustain long-term.”
So what’s the key takeaway? Influencer marketing succeeds when it shifts from traditional transactional campaigns to collaborative, long-term partnerships that drive growth on both sides.
Rising costs, ad fatigue and tightening budgets are prompting companies to rethink old strategies. Traditional media often offers limited accountability as brands pay upfront without knowing what the outcome will be. In contrast, performance-based models tie investments directly to measurable actions such as clicks, leads, or purchases. This can help protect budgets, maximize your spend and reduce the time spent testing different strategies.
Affiliate marketing is one of the most established performance-based models, and it continues to evolve. By rewarding partners for conversions rather than exposure, brands can scale quickly and efficiently. For companies looking to prioritize growth and diversity, performance-based affiliate marketing programs can be exactly what’s needed to start building momentum again.
Still thinking about what a performance-based marketing strategy would look like for you? Review answers to these commonly asked questions:
Start by defining your main goals, such as driving sales, generating leads, or boosting sign-ups, and choose a model that rewards partners for achieving those outcomes. Consider your budget, industry, and target audience to match the right partner incentives with results that matter. It’s also important to look for flexibility, enabling your strategy to scale alongside your business and adapt to market shifts.
Depending solely on this model can limit brand awareness, reduce control over brand messaging, and create too much reliance on third parties. It’s often best to find a balanced mix that can fortify your marketing efforts.
You can monitor performance through tracking programs or affiliate dashboards that monitor clicks, conversions, revenue and more as it’s happening. Real-time data allows you to make quick decisions and hold influencers and affiliates responsible for consistent results.
