The Business Strategy team at Awin.com recently collected several important statistics about affiliate marketing that show just how much the industry is growing. There’s something for everyone in the list of 15. The complete post is available here.

Here are some of the most important points for WA members:

1. Total affiliate marketing spend is growing rapidly.

In 2016 US retailers spent $4.7 billion on affiliate marketing. By 2020, that’s expected to rise to $6.8 billion.

2. 81% of brands have adopted affiliate marketing

Due to the performance-based nature and cost effectiveness of affiliate marketing, its popularity continues to grow with leading advertisers. This is also why increased transparency is required in the process, including developments like GDPR, ITP, and the California Consumer Privacy Act.

3. “Affiliate marketing” search interest grew by 30% in one year

Searches for the term “affiliate marketing” rose by 30% between September 2016 – September 2017. People are searching for what WA teaches!

4. 16% of all online orders come through affiliate marketing

This is the same volume as email marketing delivers, just a little less than organic search or paid search.

5. Jason Stone, aka Millionaire Mentor, generated $7MM in one year

Stone has 2.5 million Instagram followers, and posts affiliate links to offers he believes appeal to his followers. The $7 million came without having to incur any cost or inconvenience selling his own brand of products or services.

6. Nearly 50% of affiliate referred traffic came from mobile devices

Mobile device usage exceeded desktop usage for the first time in 2016 and now nearly 50% of affiliate-driven website traffic comes from mobile. Making sure your site is mobile-friendly now can affect your entire affiliate success.

7. Content is still king

Over the last few years, content produced by affiliates has grown 175%, and the revenue created through content publishers has exploded by 240%. Content marketing generates three times more leads than ads. Focus on text links, worry less about the banner ads on your site.

More Awin market insights are available to you as well. Enjoy!