After realizing the customer acquisition cost with Apple Search Ads and Meta Ads was too high to scale his app, Michael Butler looked for a better acquisition model. In the process, he discovered an opportunity to solve an overlooked growth marketing problem: no reliable way to track app transactions back to the affiliates or influencers driving them. In this episode, the Insert Affiliate founder explains how app marketers can turn creator partnerships into a measurable acquisition channel using attribution links, referral codes, and real-time transaction tracking. Michael also shares why engaged micro-influencers can outperform larger creators, how to structure revenue share, and why affiliate marketing is becoming more compelling as traditional user acquisition costs continue to rise.
Questions Michael Butler answered in this episode:
What is affiliate marketing, and how does it work specifically for mobile apps?
How can app marketers attribute transactions and revenue back to individual affiliates and creators?
What problem led Michael to build Insert Affiliate?
Why has affiliate marketing historically been underused compared with traditional paid UA?
What does a simple affiliate marketing program look like for an app launching one for the first time?
Which types of apps and verticals tend to perform best with affiliate marketing?
What does “optionality” in affiliate attribution mean, and why does it matter?
Is it better to recruit hundreds of affiliates or focus on a smaller group of highly engaged creators?
Should app marketers compensate creators with flat fees, recurring revenue share, or a combination of both?
How much commission should an app offer its affiliates, and should that commission be based on installs or sales?
Timestamp:
00:00 — Introduction: Making affiliate marketing measurable for apps
00:41 — What affiliate marketing means for mobile apps
01:01 — How Insert Affiliate tracks referrals and commissions
01:21 — The acquisition problem that inspired Insert Affiliate
02:07 — How affiliate traffic and transactions are attributed
03:01 — Spending nearly £30K on Apple Search Ads and searching for an alternative
04:22 — Why affiliate marketing has been underused in mobile UA
05:47 — How to launch a simple affiliate program
07:07 — Which app categories perform best with affiliates
08:13 — Attribution optionality: links, short codes, and incentive structures
10:11 — How None To Run generated $5K with a handful of affiliates
11:47 — Quality vs. quantity when recruiting creators
14:00 — Flat fees vs. recurring revenue share
14:55 — Turning affiliate UGC into paid advertising
15:35 — How much commission should apps pay affiliates?
16:49 — The biggest misconceptions about affiliate marketing
18:17 — Rapid-fire questions
20:04 — Michael's guide to visiting Jersey Island
21:03 — Final thoughts and where to connect with Michael
Quotes:
(7:39) "If you know who your customers are and where they hang out, you'll also learn which influencers and affiliates are going to resonate with them.”
(12:40) “If you find an affiliate that’s a really good fit, really likes what you’re building, and will post about it in a very genuine way, they don’t need a large audience -- just an engaged one.”
(17:39 “You need to give influencers some guidance. It’s the same as hiring any sort of staff member. If you bring them on but don’t give them training or show them your product, they’re going to be a lot less effective.”
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