Influencer and affiliate marketing have been around longer than most people realize. In 1760, in England, a potter named Josiah Wedgwood had just received an order from Queen Charlotte. Upon delivery, he begs the queen to allow him to name the line of pottery she bought “Queen’s Ware.” She agrees, and Wedgwood begins to leverage this royal association in marketing his products. That’s influencer marketing centuries before the internet.

The ideas of revenue sharing and commission also predate the internet. Salespeople have historically earned a percentage of each sale they close (a commission) as an incentive to sell more, and revenue sharing allows partners to split profits based on their contributions to the business. While these practices laid the groundwork for affiliate marketing, the modern version began in the mid-1990s, when William J. Tobin created the first online affiliate program. Tobin founded an online flower shop called PC Flowers and Gifts and implemented a system where every time another website referred a customer who made a purchase, that site would earn a commission. By the early 2000s, tech giants like Google and Amazon had entered the fray, and the idea of earning commissions from referrals went mainstream. Then came social media, which changed the game completely by giving rise to influencers.

In the early days of the internet, affiliate marketing had a reputation as the spammy cousin of digital marketing. At the time, it meant pop-ups, sketchy referral links, and clickbait that felt like harassment.

Now, it is recognized as a part of any business strategy. It rivals traditional advertising channels in both scope and influence, generates billions in global revenue, and has redefined how we discover products, engage with content, and connect with brands. Using affiliate marketing, brands can now reach niche audiences through creators who have already earned their trust. Consumers are also discovering products through authentic recommendations from people and content they already enjoy.

Reports show that, out of 100 brands surveyed, 17 percent reported spending 80–100 percent of their marketing budgets on affiliate marketing alone, and 34 percent reported spending 21–40 percent of their total marketing budgets on affiliate marketing.

Beyond the benefits for corporations, affiliate marketing is creating a new type of career path. Many affiliate marketers consider themselves full-time digital entrepreneurs who blend storytelling, branding, and analytics into content. This is most apparent among Gen Z internet users, the first generation to grow up online, now entering the job market.

Content creation can be expensive (just consider equipment costs alone!), but affiliate marketing is a financial backbone, offering creators a faster, more reliable way to earn. Although platforms like YouTube and TikTok provide monetization options, they usually favor creators with huge followings. Affiliate programs have changed that dynamic by directly partnering creators and brands, giving everyone a chance to earn regardless of platform size. In fact, a recent survey revealed that affiliate marketing is Gen Z’s preferred content monetization model.

There is no doubt that the internet has forever changed shopping habits, and one of the biggest criticisms of online shopping is its lack of human connection. However, affiliate marketing is reintroducing the personal touch through influencers and creators. A skincare influencer sharing her morning routine is certainly more engaging and personalized than scrolling through an e-commerce store reading product descriptions. A fashion influencer styling one dress five ways transforms online shopping for clothes into an interactive experience. Affiliate marketing is bringing back the personal touch in shopping and integrating it with e-commerce to create a seamless online shopping experience.

Here’s where TrooRa comes in. Many affiliate relationships tend to focus on big, well-known brands and creators, leaving emerging brands and talents unnoticed. However, TrooRa deliberately spotlights emerging brands across different niches, from fashion and beauty to culinary, arts, travel, and more. With a founder who is herself a Black, immigrant, female entrepreneur, TrooRa understands how steep the climb can be when you don’t yet have a network.

At TrooRa, the focus is on thoughtful partnerships, and the model consists of three key components: representation, visibility, and distribution. With representation, TrooRa chooses emerging brands that might not otherwise come up in conversations, giving a voice to the underrepresented. With visibility, TrooRa supports these brands through editorial features, advert placements, and spotlights on the TrooRa’s Treasures marketplace, giving them exposure to qualified and invested audiences. Finally, with distribution, TrooRa gives emerging brands the tools, platforms, and audiences they need to scale, ensuring they don’t just coexist with other brands in their niche but can actually compete.