From Flowers to APIs – a Brief History of Affiliate Marketing

If you think affiliate marketing started on the internet, think again. O.k., sorry, you’re right! We can’t imagine a world without the internet either. 

But seriously, refer-a-friend-programs existed before the web. Discounts for customers who recruited new clients were popular in certain industries; however, most schemes didn’t last. One considerable challenge was the tracking of referrals, discounts, and the overall process. 

Things weren’t always as easy as they are with today’s advanced tools. You can see how computers come in handy here and how the internet opened markets and opportunities. It took innovative minds to get to where we are today.