214: Affiliate Marketing for D2C Sales of Inventions
Alex Back, founder of Couch.com and former founder of Apt2B, explains how hardware startups can leverage affiliate marketing to drive direct-to-consumer sales. He details the mechanics of affiliate platforms like Impact and CJ Affiliate, emphasizing the importance of offering aggressive commissions to secure early reviews from influencers and editorial sites like Wirecutter and Apartment Therapy. Back argues that this strategy builds long-term brand equity and SEO value, even if it sacrifices short-term profitability.