Stop calling affiliate commissions "ad spend" They're your content production bu
By Paul Harvey · April 24, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
Stop calling affiliate commissions "ad spend"
They're your content production budget.
I get it. But here's what you're not counting.
That creator didn't just make a sale. They made a video.
TikTok's algorithm distributed it organically to thousands of people who never clicked an ad.
Multiply that across 15 active affiliates posting 2-3 videos a month. That's 45 pieces of content. Some get shown to 50,000 people. Some get no views.
Some of those viewers search your brand on Amazon next week.
You paid $700 in commissions.
You created an engine that generates revenue across three channels.
Compare that to paid ads: $1,400/month, 2:1 ROAS if you're good, and the second you stop paying, the engine dies.
Paid ads rent attention. Affiliates build infrastructure.
Once you see commissions as content investment instead of margin erosion, the whole strategy changes.
What do you think?👇