I used to kind of lump these together, but I don’t anymore.
Affiliate marketing is basically transactional. Someone promotes your product because they get paid when it converts. It’s measurable, scalable, and works well for growth, even if the person promoting you doesn’t have a deep relationship with the brand.
Advocacy marketing is more about people who already believe in what you’re doing such as customers, followers, fans, employees, your grandma—sharing it because they genuinely want to. No per-sale payout, just trust, loyalty, and real experience.
The way I see it:
Affiliates = incentive-driven
Advocates = belief-driven
Affiliates scale fast
Advocacy compounds over time
Both are useful.
Affiliate marketing drives predictable growth, while advocacy builds long-term trust and credibility. The strongest brands I’ve seen don’t choose one—they use both.
Curious how others here approach this in content marketing!