In 2025, consumers have more information at their fingertips than ever before. Subsequently, they are also wiser than they ever have been before and are more easily able to recognise inauthentic marketing tactics. This has raised the question: Are consumers too wise for affiliate marketing?

What Is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing occurs when an individual or third party (affiliate) from outside of a brand is paid to promote a brand’s product or service. Nowadays, this is often achieved online, where an individual may share a link to a product from their social media accounts. The individual would receive a set fee or a percentage from every sale that can be traced back to a user who has made a purchase after clicking on the affiliate’s link.

Why Is Affiliate Marketing Harder In 2025?

Increased Skepticism

The first thing brands must accept is that there will be more skepticism around any form of partnership with a third party, which ultimately makes affiliate marketing harder. Consumers have become wise to tactics like affiliate marketing and influencer marketing, and if a partnership is too obviously financially driven, criticism is often quickly shared online for all to see.

Privacy Concerns

There’s been a whole host of security breaches in recent years, which has led to a higher concern for online safety. As a result, the idea of activity being tracked through a link does not appeal to many and provides a reason not to click on an affiliate link. Due to this, organic forms of marketing have become more valuable.

Does Affiliate Marketing Still Work In 2025?

To answer the original question, consumers are too wise for bad affiliate marketing in 2025. But understanding the difference between bad affiliate marketing and good affiliate marketing can be tricky.

Consumers are far more likely to trust an affiliate link if the partnership between the brand and the affiliate seems genuine. This means it is conceivable to see the affiliate using the brand, so it’s vital that brands are working with individuals who match their target audience.

The other thing to consider is that it no longer works to have an individual simply telling people to buy a certain product. Again, consumers can see through this and will become frustrated with such tactics. There is a greater demand for creativity when it comes to affiliate marketing in 2025. Brands should instead use affiliates to convey reviews, tutorials and other forms of educational content. 

This type of content comes across as less ‘salesy’ and is far more likely to feel genuine and authentic, which should increase the success rate of such affiliate marketing efforts.

Final Thoughts

There is definitely still a place for affiliate marketing in strategies today, but as this article outlines, it is becoming increasingly difficult to implement successfully as consumers wise up to marketing tactics. If your brand is going to introduce affiliate marketing, choose affiliates wisely and be sure to work only with individuals who represent your brand and its values. If you are completely new to this area of marketing and require some assistance, it may be worth reaching out to an affiliate or performance marketing agency in your local area so they can create a bespoke strategy for your brand.