Webinar: 4 Ways to Build a High-Impact Affiliate Career in 2025 

In a revealing webinar that pulled back the curtain on one of digital marketing’s most lucrative yet misunderstood sectors, industry veterans Lee-Ann Johnstone and Naomi Barton delivered a stark reality check: affiliate marketing is a $35 billion global industry, yet most people have never heard of it, and there’s virtually no formal career development infrastructure to support its rapid growth.

The discussion, which centered around the launch of the new Affiliate Manager Academy at iGB London this July, highlighted critical gaps in professional development that are holding back both individual careers and industry progress. With iGB Live expecting 15,000 attendees and the sector growing at 12% annually, the timing couldn’t be more crucial.

The Complexity Crisis: Why Affiliate Marketing Has Become Overwhelming

“Affiliate marketing is complicated, but it doesn’t have to be complex,” explained Lee-Ann, founder of Affiverse. The industry’s evolution from simple referral programs to sophisticated multi-channel ecosystems has created significant challenges for professionals trying to navigate their careers.

Most affiliate managers learn the hard way: trial, error, and burnout. That’s exactly why iGB partnered with Affiverse to launch the Affiliate Manager Academy and give affiliate professionals the skills, structure, and support to succeed without the guesswork.

Naomi, Global Portfolio Director for iGB Events, identified several factors contributing to this complexity. “You have to try to navigate regulatory landscapes and understand compliance hurdles across multiple geos,” she noted. “What’s allowed in the UK may not be allowed in Germany and hasn’t even been considered in a nascent US market.”

The rapid pace of technological change compounds these challenges. Platforms that were dominant just five years ago have been replaced or dramatically altered, forcing affiliate managers to constantly adapt their strategies across an ever-expanding array of channels, from traditional SEO to social media platforms and emerging AI tools.

The Career Development Gap: An Industry Growing Without Infrastructure

Perhaps the most striking revelation was the absence of formal career development pathways in affiliate marketing. Unlike other marketing disciplines, there are no university programs, standardised certifications, or structured advancement frameworks specifically designed for affiliate marketing professionals.

This educational gap is creating a generation of professionals who learn exclusively through trial and error within their specific organisations, limiting their broader industry perspective and career mobility.

The webinar highlighted that many successful affiliate managers have advanced through “luck and having the fortune to be working with somebody who supported their career,” rather than following a deliberate professional development path. This ad-hoc approach is no longer sustainable as the industry matures and competition intensifies.

The Relationship Management Imperative: What Separates Top Performers

When asked about the distinguishing characteristics of elite affiliate marketing professionals, both Lee-Ann and Naomi emphasised relationship management as the critical differentiator. “You can be really hot on all of your digital marketing skills, you can be tech-savvy and understand all sorts of things, but if you’re not able to connect with your customers and build relationships, you won’t succeed,” Naomi explained.

This human-centric approach becomes even more crucial as AI tools proliferate throughout the industry. While automation can handle many operational tasks, the core business of affiliate marketing remains fundamentally relationship-driven. The most successful professionals understand that in a market with 37,500 iGaming professionals in the UK alone competing for finite traffic sources, authentic connections and superior service differentiate winners from the crowd.

Relationship management extends beyond initial acquisition to long-term retention and growth, requiring different skill sets and strategic approaches that many professionals never develop systematically.

Want the full insights and strategies discussed in this game-changing conversation? Watch the complete webinar here to discover exactly how industry leaders are building sustainable, high-impact affiliate marketing careers in 2025.

There’s still time to secure your spot at the Affiliate Manager Academy in London, next week. Book your ticket.