As January comes to a close, many businesses are already reassessing the strategies they relied on in years past and questioning what still works.
The traditional methods of generating leads and making sales are being increasingly overshadowed by affiliate marketing. For tech entrepreneur Moyn Islam this shift is long overdue.
As a business leader who’s successfully scaled multiple businesses, Moyn has a unique insight into the future direction of the affiliate marketing ecosystem. From embracing value creation to fully embracing AI tools, here he shares his thoughts on what we can expect to see in 2026 and beyond.
The CEO and co-founder of BE (BE Club), Moyn built BE’s global affiliate network from the ground up.
He expects to create a place of work for 10 million people within the next 7 years.
“Affiliate marketing has the power to entirely transform how global businesses find customers, grow their revenue and scale their operations,” he says. “Sitting side-by-side with that potential is the independence and possibilities that affiliate marketing represents for the affiliates themselves.”
We all know what to expect from affiliate marketing. By their very nature, affiliate content is promotional. But does it have to be this way? Surprisingly, no.
“I’m already starting to see affiliates moving from promotion to value creation,” Moyn shares. “The old affiliate style of content isn’t as effective today. Audiences are smarter, willing to do their research and happy to spend time understanding the pros and cons of differ products. We should expect to see affiliates evolving into educators and content-driven influencers.”
Educational content could increasingly take the form of how to videos, FAQs or side-by-side comparisons.
Useful, engaging and genuinely helpful content will help today’s consumers feel heard and seen, rather than sold to.
Content will become a key driving force, with affiliates striving to develop their own distinct content style.
There’s no such thing as too much data but turning those raw stats into something more meaningful isn’t always straightforward. It’s here that Moyn sees another trend emerging, as AI-powered performance analytics become the norm.
“Using AI tools for tracking engagement and conversions is smarter, more reliable, and more effective for both advertisers and affiliates,” he affirms. “It’s really a game changer for performance.”
AI-powered analytics tools can handle huge volumes of data, allowing for easier performance tracking.
These tools can also deliver richer, more useful insights to advertisers and affiliates.
Tracking engagement and conversions may become more streamlined with AI-based tools.
Compliance continues to be a central challenge for advertisers and affiliates. Changing data requirements such as GDPR and CCPA are just the start of the story, Moyn advises.
“Affiliate marketing has long been faced with numerous regulation and compliance challenges. With each new piece of legislation and each new market, that burden increases and the risk of losing hard-fought consumer trust intensifies.A more transparent, sustainable affiliate model is one that’s created on a foundation of regulatory clarity and smart compliance frameworks.”
A compliance framework is a vital reputation management tool for affiliates.
Ensuring clarity around regulations safeguards audience trust and protects against costly fines.
Providing clear guidelines to affiliates around topics such as disclosure should be a priority for affiliate platforms.
“Affiliate marketing is coming of age. It’s no longer about advertising that interrupts, but rather about content that adds value,” says Moyn.
“By creating a community, affiliates build much closer relationships with their audiences. They understand what makes them tick. And they create a space that can be truly helpful.
Community first ecosystems enjoy higher levels of trust. That grows sales by ensuring a more receptive audience for affiliate content.”
Taking a community first approach is a great way to build trust with the audience.
A community-first approach is a proven strategy for nurturing brand advocates.
Community members may be more receptive to product recommendations, due to the less disruptive nature of the promotion
Expect to see an increasing AI integration and more AI tools being developed for affiliate models, Moyn Islam advises. “AI is playing an increasingly important role in the affiliate marketing ecosystem. Across the industry, AI-driven tools are increasingly being used to support decision-making, content development, performance analysis and interest in AI-supported affiliate models continues to grow.”
He adds, “I think 2026 will be the year that AI becomes fully embedded within the affiliate ecosystem.”
AI integration can make a positive difference across the affiliate ecosystem
AI-powered analytics support more informed decision making, while other AI tools support creators with copywriting, image creation, and SEO.
AI products aren’t just for advertisers and affiliates. They can also be used to improve tasks such as customer service and deliver more personalised experiences throughout the buyer journey.