Case Study
Brilliant Directories
Working with FirstPromoter has been better than we could have hoped. Their development team clearly cares about helping customers run successful affiliate programs, continuously improving the product in ways that matter for real-world use.
Brilliant Directories
About
Brilliant Directories
Brilliant Directories is an AI-powered SaaS that helps people launch and manage membership sites, online directories, and community portals without custom development.
Their customers range from solo founders to agencies, associations, and established brands. Many of these customers use Brilliant Directories to build recurring revenue through memberships, listings, digital products, lead generation, and more.
Category
AI Tool
Pricing
$145/ month
Employees
11 - 50
700k+
Revenue generated
1600+
Promoters
1000+
Referrals
Why Brilliant Directories chose FirstPromoter
They had used another tool for years, which worked fine for simple one-time purchases but struggled with a modern SaaS model based on subscriptions, free trials, and long-term customer value. The interface felt dated and complex, and customizing commissions or branding the experience was more limited than they wanted.
They were looking for something built for subscription businesses, with better reporting, automation, and flexibility. FirstPromoter gave them cleaner handling of recurring revenue and one-time transactions, along with more control over branding and commission structures at a reasonable cost, so the switch felt natural.
Working with FirstPromoter has been better than we could have hoped. Their development team clearly cares about helping customers run successful affiliate programs, continuously improving the product in ways that matter for real-world use. On the support side, everyone has been incredibly helpful and quick to respond whenever we have questions or ideas, especially Louis, Maxwell, and Harvey. It feels like a true partnership rather than just another tool we use.
—
David Rocklin
Business Development at Brilliant Directories
Results
Brilliant Directories' results with FirstPromoter
Brilliant Directories shared that within the first few months, they started to see more consistent affiliate signups and a clear lift in affiliate-driven trial signups and new customers.
They also highlighted how FirstPromoter’s flexible commission options allowed them to design a recurring commission structure that affiliates are genuinely excited to promote.
Combined with built-in onboarding tools and welcome email sequences, it became much easier to nurture new affiliates and keep them engaged. Overall, they said their affiliate program now performs far better than it did on their previous setup.
Key Tips
Advice for businesses starting an affiliate program
Brilliant Directories shared a few key tips for success:
Their view is that an affiliate program should be treated like any other growth channel: it needs clear goals, ongoing attention, and a compelling offer.
Affiliates, they noted, must have a strong reason to promote you over competitors and the many other products they could recommend.
They suggested starting small, investing in relationships, and focusing on real partnerships rather than just handing out links.
They also emphasized not overlooking existing customers, since they already trust the product. Turning those customers into “customer-affiliates” and rewarding them for spreading the word has been one of their most authentic and effective tactics.
Insights
More insights from Brilliant Directories
First, they use a dedicated landing page on their website that clearly explains how the program works, who it is for, and what the commission structure and benefits look like.
Second, they promote the program to existing customers under a simple “refer a friend” framing. They found that many customers do not naturally see themselves as affiliates, but they are very open to recommending a tool they already use and trust when it feels like helping a friend and earning a reward.
Do you use any specific tactics to onboard and activate affiliates?
They use FirstPromoter’s trigger emails to send a structured onboarding sequence to every new affiliate. That sequence gives clear next steps, ready-made assets, and encouragement to start promoting quickly. The intention is to build motivation and a stronger connection with the brand, rather than leaving affiliates to figure things out on their own.
They also mentioned assigning a dedicated “Affiliate Concierge” on their team. This person personally supports affiliates with questions, custom tracking links, and promotional ideas. According to Brilliant Directories, this human touch has been key in building trust and long-term relationships.
What are the most important metrics you are following?
They focus on new affiliate sign-ups and the split between standalone affiliates and existing customers who become affiliates. They also track the return rate and long-term value of customers referred by affiliates to understand how strong and sustainable those relationships are.
Content plays a big role, too. They monitor the performance of content-driven referrals—looking at clicks and conversions from affiliates’ landing pages, blog posts, newsletters, and other owned channels. Taken together, these metrics help them see both the growth of their affiliate base and the quality of the traffic affiliates send.
Which features have been the most helpful for your affiliate program?
The API clearly stands out. It allows them to deeply integrate FirstPromoter into their custom payment flow so tracking, attribution, and commission logic match the needs of their SaaS model.
With the API, they can fine-tune when commissions are triggered, sync data into internal systems, and build more advanced reporting.
They added that trigger emails and flexible campaign settings complement the API nicely and help them run a more polished, automated affiliate program from onboarding through long-term engagement.
Did you try other affiliate management platforms? If so, why weren’t they right for you?
They explained that they used ShareASale for many years. It worked well enough for simple one-time purchases, but it was not built around recurring SaaS subscriptions, free trials, and long-term customer value. Over time, the interface felt dated and complicated for both their team and their affiliates.
Customizing commission structures or branding the experience was also more limited than they needed. As their product and affiliate strategy evolved, it became clear they needed a more modern, subscription-focused platform, which is what led them to FirstPromoter.
