You’re approved for the Automattic Creator Program. Now it’s time to get your first recommendation in front of your audience.
Your next step is to choose an Automattic product that makes sense for your audience, create a tracking link in Impact, and share the link together with your content.
You don’t need to learn every feature in Impact before you get started. Follow the steps below to make your first recommendation, then explore the other resources in this Knowledge Base as you need them.
Choose a product to recommend
Start with an Automattic product or service that your audience will find useful. The Automattic Creator Program lets you promote participating Automattic brands through a single Impact account, including WordPress.com, Pressable, WooCommerce, and Jetpack.
Think about what your audience is already interested in, asking about, or trying to accomplish. The best recommendations fit naturally into the content you already create.
For example:
- A blogger might recommend WordPress.com to someone who wants to start a website.
- An agency might recommend Pressable to a client who needs managed WordPress hosting.
- A small business creator might recommend a WooCommerce extension that solves a specific ecommerce problem.
- A content creator might share Jetpack features that help their audience manage or grow a site.
Find the right page to share
Once you’ve chosen a product, decide which page on the brand site you want your audience to visit.
You can create a tracking link to an active URL on a participating Automattic brand’s website. You don’t have to link to the brand’s homepage. Linking directly to the product or page you’re talking about can make it easier for someone to learn more or get started.
For example, if you’re writing about a specific WooCommerce extension, you can link directly to that extension instead of sending readers to the WooCommerce homepage. This is called deep linking.
Create your tracking link in Impact
Your tracking link lets Impact attribute eligible referrals and purchases to you.
In Impact, use the Create a Link widget to create a link to the page you want to share. Make sure “Automattic, Inc. (WordPress.com,Pressable,WooCommerce,Jetpack)” is selected as the program, then enter the URL of the page you want to link to.
You can also find ready-to-use links and creative assets in the Content > Assets section of Impact.
For step-by-step instructions, see our guide on how to create tracking links in Impact.
Create useful content for your audience
Now you’re ready to share your recommendation with your audience.
You might:
- Write a blog post or product review.
- Add a recommendation to an existing article.
- Create a YouTube video and include your link in the description.
- Share a recommendation on social media.
- Include a relevant product recommendation in an opt-in email.
- Create a tutorial that shows your audience how to use a product.
Focus on being useful and relevant. You don’t need to create content just to include a tracking link. A recommendation that naturally fits into content your audience already wants is a good place to start.
You can share your tracking links on websites and other properties you control, including blogs, YouTube descriptions, social media accounts, content platforms, and opt-in email. Don’t post your links in places you don’t control, such as comments on someone else’s content.
Disclose your relationship with Automattic
When you recommend Automattic products using your tracking links, you must let your audience know that you may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. This is a legal requirement for any creator or affiliate for any brand.
Your disclosure should be clear and easy for your audience to notice.
For more information, see our guide on FTC disclosures.
Share your content
Before you publish, click your tracking link to make sure it goes to the page you intended. Check that any product information you’ve included is still accurate, too.
Then publish your content and share it with your audience.
You’ve just made your first recommendation as an Automattic creator.
Check your results in Impact
After you’ve shared your content, you can use Impact to see how it’s performing.
Impact can show activity such as clicks, conversions, and earnings. Keep in mind that tracking data isn’t always immediate. It can take some time for clicks or purchases to appear in Impact.
Your results can help you learn what your audience responds to. As you create more content, you can use that information to decide which products, topics, and types of content to explore next for your audience.
What to do next
Once you’ve made your first recommendation, you can examine more ways to use the Creator Program.
- Learn Impact: Getting to know the Impact platform explains the main features you’ll use to manage your Creator Program account.
- Create tracking links: How to create tracking links in Impact walks you through creating links and using creative assets.
- Explore promotional resources: Check the Content section in Impact for available assets and other resources.
- Understand your earnings: See payouts and commissions to learn how commissions work and when you’ll be paid.
- Stay within the guidelines: Review the Automattic Creator Program Terms and our guidance on FTC Disclosures before you start sharing Automattic products.
Ready to get started? Choose one product your audience will find useful, create one helpful piece of content, add your tracking link, and share it with your audience.
