Two promotion tools that are better together than separately
Most event organisers who use affiliate links and discount codes use them independently: affiliate links to track which promoters drove sales, discount codes to reward specific audiences with a reduced price. Both are useful. But they are more powerful in combination, because the combination creates something neither produces alone: a promotion channel where the promoter has a financial incentive to be active, the audience has a financial reason to buy, and the organiser has two independent data points confirming exactly where each sale came from.
This guide covers how to structure the combination, when it is worth using, and what the attribution data produces.
What each tool does independently
An affiliate link is a unique URL that attributes ticket sales to the promoter who shared it. When a buyer clicks the link and purchases a ticket, the sale is recorded against that affiliate and a commission is logged. The organiser knows how many tickets each promoter drove. The promoter earns a commission on their attributed sales. The buyer experiences no difference: they just clicked a link.
A discount code is a string a buyer enters at checkout to receive a reduced price. When the code is redeemed, the buyer pays less and the organiser knows how many times that code was used. Codes can be distributed exclusively to a specific audience, a community, a mailing list segment, or through a partner channel.
Each tool answers a different question. The affiliate link answers: which promoter or channel sent this buyer? The discount code answers: was this buyer part of the audience we were trying to activate? Used separately, each gives partial information. Used together, they give two-factor confirmation of both the channel source and the audience activation.
The combination structure that works
The most effective combination gives each promoter both a unique affiliate link and a unique discount code. The promoter shares their link alongside a specific code for their audience. Buyers who purchase through the link are attributed to that promoter in the affiliate dashboard. Buyers who use the code are identified as part of that audience in the order record. The majority of the promoter's committed audience will use both, providing double confirmation.
This structure serves the promoter as well as the organiser. The promoter can tell their audience: "Use my code at checkout to get a discount, and click my link to book." The link earns commission. The code gives their audience an exclusive benefit. The combination feels like a genuine favour from the promoter to their community rather than a promotional post with a tracking link, because the code delivers tangible value to the buyer that a standard promotional post does not.
The psychology matters. A buyer who receives a promotional post about an event processes it as advertising. A buyer who receives a specific code from someone they follow, with a clear financial saving attached, processes it as a recommendation from a trusted source with an exclusive benefit. The conversion rate from the code-plus-link combination consistently outperforms a bare affiliate link without a code, because the code makes the recommendation feel exclusive rather than generic.
How to set it up on ShowRave
Affiliate links are configured through ShowRave's affiliate system. Each promoter receives a unique tracking URL for the event. When buyers purchase through that URL, the sale is attributed in the organiser dashboard. The commission structure is set when the affiliate is activated.
Discount codes are configured at the event level. Create a separate code for each promoter: a string that references the promoter clearly, a percentage or flat discount, a quantity limit that matches how many buyers you expect the promoter to reach, and an expiry date or usage cap so the code deactivates when the promotion window closes. A code named after the promoter or their community, rather than a generic string, makes post-event attribution analysis instant: you know which code belonged to which promoter without a lookup table.
For the partner programme details and how affiliate link commissions work, see /partner/earn. Coupon codes are configured in the event management section of the organiser dashboard.
What the attribution data tells you
After the event, the combination of affiliate link attribution and code redemption data tells a specific story about each promoter's performance. How many buyers clicked the link? How many of those used the code? How many bought without using the code (they came through the link but did not apply the discount, suggesting they missed the code or found the event through other means)? How many used the code without the link (they heard about the code through word-of-mouth rather than the direct link)?
This data is more precise than link-only attribution because it cross-validates. A promoter who drove 50 link clicks but only 10 code redemptions may have a broad audience where most buyers were not in the specific community the code was directed at. A promoter where link clicks and code redemptions are closely aligned drove a specific, targeted audience that responded to both signals.
Over multiple events, this cross-validated attribution data tells you which promoters have genuinely relevant audiences for your event type and which have general reach that converts at lower rates. The promoters with closely aligned link and code performance are the relationships worth prioritising and investing in. The ones with high link traffic and low code redemption are worth understanding before renewing.
When to use the combination versus each tool alone
The combination is most valuable when the promoter has a specific, defined audience that the event is trying to reach. A community group, a professional network, a performer's fan base, or a local organisation with a membership list are all examples of specific audiences where a combined link-and-code approach works better than either alone.
Affiliate links alone are appropriate for promoters whose promotion style is conversational and embedded in content, such as a blogger or podcast host who mentions the event naturally and embeds a link. Adding a code to this relationship complicates the content without necessarily improving conversion.
Discount codes alone are appropriate for broad campaigns where individual attribution is not the goal: a mailing list promotion where all subscribers receive the same code, or a community post where the code is shared publicly to anyone in the community rather than being attributed to a specific individual.
The combination earns its complexity when the promoter relationship is an ongoing partnership rather than a one-time endorsement, when the audience is specific enough for the code to feel exclusive, and when the attribution data from the event will inform how the relationship is managed for future events. In those circumstances, the additional setup is minimal and the return in both conversion and insight is substantial. For a straightforward promotional post from a casual supporter, a bare affiliate link is sufficient.
Structuring the combination for different promoter types
The code-plus-link combination can be customised for different types of promoter relationship without changing the underlying mechanics.
For performer affiliates, give each performer a code that references their name or stage name: a fan who enters their favourite performer's code at checkout feels they are doing something the performer specifically offered them, which is a more personal conversion mechanism than a generic discount. The commission from the affiliate link compensates the performer for actively promoting rather than passively mentioning.
For community partner affiliates, such as professional associations, local businesses, or organisations with a relevant membership base, the code should reference the community rather than an individual: a code that signals membership in a specific group creates an exclusive-feeling benefit for that community without personalising it to one person. Configure the quantity limit on these codes based on the realistic size of the community, not an open-ended allocation that could spread further than intended.
For media or content creator affiliates, where the promotion happens through editorial content such as a newsletter, a podcast mention, or a blog post, the link is the primary attribution mechanism and the code is secondary. These promoters' audiences tend to be broader and less specifically targeted, so the code's exclusivity signal is less powerful. A modest discount code that applies broadly is more appropriate than an exclusive limited-quantity code for this promoter type.
Managing the programme across a campaign
A code-plus-link programme is most valuable when it is managed actively throughout the ticket campaign rather than activated once at launch and forgotten. The affiliates who are actively posting, whose links are generating clicks, and whose codes are being redeemed are the ones worth re-activating mid-campaign with updated content: a new announcement, a performer reveal, a sold-out tier update, or a last-chance urgency message in the final week. The affiliates whose link shows no click activity after one week should receive a follow-up to confirm they posted and to offer updated content if they have not.
After the event, pay commissions promptly and send each affiliate a personalised note showing their specific contribution: how many tickets their link drove, how many code redemptions are attributable to their promotion, and what that represented in terms of commission earned. This specific acknowledgement, rather than a generic thank-you, is what converts a one-time affiliate participation into an ongoing partnership relationship that carries forward to the next event.
The partner programme at /partner/earn covers the ShowRave affiliate system in detail. Discount code configuration is available in the event management section of the organiser dashboard alongside the affiliate link setup. Run the two together from the first day of the campaign and review the attribution data at the end of every event.
\n\nThe long-term value of a well-managed affiliate and code programme
Affiliate relationships and code partnerships that are maintained and rewarded consistently grow in value across events. A promoter who drove 30 sales at the first event and received prompt payment and specific attribution data is more likely to drive 50 at the second event because the relationship has been proven and the value to their community has been demonstrated. The compounding value of well-managed affiliate relationships over a full events programme is one of the most durable promotional assets an independent promoter can build, and it begins with the discipline of setting up the code-plus-link combination correctly and reviewing the results honestly after every event.
