Key Takeaways
- ClickBank success requires serving two audiences simultaneously: converting end buyers AND generating attractive metrics (EPC, gravity) that motivate affiliates to promote
- EPC (Earnings Per Click) is the single most important metric — it determines whether affiliates will send traffic, which determines whether your offer scales
- The most profitable ClickBank funnels are not built on a great sales page alone — they are built on a complete system of upsells, order bumps, and downsells that maximize AOV
- Affiliate tools (swipe emails, ad copy, banners, promotional angles) are not an afterthought — they are a critical component that determines how aggressively affiliates promote
- ClickBank compliance has its own layer beyond FTC/FDA regulations, and getting your offer approved on the first submission saves weeks of lost revenue
- The front-end VSL acquires the customer; the back-end upsell sequence is where the profit margin lives
What Is ClickBank Copywriting?
ClickBank copywriting is the specialized craft of writing direct-response copy for products sold through the ClickBank affiliate marketplace — one of the largest and oldest affiliate platforms in the world. It is a discipline that requires understanding not just persuasion and conversion, but the unique ecosystem of affiliate incentives, marketplace dynamics, and platform-specific compliance that drive ClickBank success.
Definition
ClickBank Copywriting
Direct-response copywriting specifically designed for the ClickBank affiliate marketplace, where success depends on building funnels that serve two audiences simultaneously: converting end buyers efficiently and generating strong enough metrics (EPC, gravity, AOV) to attract and retain top affiliate promoters. The discipline encompasses VSL and sales page scripts, upsell sequences, affiliate tools, and compliance-aware copy that meets ClickBank's content review requirements.
What makes ClickBank copywriting different from standard direct-response work is the affiliate dimension. In most direct-response businesses, you are writing to convert one audience: the buyer. On ClickBank, your copy must convert buyers AND impress affiliates. If your funnel converts at 3% but your AOV is too low to generate attractive EPCs, top affiliates will not promote — and without affiliate traffic, even a great funnel sits idle.
I have built ClickBank funnels across health supplements, self-help, and business opportunity niches, contributing to $523 million in tracked results across my career. The ClickBank marketplace has its own rhythms, its own success patterns, and its own failure modes that you will not encounter elsewhere.
The ClickBank Ecosystem: How the Marketplace Works
Understanding the ClickBank ecosystem is essential before writing a single word of copy. The marketplace operates on a three-party model that creates specific incentives and constraints for your copywriting.
Vendors create products and build funnels. Your role as a vendor is to create an offer that converts efficiently enough to attract affiliate traffic while maintaining acceptable refund rates.
Affiliates promote vendor offers to their audiences in exchange for commissions (typically 50 to 75% on digital products). Affiliates are independent business operators making investment decisions with their traffic — they will promote whichever offers generate the best return.
Buyers are the end consumers. ClickBank's buyer demographic skews toward value-conscious consumers who respond to direct-response messaging and are accustomed to long-form VSLs and sales pages.
The marketplace leaderboard ranks offers by gravity — a metric that reflects how many unique affiliates have made sales in the past 12 weeks. High gravity attracts more affiliates, which drives more traffic, which can create a flywheel effect that propels top offers to enormous revenue volumes.
Key ClickBank Metrics and What They Mean
| Metric | What It Measures | Why It Matters for Copywriting |
|---|---|---|
| EPC (Earnings Per Click) | Average revenue per click sent to your funnel | The #1 metric affiliates use to decide what to promote — your copy directly controls it |
| Gravity | Number of unique affiliates making sales (rolling 12 weeks) | High gravity attracts more affiliates — creates a virtuous cycle of traffic and revenue |
| Average Order Value (AOV) | Total revenue per buyer including upsells | Higher AOV means higher EPC at the same conversion rate — driven by upsell copy quality |
| Conversion Rate | Percentage of visitors who buy | Determines front-end efficiency — primarily driven by your VSL or sales page |
| Refund Rate | Percentage of buyers who request refunds | High refunds erode EPC and can trigger ClickBank compliance review |
| Initial $/Sale | Average revenue on the front-end sale alone | Shows affiliates what they earn per conversion before upsells |
| Rebill $/Sale | Revenue from recurring billing (subscriptions) | Recurring revenue makes offers more attractive to long-term affiliate partners |
The ClickBank Funnel Architecture
The standard ClickBank funnel follows a proven structure that has been refined by thousands of vendors over two decades. Each step serves a specific purpose in the revenue architecture.
Step 1: The front-end VSL or sales page
The front-end conversion page — typically a VSL for ClickBank's highest-performing offers — carries the primary persuasion load. This is where cold traffic encounters your offer for the first time and makes the initial buying decision.
ClickBank's top-performing VSLs share common characteristics: a pattern-interrupt hook in the first 10 seconds (ClickBank buyers have short attention spans and high ad exposure), a compelling mechanism that reframes the prospect's understanding of their problem, specific social proof (individual stories framed as personal experiences, not guaranteed outcomes), and a clear offer with strong perceived value relative to price.
Most top ClickBank offers price the front-end product between $37 and $67 for physical supplements or $17 to $47 for digital products. This price range balances conversion rate against revenue per sale to optimize the EPC equation.
Step 2: The order bump
The order bump appears on the checkout page as a simple checkbox add-on — typically priced at $7 to $27. For supplements, this might be a complementary formula. For digital products, it might be a quick-start guide or template pack.
Order bumps are the highest-margin step in the funnel because they require minimal additional persuasion — the buyer has already committed to a purchase. Well-crafted order bump copy sees 20 to 40 percent take rates, adding pure profit to every transaction.
Step 3: Upsell sequence (OTOs)
After the initial purchase, the buyer is presented with one to three One-Time Offers (OTOs). These are the most important revenue pages in the entire funnel — because every dollar generated here comes at zero additional acquisition cost.
OTO1 (primary upsell): Typically the highest-priced upsell, often a multi-bottle bundle or premium version of the main product. Priced at $47 to $97 for supplements. Take rates: 15 to 30 percent for well-crafted offers.
OTO2 (secondary upsell): A complementary product or extended supply. Priced at $37 to $67. Take rates: 10 to 20 percent.
Downsell: Presented when a buyer declines an upsell. Offers a reduced version at a lower price — the same product in a smaller quantity, a payment plan, or a different complementary offer. Downsells recover 5 to 15 percent of declined upsell revenue.
The copy for each upsell must follow a specific formula: acknowledge and reinforce the smart purchase they just made, present the upsell as a natural extension (not a separate pitch), create urgency specific to this one-time opportunity, and make acceptance feel like a no-brainer given what they have already invested.
Step 4: Thank-you page and affiliate tools
The thank-you page delivers the product and sets expectations. For supplements, this includes shipping information and onboarding content. For digital products, it includes access instructions and consumption guidance.
The affiliate tools page — often overlooked — is a critical conversion asset. It provides affiliates with swipe emails, banner ads, promotional angles, and performance data that make it easy to promote your offer. The better your affiliate tools, the more traffic flows to your funnel.
“In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create.”
Writing for Two Audiences: Buyers and Affiliates
The unique challenge of ClickBank copywriting is that every piece of copy must simultaneously serve two audiences with different motivations.
Writing for the buyer
Buyer-focused copy follows standard direct-response principles: identify the pain, agitate the problem, present a compelling mechanism, stack proof, make the offer, reverse the risk, and close with urgency. The ClickBank buyer demographic responds particularly well to story-driven VSLs, mechanism-based education, and specific social proof.
Writing for the affiliate
Affiliate-focused optimization means engineering your funnel for maximum EPC. This includes optimizing the front-end conversion rate through strong VSL copy and testing, maximizing AOV through well-crafted upsell sequences, maintaining low refund rates through honest positioning and strong post-purchase experiences, and providing ready-made promotional materials that reduce the affiliate's workload.
What ClickBank Buyers vs Affiliates Care About
| Factor | What the Buyer Cares About | What the Affiliate Cares About |
|---|---|---|
| Value | Will this product solve my problem? | Will this funnel generate a positive ROI on my traffic? |
| Trust | Can I trust this company and product? | Are the EPC numbers real and sustainable? |
| Risk | What if it does not work? (refund policy) | What if the offer stops converting? (stability) |
| Proof | Has this worked for people like me? | Has this generated commissions for affiliates like me? |
| Urgency | Why should I buy now? | Why should I promote this over competing offers? |
| Post-purchase | Will I actually get results? | Will refund rates stay low so my commissions hold? |
ClickBank Compliance: Getting Approved the First Time
ClickBank has its own compliance review process that is separate from and often more specific than federal regulations. Getting flagged during review means delays — and every day your offer sits in review is a day of lost revenue.
Key compliance areas to navigate:
Health claims. ClickBank enforces restrictions on health and supplement claims that align with but can exceed FTC requirements. Structure/function claims with proper disclaimers are generally acceptable. Disease claims, before-and-after images implying medical outcomes, and unsubstantiated statistics will trigger rejection.
Income claims. For business opportunity and make-money offers, ClickBank requires typical results disclaimers and restricts the prominence of exceptional income examples. Leading with "average" results rather than outlier success stories helps clear review.
Testimonials. All testimonials must be genuine and include disclaimers that results are not typical where applicable. Fabricated testimonials will result in rejection and potential account action.
Refund policy. ClickBank's standard 60-day refund policy must be clearly presented. Attempting to obscure or minimize the refund policy will trigger compliance flags.
Video content. VSLs undergo the same content review as text. Claims made verbally in the video are subject to the same standards as written claims. Transcripts or slide content may be requested during review.
Writing your copy with these requirements in mind from the beginning — rather than trying to retrofit compliance after the fact — results in faster approvals and fewer revision cycles.
Common ClickBank Copywriting Mistakes
Optimizing for conversion rate while ignoring AOV. A high front-end conversion rate means nothing if your upsell sequence is weak. The math: 2% conversion × $120 AOV = $2.40 EPC. But 3% conversion × $50 AOV = only $1.50 EPC. The first funnel attracts better affiliates despite the lower conversion rate.
Neglecting affiliate tools. Your funnel might convert beautifully, but if affiliates do not have ready-made emails, ads, and angles to work with, many will choose competing offers that make promotion easier. Affiliate tools are not a nice-to-have — they are a revenue multiplier.
Over-promising and driving refunds. Aggressive front-end claims that boost initial conversion rates inevitably lead to high refund rates — which erode EPC, damage gravity, and can trigger ClickBank compliance review. The most sustainable ClickBank offers make honest, compelling promises and then over-deliver.
Ignoring post-purchase experience. ClickBank's 60-day refund window means the post-purchase experience directly affects your bottom line. Onboarding emails, product consumption guides, and customer support are not just nice gestures — they are profit protection strategies that keep refund rates low and EPCs stable.
Launching without testing traffic. Recruiting affiliates before you have proven EPC data from your own traffic is a common mistake. Run paid traffic first, optimize until your numbers are compelling, then approach affiliates with real data. Nothing recruits affiliates faster than a proven EPC.
Getting Started
ClickBank remains one of the most powerful distribution platforms in direct response. The combination of a massive affiliate network, proven buyer demographics, and established marketplace infrastructure creates opportunities for vendors who build funnels that serve both buyers and affiliates effectively.
The framework in this guide applies whether you are launching your first ClickBank offer or optimizing an existing funnel that is underperforming. The fundamentals — dual-audience optimization, metric-driven funnel architecture, compliance-aware copy, and affiliate-friendly tools — are what separate top-of-marketplace offers from the thousands that generate minimal traction.
If you need a ClickBank copywriter for your next offer — from the front-end VSL through upsells and affiliate tools — book a free strategy call to discuss how to build a ClickBank funnel that attracts top affiliates and dominates your category.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ClickBank copywriting?
ClickBank copywriting is the specialized craft of writing direct-response copy for products sold through the ClickBank affiliate marketplace. It requires understanding ClickBank's unique ecosystem — affiliate incentives, buyer demographics, compliance requirements, and the specific funnel architectures that maximize EPC and attract top affiliate promoters.
What is EPC and why does it matter on ClickBank?
EPC (Earnings Per Click) is the average revenue generated per click sent to your offer. It is the single most important metric on ClickBank because it determines whether affiliates will promote your product. Higher EPC means more affiliates sending more traffic, which creates a flywheel of growth.
What is ClickBank Gravity?
Gravity measures how many unique affiliates have made at least one sale of a product in the past 12 weeks, with recent sales weighted more heavily. High gravity signals that an offer is actively converting for multiple affiliates — making it attractive to new affiliates looking for proven offers to promote.
What types of products sell best on ClickBank?
The highest-volume categories are health and supplements (weight loss, brain health, anti-aging), self-help and personal development, business opportunity, fitness, and digital education. Health supplements consistently dominate the marketplace leaderboard.
How is ClickBank copywriting different from regular direct-response copywriting?
ClickBank copy must serve two audiences: end buyers AND affiliate promoters. Your funnel must convert buyers efficiently while generating attractive metrics (EPC, gravity, AOV) that motivate affiliates to send traffic. You also need affiliate tools — swipe copy, emails, banners — that make promotion easy.
What does a typical ClickBank funnel look like?
A standard funnel includes a front-end VSL or sales page, an order form with order bump ($7–$27), one to three upsell pages (OTOs), a downsell page, a thank-you page, and an affiliate tools page. Each step maximizes average order value while maintaining sustainable refund rates.
How do you get affiliates to promote your ClickBank offer?
Demonstrate strong EPC through your own traffic testing, offer competitive commissions (50–75%), provide ready-made promotional tools, and reach out to affiliates personally with performance data. A proven EPC is the most powerful affiliate recruitment tool available.
What are ClickBank's compliance requirements?
ClickBank has its own content review process including restrictions on health and income claims, testimonial rules, refund policy presentation requirements, and video content guidelines. Writing with these requirements in mind from the start results in faster approvals and fewer revision cycles.
What conversion rate should a ClickBank offer target?
Cold traffic conversion rates typically range from 1–4%, with top offers reaching 3–5%+. But conversion rate alone does not determine profitability — the complete funnel economics (conversion rate × AOV) determines EPC. A 1.5% conversion rate with $130 AOV can outperform 3% with $50 AOV.
How do you keep refund rates low on ClickBank?
Honest copy that sets accurate expectations, a strong post-purchase experience (onboarding emails, consumption sequences), and genuine product quality. ClickBank's 60-day refund window means post-purchase copy is as important as sales copy for protecting your bottom line.
Rob Palmer
Rob Palmer is a veteran direct-response copywriter with 30+ years of experience and $523M+ in tracked results. His clients include Apple, IBM, Microsoft, and Citibank. He specializes in VSLs, sales funnels, and email sequences for ClickBank and DTC brands, leveraging AI to amplify battle-tested direct-response principles.
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