Freewell Gear is a seasoned veteran in the camera industry, boasting over 10 years of experience providing high-quality lenses, filters, and accessories for photographers and videographers.
Known for their premium glass, the brand positions itself as the “BMW” of camera gear, offering elite quality at an affordable price point.
In early 2025, Freewell made the strategic decision to migrate their entire store from PrestaShop to Shopify.
While the move offered better tools and scalability, it required the team to rebuild their digital ecosystem from scratch, including their SEO, customer reviews, and marketing automation.
The Challenge: Building a Sustainable Revenue Channel from Zero
Transitioning platforms meant more than just a new website; it meant Freewell had to find a reliable way to maintain sales volume while rebuilding their organic traffic.
Before the move, Freewell had never implemented a professional affiliate system, making this a critical piece of their new Shopify strategy.
“We migrated to Shopify in the month of January 2025, and at the same time, we were looking for a reliable application in terms of generating affiliate revenue,” shared Aswin Kartha, a key member of the Freewell marketing team.
The brand needed a tool that was easy to manage and cost-effective for initial testing. Finally, they chose UpPromote for its strong reputation on the Shopify App Store and flexible free plan.
Prioritizing Technical Expertise Over Follower Counts
Unlike brands that chase “vanity metrics” like high follower counts, Freewell’s affiliate program is built on technical substance.
As their products, such as anamorphic lenses and specialized filters, require a specific level of knowledge, they vet every partner manually to ensure they can actually educate the audience.
“It’s not about the number of followers,” Aswin explained. “If they’re technically strong and can explain concepts, for example, in our niche, what a telephoto or anamorphic lens is, they can educate viewers. We’re happy to collaborate with anyone who can provide that kind of guidance to customers.”
Freewell used UpPromote to set up a registration form on their website to recruit affiliates. If someone joins the program, the team will manually review several times to determine whether the person is suitable or not.
By focusing on “technical film makers” rather than just influencers with large but disengaged audiences, Freewell ensures that every referral comes from a place of high authority and trust.
Building Relationships, Not Just Partnerships
The secret to Freewell’s affiliate success isn’t complicated. It comes down to one principle: treat people well.
“I’ve learned that long-term partnerships come down to how you treat people — being transparent, responsive, and fair makes all the difference“. Aswin shared.
This philosophy has helped them build and maintain relationships with around 700 creators globally.
When deciding to work with any creators, Freewell is happy to send out free samples to trusted creators without forcing a specific script. “We don’t control their messaging. We value authenticity, so they’re free to speak honestly about the product.” Aswin said.
Creators feel free to share genuine opinions, which builds trust with their audiences. As creators aren’t pressured, the reviews they produce are genuine, which resonates more deeply with the photography community and drives higher conversion rates.
The Results: $350,000 in Revenue in 2 months
The results of Freewell’s strategic focus on quality partnerships and reliable tracking were immediate.
In the last two months alone, Freewell has generated over $350,000 in revenue through their affiliate program.
They also hit a major milestone in September, reaching 270 referrals in a single month – a significant leap from their previous average of 100 to 120.
“We’re experiencing significant growth in affiliate marketing. Over the last two months, we generated nearly 350,000, and in September, 2025 alone we reached 270 referrals, more than double our previous high of around 120.” Aswin confirmed.
Lessons for Merchants: How to Scale the Right Way
Aswin’s advice for other brands launching affiliate programs is straightforward: focus on quality, not quantity.
“You need to handpick your messengers carefully and consider their product knowledge, audience demographics. In this case, quality matters more than quantity,” he explained.
He also emphasized finding the right fit over recruiting large numbers.“Not just having affiliates can generate your revenue. You have to choose them wisely, even if they are making videos relating to the products that you sell, then it’s easy for you to make money.”
Ellie Tran, a seasoned SEO content writer with three years of experience in the eCommerce world. Being a part of the UpPromote team, Ellie wants to assist Shopify merchants in achieving success through useful content & actionable insights. Ellie's commitment to learning never stops; she's always eager to gain more knowledge about SEO and content marketing to create valuable content for users. When she's not working on content, Ellie enjoys baking and exploring new places.
