5 Best Affiliate Programs that You Should Join Now

‍If you are an online entrepreneur or trying to become one, then you have probably heard of ‘affiliate marketing’, ‘affiliate programs’, or ‘affiliate’ in general. Let’s clarify these terms. Affiliate marketing is a type of marketing where a business rewards affiliates (that can be you) for each visitor or customer brought by the affiliate’s own marketing efforts. You, as an affiliate, are a middleman where you promote certain business and their products and services and if a visitor clicks on a particular link and then purchases a product or performs a certain activity you receive a commission. But do you know which are the best affiliate programs to join?

Affiliate marketing is very popular because businesses don’t spend their own money on marketing. They only reward affiliate marketers for their marketing activities. Almost every business you find online has an affiliate program that you can join. For you, this is a great opportunity to make money online, and earn passive income, as there are no upfront costs and no technical skills are needed.

In this blog post, we’ll be exploring the five best affiliate programs that you should join now.

What is an Affiliate Program?

An affiliate program is a relationship between a business (company) and an affiliate (entrepreneur). It works in a simple way. A business has its affiliate program. You sign up by filling out important info and then you get a unique link (that has your affiliate ID) that you can share. It really depends on how you want to share that link. You can share it on social media; maybe you run a blog; you can put the link under each video on your YouTube channel, and so on.

Every time someone clicks on that unique link and purchases a product or service, you will receive a commission. Commission can vary from 5% up to 100%. The most common commission is around 20%-30%. The commission can be a flat rate or a percentage of the sale amount.

The affiliate program is a win-win situation for the company and the affiliate. The business gets more customers, and the affiliate earns money by promoting the business’s products or services.

Benefits of Joining an Affiliate Marketing Program

Affiliate marketing has grown in recent years. You will find that for some businesses, you can easily sign up and become an affiliate. However, some companies have changed their affiliate policies in recent years, and now it’s very difficult to become an affiliate. For example, Shopify has become very strict when it comes to accepting new affiliates. Most companies have decided that you already need to have a large following or many website visitors in order to promote their products. That can be a real hurdle for beginners. Don’t worry; in this blog post, I will give you a list of affiliate programs that you can join right away.

There are many benefits to joining an affiliate program. Here are some of the most common benefits of joining an affiliate program:

• ‘Work from home’: You can make money from home without investing any money upfront.
• ‘I like’: You can promote products or services you are passionate about. You can pick any business, product, or service you want to promote.
• ‘One click method’: You can increase your income with minimal effort. You just need an affiliate link, and you are ready to share it and earn some money.
• ‘What is my reward’: You can build long-term relationships with other affiliates and business owners. Some businesses reward high-performing affiliates and give more bonuses.

5 Best Affiliate Programs You Can Join Now

There are many affiliate programs available, but not all of them are worth joining. Why? Well, because some pay very little commission. Here are five amazing affiliate programs that you should consider joining right now. I’m focusing on those platforms that have a good reputation, have been around for years, and where you can pick products and services in different categories. These are basically affiliate marketplaces. Instead of picking one business and product, you can pick from various businesses and products.

Amazon Associates

You’ve heard of Amazon, right? But have you heard of Amazon Associates Program? Amazon Associates is one of the most popular affiliate programs in the world. It allows affiliates to earn a commission on sales they refer to Amazon. You do the math. How many visitors does Amazon have each day, and how many sales Amazon makes each minute? There is your chance.

The commission rate varies depending on the product category, but it can range from 4% to 10%. Amazon Associates also offers various tools to help affiliates promote their products. It’s very simple to attract buyers because Amazon is the first choice for ‘online shopping’. You can check out the Amazon Associate program here.

Clickbank

Clickbank is my favorite affiliate marketplace. It offers various products and services you can promote that you can’t find anywhere else. Clickbank is an online marketplace that allows affiliates to promote digital products. It has a wide range of products available, ranging from eBooks to software. The commission rate varies from product to product, but it can range from 50% to 75%. Under each product, you can find a wide range of tools to help you promote products. From email swipes to graphics.

On Clickbank, stats matter. So, when you look for products worth promoting, focus on Gravity (which tells you how many affiliates have successfully sold the product in the past 12 weeks). The higher the gravity, the better the product. Check out Clickbank here.

Rakuten

Rakuten is one of the largest affiliate networks in the world. Fun fact: the first time I heard of Rakuten was when I saw a logo on one of the NBA team’s jerseys. If Rakuten is a sponsor, they must have a lot of money.

Rakuten (not the NBA team) has a wide range of products, from apparel to electronics. The commission rate varies from product to product, but it can range from 4% to 8%. To get started earning affiliate income in our Rakuten Affiliate network, it is simple and free to sign up. Click on “Become a Publisher” and complete the registration form.

ShareASale

ShareASale is definitely in my top 3 choices for Affiliate Program to join. It has a wide range of products, ranging from apparel to electronics. You can find products and services from Namecheap and WP rocket.

The commission rate varies from product to product, but it can range from 4% to 10%. ShareASale has the best affiliate support. You can find amazing graphics, templates, logos, photos, and much more for each product you want to promote. In order to join ShareASale you can click here.

Commission Junction

Commission Junction is an affiliate network specializing in CPA (cost-per-action) offers. It has a wide range of offers, ranging from email signups to product purchases. CJ calls affiliates publishers, so don’t get confused here. Commission Junction Affiliate is renowned for its always up-to-the-minute analytics.

The commission rate varies from offer to offer, but it can range from 5% to 20%. You can sign up to become an affiliate here.

How to Choose the Best Affiliate Program for You

Choosing the right affiliate program is an important decision. You want to ensure you choose a program that is right for you and your business. However, it doesn’t hurt to be on all affiliate marketplaces that were mentioned in this article. It gives you more products and services that you can promote. With affiliate marketing, you never know which product/service will become your ‘cash cow’.

When choosing an affiliate program, you should consider the following factors:

• Commission rate: How much will you earn for each sale?
• Product selection: Does the program offer products that are relevant to your audience? Do you enjoy writing/talking about this product? If not, then don’t promote it.
• Support: Does the program provide support to affiliates? Does it offer templates, swipes, graphics, images, and so on. These materials are relevant for a successful marketing campaign.
• Reporting: Does the program provide detailed tracking and reporting? If you cannot find relevant stats, such as how many clicks your links had, then the affiliate program is not worth it.
• Payment terms: How often will you receive payments? Can you pick a payment option?

Look at this as a business, or better yet, like you are entering into a long-term partnership. Try to ask as many relevant questions as you can. Also, always check the terms and conditions and dos and don’ts of an affiliate program. If you don’t follow the rules, you can get banned.

How to Promote Affiliate Programs

Once you’ve chosen an affiliate program, it’s time to start promoting it. Yikes! This seems difficult. Here are tested strategies that work:

• Email marketing: You can send emails to your subscribers about the products or services you’re promoting. If you already have a long list of email subscribers, this works like a charm. But if you don’t, then try to figure out how you can get those people on the list. You can read our helpful article on email marketing.
• Social media marketing: You can use social media to share content about the products or services you’re promoting. Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, you name it.
• Content marketing: You can create content about the products or services you’re promoting. For example, you can start a blog that reviews certain products. Here is a helpful article on how to become a content creator. Also, here is an article on how to monetize your content.
• Paid advertising: You can use paid advertising platforms like Google Ads or Facebook Ads to promote your affiliate program. Yes, the fastest way to get sales.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with new promotion strategies. New tools and platforms emerge every day. Maybe something else fits your advertising style better.

Affiliate Marketing Management Tips

Once you’ve started promoting products/services, it’s important to manage them properly. You need to know what is working and what is not working. Which products sell the most? That way, you can focus your marketing efforts on ‘winners’ and drop the ‘losers’. ‘The winner takes it all’. Here are some tips for managing your results as an affiliate:

• Track your results: Track your clicks, conversions, and sales to see what’s working and what’s not. Sometimes you have many clicks but no conversions. Maybe your buttons on your landing page are not working properly, and people cannot finish the purchase. Check out the best all-in-one marketing platform.
• Stay organized: Use a spreadsheet to keep track of your affiliate links, commissions, and payments. Also, have a separate tracking for where you placed your links.
• Test new strategies: Try new strategies to see what works best. Sometimes changing your landing page and doing A/B testing can increase your commissions.

Common Pitfalls of Affiliate Programs

Before you join an affiliate program, it’s important to understand the common pitfalls. Here are some of the most common pitfalls of affiliate programs:

• Low commission rates: Some affiliate programs have low commission rates, which means you won’t make much money. If you spend $100 on marketing, and you only get $3 per sale. Is this profitable?
• Product selection: Some affiliate programs have a limited selection of products, which means you won’t have much to promote. Always check reviews before you start promoting something. Promoting bad products can hurt your reputation.
• Support: Some affiliate programs don’t provide much support to affiliates, which can make it difficult to succeed. Businesses should treat affiliates as business partner. If you feel ignored, then focus on some other affiliate program.
• Payment terms: Some affiliate programs have long payment terms, which can delay your earnings. You are here to make money. Focus on reputable companies.

Conclusion

Affiliate programs are a great way to make money online. There are many amazing affiliate programs that you can join, and you can start earning money right away. It’s important to choose the right affiliate program for you and to manage your program properly. With the right strategy and a bit of hard work, you can have success with affiliate programs.