According to reports, approximately 80% of brands allocate more than 10% of their marketing budgets to affiliate marketing, as it has become a lucrative and low-risk method for driving sales, awareness, and generating revenue for both brands and affiliates. With a worth of $8.2 billion, affiliate marketing has established itself as an industry of significant value.
As a publisher, commonly known as an affiliate marketer, you will come across numerous affiliate programs to promote in your content. However, it’s important to note that not all programs are the same. Some programs provide low commissions or are managed by dubious brands, while others offer genuinely advantageous partnerships that benefit your audience.
Best affiliate marketing programs
1. Shopify
Shopify is a highly regarded ecommerce platform that provides a simple and efficient method for you to start an online store.
Shopify offers all the necessary tools right from the start, such as online store templates, payment processors, shipping partners, and marketing solutions from the Shopify App Store. It serves as an excellent affiliate program for marketers targeting e-commerce entrepreneurs.
Affiliate marketers who are affiliated with Shopify receive a full commission of 100% on the initial two payments of any subscription plan that is purchased by a referral. To explain, if a referral buys a Basic Shopify plan priced at $39 per month, you will be given a payment of $39 for the first month that the referral pays.
If your referral remains for another month, you will receive an additional $39, making a total of $78 for that particular referral. However, if the customer does not continue with the service for the second month, you will not receive the commission for that month.
You can earn commissions on all Shopify plans, which means you can recommend any current or potential business owners in your audience to the following Shopify plans:
- Basic Shopify: $39/month
- Shopify: $105/month
- Advanced Shopify: $399/month
2. Amazon associates
Amazon is presently the biggest online marketplace and offers a wide range of products. If you are a blogger or an influencer, it’s advantageous to utilize their affiliate program in your content. This enables you to endorse products that you believe your audience will purchase, entitling you to earn a commission of up to 20% for any referrals.
Jonathan Smith, who is the founder of CamperGuide, is an Amazon Associate and he utilizes his website to evaluate and propose various products that will go well with the campers and RVs he vends. Due to the extensive array of products available on Amazon, the Amazon Associates program is an excellent choice for individuals who are beginning their journey in affiliate marketing.
Amazon provides a commission between 1% and 20% for different product types. Additionally, they also offer different fixed commission rates for what they refer to as “special commission income.”
You will be paid on a monthly basis, but the payment for the current month will be made 60 days after the month has concluded. To illustrate, if you earned commissions in January, you will receive the payment at the end of March. Additionally, Amazon requires you to reach a minimum threshold of $10 in earnings as an affiliate marketer before releasing the payment.
3. Rakuten
Rakuten, a cashback site, rewards customers with money for purchases made on its website. This shopping platform has gained popularity and witnessed a 15.8% year-over-year increase in revenue, reaching $3.4 billion in Q2 2021. Additionally, Rakuten holds the third-largest market share among affiliate networks at 7.85%.
Rakuten’s affiliate publisher program is associated with more than 2,500 diverse retailers who offer a wide range of products, just like Amazon Affiliates. You have the opportunity to effortlessly find a brand to partner with as an affiliate and endorse its products using Rakuten. To enhance your sales potential, Rakuten’s affiliate program provides three types of commission that you can earn through your influence.
- Dynamic commissioning, which gives insight into advertiser’s goals and payouts for scaled revenue
- Coupon commissioning to manage and monitor rules for coupon codes
- Multi-touch commissioning so you get credit for your contributions at any point in the customer journey
Support for affiliates is available through various channels at Rakuten. This includes an email address, online live chat, and phone numbers that cater to most countries. Additionally, Rakuten offers articles and educational resources to assist its affiliate marketers.
4. BigCommerce
With BigCommerce, you can easily sell anything online and increase your earnings with various BigCommerce apps. Affiliates have the potential to earn 200% of the initial monthly payment from customers. If you have an enterprise client, you could potentially earn up to $1,500.
Their page does not provide any information, so it is recommended to contact them for further details regarding their payment schedule. Affiliates are provided with pre-made banners and emails. Additionally, they have the advantage of having a dedicated account manager with expertise in affiliate marketing to assist them in maximizing their sales.
5. Refersion
Refersion is a platform accessible for e-commerce store owners to reward their customers for promoting their business.
Merchants can utilize it to create various offers, generate links and coupon codes, personalize commission structures, monitor sales, and seamlessly integrate the software with their e-commerce solutions. Refersion directly integrates with prominent platforms like Shopify, Magento, and WooCommerce. Moreover, API keys are offered to enable tailored integration with alternative programs.
By using the software, merchants can efficiently assess the impact of each affiliate on their return on investment by analyzing three essential performance indicators: effective earnings per click, average order value, and total revenue per affiliate.
Refersion continues to prioritize engagement with its affiliates by offering a Message tab on its dashboard, enabling brands to have direct communication with their affiliates. Integration with Mailchimp and Klaviyo also allows online sellers to send newsletters to their partners, providing updates on new products, innovative creatives, and any changes to commission rates in order to enhance their brand marketing efforts.
Affiliates are offered a 15% commission on all referrals who register with the platform either through their link or by responding to an email for a direct-billed Refersion subscription. There are three payment options available for affiliates: utilizing the integrated PayPal feature, sending gift cards to affiliates via email, or paying by check or deposit.
To begin, by placing an offer on the Refersion Marketplace, over 8,000 affiliates can discover you, which can be beneficial in optimizing your settings with the assistance of Refersion’s customer success and development team.
6. Sandals
If you are a travel influencer or writer, you may want to consider exploring the affiliate program provided by the Sandals and Beaches brands. This program will be especially beneficial for those whose target audience desires a Caribbean vacation. Additionally, since these getaways cater to both couples and families, you will have the opportunity to reach a wider range of potential customers.
The payout policies for interested affiliates should be discussed with the CJ Affiliate network, as commissions begin at 4% for all travel products and affiliates have the opportunity to win free trips and other performance bonuses within the program.
You will be provided with a vast collection of vibrant banners in a library. Additionally, a monthly newsletter will be used to inform you about promotions and offers. Moreover, a dedicated affiliate marketing manager will be allocated to assist and support you.
7. Brand24 partner program
The Partner Program offered by Brand24 is a lucrative opportunity that digital marketers and entrepreneurs should not overlook. This program is especially suitable for individuals with audiences who have a keen interest in effective online marketing tools. It provides potential customers with top-notch solutions for online monitoring, social media management, and competitor analysis.
The program guarantees significant profits with a recurring 20% commission on all payments made by customers you refer. What’s even more attractive is that the commission persists each time the customer renews their subscription.
Payments are usually handled via PayPal and Stripe, and disbursements typically take place on the 13th day of every month.
The Brand24 Partner Program offers assistance to its affiliates by providing a selection of marketing materials that are ready to use for promoting their efforts. In addition, they are given early access to top-notch materials and are consistently updated on product releases, guaranteeing that affiliates stay ahead of the game. Moreover, affiliates are given professional support, useful tutorials, webinars, and a personal manager to aid them on their journey.
8. eBay partner network
Founded in 1995, eBay was one of the pioneers in the web industry, connecting buyers and sellers in a marketplace. It remains a prominent global player and has expanded to include affiliate marketing partnerships. When it comes to commission rates, eBay Partner Network solely compensates for the profit earned from a sale, and the specific rates differ based on the product category.
If someone were to purchase a PS4 on eBay for $200 after clicking on your affiliate link, and eBay makes a $20 profit from that sale, based on the given table, your commission for referring that sale would be $10.
eBay, being an affiliate program, has broad appeal to nearly every demographic due to the wide range of items that can be sold on the platform. A notable example of this is from 2015, when a bag of air from a Kanye West concert was sold for a staggering $65,000.
