34 High-Ticket Affiliate Marketing & Partner Programs 2024 via @sejournal, @kristileilani

Affiliate marketing opens up a world of possibilities for creators, marketers, and entrepreneurs who want to monetize their online presence.

This approach to generating revenue involves three key steps: establishing a connection with your audience, selecting products that resonate with them, and promoting those products.

Whether you manage a blog, have influencer status on social media, or engage your audiences via email, your favorite online platform can be the channel that helps you drive sales and earn affiliate commissions.

This guide offers the best high-ticket affiliate programs for 2024.

Agencies and consultants will also find several partner programs designed for service providers to enhance relationships with existing clients while increasing revenue streams.

How To Get Started With Affiliate Marketing

Here’s a simple summary of how to get started with affiliate marketing.

• Build an audience. Establish a presence online with a high-traffic website, an extensive email list, or influential social media status. Ideally, you can harness the power of all three. Much like a business can’t succeed without customers, you cannot earn commissions without someone to sell to.
• Find products and services you can passionately promote to the audience you have built. Choose products and services you can advocate for with enthusiasm. Authentic passion will make persuading others of the value of your promotion easier.
• Sign up for affiliate and partner programs. These will be offered directly through the company selling the product or service or third-party affiliate platforms.
• Fill out your application and affiliate profile completely. Include the details about your specific niche, website visitors, subscriber counts, and the reach of your social platforms.
• Get your custom affiliate or referral link and share it with your audience. If you have a list with diverse interests, you may want to segment your audience to promote targeted offers that benefit them most.
• Adhere to FTC and legal guidelines. Most affiliate programs require affiliates to be transparent with disclosures for affiliate links and banners.
• Look for opportunities to recommend products to new people. You can be helpful in many ways online, such as answering questions on X (Twitter), Reddit, and Quora. This may drive new people to your blog or social posts about the products you promote.
• Create content that appeals to businesses. Sales for businesses, teams, and enterprises will generate higher affiliate commissions than individual user sales.
• Monitor your affiliate dashboard and website analytics for insights into your clicks and commissions. It can help you identify the channels that drive the most return on investment (ROI).
• Adjust your affiliate marketing tactics based on the most revenue promotions.

Now, continue reading about the best high-ticket affiliate programs you can sign up for in 2024. They offer a high one-time payout, recurring commissions, or both.

The ‘Best’ High-Ticket Affiliate Marketing & Partner Programs

What makes these affiliate marketing programs the “best” is subjective. You can always check the ratings for companies and products on sites like G2, GetApp, and TrustRadius.

You can also use reviews from those sites to discover impressive results customers gained from using the product and the features customers love most. Use those in your blog posts, emails, or social media content to help more people purchase – ideally with your affiliate link.

Productivity Software

1. Google Workspace Affiliate

Google Workspace offers a referral and affiliate program, allowing you to earn income from promoting Gmail, Google Meet, and Drive.

2. Microsoft For Business Affiliate Program

The Microsoft for Business affiliate program offers commissions on sales of Surface devices and accessories and a bounty for each Microsoft 365 seat sold to new customers, with the bounty varying by product.

For example, if your business refers a company that buys Microsoft 365 Business Standard with 50 seats at a $15 per seat commission, it generates $750.

Joining the program is free, with no minimum sales requirement, and provides a 14 to 30-day referral window to earn commissions.

3. Zoho

Zoho offers 55+ productivity and marketing products to help businesses scale.

The company’s affiliate program allows participants to earn up to 15% commission on every qualified sale for the first year, with a 90-day cookie duration to track referrals.

Top affiliates in Zoho’s affiliate program earn $100,000 in commissions annually.

Additionally, customers who purchase through an affiliate link receive $100 in wallet credits to explore Zoho’s offerings.

Project Management Software

4. Asana Partner Program

The Asana Partner Program allows customers of its project management tool to attract new customers through training, consulting, and professional services.

Participants gain access to exclusive training resources, dedicated support from a channel partner manager, and the opportunity to bolster their service offerings within a growing network of top-tier partners.

5. Monday

Monday.com offers an affiliate program to promote its global project planning platform with over 150,000 customers.

The program includes access to a wealth of marketing resources and the opportunity to earn up to 100% commission in the first year for each customer referral, with payments facilitated monthly via PayPal or Stripe.

6. Teamwork

Teamwork, project management software focused on maximizing billable hours, helps everyone in your organization become more efficient – from the founder to the project managers.

By referring new customers, participants receive 15% of every payment made to Teamwork.com by the referred individual, up to a maximum of $1,000 per referral.

Marketing Research Tools

7. Semrush

Semrush is a SaaS marketing platform with over 10 million users for marketers who want to increase online visibility.

Its comprehensive suite of over 50 tools supports businesses in enhancing their online presence through SEO, PPC advertising, content management, social media strategies, and competitive research.

The Semrush Affiliate Program offers $200 for each sale and $10 for every free trial initiated through its referral.

With a last-click attribution model and 120-day cookie duration, top affiliates earn with pre-designed promotional materials and support from a dedicated team.

The program’s tiered commission structure starts at $200 per sale, with potential increases, additional bonuses based on quarterly sales performance, and varying support and resources tailored to each tier.

8. Similarweb

Similarweb offers a partnership program designed to enable businesses using its product to grow by leveraging their industry-leading digital measurement tools.

By joining, partners can earn a revenue share from premium solutions sold, access co-marketing resources, receive support, and gain certification as digital measurement experts.

First, applicants must become certified as a Marketing Intelligence expert. Then, as certified partners, they begin their growth journey with Similarweb.

Social Media Management Tools

9. Hootsuite

Hootsuite, a leading social media management tool, offers an affiliate program that allows individuals to earn commissions by referring new users to its Professional and Team Plans.

Applicants, once approved, receive a unique affiliate link and access to the Affiliate Brand Kit, enabling them to customize content and track referrals.

Commissions are earned for each new qualifying user who signs up through the affiliate link, with higher earnings for those who opt for the Team plan.

Businesses can also refer Enterprise customers via the Partner Program.

10. Sendible

Sendible offers a comprehensive affiliate program, encouraging participants to promote its social media management platform.

New affiliates can earn a 12% lifetime commission for each new customer they successfully refer.

After referring over 100 customers, affiliates move into a higher tier where they can earn 30% per referred customer for the first 12 months.

Payments are submitted through PayPal, with commissions calculated based on the customer’s continued subscription.

Creative Content Platforms

11. Adobe

The Adobe Affiliate Program allows creatives to earn commissions by promoting Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Stock, and Adobe Document Cloud on their websites, blogs, or social media channels.

Affiliates benefit from an impressive commission structure, including 85% of the first month’s payment for Creative Cloud and Document Cloud monthly and yearly subscriptions and 8.33% for yearly subscriptions paid annually.

The program features a 30-day cookie duration, provides marketing materials, offers regular promotions, and gives access to detailed product performance reports.

However, it’s noted that commissions are not awarded for trial, invalid, or fraudulent orders, and availability may vary by country.

12. Canva

Canva rebranded its affiliate program as the Empower Canvassador program. It aims to empower content creators to inspire and uplift people worldwide, particularly within the Canva community.

Ideal candidates are engaged social media content creators, workshop facilitators, podcasters, and course developers active on platforms like Instagram, X (Twitter), TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

To become an Empower Canvassador, individuals must embody Canva’s values, operate independently (not as a brand or agency), have an active and engaged audience, and commit to creating at least one piece of Canva-related content monthly.

Benefits include a special Canvassador badge, beta testing opportunities, educational resources, collaboration chances with Canva, weekly updates, affiliate commissions on Canva Pro conversions, and exclusive swag.

13. Shutterstock

Shutterstock is a global marketplace for sourcing stock photographs, vectors, illustrations, videos, and music.

The Shutterstock Affiliate Program allows partners to earn a 20% revenue share on net sales from images, footage, or music purchases for up to $300 per new customer.

This program features cookie-based tracking for 30-day credit post-click, automatic monthly payments through PayPal or e-transfer, and dedicated support to enhance performance and earnings.

Marketing Platforms

14. HubSpot

HubSpot offers a compelling affiliate program for content creators aiming to monetize their content while assisting businesses in their growth, featuring a 30% recurring commission for up to a year, tiered payouts, a 180-day cookie window, a large library of promotional materials, reliable support, and comprehensive performance reports.

Designed for SaaS reviewers, content creators, digital educators, and those offering product integrations with HubSpot, the program promotes growth by rewarding increased referrals with higher tiers, offering additional bonuses for Super and Elite Affiliates, and providing resources like a welcome bonus, an affiliate resource center, and personalized support to optimize affiliate success.

HubSpot also offers a Partner program, which is ideal for businesses consulting on strategy, tech implementation, or hands-on services in marketing, sales, or customer service.

15. Salesforce

The Salesforce Partner Program is designed to elevate businesses by offering access to the world’s No. 1 trusted platform – complete with tools, training, and resources to foster app development, expertise growth, demand generation, and sales efficiency.

Companies in the program can utilize free co-marketing resources, technical consultations, and visibility through AppExchange listings to scale their solutions and business operations efficiently.

Website Builders

16. WordPress

The WordPress/Automattic Affiliate Program for WordPress.com, Jetpack, and WooCommerce targets WordPress professionals like site and plugin developers, designers, and theme creators.

Participation in the program is invite-only. Eligible affiliates earn a 20% commission on qualifying purchases. Payments are issued via Tipalti, which supports various methods like PayPal and wire transfer.

To stay in the program, affiliates must maintain a minimum of $100 in accrued rewards, and all transactions must occur within 30 days of the referral link being clicked.

17. Squarespace

Squarespace offers a platform that empowers millions to establish a significant online presence, making it simple for anyone to share their passions globally.

By joining its affiliate program, individuals have the opportunity to earn commissions by encouraging their audience to explore and subscribe to Squarespace’s services, which range from website to commerce subscriptions for first-time customers.

This program is designed without limits on referral counts, enabling unlimited earning potential. It is also supported by comprehensive resources, including creative assets, tracking tools, and regular updates to ensure affiliate partners are well-equipped to succeed.

Participation is free and open worldwide. It requires a single application for multiple websites, contingent on adherence to program terms and relevant content guidelines.

18. Wix

The Wix affiliate program boasts competitive payouts for every conversion, allowing for rapid income generation with no cap on referrals.

Affiliates are provided with various creative resources and an intuitive dashboard to efficiently manage campaigns, track traffic, and monitor earnings.

19. Web.com

Web.com offers an affiliate program for individuals to earn by promoting a range of web services, including the company’s website builder and hosting products.

The program promises accurate tracking through a leading platform and unlimited earning potential with a $100 commission for each qualified purchase, with payments submitted via direct deposit or check.

Ecommerce Platforms

20. Shopify

Shopify, a top ecommerce solution provider, encourages educators, influencers, review sites, and content creators to participate in its affiliate program.

To qualify for the Shopify Affiliate Program, applicants must own an active website, have a substantial audience, produce original content (such as online courses, blog posts, videos, or guides), possess knowledge in commerce or ecommerce platforms like Shopify, and agree to Shopify’s Affiliate Marketing Program Terms.

Affiliates use Impact, a third-party platform, to track referrals, report in real time, and receive monthly commission payments.

Approved affiliates can earn up to $500 in commission based on the product and the location of the referred merchants, with a minimum payout threshold of $10 USD through Impact, direct deposit, or PayPal.

21. BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a leading ecommerce platform with open SaaS, headless integrations, omnichannel, B2B, and offline-to-online solutions.

It offers an affiliate program where affiliates can earn 200% of a new customer’s first monthly payment or $1,500 for each enterprise customer referral.

Affiliates can also earn $1.50 for registrations and $40 per enterprise lead, with a 90-day referral period applicable for all types of referrals.

Elearning & Online Courses

22. Coursera

The Coursera affiliate program allows content creators to monetize its platform by promoting over 4,000 courses from hundreds of universities and companies, such as Amazon, Gitlab, Google, HubSpot, Intuit, Meta, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Salesforce, Tencent Cloud, VMware, Yandex, and Zoho.

Affiliates can earn 15% to 45% commissions on qualified purchases made by new and existing customers within a 30-day cookie window, alongside bonuses for exceptional performance.

Coursera also offers plans for teams and enterprises, allowing affiliates to make commissions from high-ticket sales.

23. Thinkific

Thinkific is an online course creation platform with users enrolled in over 387 million courses.

Earn up to $1,700 per referral annually through the Thinkific affiliate program.

24. Teachable

Teachable is an online course platform used by over 100,000 entrepreneurs, creators, and businesses of all sizes to create engaging online courses and coaching businesses.

Thinkific wants affiliates who are DIY content creators, entrepreneurs, and business owners interested in sharing their expertise or catering to their customers with online courses.

The Thinkific Affiliate Program offers a 30% recurring commission on any monthly or annual paid plans through PartnerStack.

Affiliates can utilize exclusive promotional materials and a generous 90-day cookie tracking period, ensuring credit for referrals who sign up within that timeframe.

Email Marketing & Marketing Automation

25. ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign offers an affiliate program with recurring commissions of 20% to 30% from new customer sales and the potential to receive up to $1,350 with one sale.

The program is designed to be accessible to anyone interested in participating, regardless of whether they are current ActiveCampaign customers.

Affiliates receive a unique referral link upon signing up and access to a suite of resources, including graphics, webinars, and a dashboard to track progress.

26. Aweber

AWeber, an email marketing platform known for its affordability, offers a customer referral program for its users to promote landing pages, ecommerce, and more.

The program offers up to 50% lifetime recurring commission for new accounts. “Advocates” start with a 30% commission rate, which increases to 40% after referring ten new paid accounts and 50% after referring 50 within a 12-month period.

27. Contact Contact

Constant Contact, a trusted email marketing solution for over two decades, offers an affiliate program for small businesses, bloggers, and entrepreneurs to earn up to $105 for each new paid account referral.

This program is ideal for those committed to helping smaller entities thrive in competitive markets.

28. GetResponse

GetResponse, a comprehensive email and marketing automation platform, offers two types of affiliate programs.

With the Recurring Program, you can earn a continuous commission of 33% every month. With the Bounty Program, you can earn an upfront commission of $100 per sale.

Web Hosting 

29. DreamHost

DreamHost web hosting supports WordPress and WooCommerce websites with basic, managed, and VPS solutions. Affiliates can earn up to $200 per referral and recurring monthly commissions with the DreamHost affiliate program.

The program also offers a range of ready-to-use creative banners and an intuitive dashboard to track sales.

30. Kinsta

Kinsta is a web hosting provider that manages WordPress, applications, and database hosting.

Kinsta’s affiliate program offers the opportunity to earn 5% to 10% in lifetime monthly commissions by referring customers to its hosting services.

The program provides a simple commission model with different commission rates depending on the type of hosting service referred, such as managed WordPress hosting, application hosting, or database hosting.

Commissions range from a one-time commission between $50 to $500 plus 10% recurring monthly commissions for WordPress packages to 5% for à la carte resource-based services.

31. Flywheel

Flywheel provides managed WordPress hosting for agencies, ecommerce, and high-traffic websites.

Earn up to $500 per new referral from the Flywheel affiliate program.

Tools For Privacy & Security 

32. Sucuri

Sucuri is a cloud-based security platform with experienced security analysts offering malware scanning and removal, protection from hacks and attacks, and better site performance.

Join Sucuri referral programs for the platform, firewall, and agency products and earn up to $124 per new sale.

33. Smartproxy

Smartproxy allows customers to access business data worldwide for competitor research, search engine results page (SERP) scraping, price aggregation, and ad verification.

Earn up to $2,500 per customer that you refer to Smartproxy using its affiliate program.

34. ADT

ADT is a security systems provider for residences and businesses.

The ADT Rewards Program is an exclusive program that allows current ADT customers to receive a $200 Visa Reward Card per new customer referral.

How To Find Affiliate Marketing & Partner Programs

In addition to the high-ticket affiliate marketing and partner programs listed above, you can find more programs to join with a little research.

• Search for affiliate or referral programs for all of the products or services you have a positive experience with, personally or professionally.
• Search for partner programs for products and services your organization uses and can confidently recommend to others.
• Search for products and services that match your audience’s needs on affiliate platforms like Shareasale, Awin, CJ, PartnerStack, Rakuten, and FlexOffers.
• Follow influencers in your niche to see what products and services they recommend. They may have affiliate or referral programs as well.

A key to affiliate marketing success is to diversify the affiliate marketing programs you join.

It will ensure that you continue to generate an affiliate income, regardless of whether one company changes or shutters its program.

Conclusion

The first step to affiliate marketing is to build a dedicated following. From there, you must choose affiliate products that align with your personal and brand ethos to maximize your earnings.

Trust and authenticity are critical for success. Audiences must trust that you are sincere in your recommendations and be willing to click through. Platforms and services you already use and love make great candidates for affiliate programs.

Adopting a strategic and authentic approach to affiliate marketing can enhance your digital footprint, provide value to your audience, and open up new revenue streams.

More resources:

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Featured Image: fatmawati achmad zaenuri/Shutterstock

Affiliate Marketing Beginners Guide (How To Get Started) via @sejournal, @rollerblader

Affiliate marketing is one of the best ways you can make a passive stream of income.

You don’t need to have a website or even be a social media influencer – you only need to be a creative marketer.

One of my favorite examples from a conference about 12 or so years ago was someone who used affiliate links for dating programs by setting up road signs in heavy rush-hour traffic areas.

As people drove home from work and sat in traffic, they saw the signs and visited the URLs, which were landing pages or redirects through the affiliate links.

But that’s not a very sustainable strategy – just a unique way to make money as an affiliate marketer.

As you can see, there is no shortage of ways to make money with affiliate marketing, and this guide will help you devise a strategy and start your journey.

It is based on my 20+/- years of experience being an affiliate managing programs – and for a short time, managing an affiliate network.

Even if you’re already an expert, there are likely ideas you haven’t tried yet.

The strategies in this guide apply to individual people like bloggers and social media stars, businesses and non-profit organizations, and media outlets or publications looking to make money with affiliate marketing.

There’s a ton of information below, including statistics on what affiliates actually earn from some of the largest affiliate networks, so get ready to dive in.

We’ll start with defining what affiliate marketing is, go into the truth about what you should expect earnings-wise, and then ways you can become an affiliate, including unique ideas I’ve had but haven’t implemented or tried yet. That one is in the how to get started section.

Tip four in the “tips for beginners” section is more of an advanced affiliate marketing strategy as it is commonly overlooked and a missed opportunity for you to make money.

And there are other hidden gems mixed throughout.

Table of Contents:

What Is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is a performance marketing channel where a person or entity earns a commission by promoting a product or service.

In some instances, a mixed payment model like a flat fee with a commission or a commission and a lead CPA, a cost per click, a download, or other events could become options.

Leads could be app downloads, upsells in games, a form fill-out, newsletter sign-ups, and more.

There are three parties that interact to make the affiliate marketing channel work.

Affiliates (Also Known As Publishers And What You Are)

This is the person, company, or entity that is promoting a store, product, or service in exchange for a commission.

Merchants (Also Known As Offers)

A brand or service provider who is paying others to promote their offerings on a revenue-sharing basis.

Merchants may also create private bundles, packages, or funnels; these one-off deals normally have custom commissions. They are referred to as offers.

Affiliate Networks

The tracking platform that holds money in escrow, provides compliance guidelines, pays the partners, and tracks the conversions is known as the affiliate network. There are three types:

• Traditional – You’ll find ecommerce brands with their products listed, as well as lead offers from insurance companies, subscriptions, service providers, and even non-profits looking to fundraise.
• CPA – The CPA network differs from a traditional affiliate network because it lists single offers or product bundles with a flat payout. The affiliates in CPA networks choose offers and negotiate commissions based on the offer vs. having a full suite of product tools where they can mix and match commission models.
• Sub – Sub-affiliate networks are when other traditional affiliate networks or CPA affiliate networks join an affiliate program and list the merchant on their platform. This can also include monetization tools where an affiliate installs a JavaScript on their website, and the JavaScript turns backlinks into affiliate links on the exit click.

How Much Money Can You Make With Affiliate Marketing?

The amount of money you can make from affiliate marketing is limited to your ability to bring high- and mid-level intent users to your tracking links and convert them.

However, it is important to know that most people do not make a living exclusively from affiliate marketing. It’s a combination of channels and monetization strategies.

But don’t get discouraged; it is easy to earn a few thousand a year and then grow your income from there.

Affiliate revenue can complement and sometimes beat cost per thousand impressions (CPM) and flat fee rates, not to mention tide you over when sponsorships and ambassadorships dry up.

And almost every affiliate platform offers multiple ways for you to get paid. As the affiliate, it is up to you to talk to the affiliate programs you join to get increased percentages, flat fees, and mixed models.

I talked to multiple affiliate platforms, including some of the largest and most trusted networks in the US (a special thank you to ShareASale, Impact, and AWIN) to share stats on what percentage of affiliates that make at least $1 per year earn by revenue group in a 12 month period.

The following is the average based on the combined data we got from the groups we talked to (which isn’t limited to the ones mentioned above.) I’ve been asked not to share specifics from the contributors, so I will not.

But we talked to associations, SaaS private labels, etc.

Affiliate payment models and actions can include a traditional affiliate payment which is a percentage of sales, and be combined with the following:

• Flat fees for a sale or package.
• Cost-per-click payments.
• Cost per verified lead payments.
• Fee per download.
• Flat fee payments on upsells in a shopping cart.
• CPM (cost per thousand impressions).
• Newsletter sign-ups.
• Form completion fees (different from verified leads where payment is made or verification happens).
• Sponsorship and exclusivity fees.
• And more!

How Does Affiliate Marketing Work?

Affiliate marketing works using the following steps:

• You discover you can build an audience or reach an audience that has a need.
• Once a need is identified, you create a strategy to get your tracking link or code in front of the group.
• From there, you match the audience you’re reaching to the store, product, or service provider who has an affiliate program.
• Locate the best network or platform for the affiliate program and join.
• Once approved, verify your promotional method is compliant with the manager.
• Begin putting your tracking links or codes in front of the audience (with compliant advertising disclosures) and check the affiliate network to ensure clicks, leads, and sales are tracking.
• Expand on what works and continue to grow your income.

Types Of Affiliate Marketing

There’s almost no limit to the types of affiliate marketing.

Some methods have short-term revenue boosts, like sharing a link on social media, and others can build sustainable revenue for the long haul, like building destination websites.

You can even do affiliate marketing in person via presentations at a conference or handing out contact cards at a nightclub or networking event.

I’ve done this personally by using custom URLs and QR codes (with advertising disclosures).

And don’t limit yourself. You can mix and match to create a stream of revenue that has seasonal highs, bursts of revenue during slow times, and builds an audience you can scale – and eventually sell the destination property if you’d like.

Here are some of the ways you can be an affiliate marketer:

• Websites and blogs – Whether your website is topically niche, a reviews site, or you create how-to guides (recipes, home improvement, etc.), affiliate links can be used as tools, solutions, and complementary banners in a sidebar.
• Social media influencers – Can share affiliate links as they feature products and solutions. Having a vanity code is a great way to track sales if no clickable link is available (as long as it doesn’t leak to coupon sites and cash-back browser extensions).
• Social media advertising – Brands can only gain so much coverage on their own. By having experienced social media marketers running ads, they can increase their reach. And if you have a fan base, boosting your own posts through the ad platform is another form of paid social media that can work. Ask your affiliate managers for a boost budget if they’re asking for shares and you have an engaged audience.
• Social and professional groups – Let’s say you belong to a photography club or a professional Slack channel, or maybe you are part of or own a Facebook group for like-minded people. If you have permission from the owner, share your affiliate links with them. Better yet, the group owner can do it to raise funds for get-togethers and a slush fund if a member is ever in need.
• PPC – If the affiliate program allows for it, try running PPC ads. If you do trademark or trademark + coupons/reviews/etc., you will likely get removed from the programs, so don’t do it unless you have permission. Adding value to the brand and using non-branded phrases is always the safest route. Make sure to read the TOS of the program and ask the manager if direct linking or landing pages are required – you don’t want all of your commissions reversed because you forgot to check first.
• Destination sites and apps – Destination sites and apps are places people go to be part of a community and find resources because they have full trust in the place; it is their go-to destination. By being the leading authority, you can set up comparison pricing, booking, and shopping engines, as well as creative ways to use data and deal feeds to monetize the audience while providing resources.
• Ebooks and courses – Have you written an ebook, or do you sell a course that mentions a product, software, or service? You can use affiliate links here too.
• Subscriptions – Do you sell sports bet predictions or horoscopes, do paid marketing or professional newsletters, or even manage a subscription box? You can incorporate affiliate links into these.
  • For sports bets, why not promote the venues they can place bets from and sell fan merchandise to loyal fans?
• YouTube – This is one of the top ways affiliates earn. People come to YouTube to learn how to do something, from styling hair to fixing their boats. They also look for comparisons and reviews. Each of these is prime for making money with affiliate links in the description and vanity codes in the videos.
  • Don’t forget social media platforms that use video, like Reels, TikToks, etc.
• Newsletters and email – Email is not dead, and if you have an active list, you know the audience breakdowns. Share relevant and timely communications with them, and even deals on products they would need at the moment. Your email and newsletter list are your money-makers as long as you don’t abuse them.
• SMS – Just like emails above, if you don’t abuse your list, you can get an audience that clicks and shops. They tend to be younger, so audience matching here from the products, venues, and time/season is vital.
• Perks portals – Have you ever landed on the “thank you” page of a website, and there are offers for other companies? These are likely affiliate links or a hybrid affiliate commission + fee (cost per click, CPM, or flat fee).
• Cashback – If you’re getting cash back from a vendor, browser extension, or website, you’re getting a part of the commission they’re earning. You can offer cash back too, but make sure to talk to a licensed attorney and a certified CPA to get the processes and protections in place before starting.
• Coupon and deal sites – Coupon websites and deal sites (deal sites share products on sales vs. a coupon for a brand) are normally powered by affiliate commissions. They pull in product and deal feeds and collect commissions as you click and checkout.
• Reviews – Reviewing products in writing, on videos, and on social media is a great way to earn affiliate commissions.
• Partnerships and co-branded campaigns – One of my favorite strategies is to partner with other companies to promote each other with direct links or affiliate links. It could be blog posts, email blasts, co-sponsoring a giveaway on a third-party site (with an influencer or blogger), etc. You can reach other audiences, track everything, and generate income. These stats can then be used to build larger partnerships, especially if you’re smaller. You can approach a big brand and say, “Here are our stats and what you can expect for a CAC and ROAS compared to your other efforts.”
• Gift guides and portals – Gift websites that create lists, registries, or gift ideas listicles can all make money through affiliate links. It’s literally product and shopping-based content, so conversions and user intent are high.
• Planning apps – Apps that help people plan events (weddings, baptisms, birthdays, etc.) or even decorate a room are perfect for making money with affiliate marketing. You provide ideas and guidance, and the users provide preferences. You’re already making recommendations, and they’re going to be shopping. Have them shop through your affiliate links for extra revenue in your pocket. It’s money on the table.
• Offline ads – Buy ad space in a bathroom, a movie theatre screen, billboards, bus stops, or even a shopping cart space inside a store and have a QR code to get the person to take action. You could even offer a comparison price if you know the website is cheaper than in person, and offer a discount. If there’s a downloadable app, you have a captive audience and a message about saving right there on the spot.
• Listicles – These are the “best” and aspirational lists you’ll see ranking for shopping queries. Some could be the best XYZ product or service, others could be vacations and places to visit.

How To Get Started With Affiliate Marketing

Many successful affiliates already have a platform, but there’s no reason you cannot start from scratch.

By going in with a plan, you can start your affiliate marketing journey with a more controlled approach, measurable steps, and the potential for better results.

Step 1: Pick A Niche You Are Excited By

The first step in affiliate marketing is to figure out what you can write about, talk about, be interviewed about, and not get tired of for at least three or four years.

If it bores you, or you pick a niche purely for performance, you’re less likely to see genuine success.

I know this from experience. You have to have passion to keep it interesting. Create an experience people will want to keep coming back to, that they will trust, and that they will share with others who are interested in the topic.

You must also be knowledgeable on the subject, or you will lack authenticity. It’s similar to E-E-A-T.

Here’s a way to see if the niche is a good one for you to try:

Create a list of at least 50 topics under that niche with 2 or 3 unique talking points about each.

If you cannot find at least 50 that are unique from each other, you may not have the expertise yet. You also won’t have enough content to publish or do something new for a full year. This will limit you.

That doesn’t mean you have to stop; instead, think of a complementary niche and see if it is topically relevant to the one you have. That includes audience demographics, stores, or service providers that cater to both topics, and you feel equally enthusiastic towards it.

If there is, this complementary theme will help you get to 50.

Step 2: Find Affiliate Programs To Join

Before you build a website, YouTube channel, podcast, or buy media, make sure there are programs that have an audience match and will accept your promotional methods.

Some affiliate programs don’t want review, deal, or coupon sites, for example. So if that was your plan, you may not have options right now.

Others don’t want podcasts, newsletter features, YouTube content creators, or PPC marketers because they don’t see the value.

And the same goes for audience matching.

Suppose none of the programs cater to a female demographic, but you have women as an audience. In that case, chances are you won’t make as much as you would with other niches because the shopping and conversion experience doesn’t meet their needs.

And if your promotional methods aren’t accepted in the program, your commissions will get reversed because you broke the program’s terms of service. But you can still make money in other ways.

Pro tip: Always read the program terms of service before joining and get permission for your promotional methods from the company before starting. This is how you can help to protect yourself. Don’t ever join, and just hope for the best.

Step 3: Launch Your Plan

Now it’s time to launch your plan. It could include a website, landing pages for paid media, a podcast, a YouTube channel, social media accounts, or any other way you plan to get your links to the right audience.

Here’s the idea I mentioned in the opening.

If you’ve been to a nightclub, bar, or even a hotel lobby bar, you’ve likely seen bathroom advertisements. They could be in the stalls or on the walls by the sinks. This is prime real estate with a captive audience.

If it is a late-night establishment vs. a daytime restaurant or the go-to pub by a large hotel that hosts conferences, this is what I’d be looking for.

As people have been drinking and the night is coming to a close, they will use the restroom before getting in a cab or Uber. They will also have some immediate needs, thoughts, or wants. This is where you can run your affiliate links.

• Buy ad space in the restroom.
• Have a QR code that redirects through your affiliate links on the ad.
• Find affiliate programs that would resonate with the specific types of patrons in that restroom. Nightclubs have different needs than high-end hotel bars, for example.

Here are niches that I’d potentially try for nightclubs:

• Late-night food delivery apps as people need to soak up the booze.
• Dating apps that cater to specific age ranges or demographics based on the type of nightclub (music, age demographic, LGBTQ+, etc.).
• Hydration therapy (IV drips) where you can book or do a quick and easy lead form, especially if you can book for the next morning, and they’ll come to you.
• Pregnancy tests or STD tests and clinic appointments.

And don’t count yourself out – this could be applied to ads on shopping carts at grocery stores or convenience stores. Shoppers see them, and you can gauge the audience based on Census Bureau data and store customer data.

Fun fact: Years ago, I did something similar to the above. There was a way to pay the app to send a message to everyone within a multiple-mile radius of a city center, and you could include a custom message with a URL (the link wasn’t clickable, though). I used it to target people in major cities at roughly 1:50 and 2:00 a.m. with two push notifications.

In the notification, I had a message like: “Going home alone? Have a snack meet you there! Click here to order.” Then, I would include a food delivery solution or relevant match to the message with late-night service.

The app caught on that I wasn’t sending “I’m available to date” messaging since that was the purpose of the push, so my account got closed. Oddly enough, I think it started selling push notification ad spaces afterward, so the company benefited too.

Affiliate Marketing Tips For Beginners

The very first thing to do is check out my checklist of things to look for before joining an affiliate program.

This way, you’re ready to pick the affiliate programs with the best chance of making money.

Then it’s time to get into the right mindset – and this starts with rejection.

Tip 1: Take Rejection Well

You find the perfect affiliate program and are excited because they have the perfect product, amazing commissions, and your audience is asking for it.

You apply, get rejected, and the affiliate manager either doesn’t respond or gives you a generic email. It happens to all of us.

Don’t get upset, and definitely do not respond with a rude email to the manager. Instead, email why you’re a good match and share an example of how you’ll be adding value. It may not get you into the program, but that’s life.

If they still don’t respond, see if the PR team has an alternate program on a non-affiliate but still commissionable platform. That could be your way in.

If you cannot work with the company you wanted, look for their competitors and see if Amazon sells the product, too.

There’s almost always an alternative to your first and second choice.

And at some point in time, once your platform is large enough, they’ll come to you. When they do, require a custom commission and share that you were initially rejected, and it will take work to replace your current vendors.

But again, be professional and don’t place blame or focus on the past. You don’t want to ruin the opportunity.

A final option is to look for sub-affiliate networks. There are massive players out there, like Skimlinks, and niche ones that dominate in spaces like fashion. They have access to the brands and can get you in until the brand is ready to work with you.

Tip 2: Don’t Focus On High Commissions And EPCs

Higher commissions and high earnings per click (EPCs) do not mean more money.

The amount you make depends on multiple factors.

Average order value (AOV), proper attribution commissioning, allowing software affiliates in the checkout process, conversion rates, etc., all impact the amount you earn outside of the payout.

Look at the entire sales flow and your demographic matches, then account for leaks and other affiliate touchpoints.

The higher commission may only be there because you are going to make less due to other factors that can replace your tracking.

Tip 3: Be Open To Testing

Always test merchants, messaging, and links.

In one of our B2B affiliate programs, we pay different amounts on different packages.

We regularly test affiliate promotional wording, and when we change a single word or a selling point, the higher packages sell more frequently, and the partners earn more.

Then the same learnings can be applied to partners with similar traffic and audiences.

In another program, we discovered (because our top partners shared conversion data) that most of the competitors have roughly equal conversions on desktop – but we are the highest by a couple of percentage points in mobile traffic.

When we approach new partners and they say they’re happy with the competitor, we ask what percentage of their traffic is mobile.

When they give a higher number, we share what they could be making based on the data we have from similar traffic sources if they work with us instead.

If they don’t test, they’ll continue to think they’re maxing out profits, which is not always the case.

Tip 4: Monetize Everything Relevant

One of the most common mistakes I see when people monetize their channels is that they forget there are places where actions take place and no affiliate links.

This includes emails and newsletters, social media shares, and blog posts.

When people post to Facebook, and there are multiple images, don’t forget to edit the description on each so it is unique, add relevant hashtags, and upload the specific affiliate link to purchase on each image.

Here’s an example I did on my feed with a few products, then deleted. Please note I used an advertising disclosure – this is important for both you and the programs you’re promoting.

In this screenshot, you’ll see I used one affiliate link (I may bring someone to a blog post from this one vs. a direct link to shop since I have three different stores).

In full transparency, I manage the affiliate program for the music boxes, but I am not mentioning which program it is. This guide is to help you, not promote my clients.

In this next screenshot, I clicked on the music box, and if you look to the right, I describe why it is a gift for the theme (I didn’t use hashtags on this one) and share the affiliate link that would take you to the product.

Summary

Getting started in affiliate marketing is easy, and there is no shortage of ways or opportunities.

You probably won’t get rich, but you can make extra income while having a lot of fun doing it.

As a bonus, once you become an affiliate marketer, you will learn analytics, tracking, and multiple forms of marketing, including SEO, email, content writing, media buying, etc. This will set you up to scale as a marketer in a company if you want a full-time marketing job.

And best of all, affiliate marketing is a low-cost way to start your own business and become your own boss.

I hope you take the plunge and give it a try – I owe most of my career to this industry, and I look forward to seeing you succeed in it, too.

More resources: 

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Featured Image: Overearth/Shutterstock

7 Point Checklist To Find the Best Affiliate Programs via @sejournal, @rollerblader

Over the last 20 or so years, I’ve seen many “interesting” opinions on what to look for to find the best affiliate program where you can make money.

Some people recommend you go for the highest payouts, and others will say network earnings per click (EPCs) are vital.

Unless you’re intercepting the store or service provider’s traffic, these could be warning signs and not signals that the affiliate program is good. And this is why I’m writing this post.

“What is the best affiliate program?” is one of the most common questions I get asked when speaking at conferences – especially publisher and SEO ones.

So, I’d like to share seven of the most important factors I look at before promoting an affiliate program or when I have two good potentials and cannot determine which to test first.

In addition to metrics, you’ll also learn the reasons why each matters and, in many cases, how to test and see if it will apply to your situation.

This is how you can find an affiliate program with the best chance of making money.

This list isn’t in order, except for the first one. Before we jump in, I mention “testing” a lot throughout. The most basic affiliate tracking test is:

• Click your affiliate link.
• Add products to the cart.
• Checkout like a customer would.
• See if the commission shows up in your account.

Do not get distracted by cash back, coupons, multiple payments being available, ads running across the site for other companies or brands, etc. The goal is to see if basic tracking is working, not attribution testing.

Now here’s the list of what I look for when selecting affiliate programs, and what I recommend you look for, too.

1. Responsive Managers

The most important thing before joining an affiliate program is to write to an affiliate manager through the contact information in the network.

In the email, introduce yourself, share why you’re a good match, and how you’ll provide value to the brand.

It can also be a good idea to ask a few questions about the program and tracking so you can gauge their skill and knowledge level. Plus, asking questions gives the affiliate manager a reason to respond.

If the affiliate manager or point of contact does not respond within two business days, move on.

If an affiliate manager is not responsive when you’re trying to send them business, what happens when tracking breaks or sales go missing?

If they don’t respond to you when things are good, you can bet you’ll be ignored when they are bad.

And affiliate program problems happen regularly. The only exception to joining without a response is if the affiliate manager is on vacation and you get an auto-responder.

In this situation, set a reminder to check your email two days after their return.

When asking questions, choose yours wisely. Some affiliates will ask if there are product samples, vanity codes, etc.

But remember that affiliate programs are not meant for you to get free products; they’re for you to drive customers to a store and earn commissions.

Asking upfront and without driving sales first can make you look like you’re joining for free product and not serious.

Share your business plan with the manager using the product, and avoid saying you’ll “do a review.” Doing a review gives you fewer opportunities to make money in the long run and has much less value for the brand than a “how to” guide or solution-oriented content.

Other questions to ask can include that you’re looking for marketing strategies, any backup tracking systems that are used, how they account for cross-device tracking in the affiliate program, and what the attribution lines look like or where you’ll fall on the attribution lines if you join.

When the affiliate manager responds, ask for specifics if you want to understand their skill and knowledge levels.  But this is not vital to your success in the program.

If the manager is a marketing strategist and gives you specific details vs. generic statements, this is a very good sign. Good affiliate managers will look at your site and give you ways to improve or drive sales from the get-go.

They’ll never say, “Add a link,” “Use a coupon code,” or, “Do a review.”

If the answer is not specific and does not have examples or details, the person likely does not know marketing and is hoping you won’t know or question them. It isn’t their fault; many companies put entry-level people into the affiliate manager role.

Or the company doesn’t see the affiliate marketing channel as high-value and high-impact, so they don’t want to pay for a marketing strategist or generalist.

The main thing is that you get a response.

Don’t count the program or affiliate manager out for not having knowledge – being a strategic marketer is your job, not theirs.

2. Audience Demographic Matches

There’s no shortage of stores that sell cell phones or t-shirts, but the places you can send your traffic to will have different target audience demographics and selling points that speak to those audiences.

If you send your traffic to the wrong experience, you’ll likely see a lower conversion rate and make less money.

The price of the cell phone or shirt may matter to your audience, and both vendors are discounted pricing, but the user experience for conversion rates also includes:

• Wording.
• Selling points.
• Return policies.
• Imagery.
• Free shipping.
• Press coverage.
• Etc.

If these elements do not match your referral’s needs, they may not convert as well as a store that does.

This is why it is important to find out who the main customer base of each retailer or service provider is.

Pro tip: You can find your demographics within your analytics package and share how to find this data with the affiliate manager. This helps the affiliate manager learn something new and makes you a marketing resource for them. Being their trusted resource gives you more opportunities to grow in the program.

If you don’t know how to use analytics, no problem. Start by surveying your own audience on your site using forms, pop-ups, and newsletter blasts to find out what is important to them.

Ask them about price points, or if they’re willing to pay more for things like security and stability (IT), luxury, and service (hotel stays or clothing). Maybe free shipping offers matter more than a percentage off, or it could be variations and options like colors, sizes, and expedited shipping (important for last-minute gifts or deadlines).

By knowing what matters to your audience and your visitor demographics, you can better match their needs to the affiliate programs you promote. This could lead to an increase in conversions and your income.

Example: Let’s pretend we have two affiliate programs, A and B.

• Affiliate program A has the best price and a higher payout but no money-back guarantee or free shipping.
• Provider B offers free shipping and a 30-day money-back guarantee but a slightly lower payout. Program B lists these selling points by the “Add to cart” button.

Even though program A’s payout is higher and the price point is better, B may meet the needs of your audience more and convert better, helping you earn more money.

And don’t forget the discounted price may mean a lower AOV.  If the commission is percentage-based and not a flat payout, that lowers your earnings.

This could mean the higher price point with a lower percentage could have higher commissions in the end.

The deciding factor here is a better demographic match with age, income, rural/urban/suburban, etc., and the trust builders.

3. Live Chat & Traffic Leaks

Some things often not considered are live chat and traffic leaks.

A traffic leak is when you send your traffic to the merchant, and the merchant allows it to leave their website or makes it very easy for your referral to click another affiliate’s links.

Years ago, some big box retailers used to have people place orders online and then pay in person when they picked them up at the store.

This caused your commissions not to be tracked, which is why they were considered a leak.

But I haven’t seen this in a long time.

I am seeing more customer service and live chat taking orders and, in some cases, potentially bypassing the affiliate tracking.

Here’s how I test and see if there’s a leak or overwrite.

Go to each affiliate program you’re considering joining and look for customer support, especially live chat features. Start a conversation with support and/or live chat and ask if they can take your order.

If live chat or phone support takes the order and you do not use the shopping cart, your sale will likely not be tracked. In some cases (not very often, though), live chat may give the user a link to click on, which can add a touch point and override affiliate tracking.

More commonly, live chat may process the order without your browser or device being in the loop. When that happens, the live chat vendor gets credit for the sale, and you don’t get your commission.

Not all live chats take orders and bypass the shopping cart, and sometimes phone support will help you but require you to go through the shopping cart.

As long as the sale stays in the cart and through your affiliate tracking, you should be fine. But you’ll need to test.

• Click your link, open a live chat window, and ask the questions a customer would ask.
• See if live chat can take your order, and if they do, let them make the purchase.
• Now check the network and see if you did or did not get the commission.  Many networks are in real-time; if they aren’t, give the time required for it to show. Some affiliate programs still do a daily batch process that feeds sales data every 24 hours.
• If the commission did or did not show up, you have your answer on live chat being a leak.

Pro tip: If you’re going to cancel the order because you were testing, let the affiliate manager know you were doing a test before joining so you don’t start off on a bad note.

Bonus tip: I don’t recommend canceling the sale. Having the product on hand lets you speak from real-life experience, which is important for any review content and building E-E-A-T. You can take photos with the product in hand and create videos that show the solutions are real and can be done.

There are other forms of leaks. It could be when the user searches for a coupon and does a Google search at checkout.

The person leaves the store to find a code, clicks a coupon affiliate’s link, and if attribution is not set up correctly, you lose the commission at the last second.

The store could have external ads within their own site driving your referrals to a new site where they convert.

If the person doesn’t come back and convert within the cookie life or wipes your tracking, you lose the commissions – even if they come back and buy.

Companies with multiple brands may link to those brands as navigational elements, and if the programs do not use the same tracking system and merchant IDs to commission you across shopping carts, you could lose sales to the other brands.

Some networks like ShareASale make it easy with their stores connect feature.  I believe Impact and Everflow offer easy multi-cart integrations too.

Let’s look at an example. Please note that I have never or at least not recently (within the last 10 years), worked with the Gap, seen its tracking, or asked the company about it.

The example below is because I needed a brand that has its other stores linked from the header. It does not mean Gap’s affiliate program is bad or isn’t tracking across stores.

It is big enough to have cross-brand tracking, which would be a huge benefit to its affiliates, but I have personally never tested this – so again, test for yourself.

The test here is to:

• Join the Gap affiliate program.
• Click from the Gap website to Banana Republic or Old Navy.
• Make a purchase at Banana Republic or Old Navy and see if the commission shows up in your account for Gap.
• If it does, that means the brand is tracking across the brands, and you likely get a commission no matter which of its brands it sends your referrals to.

I’m not using my current clients because none are actively doing this, and this is not a self-promotional post. That’s why I chose Gap. I have no relationship with the company (as far as I know), and I love Banana Republic. It makes amazing T-shirts.

And there are more types of leaks.

Multi-payment software service providers have joined affiliate programs and are installed in a merchant’s checkout as a benefit to the customer.

Brands that have marketplaces and allow clicks to go external are also leaks.

You could find that the marketplace or certain SKUs within the marketplace are not commissionable, but the products are the ones you’re promoting. It’s not a leak, but it is similar.

These are all normal things and are part of the industry.

But don’t panic; most single network programs can set up protections for your commissions, which is why we test. Each store and each program is different and makes decisions based on their goals.  They’re doing what they feel is right for them, and that is okay.

It is your job to test and see where the commission goes so you can protect your own revenue stream. Leaks and end-of-sale partners are part of the ecosystem; they’re not going anywhere.

It doesn’t mean they are good or bad. The brand makes decisions for the brand’s best interest, and you need to make decisions based on yours.

You have no shortage of affiliate programs you can promote, so don’t get discouraged if one is filled with leaks and does not have attribution set up correctly.

Pro-tip: Ask for higher commissions after attribution testing if the commissioning lines don’t work.

If you’re a top funnel partner and you introduce customers to the brand (this is different than new to file), your touch points are the most valuable because you control where the user goes and which brands they learn about – not if they make a final purchase. Without you, the store doesn’t get the sale at all.

4. High Payouts Are Not Always Better

Higher commissions do not mean more money or that it is a good affiliate program.

Sometimes they mean the program is in shambles, the company is desperate for sales, or they’re about to churn and burn.

That is an extreme situation, but it happens.

Other times they have to make up for leaks and low conversion rates.

There are also mixed payment models to consider. Here are two examples. One is real life from my old music niche site; the other is something I’ve tested over the years and used as selling points for affiliate recruitment.

Example 1: Real life

I was lured into trying to sell tickets to shows with a really nice custom commission from a couple of ticket vendors.  I barely made anything promoting the tickets, even though the traffic was reviews of shows and had a high intent to purchase.

A smaller program offered me less than $0.30 per verified lead for the same traffic. I wasn’t making money on tickets, so I said why not. It turns out my traffic did convert on the lead program, and after a while, they upped me to a dollar or a few dollars per conversion because the quality was good.

Yes, a $300 ticket to a show would have been a nice commission, but I wasn’t earning it.

My money came from a program with the smallest payout in the space.

Then eventually, I shut the site down because I was starting my agency, and the site got hacked through a plugin vulnerability and killed readership. (Queue the violin and pity party.)

Example 2

Suppose program A has a 25% commission and program B has a 40% commission.  Both websites have equal audience experience and conversion rates, and both have a 90-day tracking gap.

The one difference is that program A is using database tracking and not cookies, so once the customer is locked into your account, those commissions are yours.

If customers reorder every 60 to 70 days, then program A is actually paying roughly 50% because of the second purchase in the timeframe.  And the same thing applies to recurring commissions.

Let’s pretend program A is 10% recurring and program B is 40% one-time. If the average life of the customer is five years, then program A can be more profitable, especially if prices increase. You’ll earn 10% five times vs 40% one time.

This is very common in B2B programs and SAAS.

Program B is great for short bursts of revenue, but program A sets you up for consistent long-term revenue and more money overall.

With all else equal, and if program A doesn’t close, A is more profitable than B because the total earned is more than the single payout.

5. Affiliate Program EPCs Are Skewed Metrics

A big red flag for me is a high network EPC.  EPC normally means earnings per click. When the network EPC is high, you can bet something fishy is going on.

Go to Google or Bing and type the brand name + coupons in.  Look at the PPC ads and the organic results.

You’ll likely find these are active affiliates, which is inflating the numbers because an affiliate click at the end of the checkout will always have abnormally high conversion rates.

These partners inflate the EPC, and if attribution isn’t set up correctly, you may lose a portion of your sales to these affiliates even though you rightfully earned the commission. That is why it is a red flag and why you should test.

And the same applies to low EPCs. If the program has a low network EPC there could be tracking or conversion issues. But don’t count it out.

Use the short and long-term EPCs. I’ve had situations where our EPC dropped substantially on one timeframe but not the other.

We had a large emailer do a blast that decimated the EPC numbers, and then the numbers returned to normal over the next few months as the email campaign impact was offset.

The only EPC number that matters is your personal one.

Once you’ve joined the program and sent a few hundred visitors, look to see what your EPC is.  If you’re in multiple similar programs, look to see where you’re converting best.

Your personal EPCs are where you can begin testing and eliminating to find the most profitable affiliate program for your specific audience.

And remember, as your site grows and your audience gets larger, or you attract new types of SEO keywords and demographics, EPCs shift. Do a comparison once a month or once a quarter to see if they’re changing, and adjust your links accordingly.

Pro tip: Ask the affiliate manager for the SKUs and products you’re selling with color and size variations. If there’s a heavy “skew” towards a specific “SKU” variation, change the images in your promotions out to the ones your referrals buy more often.

This could increase your clickthroughs and sales numbers. I.e., if you’re promoting the pink and large version, but everyone is shopping for green and medium, try the green and medium one instead.

6. Multiple Affiliate Programs And Multiple Networks

Find out if there is a private program, second network, or sub-affiliate networks that are not part of the main program. Brands don’t want to pay two commissions on the same sale, so only one affiliate network will normally win out.

This is where attribution and touch point based commissioning no longer work and where affiliate managers may not fully understand why.

Let’s pretend we have two networks, A and B. Here are a couple scenarios.

Scenario 1

You are on Network A and did a video about how to install a fridge and recommended a specific wrench.

You sent a customer to the store for the wrench, and they have attribution testing so that an end-of-sale touch point like a coupon site showing up for “Brand + coupons” cannot overwrite your commission. But that coupon site is actually in Network B.

If the shopping cart, not the affiliate network, does not automatically commission Network A, and also the top funnel click in Network A, you lost your commission to the coupon site in Network B.

Network A will not be able to track it back because the shopping cart is not set up for touch point commissioning.  You earned that commission, but because the program is on two networks, you lose the commission even though the network you are on is set up correctly.

Remember, Network A being set up with proper tracking and commissioning doesn’t matter because the shopping cart is missing the correct logic code.

Scenario 2

You promote a general product and send a customer from your listcicle to the store through Network A.  Network B is where the review partners are.

Reviews build trust for the consumer but also add a new touch point from a competing affiliate network.

Many times you’ll find split commissions in Network A, where you get 60% and the review partner gets 40%. But because this is a second system, chances are Network B will take the sale because the shopping cart is not set up for conditional logic.

Companies with multiple programs rarely build their shopping cart attribution to the levels needed, and that is the problem. The commissions here likely won’t get split and you won’t earn anything.

Scenario 3

You are on Network A and using a subnetwork’s links.

Network B has a click, and the shopping cart is programmed for Network B to lose out to Network A every time.  This should be correct.

Currently, the sub-affiliate will get the commission, and you get paid.

Suddenly, another affiliate in Network A or another affiliate in the sub-affiliate network has a click.

Now it is up to two factors outside your control to decide if you earn anything.

• If the sub-network is set up for first-click commissioning and the second click is also in the sub-network, you get the commission.  If not, the second click does.  This is the likely scenario.
• If the sub-network and the other first-tier affiliate have the same attribution, chances are the sub-network loses out, and you don’t get a commission. (To be fair, the sub-affiliate network doesn’t either).

This is why it is always better to not use subnetworks when you can avoid it.  Join the affiliate program directly when you can.

But there are plenty of situations when they are needed, and the sub-affiliate networks can be big time savers and have custom payouts helping you earn more.  So don’t count them out.

Some are as easy as adding JavaScript to your site and backfilling where you forgot to include an affiliate link.

The only way to know if you’ll get paid is to test.

• Join Network A and click your link, then find an affiliate on Network B and click their link in the same browser window.
• Make a purchase and see if you get the sale.  If the sale didn’t appear in your account, write to the manager and ask where it went.

Chances are it’ll be in Network B with the second affiliate, even though you earned that commission.

In the case of the review affiliate, both of you add value, but you introduced the customer and should have earned most of the money. But because there are multiple affiliate programs or multiple networks, you lose.

7. Advanced Tracking

Most affiliate managers are not able to talk about advanced tracking.

It isn’t their job to know how it works, which is unfortunate, and many will give a generic answer.

But don’t settle if they’re just being lazy.

Affiliate managers should be able to get you the technical details from their IT teams. If they cannot, and their answer doesn’t make sense, this is a warning sign they’ll hide other things from you too.

If they say, “I don’t know,” and leave it alone, at least you’ll know they’re honest.

If they say, “I don’t know, but let me ask IT,” then you know they are honest and will try to find a resolution. This speaks volumes about them as a partner.

Advanced tracking is important because tracking technology has to adapt to meet modern standards. Whether it is iOS stripping parameters from emails, or browsers not tracking third-party cookies, the odds are never in your favor as an affiliate marketer.

This is where cross-device tracking comes in – or using IPs, databases, passing unique variables without cookies, and fingerprinting.  Talk to the networks and see what level of tracking they have for the affiliate programs on their platform.

Once you know, ask if the programs you want to join are using it.  If they are, ask the affiliate manager if you can run some tests.

To test cross-device affiliate program tracking:

• Click your affiliate link on your computer and get to the point where enough data has been gathered.
• Open up your cell phone and finish the purchase without clicking your affiliate link again.
• If the commission tracks back to you, success.  If it didn’t, cross-device is not set up correctly and you have an example they can use to fix it.

This is something you can do to be proactive and get on the good side of the affiliate manager. Having a positive relationship with them will go far in how much you can make and your ability to get custom commissions or deals.

There’s a lot more that you can use to determine what the best affiliate programs are, where you can make the most money, and which ones to avoid.

Some networks like ShareASale show you program uptime and downtime to help you see if the program “accidently” shuts down seasonally, and others may allow you to see which have escrow accounts to ensure funding is in place.

Each is important, but only once you’ve narrowed it down and are stuck deciding between two or three top options.

The seven items above will help narrow the field quickly and help set you up for long-term success, which is why they matter the most to me.

I hope this list helps you like it has helped me.

More resources: 

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Featured Image: Net Vector/Shutterstock