Affiliate marketing has become a cornerstone of modern digital marketing strategies, offering businesses a cost-effective way to drive sales and increase brand awareness. Thinking about using affiliate marketing for your business? Here, we will teach you the basics of affiliate marketing and provide you with our top affiliate marketing programs to get you started.
Table of Contents
What is affiliate marketing?
What is an affiliate program?
How do affiliate programs work?
Top affiliate marketing program for businesses to get started
How to choose the best affiliate marketing program to use
Final thoughts
What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is a marketing strategy that’s based on performance, and businesses reward affiliates for driving traffic and sales to their website through their marketing efforts. Essentially, affiliates promote products or services to their audience, and when a sale or another specific action (such as a sign-up) occurs through their unique referral link, they earn a commission.
Learn more about affiliate marketing and its benefits.
What is an affiliate program?
An affiliate program is a structured system a business sets up to manage and facilitate affiliate marketing. It provides affiliates with the tools, resources, and guidelines to effectively promote the business’s products or services. The program tracks affiliate-driven traffic and sales, calculates commissions, and handles payouts.
How do affiliate programs work?
Affiliate programs operate through a systematic process designed to ensure accurate tracking and fair compensation. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how they typically work:
- Affiliates join the program:
- Affiliates sign up for the program through the merchant’s website or an affiliate network.
- They are approved and gain access to the program’s dashboard and resources.
- Promotion:
- Affiliates promote the merchant’s products using unique tracking links provided by the program.
- They employ various marketing strategies, such as blog posts, social media campaigns, email marketing, or paid ads.
- Consumer clicks and purchases:
- A potential customer clicks on the affiliate’s link and is redirected to the website.
- If they make a purchase or complete a specified action (for example, filling out a form), the affiliate’s link tracks this activity.
- Tracking and validation:
- The affiliate program tracks the referral and attributes the sale or action to the affiliate.
- The merchant validates the transaction to ensure it meets the program’s criteria (e.g., no returns or cancellations).
- Commission payment:
- Once validated, the affiliate earns a commission based on the program’s payout structure.
- Payments are typically made on a set schedule, such as monthly, and can be facilitated through the program’s platform.
Top affiliate marketing program for businesses to get started
Here are some of the top affiliate marketing programs that can get your business started with affiliate marketing.
1. Amazon Associates
Amazon Associates is one of the most popular and well-established affiliate marketing programs. It allows affiliates to promote any product available on Amazon’s extensive marketplace and earn a commission for every sale made through their referral links.
Key features:
- Wide product range: Affiliates can choose from millions of products across various categories.
- Trusted brand: Amazon’s reputation can help increase conversion rates.
- Easy integration: Simple tools to create links, banners, and widgets.
- Commission structure: Variable rates based on product categories, ranging from 1–10%.
2. ShareASale
ShareASale is a large affiliate marketing network that connects merchants and affiliates. It offers a robust platform for e-commerce businesses to manage their affiliate programs efficiently. ShareASale hosts over 4,000 merchants and has more than 1 million affiliates, making it a highly competitive network for businesses.
Key features:
- User-friendly interface: Easy to navigate and set up campaigns.
- Comprehensive reporting: Detailed analytics to track performance.
- Diverse network: Access to thousands of affiliates across different niches.
- Customizable commission rates: Businesses can set their own commission structures.
3. CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction)
CJ Affiliate is a prominent affiliate marketing network that provides a platform for e-commerce businesses to connect with affiliates and manage their marketing efforts.
As one of the larger affiliate marketing companies, it currently holds 6.36% of the industry market share. It boasts a network of over 3,000 merchants and 70,000 active affiliates, which facilitated over US $15 billion in annual sales in 2020.
Key features:
- Advanced tracking: Robust tracking and reporting tools.
- Global reach: Access to a worldwide network of affiliates.
- Performance incentives: Options to set performance-based incentives for affiliates.
- Comprehensive support: Extensive resources and support for both merchants and affiliates.
4. Rakuten Advertising
Rakuten Advertising, part of the Rakuten Group, offers a sophisticated affiliate marketing platform focused on delivering high-quality traffic and robust reporting tools. The Rakuten affiliate network is an intermediary between brands, affiliate marketers, and consumers buying products. It is also a site that gives consumers cashback for making purchases.
It has the second-largest market share of affiliate networks, at 7.13%. Its affiliate network includes over 150,000 publishers, which has driven over US $1 billion in sales for its clients.
Key features:
- High-quality affiliates: Emphasis on quality over quantity.
- Detailed analytics: In-depth performance insights.
- Global presence: Strong international network.
- Customizable solutions: Tailored programs to fit specific business needs.
5. Awin
Awin is a global affiliate network that helps e-commerce businesses grow their affiliate programs with access to a vast network of affiliates and advanced tracking tools. In 2021, Awin had over 15,000 advertisers and generated US $16.5 billion in revenue for its clients.
Key features:
- Extensive network: Over 200,000 active affiliates.
- Cross-device tracking: Ensures accurate tracking across different devices.
- Dedicated support: Personalized support for merchants.
- Flexible payment options: Various payment methods for affiliates.
6. Pepperjam
Pepperjam, now known as Ascend by Partnerize, offers an affiliate marketing platform that combines technology with expert services to help e-commerce businesses maximize their affiliate programs. Pepperjam’s network includes over 200,000 affiliates, and the platform has generated over US $5 billion in sales.
Key features:
- Integrated technology: Combines affiliate marketing with influencer and partner marketing.
- Data-driven insights: Advanced analytics to inform strategy.
- Flexible commissioning: Customizable commission structures.
- Strategic support: Dedicated account management.
7. Refersion
Refersion is an affiliate marketing platform specifically designed for e-commerce businesses, offering seamless integration with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce. Marketplace is Refersion’s solution for connecting brands with affiliates.
Refersion supports over 10,000 e-commerce businesses and has helped manage over 1 million affiliate relationships.
Key features:
- Easy integration: Simple setup with major e-commerce platforms.
- Custom dashboards: Personalized dashboards for affiliates and merchants.
- Detailed analytics: Comprehensive performance tracking.
- Automated payments: Streamlined payment processes for affiliates.
How to choose the best affiliate marketing program to use
Here’s a guide on how to choose the best affiliate marketing company:
1. Define your goals and audience
Before exploring affiliate marketing companies, clearly define your objectives and target audience. Understand what you aim to achieve through affiliate marketing: increasing sales, driving website traffic, or expanding brand awareness.
Identifying your target audience helps narrow your search for affiliate partners with influence within your niche.
2. Research potential partners
Conduct thorough research to identify potential affiliate marketing companies that align with your goals and audience, starting with the list provided above.
3. Evaluate affiliate network quality
Assess the quality of the affiliate network offered by each company. Look for networks with a diverse range of affiliates spanning different niches and geographic regions. A larger network increases your reach and potential for exposure to relevant audiences.
Additionally, consider the network’s reputation for maintaining high standards of professionalism and ethical practices.
4. Review commission structure and payout terms
Examine the commission structure and payout terms offered by each affiliate marketing company. Ensure the commission rates are competitive within your industry and provide adequate incentives for affiliates to promote your products or services.
Evaluate the payment schedule, methods, and minimum payout thresholds to ensure they align with your business and financial requirements.
5. Assess tracking and reporting capabilities
You always want to track the performance of your marketing programs. So, effective tracking and reporting are essential.
Evaluate the tracking technology and reporting tools each affiliate marketing company provides to ensure they offer accurate and comprehensive insights into your campaign’s performance. Look for features such as real-time tracking, detailed analytics, and conversion tracking.
6. Consider support and resources
Choose an affiliate marketing company that offers excellent support and resources to help you and your affiliates succeed. Look for companies that provide dedicated account managers, educational materials, and marketing resources to support your affiliate program. Access to timely assistance can help you address issues and optimize your campaign for better results.
7. Check compatibility and integration
Ensure that the affiliate marketing company’s platform is compatible with your existing systems and technologies. Consider factors such as integration with your e-commerce platform, compatibility with tracking and analytics tools, and ease of implementation. Seamless integration streamlines the setup process and facilitates efficient management of your affiliate program.
Final thoughts
Now that you have a deeper understanding of affiliate marketing, it’s time to create a strategic marketing plan by developing goals and gaining a deeper understanding of how your business would like to partner with potential affiliates.
If you’ve already set your goals, that’s great; you can begin researching the top affiliate marketing programs to determine the best fit for your business.
