The world of affiliate programs for bloggers is quite expansive. Each day, bloggers begin to explore the potential of earning money through their blogs. I, too, embarked on this journey and turned my attention towards affiliate programs that offer generous compensation for novice bloggers approximately a year ago. Consequently, I am steadily reaping the rewards of various endeavors.
Starting out, affiliate marketing might appear intimidating, however, the reality is that it is quite simple for novice bloggers to engage in.
In order to achieve success in affiliate marketing, certain education is necessary. Numerous experts offer e-books and e-courses providing guidance on effectively performing affiliate marketing.
It is important to keep in mind that making mistakes and the process of achieving significant sales will both require time.
Once you make your first sale, you will experience a great feeling.
Starting a blog is also feasible for new bloggers, which is why I always suggest it. After a few months of launching your blog, you can begin earning money as you simultaneously increase your community and blog traffic.
Factors Considered
Finding the best affiliate programs for bloggers is a challenging task without a definitive method of determining their superiority. The list below illustrates the factors I took into account during its creation.
- Earning Potential: Earning potential factors in the amount that the commissions offer as well as how desirable the products are to widespread audiences.
- Cookie Duration: In this context, cookie duration refers to tracking cookies and how long they are active after someone clicks an affiliate link. A tracking cookie is attached to your link and is what tells the company that your click led to the sale. However, every affiliate has a different amount of time that the cookie remains active. A longer tracking cookie duration is always better, as it allows you more time to earn a commission.
- Ease of Promotion: How easy is it to join the program and start earning?
- Brand Trust: The better respected a brand is, the easier it is to convince one of your readers to purchase from that brand.
- Personal Experiences: Though what has worked for us is not guaranteed to work for you, our experiences can help you determine what programs are best for you.
Best Affiliate Networks And Programs To Join
Etsy
Etsy is considered one of the top platforms to join for affiliate sales. No matter if you are a lifestyle blogger who provides gift guide recommendations or writes about blogging tips, there are numerous things you can promote from Etsy.
If you want to prioritize handmade or vintage items that make great gifts and also support small business owners, Etsy is the perfect place for you.
If you are looking for unique and unconventional gift ideas, it can be a fantastic substitute for Amazon.
Shareasale
With a wide variety of brands and retailers, including popular names like Shein, Romwe, and YesStyle, Shareasale is considered one of the best affiliate programs for bloggers primarily due to this extensive selection.
It provides pay-per-sale, pay-per-lead, and pay-per-click programs, making it possible to earn money in various ways. You have the option to set your minimum payout at $50.00.
With a user-friendly interface, this affiliate marketing program is a great choice for beginners looking to try their hand at affiliate marketing. It allows you to easily monitor your merchant partners.
Bluehost
Many new bloggers choose Bluehost for self-hosting because it is one of the best self-hosting providers with affordable prices, making it one of the most lucrative affiliate programs.
One way to make money by promoting Bluehost is through blogging about how to start a blog.
The minimum payout for eligible sign-ups through affiliate links is USD $65.
I suggest Bluehost in my list of the top six affiliate programs for new bloggers because, if you use it, you can effectively endorse it to others.
Email Marketing Platforms
To build a community, it is important for every blogger to begin their email list as soon as they start their blog.
Due to the popularity of blogging in recent times (given the Covid lockdowns), email marketing platforms have found a significant demand in the market.
There are two top choices available: Mailerlite, which is reasonably priced and offers free features such as 1000 followers and other awesome features; and Convertkit, which is also free for up to 1000 followers.
If you come across an opportunity to suggest an email platform to a fellow blogger, consider sharing these affiliate links as both platforms offer excellent affiliate programs with decent payouts.
Amazon Associates
Amazon Associates is the most prominent affiliate program for bloggers. Regardless of your niche, it is necessary to be part of Amazon Associates. This program provides attractive commissions, particularly in the beauty and DIY niches. Although the program’s cookie duration is only 24 hours, you can obtain a 30-day cookie by utilizing tools like AAWP and its “add to cart” feature.
Due to the trust people have in Amazon, it is comparatively effortless to persuade them into clicking and making a purchase, unlike with sellers who are not widely recognized. The major advantage of Amazon is that it acknowledges every item bought through your link. In the event that someone clicks to Amazon with the intention of purchasing a $3 pen but ends up buying a $1,000 laptop in the same transaction, you will earn a percentage from both sales!
SkillShare
If you have ever watched a Youtube video, chances are you have come across an advertisement for Skillshare. However, their affiliate program is not just beneficial for Youtubers; it also stands out as one of the top choices for bloggers. Skillshare’s platform is extremely generous, providing $10 for each referral that registers for one of their fantastic welcome offers. Typically, new users receive a two-month free trial. The most remarkable aspect is that you receive a commission when the person signs up for the free trial, rather than when they start paying.
Moreover, the affiliate program they offer is an excellent means to assess whether your audience has an interest in online courses, which, should you ever opt to establish your own blog, could prove to be a lucrative venture.
Ultimate Bundles
This program is unique compared to others on the list because it is offered by Ultimate Bundles. Ultimate Bundles is a company that gathers a variety of products from different bloggers and sells them together as a bundle, but only for a short period of time and at a significant discount. For example, the Genius Blogger’s Toolkit from last year had a price of $97, but contained products worth over $5,000. This substantial difference in price and value makes it effortless to sell their bundles. However, the greatest aspect is that Ultimate Bundles provides a commission of 40% per sale as a base rate, and if you have a product in the bundle, the commission increases to 70% per sale. With such high commission rates, it is evident why Ultimate Bundles is considered one of the top affiliate programs for bloggers.
Awin
Awin functions as an affiliate network rather than functioning solely as an individual company’s affiliate program. Affiliate networks offer the benefit of accessing numerous programs to promote, eliminating the need to individually search for each company and saving time.
With more than 15,000 brands available, such as HP, Stubhub, and Etsy, Awin proves to be an excellent affiliate network for bloggers. It offers a wide range of options.
SkimLinks
If you find all of this information overwhelming, Skimlinks may be the ideal solution for you. Skimlinks takes care of everything on your behalf, eliminating the need to apply for affiliate programs or manually insert links. With Skimlinks, you can simply focus on writing, while they handle all the rest. Once you integrate Skimlinks into your website, it will automatically link your text to their extensive network of nearly 50k merchants without any effort required from you. This makes it a convenient and uncomplicated method to generate affiliate income from your blog.
What is the catch? It is uncomplicated; they receive 25% from each sale. Personally, I have no objection to managing affiliate programs and links myself, but if you desire to save time or if you have been blogging for a while and have a large amount of content to update, Skimlinks could be the ideal solution for you.
Final Thoughts
When considering which affiliate programs to choose for your website, make sure to consider your audience. It is crucial to only promote products and services that you truly support. It may be tempting to promote a product solely for the financial gain, but this is a mistake. Promoting products that you do not believe in will cause your audience to lose trust in you. When you are not genuinely enthusiastic about a product or service, it will be evident in your content. Therefore, it is important to not only look for the top affiliate programs for bloggers in general, but also for the one that aligns best with your values and interests, as well as those of your readers.
