You constantly read content about how you can make money blogging using tactics such as affiliate marketing. But you don’t often hear what programs you should sign up for.
It can be frustrating as a beginner blogger to figure out what networks others use to successfully make an income; because let’s face it, there are a lot of options out there.
If you want to make money as a new or seasoned blogger, affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to start.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through one of our links. For more information, see our disclosure.
How can I get accepted to affiliate programs as a new blogger?
Before you even start thinking about which affiliate programs you may like to promote, please do yourself a favor and beef up your blog with several high-quality posts.
The general rule of thumb for any blog launch is to have about 10 long-form posts (~1,500-2,000 words) published before you try to attract readers to your site. This is because you want to,
a) appear established, rather than brand new to the blogging game
b) demonstrate that you are an expert in your niche
c) keep them around for as long as you can through multiple article options
For the same reasons, you should avoid applying to affiliate programs until you have a decent amount of quality content available.
When you apply to programs, representatives will review your website to determine if you would be a good fit for the brand. They can, and will, deny you if your content doesn’t mesh well with their product or service.
So, if you write about making and saving money, and want to apply to be an affiliate for an investment program like Acorns, you need to make sure that anyone visiting your site, whether a reader or a representative, will know off the cuff that you are a personal finance blogger – and that this particular brand would fit right in.
Before applying, you should also make sure that your blog has a disclosure page on which you disclose that you promote affiliate links from which you will receive a commission should someone make a purchase through them.
What affiliate merchants should I promote?
First and foremost, you should only promote products and services that you have used and love.
Why?
Because your readers aren’t idiots; they can read between the lines. If you promote something that you haven’t even used yourself, something you don’t really know much about, or something you only liked a little bit, you won’t have real, valuable things to say about it.
If you want to succeed with affiliate marketing, you need to be honest, ethical and transparent. This way, as your readers get to know you, they learn to trust your recommendations. The more they trust your recommendations, the more likely they will be to click and buy through you.
Secondly, you should only promote brands that are relevant to your niche. If you are a food blogger, does it make sense to link to your favorite hair straightener? If you’re a beauty blogger, does it make sense to promote your favorite kitchen utensils?
No and no.
Be relevant; your readers landed on your site for a reason. If someone came to you looking for recipes and you throw them a curve ball, they’re not going to stick around very long.
That said, there are several affiliate networks out there; some paying very generous commissions and others, not so much. Some brands have their own platforms, through which you work directly with them, while others are hosted by what is called an affiliate network or marketplace.
There are several great affiliate networks that will accept new bloggers. Many of them are home to some of your favorite brands and products and are waiting for writers like you to put their name out there via your content.
Some companies even work with multiple affiliate networks, but offer different commissions. For example, you may find a company like Survey Junkie on three or four different networks, but some of them pay out a higher commission than others.
So, what are some of the best ones to apply for?
Here are some of our favorite affiliate marketing networks to work with:
1. Amazon
Amazon is a go-to affiliate marketing program for almost any blogger. Pretty much everyone shops on Amazon, so there is ample opportunity to catch a potential shopper.
However, the only challenge with this program is that you have to perform in order to stay in the program. If you aren’t bringing in any sales, you risk losing your account.
As you’d guess, there are over a million products that you can advertise to your readers, so it’s really easy to find products that fit in well with your posts, whether they’re physical goods or digital.
The fun thing about Amazon’s program is that buyers don’t have to buy whatever you’re promoting for you to get a sale. All they have to do is click your link and buy anything from the website, and you get a cut. Sweet, right?
So if you link to a $15 book that you love and someone clicks and buys something crazy like a flat-screen TV, you still get some of that money.
Commission is percent-based (up to 10%!) with Amazon and varies by product category. You can see the current Associates Program Standard Fees Schedule to get an idea of what payouts may look like in your niche.
Sign up with Amazon here.
2. Flex Offers
Flex Offers is one of our very favorite affiliate networks.
It has a huge list of merchants to choose from and a vast variety of topics. Automotive, Business, Careers, Clothing and Accessories, Credit Cards, Digital Products, Health and Wellness, and Family, to name just a few.
With Flex Offers, you must apply to whichever merchant you wish you promote and wait to be approved before getting affiliate links. The timeline varies by merchant and can sometimes be a short wait, but it’s worth it due to the quality of merchants as well as all of the advertising creatives you’ll get access to with your links.
We particularly recommend Flex Offers to bloggers who write about Personal Finance and Frugal Living, as well as those in the Health and Wellness industry, as there are quite a few great options. However, there are thousands of merchants, so you’ll undoubtedly have no trouble finding something that fits your niche.
You can find big merchants like GNC, Asics, Nike, QuickBooks and much more.
Sign up with Flex Offers here.
3. Bluehost or Siteground
If you already have a blog, chances are you have already set up a hosting plan with one of these two providers. If you haven’t already started a blog and are just learning about affiliate marketing, start here.
Bluehost and Siteground are the two most used hosts amongst bloggers, for several reasons. They are affordable, the customer service is top-notch, and the overall hosting service is among the best.
If you use either of these, and you write about blogging, consider doing your host a favor by promoting them. Commissions are quite generous, so it’s worth it for you both!
Sign up with Bluehost here, and Siteground here.
4. Shareasale
Shareasale is a great network all-around, especially if you are just getting started with affiliate marketing. It’s easy to get signed up and they’re home to several great companies.
While the platform is fairly antiquated, we like how easy it is to see when we’ve earned a commission right on the primary dashboard, rather than having to dig into the reports to see what we earned, when and how much. This is sometimes more difficult with other networks when you want quick, at-a-glance reporting.
We particularly recommend Shareasale to bloggers in the fashion and beauty niches, as there are several big merchants such as Rent The Runway, Sally Beauty, Reebok, Warby Parker, and more.
If you’re a blogger, you can find awesome merchants like Tailwind, StudioPress and Picmonkey, which we’d definitely recommend if you want to share the resources that you use with your readers.
Several great Shareasale brands are not directly marketed on their merchant list so you may find that you have to do a quick Google search to find the application page if there is a particular brand you want to promote.
Sign up with Shareasale here.
5. Impact
Impact is much like Flex Offers in that it has a great marketplace of merchants to choose from. Some bloggers report a bit more difficulty getting into programs with this network so we would recommend really establishing your blog content and online presence before applying since they can be selective.
It can also take a little bit longer to get approved for programs on Impact.
From travel/vacation programs like Hotwire and Enterprise, pet supplies like Bark Box, apparel and sporting goods brands like Adidas and Bowflex, and money programs like Swagbucks and Acorns… there really is something for everyone.
Sign up with Impact Radius here.
You may also like:
– How To Make Money Blogging 101
6. Digital Purchases (from other bloggers)
If you’ve ever purchased an ebook or online course from another blogger, chances are they have an affiliate program you can sign up with.
Affiliate programs from other bloggers almost always pay out MUCH more than networks do. The percent commission is often somewhere around 30% of the total purchase price. This is because the more you promote other bloggers’ products, the better they do, of course. Incentives go a long way!
We have taken several courses and read many ebooks by our peers and proudly promote the ones that we loved because they truly helped us in one way or another.
If you are just starting and haven’t yet purchased any digital resources, browse the websites of your peers (in the same niche) to see the types of products and services that they promote. If it’s a good fit for you, buy the program, learn from it, and if you love it, sign up to be an affiliate yourself!
However, we must reinforce that you should only join affiliate programs that will make sense to your readers.
7. Creative Market
We are obsessed with Creative Market, and we’re not afraid who knows it!
Creative Market is host to a ridiculous amount of custom fonts, graphics, website themes and more… all made and sold by independent creative talent. Shopping here is a great way to customize your own website, blog graphics and, Pinterest pins rather than using generic fonts, for example.
If you write about blogging, entrepreneurship, branding, graphic design, or anything that can be attributed to creativity, this is a great referral network!
9. Convertkit
Our favorite email service provider is Convertkit, which pays out a 30% recurring commission for every person that signs up through your affiliate links.
That means that if someone joins and remains on a monthly plan, you will get paid out every single month for as long as their plan is active.
Cha-ching!
This is a great resource to promote if you blog about blogging, digital marketing, business or entrepreneurship.
Sign up with Convertkit here.
8. iGain
If you blog about personal finance or side hustles, iGain is a great place to sign up with Survey taking affiliate programs, such as Inbox Dollars and Harris Polls.
There are several programs in this area, offering both mobile and desktop options, as well as programs by country, such as US, UK and Canada.
10. Shopstyle Collective
Fashion and style blogger? Shopstyle Collective is made for you!
This platform is the perfect place for you to link to the EXACT products you are promoting, whether it is clothing, footwear or accessories.
You can even use it in conjunction with your Instagram; if you are heavily present on that platform, you might as well monetize!
Sign up with Shopstyle Collective here.
11. Awin
Awin, formerly Affiliate Window, is a top earner for many bloggers.
This network is home to several big merchants, including but not limited to Etsy, Fiverr, ASOS and Swagbucks (which is also on other networks). There are several thousand merchants available, so it’s a great choice for beginners looking to get their feet wet!
The only caveat is that it isn’t free to join; there is a $5 admission fee, but if you’re bringing in sales, you’ll forget about that pretty quickly!
Sign up with Awin here.
Happy promoting!
