What do you need to monetise your marketing talent and boost the volume of targeted traffic? The right affiliate marketing program and, ideally, an affiliate network simplify the search for partners and safeguard your interests.
Choosing the right affiliate marketing program is a lot like untangling a web. With numerous programs and specific conditions, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture and end up with an average or downright unprofitable affiliate marketing program.
But we’re not going to let it get that far!
In this comprehensive guide on affiliate marketing programs, we will show you how to find affiliate programs in your niche, grow your audience, and increase revenue. On top of that, we will reveal the best affiliate marketing programs across different niches, such as finance, home services, and others.
Buckle up – you’re in for a marketing treat.
Already know the ropes and are only searching for the right performance marketing software? Take a product tour to see how Phonexa can grow your affiliate marketing business.
How to Start an Affiliate Marketing Business Step-by-Step
It is not difficult to get started with affiliate marketing if you possess excellent content to support your dreams. For instance, if you’re an operator of a home insurance business, you can promote home security items, HVAC services, real estate offerings, and other products and services related to the home that you understand well.
Starting an affiliate marketing business isn’t hard if you have excellent content to back up your ambitions. For instance, if you’re running a home improvement company, you can promote HVAC services, real estate offerings, and home-related products.
Here’s how to start an affiliate marketing business:
- Choose a lucrative affiliate marketing niche to focus on specific user interests and needs. The most profitable affiliate marketing niche is retail (48% of total affiliate-driven sales in the UK), next is telecom & media (19% of affiliate marketing revenue), travel and hospitality (13%), and finance and banking (8%).
- Research affiliate programs relevant to your business model and narrow it down to a shortlist, choosing the best ones. If you’re a business owner, you can run an in-house affiliate program and/or partner with affiliate networks to promote your services in a given niche.
- Place affiliate links strategically to connect customers with your affiliate campaigns.
- Find the right affiliate marketing software to measure ROI and automate call tracking and distribution, lead management, affiliate payments, email marketing campaigns, and analytics.
The best thing about affiliate marketing programs is that they’re designed to make money without breaking a sweat. The only challenge is the search and choice of the right affiliate program.
Keep reading to learn how to find affiliate programs with minimum effort and risk.
How to Find the Right Affiliate Marketing Program
It’s great if you can leverage the best affiliate programs like Amazon Associates – these are proven performers you can rely on. In the affiliate marketing industry, though, the size of the program or affiliate network isn’t the only factor.
Source: Statista
Chances are that you have very specific demands for an affiliate marketing program. For example, you may look for high-intent call leads instead of clicks or registrations. In that case, you need to look for affiliate programs matching your needs.
| “To kick things off in affiliate marketing and business in general, you need to have an idea of what success looks like for you first – and that has to be based on your internal requirements, not just what someone else has done. You will never understand someone else’s campaign – they will only tell you the good points, not the optimisation processes they’ve been through to get there. So you need to be prepared and have this kind of more realistic approach to understand what this or that can do for my brand and why I am going to try this.” – Talar Malakian |
How to Get Started with Affiliate Marketing Programs in 2 Easy Steps
Step 1. Shortlist the Programs That Might Be a Good Match
Since nearly 10,000 affiliate marketing businesses exist internationally, you need to narrow it down in the first place. Select niche-specific affiliate marketing programs that match your needs, audience, and preferred payouts. Remember, no in-depth analysis is needed – save your mental power for Step 2.
Where to Find Affiliate Marketing Programs
| Using Google to find an affiliate program may be a good start. Google will likely provide you with too many options, but it might be your best first resource anyway. The Google search equation is: ➥ “Affiliate marketing program + your product or niche.” The search result might have too many options, but you might hit the bull’s eye if you’re in a less popular industry. For some niches, you do not have to look deep into the pages to get all the available affiliate marketing programs. | |
| Competitors | If you currently have an affiliate marketing program and need to diversify it – 94% of marketers run two or more affiliate programs simultaneously – then you can look for competing products. The only disadvantage of this strategy is that you cannot hop from one program to another too often in niche markets where everyone knows everyone. |
| Affiliate Networks | As an intermediary between affiliates and advertisers, affiliate networks aggregate hundreds of offers from various advertisers and affiliate marketing programs, making it dead easy for you. However, the convenience comes at 20% to 30% commission, which cuts your earnings by that percentage. |
| Affiliate Listings | Advertisers also share the same desire for attention as affiliates and bring their affiliate marketing programs to the world in affiliate listings, more popularly known as affiliate directories or affiliate program aggregators.Affiliate directories offer hundreds of programs and filter all applicants with a guarantee of their reliability. Likewise, they also have some filters, so your search will be quicker. |
| Affiliate Links | To understand your potential in a specific niche by competitors’ affiliate links, locate similar-scale competitor websites using SEO tools such as, for instance, SEMrush and check their links for affiliate IDs (a bit like “tag=affiliateID-20” towards the end of the link). |
Step 2. Compare Each Program’s Terms & Conditions to Determine the Winners
Now is the time to unleash the power saved during Step 1.
Compare every program against four significant parameters: acceptance, payment terms, marketing resources, and cookie duration. The following table will help you.
Researching Your Affiliate Marketing Program
| Acceptance | Not all affiliate marketing programs accept every advertiser or affiliate, having strict policies as to who may join. These can include the following:
Likewise, affiliate marketing program owners can also exclude particular products and marketing methods, i.e., paid search, browser extensions, coupon sites, etc. Make sure that you are a good match first, especially if you are in a borderline or challenging niche, like finance or insurance. |
| Payment terms | Pay-Per-Sale (PPS), Pay-Per-Click (PPC), and Pay-Per-Lead (PPL) are the three most popular payment models, but you may want to monetise signups, installations, downloads, or anything else. Select the program that matches your revenue goals. Looking for a commission plan that can propel your affiliate business? Here is your affiliate commission guide. Some affiliate programs may allow you to:
Make sure the commission scale and payment issuance are acceptable to you. Currently, the highest average affiliate commissions are in SaaS services (as high as 70% of the sales value), finance (as high as 40%), e-learning (as high as 30%), and beauty & health (as high as 30%). |
| Marketing Resources | To further amplify your marketing potential, most affiliate marketing programs come with the so-called creatives: pre-designed banners, email templates, product images, and so on. |
Grow Your Affiliate Marketing Business with Phonexa
Whether you are an affiliate network, advertiser, or affiliate marketer, you need marketing intelligence to make educated decisions. Phonexa does exactly that and even more.
As an affiliate, advertiser, or affiliate network, you need an all-in-one performance marketing system that factors in all interactions and all collected data. Phonexa offers eight proprietary performance marketing solutions that help generate, nurture, convert, sell, or buy leads at the best price while getting exhaustive insights into them.
| “We’ve seen many people come to us and say: “Finally, I’ve got a trusted, transparent process for running performance and partner marketing in one place, paying only for vetted outcomes.” They didn’t know it existed, or they knew it existed but in very bite-size chunks.” – David Pickard, CEO at Phonexa |
You can get Phonexa’s revolutionary eight-in-one performance marketing software suite to grow your affiliate marketing business at a single price (online price calculator):
| LMS Sync | Lead tracking & distribution software |
|---|---|
| Call Logic | Call tracking & distribution software |
| E-Delivery | Bulk email & SMS marketing software |
| Cloud PBX | Cloud phone system |
| Lynx | Click tracking software |
| Opt-Intel | Suppression list management solution |
| HitMetrix | User behaviour recording & CRO software |
| Books360 | Automated accounting software |
Build your plan now, or book a demo to learn more about Phonexa’s performance marketing software suite.
Your Ultimate List of Affiliate Marketing Programs
Affiliate Programs for Debt Relief
Whether you acquire a car, pay a mortgage, finance studies, or face medical bills, this may lead to debt accumulation, a problem 12.8 million people in the UK are familiar with. The most popular sources of debt are mortgages, followed by student loans, auto loans, and credit card loans.
Of course, most debtors look to pay debt as quickly as possible, even by means of debt relief programs. On their side, debt relief agencies maintain debt relief affiliate programs, or debt consolidation affiliate programs, to turn debtors into customers.
Amongst the most widely known debt relief affiliate programs are:
- National Debt Relief Affiliate Program
- Guardian Debt Relief Affiliate Program
- CuraDebt Affiliate Program
Let’s examine these three in some detail.
National Debt Relief Affiliate Program
The National Debt Relief Affiliate Program allows you to get paid in two ways:
- By referring leads – $27.50 for every free debt relief quote from your qualified lead from your traffic source (the referred leads must fill out the 6-field form in order for you to get a commission)
- By referring other affiliates – 12% override on the referred affiliate’s commission
Guardian Debt Relief Affiliate Program
| Sector | Monthly Visits | Commission |
| Debt | 13,500 | Vary |
A less popular choice among debt affiliate programs is the Guardian Debt Relief Affiliate Program, which has a varied commission system:
- $32 per referral who has completed the Free Debt Relief Quote Form
- $45 for each lead qualified on the phone
- $325 per referral who signs up for the Guardian Debt Relief Program
- 15% commission on sales made by referred affiliates
The criteria are:
- The minimum unsecured debt for any lead is $10,000
CuraDebt Affiliate Program
| Sector | Monthly Visits | Commission |
| Debt | 18,600 | Up to 30% |
CuraDebt Affiliate Program is managed by a niche debt relief and settlement company with high-paying commission rates of up to 30% from purchase and a bountiful 60-day cookie window.
The attribution process is typical: when users borrow on the website, their IP is tracked, and a cookie is placed in their browser for 60 days to track associated purchases. This implies that you are entitled to due commission if the referred customer buys within 60 days following the link click.
Home Improvement Affiliate Programs
Worth $830 billion, the home improvement industry has picked up momentum during the infamous pandemic, as customers increasingly divert their focus to renovations, DIY work, and home improvements. The affiliate marketing programs have garnered a following as well, showcasing various building and home improvement items and services.
Some of the widely used home improvement affiliate programs include:
- The Home Depot Affiliate Program
- The Houzz Pro Agency Partner Program
Let’s go through these two in detail.
The Home Depot Affiliate Program
| Sector | Monthly Visits | Commission | Who Can Apply |
| Home Improvement | 227.4 million | Up to 8% | Everyone, but the products are only shipped within the continental U.S. |
Home Depot Affiliate Program – divided between the Home Depot Affiliate Program and the Home Depot Installation Program – is run by one of America’s biggest home improvement retailers and gives you up to 8% in commission on house decor items and 1% for regular “buy online pick up in-store” items.
Similarly, you qualify to receive a $20 to $200 performance-based commission on leads generated. The cookie window for the Home Depot Affiliate Program is one day, while for the Home Depot Installation Program, it is 30 days. The payment threshold is $50.
The Houzz Pro Agency Partner Program
| Sector | Monthly Visits | Commission | Who Can Apply |
| Home Improvement | 15.8 million | 5% per sale | Everyone |
Houzz Pro Agency Partner Program is a B2B-based affiliate marketing program targeting accounting and marketing agencies who wish to monetise their traffic by linking to education and debt relief content and products. The program offers lifetime commissions on referred customers, a 30-day cookie, and tracking tools available through a partner console.
QuickBooks Affiliate Program
| Sector | Monthly Visits | Commission | Who Can Apply |
| Accounting | 15.6 million | Up to 10% | Everyone within the U.S. |
QuickBooks affiliate marketing program is run by a reputable cloud-based accounting software company that pays up to 10% referral commissions for marketing the software. The essence of the program is putting the QuickBooks logo on your site.
QuickBooks helps you place logos, banners, and links on your site and has a special affiliate toolkit to track your sales. You may advertise on several sites and track the activity of every one of your campaigns individually (paid in one check).
The program is free, and priority will be given to corresponding small service providers, accountants, and business associations. You can reapply if you are not selected at first.
Finance Improvement Affiliate Programs
Binance Affiliate Program
| Sector | Monthly Visits | Commission | Who Can Apply |
| Finance and Crypto | 56.8 million | Up to 50% | At least 5,000 followers on social media At least 500 members in a trading community |
The Binance Affiliate Program is not new to those who weathered the 2017-2018 crypto rollercoaster. The globe’s leading crypto exchange invites you to earn fantastic commissions – up to 50% of spot trades – and special rewards for spreading the word among your audience.
The program rewards you with the following commissions on referral trades:
- Binance Pool – 30%
- Futures – 30%
- Spot commission – up to 50%
Similarly, you will receive a 10% bonus commission on Futures and the basic commission. For example, if your referral generates $1,000 in trading fees monthly, you will receive $100 in addition to the standard 30% commission.
Experian Affiliate Program
| Sector | Monthly Visits | Commission |
| Debt and Tax | 5.1 million | $8 per sale |
Experian Affiliate Program is run by one of the top global credit reporting companies, allowing you to promote the company’s financial control products: Experian Credit Score, Experian Credit Report, and compare credit offers.
In order to sign up for the program, you must provide site statistics and the most relevant articles to the target product. On the positive side, the company promises to get back to you on reviewing your application within two business days and send you the creatives and tracking code if they accept you.
Upstart Affiliate Program
| Sector | Monthly Visits | Commission |
| Finance | 2.6 million | 1% from the sale |
Upstart Affiliate Program is run by a trusted financial institution that partners with banks to provide personal loans with fixed, low interest rates. The program has three segments – Upstart Personal Loans, Upstart Auto Loans, and Upstart Business Loans – each catering to a specific kind of borrower.
Other Affiliate Marketing Programs
Amazon Associates
| Sector | Monthly Visits | Commission |
| Marketing | 2.6 billion | Up to 20% |
The largest affiliate program in the world brings together over 900,000 affiliates, publishers, bloggers, and content creators promoting Amazon products and services on their traffic streams. The most obvious advantage of Amazon Associates is the unlimited product variety and thus room for virtually any type of affiliate business and marketing strategy.
Amazon Associates provides the following promotional tools:
- Site Stripe toolbar for earnings display and the link
- Personalisable text and image links
- Graphic banners of all forms and sizes, including seasonal promotions like, for example, Black Friday
For professional partners, you can place Amazon products on your site directly using the Product Advertising API and gain more complete product information, including Wish Lists, Similar Products, Customer Reviews, and Used Listings.
Source: Amazon
Commission-wise, here is the commission table. The Amazon Games category products have the highest 20% commission, with 10% for Amazon Explore, Luxury Beauty, and Luxury Stores Beauty.
The participation requirement is also standard: no pirated articles, sexually explicit scenes, obscene material, etc. No minimum traffic restriction is there, which implies small bloggers are welcome, too.
You can also promote through your app if it’s free to download and publicly available on Amazon, Apple, or Google Play app stores. Or – if you have a large following on social media – you can join the Amazon Influencer Program on special terms.
Tripadvisor
| Sector | Monthly Visits | Commission |
| Travel | 206.7 million | At least 50% |
Used by all travellers and affiliate marketers worldwide, Tripadvisor runs one of the most profitable affiliate marketing programs, and you can earn up to 50% from the platform’s commission received from hotel booking partners.
Here is how the Tripadvisor Affiliate Program works:
- A user comes to Tripadvisor through your affiliate link.
- They click a hotel booking link to one of Tripadvisor’s booking partners.
- You receive the predetermined commission.
Note: No booking is required to receive a commission – you just need referrals to click on one of the network partner sites within Tripadvisor.
To market Tripadvisor’s products, you can use text links, banners, buttons, and widgets from the chosen network partner. Cons? API is not supported, and you can only receive a commission on hotels (flights, restaurants, cruises, etc., are not supported).
An example of income with the Tripadvisor Affiliate Program:
To begin with, choose a network partner, search for Tripadvisor there, and sign up for the program. You will have to wait a while for your application to be accepted. The good news is that there is no minimum traffic requirement – just a relevant, unique, and valuable site is needed.
Shopify Affiliate Program
| Sector | Monthly Visits | Commission |
| E-commerce | 112.5 million | Up to $2,000 per purchase |
Shopify Affiliate Program allows influencers, content creators, educators, and business owners to teach and motivate their followers on entrepreneurship through Spotify in exchange for a commission – a fixed bounty for all complete merchant plans, from $58 to $2,000 – for each referral.
In order to become part of the Shopify Affiliate Program, you must generate original content and have a great following. You will have the applications reviewed in five business days.
You’ll get access to affiliate software that tracks your affiliate links and earn a 30-day cookie window as a Shopify affiliate. Payment is bi-weekly in USD, starting from the $10 minimum.
Verizon Affiliate Program
| Sector | Monthly Visits | Commission |
| Telecom | 60.2 million | Varies |
The US telecommunication company runs one of the most comprehensive and complex affiliate marketing programs involving four disparate types and subtypes:
- Agent: Subagent, Business Agent, Telesales, and Door-to-door
- Sell With: Mobility Co-Sell Partner and Bill on Behalf of
- Reseller: Wireless Resellers and Wireless Connectivity Partner
- Strategic Integration Partner
It’s quite difficult to wrap your head around the various partnership scenarios, but there is a survey-type Partner Assessment Tool to help you. Selecting the answers from the list of choices may provide insight into what partnership model might interest you.
Coursera Affiliate Program
| Sector | Monthly Visits | Commission |
| Education | 66.7 million | Up to 45% |
The Coursera Affiliate Program enables you to invite referrals and receive a 15% to 45% commission on qualified purchases: certificates, courses, specialisations, and Coursera Plus subscriptions.
You even get a commission from a referral who is already registered at Coursera. However, in terms of subscription commissions, you can only receive a commission from the user’s first month’s subscription.
The Coursera affiliate program offers affiliate tracking links, banners, weekly newsletters, and access to continuously updated Coursera products. The cookie lasts up to 30 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is affiliate marketing, and how does it operate?
Affiliate marketing is a standard business model where an affiliate (content creator, publisher) promotes a third-party product for a commission on the sale or a fixed sum for each agreed target action: installation, download, click, or otherwise.
Essentially, affiliate business involves discovering the demand (the willingness to promote services or products on the affiliate side) and demand (the desire to buy advertisements on the merchant side). The advertisers and the affiliates may work directly with one another or – increasingly often – through an intermediary affiliate network between them.
Regardless of whether or not the business model has an affiliate network, it’s always regulated by some specific affiliate marketing program that enforces the partnership system between the entities.
What is an affiliate marketing program?
An affiliate marketing program is a partnership model between the advertisers and the affiliates, and typically includes the affiliate agreement, the marketing materials, the affiliate tracking software, and manuals and guides. Your affiliate marketing program determines your payment structure, terms, and type – pay-per-sale, pay-per-click, pay-per-lead, or otherwise – and what is covered for the payment (e.g., some forms of promotions may be excluded), and how and when the payment is made.
Among the top examples of affiliate marketing programs that have been successful are Amazon Associates (900,000 affiliates), ShareASales (700,000 affiliates), Awin (225,000 affiliates), Rakuten (150,000 affiliates), and ClickBank (100,000 affiliates).
Is it possible to earn money with affiliate marketing?
It is really not that hard to make money with an affiliate program if you create good content, are competent at digital affiliate marketing, and can come up with a unique value proposition for the product that is being marketed.
Is it difficult to become an affiliate?
It is not hard to become an affiliate marketer if you create good content and you have your audience.
Here’s the way to be an affiliate marketer:
- Make sure you have an adequate number of audience to promote third-party products and understand how affiliate marketing works.
- Select an affiliate program from one of the affiliate companies in the chosen niche; for example, you can start with beginner’s affiliate programs.
- Read your affiliate agreement for details like payment conditions prior to proceeding.
But keep in mind that starting affiliate marketing is simpler than becoming proficient at it.
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