Affiliate marketing makes it possible for anyone to make money online. But it’d be great to get involved in the right affiliate program and make a full-time income.
For a full-time affiliate marketer, it’s important to find the right program that is profitable and fits within your niche. It all requires analytical thinking and research.
This article will help you find profitable affiliate programs that fit within your niche and are suitable for beginners.
What Is an Affiliate Marketing Program?
The affiliate marketing program is an arrangement between a merchant and an affiliate in which the affiliate agrees to promote the merchant’s products or services and, in return, may earn commissions or other incentives.
Affiliate marketing is a popular way for merchants to increase sales by leveraging the power of word-of-mouth marketing from their affiliates. Affiliates typically include website owners, bloggers, social media influencers, and other online content creators who have built a following around a particular topic or niche.
How Do Affiliate Programs Work?
Affiliate programs are a great way to make some extra money on the side. Basically, affiliate programs work by allowing you to include affiliate links in your posts that redirect to another site. And, every time someone buys something from that site after clicking through your link, you earn a commission. So, it’s a great way to make some extra cash with minimal effort involved.
Affiliate program companies can be super fun and rewarding to work with! Not only do they typically payout a commission for each sale you help generate, but they’re also a great way to connect with new and exciting profitable products.
So, if you have a blog or website dedicated to fashion and beauty, working with an affiliate program or network is a great way to get involved.
Types of Affiliate Programs
There are different types of affiliate programs that you can participate in.
- One popular type is pay-per-sale, where you get a commission for every sale made as a result of someone clicking on your link. This type of program is common among eCommerce stores and other businesses with products to sell.
- Another type of affiliate program is pay-per-lead. In this case, you share contact information with an affiliate platform, and they will then provide you with leads that have been generated through your affiliate link. This can be a great way to build your email list or find new customers.
- You can also find affiliate programs through coupon, comparison shopping, loyalty, or cashback websites. In these cases, you offer discounts to customers when they use your affiliate link to make a purchase.
How to Find Affiliate Programs In Your Niche?
While 11,400 affiliate programs may be too overwhelming for a beginner to keep track of, it’s still important to find the right affiliate programs that will fit within your niche and are likely to be profitable. Here are some tips on how to find affiliate programs in your niche:
1. Look at Your Competition
Many affiliate sites in your niche likely already exist. Take a look at the sites and see what type of affiliate programs they are using. This will be a good starting point for your own affiliate program research.
But how do you know what affiliate programs are being used on a particular website?
Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Visit the website and look at what products they sell or promote.
- Check to see if there are any affiliate links on the page.
- If there are, you can use a website like Ahrefs or SEMrush to see which affiliate programs they are using.
- Once you find the affiliate program, take a look at the terms and conditions to make sure it’s something that aligns with your blog or website.
- If it fits, then sign up and start promoting!
Pro Tip: Also search affiliate websites’ social media for affiliate programs. Many affiliate sites will post about upcoming affiliate campaigns or promotions you can take advantage of.
2. Check Company’s Website
Many companies will have affiliate programs listed on their website. Simply look for an affiliate page or section, and you should be able to find more information about the specific program.
Some brands offer their own affiliate program, while others offer their products through an affiliate network.
A great example of its own affiliate program is Amazon Associate. This program pays you a commission each time someone purchases through your affiliate link.
Note: Not all companies offer an affiliate program, so you may have to look elsewhere if they do not. Those companies use affiliate networks to manage their affiliate programs.
3. Check Out Niche-Specific Programs
Since most affiliate programs are related to specific niches, it’s important to look for affiliate programs that focus on your target audience.
You can use Google to search for affiliate programs in your niche. For example, if you write about makeup and skincare products, try searching “makeup affiliate programs” or “skincare affiliate programs.”
Another method could be to enter a query “best affiliate programs + [your niche]” into Google. This will give you a list of affiliate programs related to your niche and likely have more success than generic ones.
The benefit of finding niche-specific affiliate programs is that you can target more specific audiences and increase your affiliate earnings.
4. Ask on Forums
Of course, you can also ask other affiliate marketers about affiliate programs in your niche. Who already knows the best affiliate programs that fit your niche?
The affiliate marketing space is filled with helpful people who can provide valuable insights and advice. Join affiliate marketing forums, such as TopGoldForum or AffiliateFix, and ask fellow affiliate marketers what affiliate programs they are using in your niche.
Pro Tip: Never ask affiliate marketers directly for affiliate links or to join a particular affiliate program. There may be some spammy affiliate programs out there, and affiliate marketers take pride in their promoting programs. Ask for their experience and advice, and then make your own decisions.
5. Check on Social Media Platforms
Facebook groups, Reddit discussions, and other social media platforms are great places to find affiliate programs as well. Many companies use these channels to promote their affiliate programs, so it’s worth checking out these platforms to see what affiliate programs are available.
You can also use social media for research purposes and ask people what types of affiliate programs they prefer. This can give you a better understanding of the market and help you find the right affiliate program for your blog or website.
6. Compatibility with Your Website Platform, Audience Demographics, and Interests
Be mindful of the affiliate programs you choose and their compatibility with your website platform, audience demographics, and interests. You want to make sure that the affiliate program is a good fit for your audience.
For example, some affiliate networks restrict using their affiliate links on certain website platforms. Furthermore, make sure the product or service you are promoting is something your audience would be interested in.
Don’t just pick any affiliate program and hope for the best.
7. Check Affiliate Marketplaces & Directories
Finally, there are lots of affiliate directories and marketplaces available to browse. These sites list thousands of different affiliate programs from various companies.
For example, the ShareASale affiliate marketplace includes over 241,000+ affiliate partners, and you can apply for any program that interests you. CJ Affiliate Network, Impact, and ClickBank are other popular affiliate networks that offer a wide range of affiliate programs.
8. Consider the product pricing
Affiliate marketing can be a great way to earn more money on products you love. By joining affiliate programs for high-priced items, you can increase your income potential while still appealing to customers looking for a good deal.
Some products may be too expensive for your target demographic, so it’s important to find affiliate programs with a variety of pricing tiers that match up with your customer base. This way, you can still promote the product and earn a commission without steering them away from what they’re looking to spend.
When choosing products to promote as an affiliate, think about what people use in their everyday lives. Popular choices include electronics, fashion accessories, and household goods.
If you’re selling something more specialized or seasonal, you may need help attracting affiliates and sales. So think about what people need and want, and go from there!
When you find a great affiliate program for pricey products, make sure to promote it enthusiastically to your followers and customers. Various affiliate programs offer different commission rates, so it’s essential to compare them and find the one that works for you.
9. Look at their conversion rates
In addition to pricing and commission rates, conversion rates are also important when choosing affiliate programs. This metric shows how many people clicked on the link and made a purchase. The higher the conversion rate, the more successful your affiliate program will be.
It’s also important to look at the customer satisfaction rate of any program you’re considering. Knowing how satisfied people are with the product or service can help you decide if it’s worth promoting or not.
10. Customer support
Like other businesses, affiliate programs should provide reliable customer support. This ensures that any issues are resolved quickly and efficiently, which is vital for maintaining relationships with affiliates and customers.
If there isn’t a dedicated customer support team, or the response times are too slow, you should consider other affiliate programs. It’s also a good idea to read reviews from other affiliates to get a better sense of the customer service offered by the program.
11. Cookie duration
The cookie duration is the length of time a cookie stays active in a visitor’s browser after they click an affiliate link. It’s important to note that the cookie duration will vary depending on the program you choose. Some programs may offer longer cookie durations, while others may only be active for a few days.
Choose an affiliate program that offers a longer cookie duration to give your customers more time to purchase and maximize your earning potential.
FAQs
Can beginners get approval from affiliate networks?
Anybody with a domain, website (WordPress sites are especially common among affiliates), and hosting can apply for an affiliate program. However, some larger affiliate networks may require you to have a certain amount of traffic or followers before they approve your application.
What are some of the best affiliate marketing programs and networks?
Although there are many affiliate marketing programs to choose from, here is a list of some of the most reliable and popular ones.
- ClickBank
- ShareASale
- CJ Affiliate
- Fiverr
- Amazon Associates
- eBay Partner Network
- Awin
- Impact
- Refersion
Do I need a blog or website to join an affiliate network?
Not necessarily. You can make money without a website. Although having a blog or website is recommended for success in affiliate marketing, some networks allow you to join without one. You may need to provide other information, such as a social media profile or email list.
What are evergreen niches for affiliate marketing?
Some of the most popular evergreen niches for affiliate marketing include health and wellness, fashion, technology, finance, and travel. However, we have created a guide on how to choose the perfect affiliate product+niche for your website.
Sell Expensive But Lucrative Products
Expensive products tend to have higher commissions and better conversion rates. People are often willing to spend more money on items they believe will solve their problems or make their life easier. Therefore, you should always look for products with a high price tag to maximize your earning potential. Just remember to pick products from affiliate site which is good in quality and have high customer reviews.
If you want to learn how to do affiliate marketing on different social media websites, you should check out our guides on:
They have all the information you need to get started.