How to Choose the Best Affiliate Program?

Successful affiliate marketing largely depends on niche selection and how to choose the best affiliate program and products to promote.

This requires careful research and consideration of various factors such as the commission rate, cookie duration, payment methods, product relevance to your niche, and the reputation of the merchant or affiliate network.

The internet provides countless opportunities for making money online, and one of the most promising ways to earn a full-time income or establish a profitable side hustle is through affiliate marketing.

Be sure to read: What is Affiliate Marketing?

With its relative simplicity and ease of getting started, it’s no wonder that many people are drawn to this industry. However, with so many companies and brands adding affiliate programs to their marketing strategies, it can be challenging to determine which ones are truly valuable and worth your time and effort.

There are currently more than 11,000 affiliate programs today.

You definitely want to take the time to research and compare different affiliate programs so you can increase your chances of success and maximize your earnings potential.

Around 40% of digital marketers rely on affiliate programs as their primary source of income.

How to choose the best affiliate program – a quick look

Consider these primary factors when conducting research on affiliate programs:

1. Commission rates
2. Product selection
3. Brand reputation
4. Payment types
5. Cookie duration
6. Marketing materials
7. Tracking and Reporting tools
8. Affiliate support

Conducting thorough research on affiliate programs is crucial in order to identify the most suitable program for your target audience and niche, ultimately leading to a successful affiliate marketing business.

There are several key factors to consider when researching affiliate programs, which we will explore further below. Additionally, it is important to take into account other important aspects of affiliate marketing in order to maximize your chances of success.

Promote within your niche

Obviously with the plethora of affiliate programs available, the first consideration is to find lucrative products with your chosen niche. You have chosen a niche, right?

If not, be sure to review: Top Affiliate Niches and 200 Micro Niches

You should primarily promote products that are relevant to your niche or industry, but you can also consider promoting related products that can complement your primary product offerings.

Assuming your blog focuses on the topic of health, it would not be practical to incorporate affiliate links that do not align with the concepts presented in your posts or do not serve as a logical extension.

Incorporating irrelevant content can cause annoyance to your audience and may give the impression that your sole intention is to make money through promoting products. However, if you are interested in promoting a brand that doesn’t initially seem to align with your niche, you can get creative by finding ways to seamlessly integrate it into a specific blog post.

Product Selection

A sure-fire way to get started in affiliate program research is to check out a product you’ve purchased in the past and are happy about. This will lend credibility in your content and definitely come through in your writing.

You’ll already have a good understanding of the product (or service) and it’s features. If you possess extensive knowledge about a product, you can effectively communicate its features, answer queries and clarify its benefits to your audience. This knowledge also helps you determine if the product is a good fit for your audience’s needs, making them more likely to make a purchase.

Even if you haven’t personally used a product, you should strive to learn as much as possible about it. Reading customer reviews, checking the product’s features and specifications, and researching the brand’s reputation will provide insight into the product’s benefits, drawbacks, and how it can help customers.

The more you know about the product, the more effectively you can communicate its value to your audience, and the more likely they are to make a purchase.

Lacking proper knowledge of the products you are promoting can harm your reputation and lead to promoting sub-standard or fake products and simply ruin your future marketing. Therefore, investing time in research and testing products will pay off in the long run and maximize your earnings.

Brand Reputation

Brand reputation is an important factor to consider when choosing an affiliate program to promote. The success of an affiliate marketing campaign can be greatly impacted by the reputation of the brand being promoted. Promoting a brand with a strong reputation can help build trust with your audience and increase the likelihood of conversions.

When considering an affiliate program, take the time to research the brand’s reputation. Consider exploring customer feedback, online conversations, and relevant news pieces related to the brand to evaluate their credibility and reliability.

If you promote a brand with a poor reputation, it could have a negative impact on your own reputation and cause you to lose potential customers. This could result in negative reviews, lost sales, and a damaged reputation for your own business. Therefore, it’s important to carefully research and consider the reputation of the brand before promoting their products or services as an affiliate marketer. You want to avoid promoting a brand that has a history of poor customer service, unethical practices, or low-quality products.

On the other hand, promoting a brand with a strong reputation can benefit your own reputation and credibility. When your audience sees that you are promoting a well-respected and trusted brand, they are more likely to trust your recommendations and make a purchase.

Understand the different affiliate payment types

When comparing affiliate programs, it may not always be apples-to-apples.

As an affiliate marketer, it’s crucial to understand the various payment types available to you when choosing an affiliate program. These payment types can vary greatly, so it’s essential to choose one that fits your needs and preferences. Here are some of the most common payment types:

1. Pay-per-sale (PPS): In this model, the merchant pays the affiliate a commission for each sale that is made through their referral link.
2. Pay-per-click (PPC): With PPC, the affiliate earns a commission for every click made on their referral link, regardless of whether a sale is made or not.
3. Pay-per-lead (PPL): In this payment type, the affiliate earns a commission for each lead they generate, such as a user filling out a contact form or signing up for a newsletter.
4. Pay-per-impression (PPI): PPI pays affiliates based on the number of times an ad is displayed, regardless of whether it is clicked on or not.
5. Recurring commissions: With this payment type, affiliates earn commission not just for the initial sale, but for every subsequent purchase made by the customer they referred.
6. Tiered commissions: In this payment type, affiliates earn different commission rates based on the number of sales or leads they generate within a set period of time.

By understanding these payment types, you can choose the one that aligns with your goals and helps you maximize your earnings potential as an affiliate marketer.

Recurring commissions (monthly service, membership sites) can be a goldmine for successful affiliate marketers.

Cookie Duration

To make the most out of your affiliate program, it’s important to take note of the cookie duration. This refers to the length of time that the affiliate link can track the user’s activity on the merchant’s website. Essentially, it determines how long you will be credited for any purchases made by the user after clicking on your link.

For example, if the cookie duration is set at 30 days, and the user makes a purchase within that period, you will be eligible for a commission. However, if the user makes the purchase after the cookie expires, you may lose out on the commission.

It’s important to review the cookie duration when evaluating affiliate programs, as a longer duration can increase the likelihood of a commission, while a shorter duration may require you to work harder to convert users into customers within the limited timeframe.

Marketing materials

Marketing materials are essential resources provided by an affiliate program to help promote their products or services. Not all affiliate program provide marketing materials – also known as “creatives”. With many of the smaller affiliate programs you simply get a link and you’re on your own.

These materials can come in the form of banners, product images, text links, email templates, and more. The benefits of having access to marketing materials include:

1. Saves time and effort: Affiliate programs provide marketing materials that are already designed and optimized for conversion, saving you time and effort. You don’t have to spend hours creating your own marketing materials or figuring out which images and text work best.
2. Consistency in branding: The marketing materials provided by the affiliate program ensure consistency in branding across all channels. This is crucial for building brand recognition and trust among your audience.
3. Increased credibility: Using professionally designed marketing materials from the affiliate program can increase your credibility and make you appear more trustworthy to your audience. This can result in higher click-through rates and more conversions.
4. Access to new products and promotions: Affiliate programs often provide affiliates with early access to new products and promotions. This gives you an advantage over others who are not part of the program and allows you to promote the latest and greatest products or services to your audience.
5. Easy tracking: Most affiliate programs provide tracking tools that allow you to monitor the performance of your marketing materials. This includes metrics such as clicks, conversions, and commission earned. This data is valuable for making informed decisions about future marketing strategies and improving overall performance.

Having access to marketing materials provided by an affiliate program can save time and effort, ensure consistency in branding, increase credibility, provide access to new products and promotions, and make tracking performance easier.

Utilizing these resources can greatly enhance your affiliate marketing efforts and increase your chances of success.

Tracking and reporting tools

Major affiliate programs offer various tracking and reporting tools to help affiliates track their performance and optimize their campaigns. While these are certainly not required, it’s highly recommended to track your sales to discover what’s working and what isn’t.

These tools typically include:

1. Tracking links: These links are unique to each affiliate and allow the program to track the traffic and sales generated by the affiliate. They usually contain a special code that identifies the affiliate. Further, many major affiliate programs have different links for different sales pages and promotions on their websites.
2. Performance reports: Affiliates can access detailed reports that show their performance metrics such as clicks, conversions, and revenue generated. These reports help affiliates evaluate their campaigns and identify areas for improvement.
3. Commission reports: Commission reports provide a breakdown of the commission earned by the affiliate on each sale. This helps affiliates keep track of their earnings and plan their future campaigns.
4. Conversion tracking: Many affiliate programs offer conversion tracking tools that allow affiliates to track their conversions in real-time. This helps affiliates to monitor their campaigns and make necessary adjustments to improve their performance.

Affiliate support

Affiliate support can be an essential element of any successful affiliate program. It involves providing affiliates with resources and assistance to help them promote the products effectively and maximize their earnings.

One crucial aspect of affiliate support is the affiliate manager. This individual is typically assigned to oversee a group of affiliates and ensure they have everything they need to promote the products successfully. The affiliate manager acts as a liaison between the affiliates and the brand, providing guidance and support, answering questions, and addressing concerns.

Affiliate managers are responsible for providing affiliates with marketing materials such as banners, text links, and other creatives that can be used to promote the products. They may also offer advice on how to effectively use these materials to drive traffic and sales. In addition, affiliate managers can provide data and insights on the performance of the affiliate’s campaigns, including click-through rates, conversion rates, and revenue generated.

Lastly, if you’re doing well, speaking with your assigned affiliate manage can get you higher commission rates beyond what is published within their affiliate program terms.

FAQ

What makes a good affiliate program?

A good affiliate program should have several key features that make it attractive and profitable for affiliates. Here are some of the main characteristics of a good affiliate program:

1. High commission rates: A good affiliate program should offer competitive commission rates that make it worth the affiliate’s time and effort.
2. Quality products or services: The products or services being promoted should be high-quality, in-demand, and relevant to the affiliate’s audience.
3. Strong brand reputation: The affiliate program should be associated with a strong, reputable brand that is well-known and respected in the industry.
4. Effective marketing materials: The affiliate program should provide affiliates with effective marketing materials such as banners, email templates, and product images that can be used to promote the products or services.
5. Accurate tracking and reporting: The affiliate program should have reliable tracking and reporting tools that enable affiliates to track their performance and earnings accurately.
6. Timely payments: The affiliate program should have a reputation for paying affiliates on time and without any issues.
7. Dedicated affiliate support: The affiliate program should have a dedicated affiliate manager who can provide support and assistance to affiliates, answer questions, and help them optimize their campaigns.

A good affiliate program should offer a win-win situation for both the merchant and the affiliate, where the merchant can increase sales and the affiliate can earn a fair commission for promoting quality products or services.

Which affiliate program pays the most?

The highest paying affiliate program can vary depending on the product, service or niche being promoted. Some popular affiliate programs known for their high payouts include:

1. Amazon Associates: Amazon’s affiliate program is likely the most well-known and offers a commission ranging from 1% to 10% depending on the product category.
2. Commission Junction: Commission Junction offers a range of affiliate programs with high payouts, including some that offer up to 50% commission.
3. ShareASale: ShareASale offers affiliate programs with commissions ranging from 5% to 50% depending on the product.
4. ClickBank: ClickBank specializes in digital products, with commissions as high as 75% on some products.
5. eBay Partner Network: eBay’s affiliate program offers a commission ranging from 50% to 70% of eBay’s revenue from each sale.

However, it’s important to note that high payouts do not always mean a good affiliate program. Other factors such as product quality, customer support, and conversion rates should also be considered when choosing an affiliate program.

Also not that some of the top VPN affiliate programs pay 100%. Yes, 100%! You earn the exact sale price and the merchant will make up for it with renewed subscriptions – monthly or annually.

How many affiliate programs should I join?

There is no set number of affiliate programs that you should join. It ultimately depends on your goals and the amount of time and resources you have to devote to each program. Don’t go overboard.

Some affiliate marketers prefer to focus on a few high-paying programs, while others may join a larger number of programs that offer lower commission rates, but cover a wider range of products or services.

It’s important to note that joining too many affiliate programs can lead to spreading yourself too thin and not being able to effectively promote any of them. It’s better to focus on a few programs that align with your niche and have a good reputation in the industry – begin earning some monthly income before you decide to branch out.