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The latest affiliate marketing trends show that more than 80% of advertisers run affiliate marketing programs. About 40% of merchants use affiliate programs as their primary customer acquisition channel.
So what does this mean for social media influencers, bloggers and content publishers? Means more opportunities to make money online .
This guide will help you understand what affiliate networks are and their respective pros and cons. You can choose your favorite ad affiliate network and start earning dollars.
I first made money on the Internet through Google Adsense ads, more than ten years ago. At that time, Adsense ad revenue was still good, but later it became rubbish. I have also tried Amazon Associate, but the income is also very poor. I can only earn some pocket money. At present, most of my income comes from the Affiliate advertising network. Therefore, this article mainly introduces some affiliate networks to recommend to everyone. As long as you follow the right path, Making money is very fast.
What is an affiliate network and how does it work?
Affiliate networks are services that connect content publishers with merchants. The network acts as a “middleman,” making it easy for both content publishers and merchants to find each other. Merchants can quickly find suitable content publishers to promote their products and open up new sales channels .
Merchants typically use affiliate networks when:
- Not enough external sales capabilities
- Small advertising budget
- Want to develop new users
Ad affiliate networks are useful for content publishers such as bloggers because they provide a convenient way to earn commissions. For merchants, they simplify the process of working with content publishers.
Advertising alliance networks usually have thousands of online merchants offering different commissions. Bloggers can find and join projects suitable for them through the advertising alliance network and recommend them to users, thereby generating commissions.
The advertising network involves three aspects:
- Seller (Merchant). The seller is a business like Nike, or it can be a smaller retailer or merchant. They offer products such as electronics, daily consumer goods, services, and even digital products and then list them on advertising affiliate platforms.
- Affiliates (content publishers). Often called content publishers. This is the person responsible for promoting the product and encouraging potential customers to buy. They have blogs or social media platform accounts to promote products suitable for them to their visitors and fans. Then earn a one-time or ongoing commission on each sale.
- Advertising alliance platform. The advertising alliance platform is the middleman and organizer that completes the entire process. Both merchants and content publishers register and cooperate through the platform. After the user purchases, the merchant generates sales revenue, and the content publisher obtains a certain commission.
The Affiliate platform is easy to use and you can search for merchants by category or brand name. Then you only need to register and apply and after being approved, you can promote its products. Some networks, such as Avantlink , have strict requirements for content publishers to join, and the possibility of rejection is higher. However, there are also many affiliate networks suitable for novices. The threshold is very low. You can quickly register and start promoting products to earn commissions right away, such as ShareASale , Impact, etc.
Overall, the Affiliate network is very flexible and convenient because you can join multiple ad network platforms at once. Compared with registering for each company’s Affiliate program individually, you can apply for its Affiliate online earning program with one click on one platform . In addition, it is also very time-saving and labor-saving for merchants who want to develop sales channels. You can instantly have the opportunity to establish cooperative relationships with hundreds of content publishers to promote your products on a large scale and obtain product sales revenue. .
Why should you join an ad network?
Bloggers and influential social media accounts can earn good passive income through affiliate networks.
Advantages of joining an affiliate network :
- Enable bloggers and social media accounts to find businesses and products that match their visitors and followers.
- Affiliate networks handle the entire payment process and automatically pay commissions on due date.
- You can track conversion performance using analytics and reporting tools.
- You can earn much higher commissions than Google Adsense and Amazon Associate.
10 Best Foreign Advertising Alliance Networks
Ad affiliate networks have become increasingly popular as more and more businesses turn to affiliate marketing to promote their products. Moreover, because advertising alliances such as Google Adsense and Amazon Associate can earn lower and lower commission rates, many bloggers have turned to Affiliate. The following are some of the top foreign advertising alliance network platforms and their reviews:
- ShareASale
- AWIN
- FlexOffers
- CJ Affiliate
- ClickBank (Mainland Chinese users join with caution, as they may be rejected immediately)
- Avangate Affiliate Network
- Rakuten Advertising
- Impact
- AffiliaXe
- GiddyUp
Please note that these foreign advertising alliances are all CPA models (that is, paying according to the actual effect of advertising), that is, income will only be generated after purchases are made. They are suitable for bloggers and social media celebrities who are determined to invest in the long term and expect to generate sustained high income. If you are a speculator and want to make money through short-term deception, the content on this website is not suitable for you.
1.ShareASale
ShareASale is one of the earliest and most well-known affiliate network platforms. It was acquired by AWIN Group in 2017.
ShareASale has won dozens of awards as an ad network service provider, helping AWIN Group generate $1.3 billion in commission revenue for content publishers in 2021 (and $16 billion in revenue for merchants). It’s also very easy to join ShareASale , applying to join the network is free and very easy to get approved, making it perfect for novice independent website owners and bloggers.
The platform has more than 21,000 merchants to choose from. So no matter what niche your website is in, you’ll find the right product category for your promotion. Various merchants bring different commission rates. From projects offering 1% commission to high commission projects with commission rates of 300%.
The Better Business Bureau gives ShareASale an A+ rating due to zero customer complaints. Registration is free and very easy. You can sign up using your standalone website or social media account.
I prefer ShareASale’s timely payment. As long as commissions are generated, you will be paid regularly. And ShareASale has many exclusive merchants that cannot be found elsewhere. Registration is also very simple and the threshold is very low. Anyone who makes money through affiliate marketing should have an account.
Commission payment : Around the 20th of each month, the commission for the previous month is paid, with a minimum payment threshold of US$50.
Payment methods : Mailed paper check, direct deposit, or Payoneer (Payoneer recommended).
If you are a blogger or social media influencer and want to earn commission, please click Join ShareASale to apply for a free account.
If you are a merchant and want to promote your products, you can click on the merchant’s registration link to join their platform.
2.Awin
AWIN (formerly Affiliate Window) has been named the Best CPS (Pay Per Sales) Affiliate Network in North America for 2022. There are more than 21,000 merchant companies in the AWIN network, where you can easily find the right merchants to promote their products.
This advertising alliance platform is very simple and easy to use, and you can customize links to track conversion effects. They have many of the world’s top advertisers, especially many European and British brands, as well as many American brands, and their customer service is also very good. .
Similar to ShareASale, you can sign up using the website or social media account, but you’ll need to pay a $5 deposit to join the network. The deposit can be withdrawn after reaching your first commission payment threshold.
The commission rate of this platform is relatively high, and added websites and media accounts do not need to be verified (verification is not required). Merchants also send a lot of promotional information to bloggers on this platform, which facilitates frequent updates of promotional offers, and the experience is very good. .
Commission payment : The commission for the previous month is paid on the 1st and 15th of each month; the minimum commission payment threshold is US$20.
Payment methods : SEPA (payment to EU bank account) BACS (payment to UK bank account), ACH (payment to US bank account) Payoneer collection , etc.
If you want to apply for this alliance to earn commission, you can click on the link to join Awin to start the application.
3. Flexoffers
With over 10,000 advertisers (including well-known brands like Samsung, Sephora, and Wayfair), FlexOffers is another large ad network worth considering.
FlexOffers refers to its merchants as advertisers and affiliates as publishers.
FlexOffers can even accept bloggers on free blogging sites such as WordPress, Wix, Blogger and BlogSpot as traffic sources. What’s more, in addition this site’s cookies last up to 30 days.
As far as my personal experience is concerned, the commission rate given by this platform is low, but the probability of approval is very high. Merchants who cannot be approved on other platforms such as CJ can basically get approval here. Payment to PayPal is also very timely, and the customer service response speed is also very fast. It is also a platform that I highly recommend.
Commission payment : Commission is paid 60 days after the commission is generated, the minimum payment threshold is US$25
Payment methods : Bank transfer, wire transfer, check, PayPal.
4. CJ Affiliate
CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction) is also one of the largest affiliate networks currently, with a market share of 8.15%. Founded in 1998 in Santa Barbara, California, CJ is trusted by twice as many IR500 brands as its nearest competitor.
Creating an account on the CJ Alliance platform is also easy. To become an active member, you need to complete seven steps, including filling out your contact information and adding your website or social media account.
CJ Affiliate is part of Alliance Data Systems, a Fortune 500 company . It also has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Please note that after becoming a member, you need to obtain approval from each merchant before you can start promoting their products (some picky merchants may reject your application). If you don’t earn commissions for six months, your account will be deactivated, so CJ Affiliate is best for those with consistent website traffic.
Commission payment : The commission for the previous month is paid on the 20th or 28th of each month.
Payment options : Direct deposit or Payoneer
Please note: If the Payoneer platform in China is no longer able to collect payments, it can still be done overseas. It is recommended to use PingPong to collect domestic payments. After the payment is received, the payment can be withdrawn to the bank account on the same day. This is my current method of collecting CJ commissions.
If you have a website or social media account and want to register to earn commissions, click Join CJ to register Publisher.
If you are a merchant and want to join in promoting your products, click on the merchant registration link to join CJ.
5. ClickBank
As one of the oldest and most reliable affiliate marketing networks, offering 6 million products, ClickBank has paid out over $5 billion in commissions since 1999.
Signing up and using ClickBank is also relatively simple. You don’t need to provide a website or social media account. You just provide it with your contact information and you can set up an account and generate links instantly.
One of the advantages of Clickbank is that it offers commissions of up to 75% on certain products. Members can select the digital products they wish to promote from Clickbank’s merchant categories.
However, ClickBank is not friendly to accounts from China. I have been rejected instantly several times before registering for an account. There are also many people on the forum who said they were rejected, and they are all accounts from mainland China. So, if you are registering in mainland China, please be cautious.
ClickBank focuses on digital products, with relatively few physical products. So, if you have a popular website and blog (especially in the health and fitness space) and want to earn commission for recommending products, ClickBank is a great option.
However, while ClickBank itself is a well-known and very successful affiliate network, merchants on its platform may have issues with some of the products they offer. You must do your research to avoid marketing substandard products to your visitors or fans that could affect your reputation.
Commission payments : Weekly or fortnightly.
Payment methods : Check, direct deposit, wire transfer or Payoneer.
6.Avangate
Avangate Affiliate Network was established in 2006 and is one of the newer advertising alliance platforms. If you are in a niche that focuses on software or digital products, Avangate Affiliate Network is a great option and you can make a nice passive income with it.
Avangate Affiliate Network also differentiates itself from other networks by offering the ability to use geo-located shopping carts. If you want to reach specific market locations, you can deep link them directly to a localized shopping cart.
So, if you are a tech-savvy blogger and want to earn high commissions from digital products and online courses, Avangate is the affiliate network for you.
They have one of the longest cookie durations on the market at 120 days and allow you to create coupons to boost sales.
Commission payment : 20 days after the end of the month when commission is generated.
Payment methods : Wire transfer, check, PayPal or Avangate MasterCard (in partnership with Payoneer).
7. Rakuten Advertising
It is a Japanese e-commerce brand with one of the top affiliate marketing networks. One big name that has been around since the 1990s is Rakuten Advertising (formerly Linkshare), which in Chinese became Rakuten Advertising. Compared to other ad networks, this platform still seems to use an older navigation model.
Rakuten Advertising only has about 1,000 merchants. Rakuten pays more attention to the quality of merchants rather than the quantity. The merchants it owns are well-known brands in various industries, including: Best Buy, Macy’s, Papa John’s, Walmart, Udemy, etc.
Therefore, if you run a website or social media account and want to sell products from some well-known brands, Rakuten Advertising may be your best choice.
Once you become a member, you will need to sign up and get approved for each merchant program you want to join.
Commission payment : Commission is generated for 60 days in the month.
Payment options : Direct deposit, check, PayPal.
8.Impact
Impact was founded in 2008 and is one of the most powerful affiliate networks in North America. It partners with a range of big brands to offer over 9 million products. There are many brands such as Semrush, Airbnb, and Adidas on the platform.
Impact is loved for its clean, modern interface and marketing tools, as well as its excellent customer support. Another great thing about Impact is that it has a lot of mobile apps to promote, which you won’t find anywhere else.
So, if you want to become an affiliate partner of popular mobile apps, Impact.com is your best choice.
When users from mainland China register for Impact, please be sure to fill in USD as the payment currency. You can use PayPal to collect payments. If you fill in RMB CNY, it can only be wired to your domestic bank account in China. However, overseas RMB wire transfers to China will almost 100% be rejected by the bank (the bank requires you to provide evidence of working overseas in order to collect the money, which is almost impossible. possible). I have a commission of several thousand RMB that I have not been able to collect and it is still sitting in my account. Later, I applied for an account again and chose the currency USD before receiving PayPal normally. Therefore, when registering for Impact , the payment currency must be filled in USD. Remember to remember this.
Get paid: on the 1st or 15th of every month.
Payment methods: Direct deposit, BACS or PayPal.
9. AffiliaXe
Headquartered in Israel, AffiliaXe is a global affiliate marketing network that provides VIP services to everyone from entrepreneurs and freelancers to small online businesses.
Members will have dedicated member manager services who will plan the best plan for you and optimize your traffic to help you increase your conversion rate. AffiliaXe has the most diverse options including pay-per-view, pay-per-click, social media, email marketing/subscriptions, and more.
You can even get a $1,000 sign-up bonus. However, AffiliaXe is difficult to join, so the platform is best suited for high-profile websites or influencers.
Get paid : Once on the 15th and once at the end of the month, minimum payout is $100.
Payment methods : Tipalti, PayPal, Payoneer, ACH or bank wire.
10. GiddyUp
With offices in Seattle and Ventura, GiddyUp is another modern ad network platform dedicated to helping you make money online with your website and social media. Since 2013, GiddyUp has paid out more than $200 million in commissions to its affiliate partners.
As a new ad network platform, GiddyUp helps you maximize your revenue through innovative tools and real-time data. An affiliate partner manager will also help answer all your digital marketing questions. No matter which channel you drive traffic from, you can get fresh ideas to help you.
If you are interested in promoting physical products, GiddyUp is a great choice for you.
Get paid : On the 1st and 15th of every month, you must reach a minimum of $25 to get paid.
Payment methods : ACH, check, or foreign bank transfer.