Affiliate marketing is one of the most popular ways publishers earn passive income online. You earn a one-time or recurring commission for every sale (action) made through your unique link. This article summarizes the 20 best affiliate programs and networks for beginners.
But first, do you know the difference between an affiliate program and an affiliate network? A network is an intermediary between the publishers and the marketers. Marketers get a pool of influencers to market their products, whereas publishers get instant programs to promote. An affiliate program is a model where marketers pay publishers to drive traffic to their sites.
One advantage of affiliate marketing is that it is a win-win for both the publishers and marketers. Publishers actively promote their affiliate links in multiple channels like blogs and earn commissions, while marketers increase traffic and sales for their products.
So, let me take you through my top 20 best affiliate programs for beginners in 2022.
Disclosure: This content is reader-supported, which means if you click on some of our links, we may earn a commission, but the price on your end remains the same.
Affiliate Marketing Networks for Everyone
Do you want to save time and get unlimited products you can promote in your niche? A platform you can enroll and manage all your affiliate links under one roof? Lucky for you as this section gives you the 7 best networks, whether you’re a beginner or an expert affiliate.
1. Shareasale.com: Best Affiliate Network
Shareasale.com is one of the most (if not the most) trusted affiliate networks. The platform has over 21,200 merchants you can choose to promote their products. More than 241,000 publishers have already joined the platform, and you can, too, get unlimited affiliate links in your niche.
The network has 39 categories of merchants, from finance and education to domain registration, computers, automotive, and auction services. For instance, if you’re a digital marketer, you can promote ShareASale as a brand. Or even promote hosting companies like WP Engines and Namecheap. Over 20,000 products are waiting for you; sign up now.
You’ll earn $150 for every merchant sign-up through your link. But the merchant program should be either 6 months old or have generated $100 network fees (whichever comes first).
And if an affiliate (publisher) enrolls through your affiliate link and earns a commission of at least $20, you’ll also earn a $30 commission. So, it allows everyone, including beginners, to enroll, select and apply for affiliate programs, get links, and start promoting.
2. Impact.com: Affiliate Marketplace
Impact.com is yet another awesome marketplace for affiliates and marketers. As a beginner, you can get a pool of affiliate programs to promote on your website and monetize your traffic. And even get an opportunity to connect with top brands that match your reader’s preferences.
The platform has low entry barriers. So it is a perfect place for beginners and experts to get affiliate programs in any niche. You can access the world’s largest brands across beauty, fitness, accessories, financial services, and more. Including brands like Adidas, Lenovo, and Airbnb.
3. CJ (Commission Junction) Affiliate
CJ Affiliate is another trusted affiliate network where newbies and expert affiliates sign up and apply for different programs under one roof. You can sign up as early as today as long as you have a website and at least 18 years of experience. Then start recommending products.
It has over 20 years of experience linking bands to publishers and established its name in affiliate marketing. So, it is a better affiliate network for everyone, including beginners. It offers tools and a stable platform to monetize your traffic through affiliate programs.
4. Amazon Associate Program
Amazon Associates is one of the largest affiliate marketing programs globally, helping creators, bloggers, and publishers monetize their web traffic. You can enroll today and access millions of products available on Amazon. Then get links or banners and promote them on your platforms.
Amazon has a low entry barrier, meaning even beginners can enroll in their affiliate marketing programs. However, your account only gets approved for 180 days, and it is closed if you fail to make at least three sales within this time. But you have the option to reapply.
One limitation of this platform is that its cookies last for 24 hours only. Thus, you only earn a commission from sales made within 24 hours through your unique affiliate links. You should share the banners/links on your blog and social media to increase your earning potential.
5. ClickBank Affiliate Network
ClickBank is home to over 100,000 affiliates, who have earned over $5.5 billion in commission since 1999. You can sign up today and apply for affiliate programs that suit your audience’s needs. Then promote your links, access reliable tracking, and earn high commissions.
One thing you can be assured of when using Clickbank is reliable payments. Not to mention access to over 4000 quality products waiting for you. So, you can make money as an affiliate by promoting other people’s products and services without creating your own.
6. Walmart Affiliate Programs
You can also join the Walmart Affiliate Program and earn a commission by recommending products to your audience on your blog or social media platforms like YouTube.
As a Walmart affiliate, you’ll get training tools and a weekly newsletter with banners, links, and information about awesome products you can feature on your website. Their Member Center also gives you access to more banners and links and allows you to customize your referrals.
7. eBay Affiliate Network
eBay is a reputable marketplace that connects buyers and sellers globally. Its affiliate network enables you to earn commissions for the traffic you drive to a specific item on eBay or any traffic that results in a sale. So, sign up and drive traffic to their high-converting landing pages.
eBay Affiliate Network’s portal offers awesome tools and comprehensive reports you need to monitor and improve your results. All you have to do is join is fill out an application form, then create and promote trackable affiliate links to your audience, and earn commissions.
Hosting Affiliate Program for Beginners
If you’re into digital creation or marketing, online business, or sharing tips on how to earn as a freelancer, then you should consider enrolling in web hosting affiliate programs. Here’re the top 8 web hosting companies with affiliate marketing programs for beginners and experts.
- Dreamhost affiliate: It is one of the highest-paying affiliate programs, where you can earn up to $200 per referral. So, fill in the form and wait for an email notifying you whether your application was accepted or not. If accepted, get links and start promoting.
- Liquid web affiliate: As an affiliate, you’ll earn $150+ per every sale made through your unique affiliate link. And if you’re a current customer, you can recommend Liquid Web packages to your friends or relatives and earn $100 for each referral on all the hosting plans.
- Cloudways affiliates: It has a flexible commission payout model, giving you two options. First, you earn a one-time commission of $125 per sale for every referral made through your link. The other option is to earn $30 per sale + a lifetime recurring commission of 7%.
- Hostgator affiliate: It pays affiliates $65/signup if they make 1-5 successful referrals per month, $75/signup for 6-10 referrals, $100/signup for 11-20 referrals, and $125/signup if you make 21+ successful referrals. They get more business while you get more cash.
- Green Greeks affiliate: Every time a user buys their hosting packages through your link, you can earn up to $100 per sale, paid monthly through Paypal. So, you earn $50 per sale if you make one sale in a month, $60 for two sales, $70 for 3 sales, $80 for 4 sales, $90 for 5 sales, $100 if you make 6+ sales, and custom commission if you refer 10+ referrals per month.
- Siteground affiliate: Like Hostgator and Green Greeks, Sitegound has a flexible affiliate program. You earn $50 per sale if you drive 1-5 referrals, $75/per sale for 6-10 referrals, $100/per sale for 11-20 referrals, and a custom commission for 21+ referrals.
- Bluehost affiliate: You can earn $65 for every qualified sale made through your affiliate link. And the process is pretty much the same as Dreamhost. So, sign up in a few clicks and, if accepted, get your links and banners to promote on your blog or social networks.
- InMotion affiliate program: Through Impact Radius, you can get your affiliate links, add them to your site, or share them on social media, and earn $50 per sale you drive to this website. You’ll get a monthly payout for all your referral traffic that converts to purchases.
Bottom line: all these web hosting affiliate programs best suit beginners and experts. And the process of joining is very much similar. You have to apply directly or through the affiliate networks discussed earlier. And if approved, access affiliate links and banners. Then all you have to do is share the banners and links on your website, drive sales to their site, and earn.
Affiliate Marketing Programs for Bloggers
Any publisher, including bloggers, can sign up in affiliate networks like Shareasale.com (highly recommended) and any of the other 14 discussed affiliate programs. Still, one can consider the following five options: become an affiliate and expand their revenues.
- Semrush: Through Impact Radius, you apply to be their affiliate and earn $0.01 for every new sign-up, $10 for every new trial, and $200 for every new sale. Unlike Amazon Associate, whose cookies last 24 hours, Semrush’s cookies have a longer life – 120 days.
- Sender: Its affiliates earn a lifetime 30% commission for every sale made through their affiliate link. Their commission structure is fixed, and the minimum commission payout is $100. So, if you’re into digital or email marketing, this is one program you should consider.
- Fiverr: If you’re a freelancer, you can promote this leading freelance marketplace and earn a commission for every sale made through your links or banners. So, you can promote Fiverr CPA and earn $15-150 for every first-time purchase, or Fiverr Hybrid and earn $10 CPA + 10% revenue share for the next 12 months for every first-time purchase.
- AWeber: You can promote their email marketing packages and earn 40% lifetime recurring commission if you bring 10+ new paid accounts and 50% if you refer 50 or more new paid accounts in the trailing 12 months. So, you can earn 6,000/year if you refer 50 individuals or businesses to purchase the $19.99/month package. Sounds good, right?
- GetResponse: Promote this company’s email marketing solutions and earn 33% lifetime commissions every month for all sales made through your links. Alternatively, you can earn a fixed commission of $100 per sale. And like Semrush, their cookies last for 120 days.
FAQs on Affiliate Programs For Beginners
You start affiliate marketing by finding a niche, choosing a platform (blog, YouTube, social media), and creating valuable content in your niche. Then sign up for relevant affiliate programs, add affiliate links to your content, increase traffic, and earn.
There are many affiliate programs best suited for beginners, but my personal best is Shareasale.com, which has over 20k merchants and is trusted by over 241k publishers. You can enroll in CJ Affiliate, Impact, Amazon Associates, and the 16 others discussed herein.
Of the 20 affiliate programs discussed in this article, Semrush and Dreamhost have the highest commission of up to $200 per successful sale made through your affiliate links.
It is easy to become an Amazon affiliate, but you need to have some content ready before signing up. If you fail to make at least 3 sales in 90 days, your account will be closed. So, only head to Amazon Associates when you build a foundation and create some following.
You can make as much as you want, depending on how actively you have promoted your affiliate links. You can even earn $40,000 and more as an affiliate beginner.
Do not over-monitor your content; focus more on selling than helping your audience. Or even publish poor-quality content, ignoring SEO basics and not having enough information about what you’re selling. You need to offer solutions to your audience.
Although it is recommended, you mustn’t own a website to be an affiliate marketer. You can promote your affiliate links on social media, including YouTube, Facebook, and PPC.
Conclusion: Now What?
Everyone, including beginners, can enroll in many affiliate programs and networks, get and promote affiliate links and banners, and start making money. However, before enrolling on any of these platforms, have some articles on your site to increase the chances of acceptance.
You can also increase your success rate and earn more passive income by:
- Publishing quality content before applying
- Applying only for relevant affiliate programs
- Having an understanding of whatever you’re selling
- Not over-optimizing your content earning
- Improving user experience on your website
This article shows you 20 of the best affiliate programs beginners can enroll in, my personal bests being Shareasale.com, Dreamhost, Semrush, Impact.com, and CJ Affiliate. You can enroll in a few networks, maybe 2-3, and then find individual products to promote on your site.
Which of these affiliate programs or networks would you recommend to beginners? Or which one do you consider starting with? Please let us know in the comment section. In the meantime, check out this complete affiliate marketing guide, and contact me for SEO and writing services.
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