If you have a website or are thinking of building one, you should be aware of affiliate marketing programs and how to take advantage of them.

But you probably have a lot of questions.

What industries have the best affiliate marketing programs? What kind of affiliate marketing content works best? And just how much money can an affiliate marketer make?

To answer those questions, let’s look at some numbers. This article includes 17 affiliate marketing statistics and what you can learn from them.

Check Out Our Video Guide to Affiliate Marketing Stats

What Is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is when a brand works with affiliates (also called affiliate marketers or publishers) who promote the brand’s products. When an affiliate’s promotion leads to a sale, the brand pays the affiliate.

A common way to make money from affiliate marketing is by blogging. If you have a WordPress blog, you can monetize it by writing about products related to your content. When a visitor to your site clicks a link in your blog post to buy the product, you get a commission.

You could even earn money by promoting Kinsta through our affiliate program.

Affiliate marketers also sometimes promote products through social media, email lists, or videos.

Affiliate marketing has experienced incredible growth in recent years, and if you're ready to join in, this is the perfect place to start Click to Tweet

Who Can Be an Affiliate Marketer?

Brands are looking for affiliates with a large reach. They’re trying to sell their products to your audience — so you have to have one.

Some affiliate programs require you to have a high-traffic website or influence in your field to become an affiliate.

Others will let anyone join, but you’re not going to be very successful if no one reads your blog, social media posts, or emails. The first step to becoming an affiliate marketer is to build an audience for your website.

If you already have a successful website, affiliate marketing can help you make money by doing a lot of the same stuff you were already doing.

You can even build an entire business out of affiliate marketing.

The Benefits of Affiliate Marketing

Why should you consider becoming an affiliate marketer? Is it really the best way to make money from your site?

Here are a few key benefits of getting into affiliate marketing.

It’s low-cost and low-risk: All you have to do is add some content and links to your site. Other than the cost of running the website itself, you don’t have to pay any money upfront. And if you never sell anything with your affiliate links, you don’t lose anything.

With time, you can build a steady stream of passive income without much investment.

The opportunities are wide-ranging: Whether your website is focused on cooking, travel, or software reviews, there’s an affiliate marketing program out there for you.

You can work from home: As earning income from the comfort of home becomes increasingly popular, so does affiliate marketing.

Making money off of your website allows for a flexible schedule and lifestyle.

You don’t need to be an expert. You can become an affiliate marketer without any special knowledge or skills. Just try different ways of promoting affiliate products and see what works.

If you already have a blog, social media presence, or email list, you may already be doing a lot of the work. For example, you can just add a product review blog post to your regularly scheduled articles.

It’s lucrative. We’ll get into some income stats in a bit. Suffice it to say that affiliate marketers have the potential to make really good money.

Featured Affiliate Marketing Statistics and Trends

• The global affiliate marketing industry is worth over $17 billion
• Affiliate marketing is a top revenue source for 31% of publishers
• Affiliate marketing is the most successful channel for 20% of brand marketers
• 56% of affiliate programs increased revenue during the Covid-19 lockdown
• 81.2% of affiliate marketers make more than $20,000 annually

17 Affiliate Marketing Statistics for 2023

Let’s break down 17 affiliate marketing statistics for 2021.

1. The Global Affiliate Marketing Industry is Worth Over $17 Billion

The current global market size of affiliate marketing is over $17 billion. That’s up from $13 billion in 2016. The American affiliate marketing market alone is worth over $6 billion.

The Takeaway

Affiliate marketing is huge.

There’s a lot of money changing hands in the affiliate marketing world, and you can get in on it if you have a website with an audience.

2. Affiliate Marketing is a Top Revenue Source for 31% of Publishers

31% of publishers say that affiliate marketing is one of their top three sources of revenue. For 9%, it’s their top revenue source.

The Takeaway

Affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to monetize your content.

Unsurprisingly, in the same survey, 62% of publishers said that ecommerce is one of their top revenue sources.

Ecommerce and affiliate marketing are closely related, and the effort you put into one can help you make more money from the other. Both involve using your website or other marketing tactics to promote products.

The difference is that ecommerce involves selling your own products, while affiliate marketing involves selling someone else’s.

3. Affiliate Marketing Is the Most Successful Channel for 20% of Brand Marketers

Affiliate marketing is the most important customer acquisition channel for 20% of brand marketers. 54% rank it among their top three channels.

This is more than organic/paid search (16%) and display ads (15%).

The Takeaway

Affiliate marketing is a mutually beneficial relationship. It’s a top revenue source for publishers and also for the brands whose products are being promoted.

4. Google Searches for “Affiliate Marketing” More Than Doubled Between 2015–2021

Google Trends shows us that monthly searches for affiliate marketing are on the rise.

The Takeaway

Affiliate marketing is an increasingly popular way for publishers to monetize.

It’s not the only one, though.

Check out our list of 13 ways to monetize your blog. It includes tips on display advertising, paid membership plans, and selling ebooks.

5. “How To Create Content for Affiliate Marketing” is a Top Google Search

“How to Create Content Marketing” is one of the top 20 content marketing questions asked on Google.

The Takeaway

Content creators want to know how to make money through affiliate marketing.

If you’re one of the people searching this term, take a look at this list of affiliate marketing tips. The article references Kinsta’s affiliate system, but you can use the advice with any type of affiliate link.

Highlights include:

• Adding links and banners to your website’s footer and sidebar
• Writing reviews or sharing existing reviews
• Leveraging email and social media
• Writing a list-style blog and including the product in it
• Updating your old blog posts (where relevant) to include the product

6. 56% of Affiliate Programs Increased Revenue During the Covid-19 Lockdown

56% of affiliate advertisers and agencies increased their affiliate channel revenue starting in late March 2020.

The Takeaway

Ecommerce saw major growth during the pandemic. In 2019, online sales made up 16% of total retail sales. In 2020, that rose to 19%.

Affiliate marketing is no exception — over half of affiliate marketing programs increased their revenue during lockdown.

Many changes to consumer behavior are likely to continue beyond the pandemic. This is a great time to build your following and start earning money through affiliate marketing.

7. 19% of Affiliate Programs are in the Fashion Industry

The fashion industry dominates affiliate marketing, accounting for 19% of programs. In second place are sports and outdoor products at 15% and health and wellness at 11%.

The Takeaway

If you run a popular fashion website, you’ve got a lot of affiliate programs to choose from.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t be an affiliate marketer in a more obscure niche. All types of brands are looking for affiliates to spread the word about their products.

The easiest way to find affiliate programs in your industry of choice is simply to Google [product type] affiliate programs.

Here’s another tip: spy on your competitors. Look at sites similar to yours and see if they’ve posted any affiliate links.

8. The Toy Industry Saw 109% Growth in Affiliate Marketing Last Year

The fastest-growing product category for affiliate marketing is toys, with 109% growth in the last year. This is followed by software (103%) and home improvement (86%).

The Takeaway

Still looking for your niche?

There are a few industries, like toys and software, that are up and coming in the affiliate marketing world. These industries offer big opportunities to grow your revenue.

9. The Retail Sector Generates 43% of Affiliate Marketing Revenue

The highest share of affiliate marketing revenue comes from the retail industry, with 43%. After that is telecom and media with 24% and travel with 16%.

The Takeaway

Most of the big opportunities in affiliate marketing come from retail.

Some types of websites, like fashion blogs, have an obvious tie-in to retail. Other times, the connection isn’t as obvious. But you still might be able to find retail products to promote on your site.

Think about your typical audience and what type of products they might buy.

10. 59% of Companies use Influencers for Affiliate Marketing

Influencer marketing and affiliate marketing aren’t exactly the same thing. Many influencer marketing campaigns are about promoting brand awareness rather than just sales.

But 59% of brands and marketing agencies also use influencers as affiliates.

The Takeaway

Companies with affiliate programs are looking for affiliate marketers that have already gained the trust of a large audience. Sometimes that means influencers.

Being an influencer in the typical sense of the word isn’t a requirement for affiliate marketing, but you can take some sales hints from successful influencers in your niche.

Take a look at:

• What kind of content they create
• How they engage with their followers
• What keywords or hashtags they use on their website or social media

11. 88% of Consumers Have Been Inspired to Buy Something By an Influencer

88% of consumers say that they’ve decided to purchase an item based on what they saw from an influencer. A significant majority of both men (83%) and women (89%) have experienced this.

The Takeaway

You, too, can inspire your followers to buy a product.

Many consumers are open to product referrals. Build a following of shoppers that trust you, and you can be successful at promoting affiliate links.

12. 64% of Consumers Prefer Videos When Interacting with Influencer Content

When interacting with influencer content, 64% of consumers say that they prefer watching videos. Only 38% of consumers prefer written content. 61% of consumers say they prefer images.

The Takeaway

People love videos. Here’s another stat to back that up: the average person spends 2.5 hours per day watching videos online.

Consider promoting your affiliate links with video. For example, you can embed them on your blogs or landing pages or post them to social media.

13. 77% of Consumers Make Purchasing Decisions Based on Reviews

77% of consumers see customer reviews as a deal-breaker or deciding factor in their product purchase decision.

The Takeaway

Today’s consumers are savvy. They don’t just read an ad or product description and assume the product is great — they want to hear from real people who’ve tried it.

That’s why product reviews are one of the most effective ways to promote affiliate links.

Your review needs to be authentic. You’re not just promoting a product — you’re also establishing trust with your audience.

In addition to writing your own review for your website, you can use third-party reviews to give your recommendation more weight. Either link to these reviews (which may mean people won’t use your affiliate link to make a purchase) or get permission to embed or screenshot them.

If you’re part of the Kinsta affiliate program, you can link to our reviews landing page. That way, you can still use your affiliate link.

14. Amazon Associates Has 43% of the Affiliate Market Share

The Amazon Associate Program dominates the affiliate marketing space with a 43% market share.

The Takeaway

Amazon is the biggest player in the game.

Luckily, the Amazon Associate Program is also a lucrative program for many affiliates. The cool thing about it is that you can promote any of the millions of products on Amazon.

So, you can choose products that fit your niche and that you know your audience will love.

15. 99% of Affiliate Programs Offer a CPA Payment Model

There are several ways you might get paid as an affiliate marketer, but 99% of programs offer a CPA model.

CPA stands for cost-per-action. It means you get paid for each customer that takes a particular action, almost always a sale.

The Takeaway

If you become an affiliate marketer, you’ll most likely make an affiliate commission every time someone makes a purchase after following your affiliate link.

However, some programs offer other payment models as well.

For example, you could get paid for clicks of your link (CPC, or cost-per-click) rather than completed sales.

16. Some Affiliates Make Millions

Publishers who have released their income reports include Pat Flynn, who grew his business from $8,000–$100,000 per month, and Adam Enfroy, who makes $200,000 per month.

The Takeaway

Some affiliate marketers have extremely successful careers. Will you be the next affiliate marketing millionaire?

17. 81.2% of Affiliate Marketers Say They Make More Than $20,000 Annually

According to a survey of STM forum users, 81.2% of affiliate marketers are making over $20,000 per year.

Quite a few claim to be making millions.

The Takeaway

STM Forum is a popular online community of affiliate marketers that requires a paid membership.

In other words, most people on the forum are experienced affiliates who are serious about making money through affiliate marketing.

That’s going to skew the results of this survey a little.

Still, the fact remains that a lot of people are making a decent income by becoming affiliate marketers. As affiliate marketing grows, the opportunity is there for you to be one of them.

Trend Forecasts: Affiliate Marketing in 2021–2022

You’re thinking about getting into affiliate marketing. But what does the future of an affiliate look like?

Will the affiliate marketing trends reflected in the stats above continue? Is affiliate marketing still worth it?

Here’s what we can expect from affiliate marketing in the year ahead.

Affiliate Marketing Will Continue to Grow

Both affiliate marketing and ecommerce, in general, are on the upswing, and that’s unlikely to stop anytime soon.

More people than ever are shopping online, and brands will increasingly turn to networks of affiliates to sell their products. Consequently, more affiliate marketing programs will be available each year.

Influencers Will Take on a Bigger Role

You saw stat number 11 above — influencers are very successful at convincing people to buy products.

Influencers have a big following and are seen as trustworthy and knowledgeable by their audiences. More affiliate programs will take advantage of that and use influencers as affiliates.

Affiliate Marketers Will Focus More on Seasonal Sales

You’ve definitely heard of holiday specials based around Christmas or Thanksgiving. But what about National Cat Day or National Cheesecake Day?

Customers respond well to deals based around these fun “holidays” as well as the more traditional ones, and online retailers are increasingly taking advantage of that.

The trend is spilling into affiliate marketing, too, with more affiliate marketers focusing on campaigns aimed at specific events or seasons.

There Will Be More Affiliate Programs Based on Subscriptions

What’s better than earning one commission from a sale? How about getting recurring payments?

There are more and more affiliate programs for subscription-based products and services. As an affiliate publisher, you’ll have more opportunities to join these in the future.

Fewer Third-Party Cookies Will Be Used

Affiliate programs have historically used third-party cookies to track successful conversions. But Google Chrome and other browsers are in the process of phasing these cookies out.

Affiliate programs will have to move to other methods of tracking in the near future.

What industries have the best affiliate programs? And just how much money can an affiliate marketer make? Learn more here Click to Tweet

Summary

Affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to monetize your website — and the opportunities to be an affiliate are only going to grow in the future.

Of course, Kinsta is always looking for more affiliate marketers for our affiliate network. Find out if you qualify here.

Want to jumpstart your affiliate marketing career with in-depth guides, affiliate marketing strategy, and insider tips from the top affiliate marketers in the industry?

Join the Affiliate Academy.

The post 17 Affiliate Marketing Statistics You Need to Know In 2023 appeared first on Kinsta®.

With affiliate marketing, businesses can spread the word about their product and boost conversion rates. And by learning how to become an affiliate marketer, bloggers, influencers, and content creators can monetize their web traffic and earn passive income.

Ready to learn more about affiliate marketing?

Check Out Our Video Guide: How To Become an Affiliate Marketer

What Is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is when a customer or user earns a commission by promoting an advertiser or retailer’s product. The customer, now known as an “affiliate,” receives a payout when they get their audience to achieve what the advertiser wants — usually a sale.

Affiliate marketing programs are an excellent way for bloggers and other content creators to earn passive income by leveraging their audiences to advertise a brand or website.

All affiliates have to do is search for a product they enjoy, promote it, and earn a percentage of profit for each sale they make. Sales are tracked through affiliate links.

Affiliate marketing programs also benefit businesses. According to Rewardful, 15–30% of sales come from referral programs.

If you're a blogger or business owner, becoming an affiliate marketer is one of the best moves you can make Learn how to get started right here Click to Tweet

Affiliate Relationships

Affiliate marketing involves three prominent people:

1. Consumer: They’re looking to buy a product.
2. Publisher: Also known as the affiliate marketer, they leverage their audience by recommending products. They earn each time the consumer purchases a product from the advertiser.
3. Advertiser: Also known as the seller, merchant, or retailer, their goal is to make sales while letting more people know about their product.

Benefits of Affiliate Programs

Now that you know what affiliate marketing is, here are a few reasons why you should learn how to become an affiliate marketer:

• Passive income: If you want to know how to make money online, affiliate programs are a quick and inexpensive way to do so without the hassle of selling your product. Unlike a day job that requires you to work before earning money, affiliate marketing empowers you to earn while you sleep. You need to sign up for an affiliate site and set up a campaign. Once that’s done, you’ll continuously earn money when customers use your affiliate link to buy what you recommend.
• Multiple channels: You can earn from affiliate programs through your social media accounts, email lists, and website.
• Cost-effective: Affiliate marketing is a low-barrier-entry business. Most affiliate programs don’t have signup fees — create an account and start earning.
• No expertise needed: You don’t need special skills to become an affiliate marketer. Basic knowledge of search engine optimization (SEO) or digital marketing might be helpful, but the beauty of affiliate marketing is that you can learn and test along the way.
• Convenience and flexibility: You don’t have to stick to one affiliate program — you can create multiple campaigns. You can also work remotely and be your boss.

Drawbacks of Affiliate Programs

While there are many advantages to becoming an affiliate marketer, you should also manage your expectations.

• You can’t control affiliate marketing programs: You depend on the merchant’s rules and conditions. So if you want to earn more, you have to be selective about which partnerships you choose.
• Results don’t happen overnight: It might take time before your affiliate earnings pick up, especially if you aren’t starting with a big following. Just keep improving your posts. Remember: It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
• No revenue guarantee: Earning passive income from affiliate marketing is possible but not guaranteed. Don’t make it a primary source of revenue until you start seeing results.
• Competition: Because there’s a low barrier to entry, many people sign up to become affiliate marketers.

In most affiliate marketing programs, 10% of affiliates contribute 90% of sales. But don’t be discouraged! Learning to become an affiliate marketer is still worthwhile because the affiliate market is enormous. Spending in the U.S. alone is expected to reach over $8 billion in 2022 — almost triple what it was ten years ago.

How Much Do Affiliate Marketers Make?

If you’re having second thoughts about learning how to become an affiliate marketer, the income potential may be enough to change your mind.

Typical affiliate earnings can range from $50 to $25,000 per month, but that depends on a lot of factors, such as:

• Industry/Niche
• Size of the following
• Engagement

Of these three factors, engagement matters the most. Brands love micro-influencers because they cost less, are more relatable, and build trust with their audiences.

Another important consideration is choosing and building a niche. By trying to sell to all, you’ll likely end up selling to no one.

Need inspiration? Here are some of the top affiliate marketers:

• Adam Enfroy grew his blog from 0 to 500,000 followers in just two years. He earned $800,000 in affiliate income in 2020.
• Pat Flynn runs the popular blog Smart Passive Income. He started making money from affiliate marketing and branched off to offer online courses.
• John Dumas from Entrepreneur on Fire makes money by selling digital products and services while doing affiliate marketing on the side. He made $11,000 from affiliate marketing in October 2021.

How Does Affiliate Marketing Work?

While there are different affiliate marketing models, the business involves earning affiliate commissions from selling another brand’s products.

Affiliate sales are tracked using referral links, which have tracking cookies. These tracking cookies stay on a user’s browser for a specified amount of time. That can be as short as a day to as long as a year.

If the user who clicked on the referral link purchases something within the tracking cookie’s valid time frame, the affiliate earns a commission.

Here’s a flow chart of how affiliate marketing works:

Getting and Tracking Affiliate Links

Affiliate links are used to track your customers’ purchases. The way you generate and track affiliate links depends on the affiliate program you choose.

When you sign up for an affiliate network, they take care of affiliate link tracking and generation. That could be another story when you use an in-house affiliate program. Some affiliate programs don’t have tracking or reporting tools, while others, like Kinsta, let you track your affiliate traffic.

You can use link management software to cloak your affiliate links and learn how to track affiliate links in WordPress.

Getting Paid

Affiliate marketers earn credit when users buy something through their affiliate links. In the affiliate world, this is known as cost-per-action (CPA). It’s the most popular way affiliates get paid.

But that’s not the only way. You can get paid for other actions, such as:

• Cost-per-lead (CPL): You earn when a customer gives you personal details, such as an email address or phone number.
• Cost-per-click (CPC): You earn every time a user clicks your link. It works similarly to banner ads.
• Cost-per-impression (CPM): You earn for every thousand views. Some ads also work this way.

The type of payout, how much, how often, and what method you get paid depend on the merchant managing the affiliate program. Merchants usually pay their affiliates monthly once they’ve reached a minimum payout amount. Standard payment methods include PayPal and direct deposit.

How to Become an Affiliate Marketer

1. Choose a niche
2. Find the best affiliate programs
3. Choose a publishing platform
4. Produce traffic-generating content
5. Promote your affiliate links

1. Choose a Niche

When you decide to become an affiliate marketer, the first step is choosing a niche.

You can choose one based on popularity, profitability, market demand, or your interests. The best niche would be a combination of all four.

Choosing a niche is vital because it dictates the quality of engagement from your followers. If you don’t believe in what you’re selling, your followers won’t either. And choosing the right niche is crucial because not all of them are profitable.

Our tip: Check whether your interest falls in the most popular affiliate marketing niches. That way, you hit two birds with one stone:

1. You can be sure it’s profitable.
2. You know the ins and outs of the niche and won’t struggle with following trends.

The most popular affiliate niches include:

• Health and fitness
• Technology
• Personal finance
• Dating
• Blogging and making money online
• Fashion

2. Find the Best Affiliate Programs

After deciding which niche to specialize in, it’s time to join affiliate marketing programs.

Affiliates can choose between two types of programs:

1. Affiliate networks: An affiliate network is a midpoint between publishers and merchant affiliate programs. Merchants who sign up can create a program on the platform, while publishers can choose from multiple programs. Affiliate networks are best for beginners because they have almost everything you need for successful affiliate marketing out of the box. They make it easy for users to sign up for multiple programs by having them all on one platform.

They usually charge a commission for convenience, though, so your potential earnings may be less than if you had signed up for multiple in-house programs.

Examples of affiliate networks include Amazon Associates, ShareASale, and ClickBank.

2. In-house programs: Companies can create their in-house affiliate programs. Publishers get more commissions when they sign up for them, but they have to sign up individually to be part of multiple programs.

An example is Kinsta’s affiliate program.

High-quality affiliate programs offer high commission rates and extended cookie validity.

With Kinsta’s cloud hosting affiliate program, you earn depending on the hosting service referred. For WordPress Hosting referrals, you can earn a bonus between $50 to $500 in commissions for every signup (depending on the plan), along with 10% recurring commissions. For Application Hosting and Database Hosting referrals, you can earn 5% monthly recurring commissions with every signup you make. The recurring commissions from a referred client with multiple hosting services are cumulative. And because we consistently make our clients happy, we have a low churn rate — meaning you bring home consistent income.

3. Choose a Publishing Platform

The best thing about affiliate marketing is that you can do it on any platform.

Like choosing a niche, the key to selecting platforms is to select those you’re familiar with. Which do you use and understand the most?

6 Popular Platforms for Affiliate Marketers

Here are the top platforms for affiliate marketers right now:

1. Websites

You can use different mediums to promote affiliate products, but here’s why we think creating an affiliate website is the best method:

• You own it: You’re bound by their terms and conditions when you do affiliate marketing on social networking sites, which means you constantly have to adapt. When you have your website, changes are minimal, and you can do as you please because you own the platform.
• You can leverage SEO: Results don’t happen overnight with SEO — and that’s a good thing. Creating evergreen (timeless) content is a more sustainable way to run your affiliate marketing business. As more people search for your products or keywords, your website will rise to the top of the ranks.
• You can create multiple revenue streams: Besides earning from affiliate marketing, you can also make money by selling digital and physical products, creating sponsored posts, or displaying ads.
• You can post anything: Websites can handle different content types, but the written word reigns supreme in affiliate marketing.

Ready to start a WordPress website for your affiliate marketing business? Sign up for a Kinsta hosting plan.

2. YouTube

With over 2 billion users worldwide, YouTube is another lucrative platform for affiliate marketing. Besides earning from YouTube ad revenue or selling merchandise, YouTubers also make money from affiliate marketing.

You can place your affiliate links in various places on YouTube, such as the:

• Description box.
• Pinned comment.
• Community posts.
• End of the video.
• YouTube Cards.

You don’t have to have millions of followers. You have to build a YouTube channel and create helpful content.

3. Social Media

As of October 2021, there are 4.55 billion social media users across different platforms, covering 57.6% of the world’s population.

Influencer marketing has empowered content creators to leverage their social media presence to promote products. They earn by posting product links to their Facebook groups, Instagram Stories, tweets, or Pins.

Influencers favor social media because it’s convenient, visible, and where their audience is. The only downside is that social media requires you to post frequently because algorithms change and posts have a short shelf-life.

Otherwise, social networks are great platforms for your marketing efforts.

4. Email Newsletters

There are 4 billion active email users in the world today, making it one of the most profitable platforms for affiliate marketing.

Learning to be an affiliate marketer using your email list means unlearning many traditional email marketing best practices. Here, you take a customer’s point of view by sharing a solution that helped you instead of selling products.

Follow these best practices for affiliate marketing using email lists:

• Segment your email lists.
• Check whether your email marketing software allows affiliate links.
• Perform A/B testing on campaigns.

5. Podcasts

A podcast is another popular platform that focuses on audio content.

As of 2021, there are 2 million podcasts, over 48 million podcast episodes, and 62 million weekly podcast listeners. People like podcasts because they can listen to them during routine tasks, such as commuting or exercising.

Research shows that 54% of listeners consider buying from a brand when they hear about it on a podcast, which shows how podcasts generate brand interest. Besides creating revenue from sponsorship deals, podcasts are also an excellent opportunity for affiliate marketing.

You can mention affiliates in the episode and post affiliate links on your show notes and social media.

6. A Combination of Each

Chances are, you use more than one of these platforms. For best results, why not post your affiliate link across all platforms? That way, you can track which platforms your affiliate links perform best.

4. Produce Traffic-Generating Content

The phrase “content is king” rings true for marketing. People won’t visit your channels if you don’t provide valuable content.

Here are a few content ideas to consider while learning to become an affiliate marketer.

Written Content

• How-to guides
• Product reviews
• Product comparisons
• Best products lists
• Ebooks
• Tutorials
• Listicles
• Case studies

Video Content

• Hauls
• Unboxing videos
• Product reviews
• Product try-ons
• Tutorials
• Top X lists

5. Promote Your Affiliate Links

After you’ve created content using your affiliate links, it’s time to get more people to see it.

Here are some content marketing tips to bolster your affiliate marketing strategy:

• Attract customers with sales, deals, and coupons.
• Post on forums and question-and-answer websites like Reddit and Quora.
• Post on social media
• Use affiliate banners on your website.
• Use Facebook ads and PPC marketing.

Next Steps: Maximizing Affiliate Earnings

Now that you’ve learned the basics of affiliate marketing, take note of these tips to maximize your affiliate earnings:

1. Only promote brands you believe in: Integrity is essential. Customers can tell when you’re just trying to make money.
2. Build a relationship with your audience so you can instill trust: Don’t try to sell right away.
3. Be transparent: Let your audience know that you earn something by promoting the company’s product.
4. Create quality content: Helpful content is the type that resonates the most with customers.

Want to monetize their web traffic and earn passive income? Start here Click to Tweet

Summary

Learning how to become an affiliate marketer is a straightforward way to monetize your content and earn passive income. With the right partnerships, marketing tools, and strategy, you can make money while sharing the products you love with an engaged audience.

Do you enjoy Kinsta’s services? Sign up for Kinsta’s affiliate marketing program and start earning today.

The post The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming an Affiliate Marketer appeared first on Kinsta®.

One of the simplest ways to earn is using the best affiliate programs for bloggers.

Affiliate marketing is a lucrative field for monetization because:

• It’s a multi-billion dollar industry: Spending in the U.S. alone is expected to reach over $8 billion in 2022, almost triple what it was ten years ago.
• According to Rakuten, more than 80% of advertisers have affiliate programs.
• The industry is responsible for over 16% of ecommerce orders.

Keep reading to find out which affiliate program you should choose.

What Are Affiliate Programs?

Affiliate marketing programs are referral programs through which a publisher (or a blogger) earns an affiliate commission by marketing a business’s products.

To get started with affiliate marketing, you:

1. Join a program
2. Search for a product
3. Promote it
4. Earn a percentage of profit for each sale you refer

Sales are tracked via affiliate links. Each affiliate program has a slightly different tracking method, but they’ll all give you a way to track your successful referrals.

There are three major players in an affiliate program:

• Advertiser: Also known as the seller, their goal is to make sales while getting the word out about their product.
• Publisher: Also known as the affiliate marketer, their goal is to earn income.
• Consumer: They want to buy a product.

There are different affiliate marketing models and various ways affiliates get paid (per sale, per click, or lead), but the most common is getting paid per sale.

Did you know that 80% of advertisers have affiliate programs? Find the right choice for you in this guide Click to Tweet

Why Websites Are the Best Affiliate Marketing Platform

Most influencers use social media, email lists, or podcasts to promote products, but here are a few reasons why we think websites are the best medium for affiliate partnerships:

• You own it: When you use social media for affiliate marketing, you’re bound by their terms and conditions, which can change day-to-day. When these platforms change their algorithms, you have to adjust your marketing strategy on the fly.
  But when you use a website for affiliate marketing, you own and control everything.

• The SEO advantage: Influencers doing affiliate marketing on social media platforms have to create content so their audience won’t forget them quickly. With websites, you won’t see results immediately, but as you keep improving, more people will visit.

• Multiple revenue streams: Besides promoting affiliate products, you can also use your website to earn by selling digital products getting sponsored posts, or displaying ads.

• No shortage of content types: You can publish anything on your website, but did you know almost 65% of affiliate marketers generate traffic through blogging? The most common types of affiliate marketing blog posts include:
  • Listicles
  • Product reviews
  • Guides and tutorials

The Best Blog Types for Affiliate Marketing

To earn consistently through affiliate marketing, choose niches with a constant demand or that serve a specific audience. Although you can gain a lot initially by capitalizing on trends, it’s a ton of work for such fleeting returns.

The best-case scenario is to combine both trendy and evergreen content.

The most profitable niches for affiliate marketing include:

• Technology
• Lifestyle
• Hobbies and Gaming
• Travel
• Fashion
• Finance
• Food
• Home and Family
• Pet Care
• Health and Fitness

What to Look For in Affiliate Programs for Bloggers

Now that you know what affiliate programs are and the type of content you can make, here are the metrics to look for in the best affiliate programs for bloggers:

1. Commission rate: The best affiliate programs for bloggers have reasonable commission rates or the percentage of a sale that advertisers pay to the affiliate. They often offer recurring commissions so you can receive a regular income stream. Commission rates vary per industry and can go as high as 50%.
2. Average order value (AOV), or the amount spent by the customer per order: This is calculated by dividing the total revenue by the number of orders. It’s an important metric to look at to determine which marketing and pricing strategies you should implement. Also, if your website doesn’t get as many clicks, it’s better to target affiliate programs with higher AOVs so you can earn a higher commission.
3. Cookie duration: Affiliate programs use cookies to track affiliate sales. The cookie duration, or lifespan, is the length of time that the website’s cookie stays on the user’s computer. For example, with a 30-day cookie duration, if a user clicks your affiliate link and makes a purchase within a month, you receive credit for the sale.

Affiliate Programs for Bloggers

Without further ado, here’s our list of the top affiliate programs for bloggers:

We’ll break them into categories below for easier browsing.

WordPress-Focused

WordPress is the world’s top content management system (CMS), powering over 42% of all websites.

Businesses related to the WordPress community have significant potential. These are the best affiliate programs for blogging about web hosting, website management, and WordPress development.

1. Kinsta

Instead of becoming partners with one of the affiliate networks available, we built our own. While we welcome anyone to sign up, we’re selective about who we accept into the program. Our affiliate team will manually screen your website to ensure we’re a good fit.

Here are some incentives to join Kinsta’s affiliate program:

• Real-time tracking feature
• Monthly payouts
• High lifetime value (low churn rate per client) — we keep our clients happy, so any sale you make brings you consistent income.
• Industry-leading tips and tricks to help you effectively market Kinsta products

And those are just a few! We’ve also answered many common questions on our Affiliate Program FAQ page.

• Commission range: $50 to $500 for every WordPress signup, depending on the type of plan + 10% recurring monthly commissions. For Application Hosting and Database Hosting, we offer 5% recurring monthly commissions for every signup. Check out our commission models.
• Payout schedule: Within 60 days after you sign up for a plan.
• Payouts via: PayPal.
• Cookies/tracking: We provide 60-day tracking cookies to make sure you get credited for sale.

2. WP Buffs

WP Buffs is a popular WordPress service provider. It provides WordPress website management and partners with premium plugins to make your website run smoothly.

WP Buffs’ automatic payouts, long cookie-tracking period, and popularity in the WordPress community make it one of the best affiliate programs for bloggers.

• Commission range: Up to 10%.
• Payout schedule: Automatic payouts once your referrals complete their first month.
• Payouts via: PayPal.
• Cookies/tracking: 60 days.

3. Codeable

If you have a network of new business owners that need help with WordPress development, then you should sign up for the Codeable affiliate program.

Codeable has a network of developers who can help with custom WordPress themes, templates, and plugin development, along with security optimization and website design.

• Commission range: 50% commission on all sales.
• Payout schedule: Automatic (no minimum threshold required).
• Payouts via: PayPal or bank wire.
• Cookies/tracking: 30 days.

Website Tools

Besides web hosting, websites and developers need other tools to create graphics or optimize content for search engines. The following software as a service (SaaS) tools are some of the best affiliate programs for bloggers.

4. Adobe

Adobe is every visual artist’s best friend. It’s famous for its suite of creative and multimedia software, Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, InDesign, etc.).

The Adobe Affiliate Program is very generous. It has a 30-day cookie duration, high commission range, and lets you promote three of its products — Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Stock, and Adobe Document Cloud.

• Commission range: If the customer subscribes on a month-to-month basis, you get 85% from the first month. If they subscribe to an annual plan, you get paid 8.33% of the first-year payment.
• Payout schedule: Monthly.
• Payouts via: Direct deposit.
• Cookies/tracking: 30 days.

5. Semrush

Semrush is a high-quality SaaS tool used by professionals for keyword research, content marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO). Its exclusive partner program empowers bloggers to earn recurring income by encouraging users to sign up for Semrush plans.

• Commission range: Earn up to $200 per new subscription, $10 for every new trial, and $0.01 for new signups.
• Payout schedule: Flexible — set a payout day each month or automatically get paid when you reach a set threshold.
• Payouts via: PayPal or direct deposit. Minimum payout of $50.
• Cookies/tracking: 120 days.

Email Marketing

What’s more ubiquitous than social media? Email.

There are 4 billion email users worldwide, and 64% of entrepreneurs use email marketing to reach customers. That makes email marketing software among the best affiliate programs for bloggers.

6. ConvertKit

ConvertKit is an email marketing provider targeted at bloggers and creatives who wish to simplify their email marketing processes. It offers a visual automation builder that streamlines the newsletter and landing page creation process and makes it possible to create triggers based on website and email actions.

• Commission range: 30% recurring monthly commission for the lifetime of each customer you refer.
• Payout schedule: Once a sale goes through.
• Payouts via: PayPal.
• Cookies/tracking: 60 days.

7. AWeber

Like ConvertKit, AWeber is another popular email marketing platform targeted to small businesses, bloggers, and creatives.

Besides the high commission rate, one of the best things about the AWeber Advocate Program is that its tracking cookies last for up to 365 days. So, when someone clicks your affiliate link, you’ll get credited for sale as long as they sign up within the year.

• Commission range: 30% recurring monthly commission for the lifetime of each customer you refer.
• Payout schedule: Payments are sent on the first of every month for referral payments earned until 15 days before the payment date. U.S. residents have a $30 minimum cashout, while non-U.S. residents need to reach $50.
• Payouts via: PayPal.
• Cookies/tracking: 1 year.

Affiliate Networks

Affiliate networks function as a marketplace for affiliate programs — they’re the midway point between bloggers and merchant affiliates. They provide access to numerous affiliate programs through a single portal.

You don’t need to sign up for multiple programs with affiliate networks. Instead, you can choose the businesses or products you want to promote from the network’s offerings.

Affiliate networks are perfect for beginners. The only downside is that they take a percentage of your commissions in return for the convenience they afford.

8. Amazon Associates

Amazon isn’t just the world’s largest retailer. It’s also one of the first online stores to offer an affiliate program — way back in 1996! Amazon’s affiliate program, Amazon Associates, is one of the best affiliate programs for bloggers because it’s perfect for beginners and offers millions of products.

• Commission range: Up to 10%.
• Payout schedule: Within 60 days after the customer has completed a purchase.
• Payouts via: Direct deposit, check, or Amazon gift card. Minimum payouts depend on the payout option chosen. (Amazon gift cards and direct deposits have a $10 minimum payout, while checks have a $100 minimum payout plus a $15 check fee.)
• Cookies/tracking: Customers must place an order within 24 hours of arriving at Amazon.com using your referral link. If a customer places an item in the shopping cart within that 24-hour window, you’ll still receive the referral fee if the customer buys the item before the shopping cart expires (which is usually 90 days).

9. eBay Partner Network

Although eBay has been around since 1995, the eBay Partner Network program only went live in 2008. While it’s had a late start, it’s still one of the best affiliate programs for bloggers.

With over 1 billion listings and 150 million customers purchasing $25 million worth of merchandise yearly, you’ll never run out of products to promote when you sign up to be an affiliate.

• Commission range: Up to 70%.
• Payout schedule: Monthly, as long as you reach the $10 minimum threshold.
• Payouts via: PayPal and direct deposit.
• Cookies/tracking: Like Amazon, customers must checkout within 24 hours for sale to get credited to your affiliate link.

10. ShareASale

The ShareASale affiliate marketing network from Awin is your best bet if you don’t want to sign up for multiple programs.

Since its founding in 2000, ShareASale has grown to nearly 4,000 affiliate programs across 40 categories with over a million affiliates. Additionally, it provides affiliate marketing classes and training for new affiliates so you can maximize your earning potential.

• Commission range: Varies depending on the program.
• Payout schedule: Every 20th of the month.
• Payouts via: Direct deposit, check, wire transfer, or Payoneer when you reach the $50 payout threshold.
• Cookies/tracking: Varies depending on the program.

Remote Work

2021 was the year of the Great Resignation.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 4 million Americans quit their jobs in July 2021. Part of the reason for leaving their jobs was returning to the office. According to Upwork, 24% of American professionals say they would instead take a pay cut to continue working remotely, while 20% are considering freelancing.

It’s currently a jobseeker’s market. Take advantage of these popular affiliate programs promoting remote work.

11. Fiverr

Fiverr is an online marketplace for freelancers. If you’re looking for someone to do logo design, content writing services, or voiceovers, Fiverr has it all.

Fiverr’s affiliate program is one of the top affiliate programs for bloggers. Besides referrals, which can fetch you up to $150 each, Fiverr empowers you to earn by marketing its Fiverr Learn online course and Fiverr Workspace subscription.

• Commission range: Up to $150 for each successful referral of a first-time user; 30% commission for each Learn from Fiverr sale or AndCo plan; 50% commission for each Fiverr Workspace subscription.
• Payout schedule: Once a month, when you reach the $100 minimum payout threshold.
• Payouts via: PayPal and Payoneer for commissions less than $1,000; wire transfers for commissions above $1,000.
• Cookies/tracking: 30 days.

12. FlexJobs

FlexJobs is an online job website that helps you look for jobs quickly. Job listings are divided into different categories, making it easy to find employment. You can also filter options to reflect remote-only (work-from-home) job opportunities.

FlexJobs’ affiliate program is hosted through the CJ Affiliate network (formerly known as Commission Junction).

• Commission range: Up to $15 for each paid subscription you refer.
• Payout schedule: Once a month from commissions earned the previous month.
• Payouts via: PayPal.
• Cookies/tracking: 24 hours.

Travel

In 2019, the U.S. travel industry attracted 80 million visitors, contributing $1.1 trillion to the country’s GDP.

The travel industry was among the most heavily affected during the 2020 pandemic. Now that vaccination rates are up, and virus cases are going down, the industry is slowly starting to pick up — especially since “revenge travel” is an emerging trend.

13. TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor is a popular travel website known for visitors’ and locals’ reviews of destinations, accommodations, and restaurants. The platform allows users to compare prices for and book tours, flights, and places to stay.

You can earn by referring clicks to TripAdvisor’s partner hotels. The payout depends on the number of monthly clicks you refer. Commissions start at 50%, making it one of the best affiliate programs for bloggers in the travel category.

• Commission range: Minimum of 50%.
• Payout schedule: Monthly, once you reach the minimum payout.
• Payouts via: Check or direct deposit.
• Cookies/tracking: 14 days.

14. Expedia

Expedia is a major travel brand that owns other travel companies such as Hotels.com, Orbitz, and Travelocity. With over 1 million bookable properties in over 200 countries, Expedia’s wide reach and network land a spot in our list of the best affiliate programs for bloggers

• Commission range: 2-12%.
• Payout schedule: Once a month upon hitting the $50 minimum payout threshold.
• Payouts via: Direct deposit.
• Cookies/tracking: 7 days.

Finance and Credit Cards

Over 1 billion credit cards are in circulation in the U.S., accounting for about one-third of all credit cards worldwide. Experian estimates that each American has an average of four credit cards to their name.

If your blog promotes financial literacy or freedom, you’ll benefit from these affiliate programs.

15. QuickBooks

QuickBooks is accounting software that was launched over 25 years ago. Bloggers, freelancers, and creatives use it to accept payments, pay bills, and manage their payroll.

• Commission range: Up to 10%.
• Payout schedule: Monthly, when affiliates meet the $50 minimum payout threshold.
• Payouts via: Check.
• Cookies/tracking: 45 days.

16. Bankrate

Bankrate started as a print service offering financial advice to its readers in the 1970s. When it went online in 1996, part of its mission was to help its audience discover the best credit cards for them.

While Bankrate is an affiliate for credit card companies, it’s also a public affiliate network, letting you promote multiple credit card programs without signing up for all of them. The only downside is that because they’re an affiliate themselves, you’ll earn less than you would by directly signing up with the credit card company itself.

• Commission range: Varies depending on the program.
• Payout schedule: Varies depending on the program.
• Payouts via: Varies depending on the program.
• Cookies/tracking: Varies depending on the program.

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Summary

Affiliate programs empower anyone to leverage their platforms to earn passive income.

They have low start-up costs, don’t require special skills, and can be done on multiple platforms. Many influencers and content creators leverage their large follower counts by recommending affiliate products on social media.

However, you don’t need a large audience to join or succeed in affiliate marketing.

If you already have a website, start earning today by signing up for an affiliate program on our list of the best affiliate programs for bloggers. These programs are popular in their niches, have long cookie durations, and have high commission rates and order values.

Do you enjoy Kinsta’s services? Start earning passively when you sign up for our affiliate program. And if you’re ready to start a WordPress website of your own, Kinsta’s the right place for that, too.

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