Successful online personalities can earn passive income through affiliate marketing. Those with a substantial online following, such as influencers, can join an affiliate marketing network and promote products, earning a commission for each purchase made by those they refer.
Almost anyone can become an affiliate marketer in principle. What the affiliate marketing networks seek are authentic intentions rather than practical possibilities of generating customer traffic.
If you lack an existing online audience, it can prove to be a difficult task. Hence, influencers are well suited for the role of affiliate marketers. In certain instances, less popular affiliates even enlist the help of influencers to carry out their affiliate marketing.
While some brands manage their own affiliate marketing, numerous collaborate with expert affiliate marketing networks that curate products from multiple brands and facilitate sales with affiliate marketers. Even though they typically don’t classify influencers distinctly, they recognize that their most profitable salespeople are the ones with enormous devoted fan bases.
Although there are currently no exclusive affiliate networks for influencer marketing, these two marketing approaches work closely together and affiliate networks recognize how influential individuals can help promote the products they offer.
How Influencers Can Thrive in Affiliate Marketing
The significance of social media in marketing has significantly increased. We have mentioned in numerous previous articles that influencers in almost every conceivable field have emerged, establishing their credibility on social media. They have become the primary resource persons in their respective niches, and a large number of them also manage widely-read blogs.
Influencers possess the ability to connect with significant numbers of people. Despite not having a massive fan base, nano and micro-influencers attract a devoted following in niche areas, and their supporters are willing to abide by their advice.
Social media influencers who engage in affiliate marketing follow a similar approach to other affiliate marketers. They collaborate directly with the product creator or affiliate network and create promotional content featuring the product. However, they use a distinctive link to distinguish their referrals from others.
The influencer affiliate will earn a predetermined percentage of the money spent if the people referred by them make purchases. However, if the promotion by the affiliate does not lead to any purchases, the brand will not compensate the influencer.
While a few brands partner with individual affiliates such as influencers, others opt to market their merchandise via an affiliate network. This approach streamlines the process for them since they don’t have to seek out sales staff, manage sales activities or compensate individual affiliates.
Top Influencer Affiliate Marketing Networks In 2023
1. ShareASale
With an average of 260 affiliates joining each day, ShareASale is recognized as one of the top affiliate networks.
With over 21,200 retail affiliate programs spanning across 39 consumer categories, this network has a primary focus on B2C. Although some programs cater to specific regions, the majority are accessible to all customers and affiliates worldwide.
Payment options are provided by ShareASale, while the percentage of commission granted to affiliates depends on the products they are promoting. The commission typically begins at 5% per sale but can increase to 50% or more for certain products.
- Check (subject to a payment threshold of $50)
- Direct deposit
- Bank transfer (subject to a $29 fee per transfer)
- Payoneer
Commissions earned in the preceding month are paid on the 20th of each month, unless the vendor has selected an extended lock date. ShareASale’s email support system is available to affiliates 24/7.
Free access to training webinars, resources, and other useful marketing materials is additionally provided by the network.
CJ Affiliate network.
An affiliate marketing network that puts a strong emphasis on retail brands is CJ Affiliate, previously known as Commission Junction. It boasts of working with twice as many brands on the IR500 list of North America’s top eCommerce companies compared to its closest rival.
The commissions offered by the affiliate programs fluctuate, but typically commence with a 5% per sale compensation like many other affiliate networks.
Although it may seem insignificant, CJ Affiliate offers payouts exceeding $1.8 billion annually in commissions. Therefore, with a successful affiliate marketing plan, there is a considerable opportunity for earning substantial income. Furthermore, approved influencers receive higher commissions from specific premium and boutique labels.
Payment can be done through paper check, direct deposit, or Payoneer, which is usable in 150+ currencies. However, it becomes complicated as affiliates are required to accumulate a minimum of $50 in commissions to receive payment.
The payment cycle can be a bit perplexing when it comes to seconds.
3. Amazon Associates
With over 350 million products stocked, Amazon has an affiliate program called Amazon Associates that is indispensable for individuals such as lifestyle influencers, mommy bloggers, hardware reviewers, and essentially anyone seeking to generate income through influencer marketing.
While there may be some discussion on whether it’s the top-notch affiliate program, it’s undoubtedly the one with the most widespread usage. The eCommerce giant sends out their products to over 100 countries, and influencers from 52 countries and territories can participate in their affiliate program.
The signup process for Amazon is straightforward – you only need to give some fundamental information about your website(s) or app(s) to get started. But, there’s a catch: You must generate three sales within 180 days of your admission to become an approved Amazon associate.
Self-generated sales are not permissible. This may not pose a challenge if there is already a large, enthusiastic audience eager to make purchases. However, micro-influencers with fewer followers may find it considerably more difficult.
Luckily, Amazon’s exceptional conversion rate simplifies things significantly and you will have access to all necessary advertising materials as well.
The percentage of commission earned per sale varies between 1% and 20%, contingent upon the type of product sold. Payment of the commissions will take approximately 60 days after being earned, and can be made via bank account transfer, check, or Amazon gift card.
Although Amazon only provides a one-day cookie window, it is not very favorable. Nevertheless, once customers have clicked on your affiliate link and added items to their cart within that period, you can still earn a commission for 90 more days even if they convert later.
4. Awin
The affiliate marketing network, Awin, which purchased its competitor ShareASale in 2017, is operating on a global scale.
The platform boasts 21,200 advertisers in various niches, such as travel, retail, finance, and telecoms. It also has over 240,000 active publishers who were responsible for 194 million sales in the year 2021.
Awin allows you to generate income from your influencer marketing initiatives by using their deep link generator to convert any image or link of a product into a traceable link. Additionally, Awin sends out a newsletter for publishers on a weekly basis that includes the most up-to-date promos and discount codes from advertisers.
Affiliate programs have differing commission rates and offer payment methods such as bank transfer, wire transfer, and Payoneer.
5. Rakuten Advertising
Rakuten, one of the major affiliate marketing networks, has a specialization in collaborating with brands that belong to the niches of retail, direct-to-consumer, finance, and travel. Its exceptional performance is noticeable as it has been awarded as the top affiliate network by mThink for 11 consecutive years.
With its considerable reputation, Rakuten holds significant influence, which enables it to entice prominent brands. Additionally, the platform furnishes superb assistance and an array of educational resources, which assist affiliates in increasing their earnings. Registering on Rakuten is effortless. All you need to do is provide some basic details about yourself and your website, and you’re set.
The minimum payout threshold for commission payments is set at $50 and can be received via direct deposit, PayPal, or check. The payments are issued after a NET 60 basis; this implies that you will receive your commissions 60 days after you have earned them.
6. Refersion Marketplace
Refersion Marketplace consists of a group of affiliate marketers and influencers who are actively seeking partnerships with merchants in four main niches as part of their affiliate network.
- Health & Wellness
- Food & Beverage
- Fashion & Beauty
- Home & Furnishings
The platform is preferred by over 25,000 affiliates due to its direct association with brands, resulting in higher commissions than those offered by conventional affiliate networks and influencer marketing platforms.
As usual, the rates of affiliate programs differ. The commissions begin from approximately 5%, but can go up to 70% for certain items. Payment methods for commissions include PayPal, gift cards, and bank transfers.
7. Shopstyle Collective
ShopStyle Collective provides a specialized platform for conducting affiliate marketing campaigns in the fashion industry. Through this platform, influencers can access two exceptional affiliate programs.
- Standard: A CPC affiliate program aimed at newcomers to influencer affiliate marketing.
- Advanced: A CPA program that pays a percentage of every order, targeted at experienced influencers with established audiences and marketing strategies.
Many brands utilize the affiliate network to discover influencers and expand their audience. Each merchant sets their own commission rates and cookie windows. The CPA affiliate program pays commissions based on the checkout price, excluding shipping and taxes.
Commissions are paid on a monthly basis through PayPal, provided that the sales are approved within a 60 to 90 day period, and the minimum threshold of US$25, CA$25, £25 GBP, €25 EUROS, or AUD$2 (whichever is appropriate for your account) is met.
To become an influencer with ShopStyle Collective, you need to:
- Be at least 18 years of age
- Have a library of original, shoppable influencer content
- Have built an engaged target audience
- Consistently create a new blog and/or social media posts
- Have an Instagram Business or Creator account with a connected Facebook Business Page
It is important to note that even after approval, your ShopStyle account may be terminated if you fail to initiate any purchase actions or earn less than $50 within six months.
If such is the scenario, ShopStyle will pay your due balance within 30 days, yet a $5 administrative charge will be subtracted.
ShopStyle Collective provides a variety of marketing materials and tools designed to assist you in increasing sales. Furthermore, they offer specialized apps for Android and iOS which allow you to generate affiliate links and track performance while on-the-go, which ideally will prevent any issues from arising.
8. ShareASale
Having been operational since 2000, ShareASale is an affiliate network that has established itself firmly within the industry. As a result, it has managed to generate a strong reputation and establish relationships with numerous prominent enterprises willing to offer products for sale.
Truly, ShareASale’s vast array of product offerings is a major benefit. With over 3,900 items available, almost any influencer who becomes a part of the program will discover products that resonate with their audience. In addition, ShareASale has access to over 1,000 exclusive merchants and affiliates.
ShareASale offers influencers and affiliates the benefit of receiving regular payments. Payments are made on the 20th of every month as long as the outstanding balance is $50 or more. There are various payment methods available, however, PayPal is not one of them.
In many ways, this is a well-named affiliate marketing network – it provides a platform where affiliate merchants can share a portion of the sales dollars with the affiliate merchants who refer customers.
9. MoreNiche
Instead of offering a vast array of products, they choose to focus on a select few that undergo rigorous quality checks. They presently have 29 offers that yield significant results to endorse.
In a private, exclusive affiliate Facebook group, members can gain access to insider knowledge from fellow affiliates, receive expert marketing advice from MoreNiche’s specialists, stay up-to-date with the latest news and product launches, enjoy attractive incentives, and other perks.
A large number of the merchants partnering with MoreNiche offer commissions ranging from 30-80% per deal.
The MoreNiche network offers up-to-the-minute statistics on the sales generated by their marketers. From December 2018 to November 2019, their affiliates successfully completed 145,687 transactions. At present, there are 28,695 active members within the MoreNiche network.
UK-based MoreNiche focuses on selling products in the health, beauty, and fitness niches. It gives its affiliate marketers all the necessary tools and resources they need to make sales.
10. Skim Links
With a network of 60,000 publishers across the globe, the company showcases the merchandise of 48,500 merchants resulting in daily sales worth $2.5m.
Skim Links focuses more on physical products rather than digital ones, with a wide selection of Amazon, Target, and eBay products. Moreover, the links are cleverly designed to redirect users to the appropriate geographic store.
Skim Links is best for influencers who are willing to create content and write reviews about particular products.
Skim Link mainly targets successful bloggers, who can promote products via their posts. Affiliate marketers downlink a plugin that creates dynamic links that the blogger can insert in his or her content, to send people to a relevant landing page.
11. 2Checkout
Their emphasis lies heavily on software and digital products. Avangate, now known as the top Affiliate Network for Digital Products in 2015, provides access to more than 22,000 software offerings from numerous well-known organizations.
Bloggers who write online tech reviews can benefit greatly from 2Checkout, making it an ideal platform for technology and business influencers.
2Checkout used to be known as AvanGate. To confuse things, 2Checkout is still based around the Avangate monetization program. This name-changing occurred because, in April 2017, Avangate acquired 2Checkout to expand payment flexibility and broaden market reach, and they relaunched the joint company under one name as 2Checkout.
