After my post about ways to make money from affiliate links, reader Liyana, @theliyanaaris wanted to know more about the types of affiliate programs that are out there since she lives in Malaysia and not all are available to her.
When I first started blogging, I signed up for every affiliate program under the sun because I didn’t want to miss anything. While this is great, it’s also hard to keep track of all your accounts and know when to use what program. Now I’m only affiliated with two affiliate programs, and that’s because they both serve completely different purposes.
Amazon affiliates
If you’re a lifestyle or fitness blogger, Amazon affiliates is for you. Amazon offers its affiliate program to bloggers all over the world too (this would be a good one for you Liyana).
In most of the affiliate programs for bloggers, you’ll only find links for clothing and accessories. Sometimes you’ll be able to find home decor or office supplies, but for the most part it’s strictly clothing.
With Amazon affiliates, you can link everything from food to vitamins to workout equipment to beauty products to books. You name it, Amazon most likely has it. They even have clothing and shoes. This affiliate program is really a one stop shop.
ShopStyle Collective
Shopstyle Collective is my #1 recommendation for affiliate programs. All the stuff from “my closet” is linked through them. They have great ROI and they always offer chances to gain more or double your earnings.
They are constantly innovating the platform too - they’re the only program that allows you to shop Snapchat through emoticodes.
I became affiliated with them when they first started and were testing things out. They were initially called Shopsense and somewhat recently changed their name to Shopstyle Collective. So yes, you could say I’m very loyal to them.
They also give opportunities for collaborations with brands. I once got a really great collaboration with a super high end beauty brand.
rewardStyle (LIKEtoKNOW.it)
rewardStyle or “like to know it” is probably the most well-known affiliate link programs out there. They are a by-invitation only program which means you have to be discovered or referred by a blogger friend.
Though I typically don’t like a “members only” type attitude, the convenient thing about it is that all you have to do is like a picture on Instagram and you get an email with links to a blogger’s entire outfit. On the flip side if I want to quickly know what you’re wearing I’d love it if you could tag the brand in the picture or your caption.
ClickBank
Click bank is an interesting affiliate program. They have the most random products and services you can partner with. But from these random products and services, you can see exactly how much commission you’d make off each product, which can vary substantially. With services like ShopStyle and rewardStyle, there’s pretty much a fixed commission rate for all items - some items are slightly higher than others, but for the most part you’re getting a set price.
The only thing they don’t have is fashion which can pose a problem for us fashion bloggers. I don’t use this service but it may be a good alternative for people in other countries who can’t access ShopStyle or rewardStyle.
Rakuten (formerly Link Share)
Rakuten’s set up is similar to Amazon affiliates in that Rakuten is partnered with companies of all kinds. I don’t think it’s as user-friendly as ShopStyle though. It’s definitely a more tedious process to find the things you want to link. However, Rakuten was rated the #1 affiliate marketing network for 5 years in a row so that has to say something.
Rakuten is great for web-based businesses and lifestyle or business bloggers. The platform seems to appeal to a more corporate audience of an older generation. If this affiliate program is your only option, I’d take it!
Skimlinks
Skimlinks is another option to monetize your links/content. They’re unique in that they monetize untapped existing links on your blog and automatically certain convert words in your posts into links. I’ve never used Skimlinks; however, they are not new to this industry and I’ve heard many great things.
Specific products
There are specific brands, programs, and products that have their own affiliate programs like SheIn.com. You can email them asking to be a part of the program and earn 10% from each sale you make.
One brand that doesn’t do any affiliate linking is Zara. This drives me crazy because they have so many great things I wish I could link but can’t because they’re not affiliated with anyone. I think that’s a huge missed opportunity for them even though I’m sure they see it as gained profit because they don’t have to pay out commissions.
If you want to find out whether or not a brand has an affiliate link program just go to their website and check or send a general email inquiry.
What affiliate link program are you with? Tell us in the comments!
xx Britt
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Image Source Credits - British Vogue, Linh Niller
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