Affiliate programs are a great way to make money online, allowing affiliates to piggyback on various creators' work to earn commissions by recommending the product or service to others. With such an enticing business model, many affiliate programs are available, each with its own benefits and drawbacks.
However, with many affiliate programs targeted toward beginners, it can be tough to decide which one is right for you. Factors such as commission structure, product selection, and support should all be considered when choosing an affiliate program.
In this post, I'll share some of the best affiliate programs for beginners. I'll also give tips on what to look for in a good affiliate program so you can make the right choice from the get-go.
Let's get right to it.
Best Affiliate Marketing Programs For Beginners
The following are some of the best affiliate programs to consider.
1. Refersion Marketplace
Best Overall Affiliate Program For Beginners.
Refersion Marketplace is one of the best affiliate programs for beginners because it gives you access to various products from different merchants. You can find products in any niche, and there is no need to apply to each merchant separately.
With direct, transparent relationships with merchants, Refersion makes it easy to find the right products to promote. They also have a wide range of tools that you can use to track your progress and optimize your campaigns.
With brands you know and love, Refersion is a great way to start affiliate marketing.
Whether you want to use coupon codes, emails, or affiliate links to promote products, Refersion has you covered.
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2. Rakuten Advertising
Best For Merchant Variety.
Rakuten Advertising has been a source for affiliate marketing commissions for over two decades, allowing beginners to get their start with a wide variety of merchants.
With innovative technology and a global reach, Rakuten Advertising is also great for those looking to scale their affiliate marketing efforts.
More than 150,000 affiliate marketers use Rakuten Advertising to find the right products to promote.
Rakuten Advertising is known for its high payouts, and they offer a variety of tools to help you make the best possible commissions through affiliate sales.
Whether you're an influencer, business, app developer, blogger, or podcaster, Rakuten has the tools you need to succeed with affiliate marketing.
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3. CJ (Commission Junction)
Best Free Affiliate Marketing Programs Offering Online/Offline Possibilities.
CJ (Commission Junction) is one of the oldest and most well-known affiliate programs.
The platform offers an ecosystem of affiliate marketing opportunities with various merchants.
This network is also known for its high payouts and is one of the best affiliate programs for beginners, as it offers online and offline support.
Using innovative tools and solutions, CJ makes it easy to find the right products to promote and track your progress.
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4. Amazon Associates
Best For Link-Building Tools.
Amazon Associates is one of the first affiliate programs ever created and one of the largest and most well-known.
With over a million products to choose from, Amazon Associates is perfect for beginners looking to get started with this type of online marketing.
Amazon Associates offers various tools to help you succeed with your affiliate marketing efforts, including the ability to use their link-building tool to create links directly to product pages.
With the ability to earn commissions from qualifying purchases and programs, Amazon Associates is a great way to make more from your affiliate marketing.
Whether part of an extensive publishing network or an influencer, Amazon Associates has the tools you need to succeed with affiliate marketing, offering up to 10% commissions on various product purchases.
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5. ClickBank
Best For Selling Digital Products As An Affiliate.
ClickBank is one of the most extensive affiliate programs, helping digital product creators and marketers sell their products online. ClickBank is a great place to consider if you're looking to start promoting digital products.
Commissions vary depending on the product you're promoting but typically range from 1% to 75%.
The ability to earn recurring commissions makes ClickBank attractive to affiliate marketers, as many products available on this platform are digital products that customers can purchase on a subscription basis.
This means that affiliates can earn commissions not only on initial sales but also on subsequent purchases made by the same customer.
Various products also feature upsells, another way for affiliates to earn commissions.
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6. FlexOffers
Best For Building Partnerships At Scale.
FlexOffers uses performance-based marketing to connect brands and publishers who want to increase their reach with the right affiliates.
With over 12K advertisers, FlexOffers has something for everyone - whether you're looking to start small or scale up your earnings.
With turn-key solutions that make it easy to get started, FlexOffers is another excellent option for affiliate marketing beginners.
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7. eBay Partner Network
Best For Global Affiliate Marketing.
The eBay Partner Network helps businesses sell more on eBay - from global brands to local stands, affiliates can find all types of sellers whose products to promote.
As an affiliate, not only can you earn when someone buys something, but you can also earn when they don't buy anything - simply by driving traffic to eBay.
This makes the eBay Partner Network an excellent option for affiliate marketing beginners.
As a result, funneling users to eBay can be a great way to earn commission and build your audience simultaneously.
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Best For Getting Exclusive Affiliate Deals And Promotions.
ShareASale is an excellent option for affiliate marketing beginners as it offers a wide variety of merchants and products to partner with.
You can choose from top brands in various industries, including fashion, beauty, home & garden, food & drink, and more.
You can also find brands that fit just right for the type of audience you have and start promoting their products.
Also, great affiliate marketing tools can help you optimize your links and earn more commission.Key Features:
9. Fiverr
Best For Selling Affiliate Services.
Well known for its gig economy, Fiverr is an excellent option for affiliate marketing beginners as it offers a wide variety of services that can be promoted.
You can earn commission on qualifying leads and sales generated from your referrals as an affiliate.
There is also an excellent opportunity to upsell customers on higher-priced services, which can help you earn more commission.
The platform offers marketing materials and resources to help you get started and be successful with your campaigns.
With a commission plan that is quite generous, it is worth considering Fiverr as an option.
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10. Etsy
Best For Selling Handmade Items As An Affiliate.
Etsy is a marketplace for handmade, vintage, and unique goods.
You can earn commission on qualifying leads and sales generated from your referrals as an affiliate.
There is also an excellent opportunity to upsell customers on higher-priced services, which can help you earn more commission.
When you sign up to become an Etsy Affiliate, you earn a commission for every one-of-a-kind piece you discover and share.
This means that when you find something you like on the platform, you can post links and banner ads on your site or blog to start driving traffic and earning commission on qualifying sales.
Whatever type of audience you have, there is a good chance you can find products to match their interests on Etsy.
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Learning To Promote Affiliate Marketing
While many programs can teach you the ropes of affiliate marketing, some of the best learning opportunities come from programs with a proven track record.
For example, the 15 day challenge affiliate marketing can teach you all you need to know about affiliate marketing and promoting digital products.
You can also test the program and promote the process without risk or upfront investment.
Another great way to learn is reading blogs and articles from experienced affiliate marketers.
There are also many YouTube channels dedicated to affiliate marketing where you can learn tips, tricks, and strategies from experienced marketers.
Do Best Affiliate Programs For Beginners Without A Website Exist?
When learning how to begin affiliate marketing, you might think you need a website to succeed.
However, this is not always the case.
There are plenty of affiliate programs for beginners that do not require a website.
Many of the best affiliate programs for beginners are PPC affiliate programs.
If you have experience with this type of marketing, this could be a great way to fast-track your way to success. However, it might not be the most ideal for complete newbies in the space.
Learning about the various models of affiliate marketing, including PPC affiliate programs where you can do affiliate marketing without a website, is a great way to get started in this regard.
That said, having your website does provide its benefits as well.
For one, it gives you a platform to build an audience and generate traffic from organic searches.
It also allows you to create content that can help promote your affiliate products more effectively while building your own email list of targeted prospects in a specific market.
What Are Free Affiliate Marketing Programs For Beginners?
Some of the best free platforms for affiliate marketing include the following:
With these free affiliate programs, you can get started promoting products without any upfront investment.
Each of these platforms also provides its own set of tools and resources to help you get started.
What Do High Ticket Affiliate Programs For Beginners Mean?
High affiliate marketing is about promoting products with a more expensive price tag.
This can be a great way to earn higher commissions, as you will make a higher percentage (compared to other lower-priced products) for each product you sell.
That said, promoting high-ticket items can be more challenging than promoting lower-priced items.
This is because you will need to generate high-quality traffic to make sales.
Additionally, you will need to build trust with your audience before they are willing to make a purchase that involves more monetary outlay.
Conclusion
The world of affiliate marketing can seem overwhelming for beginners.
However, by learning about the various affiliate programs and how they work, you can start promoting products and earning commissions with relative ease.
Additionally, there are plenty of free affiliate marketing programs for beginners that you can use to get started.
After all, being able to monetize the work of others and generate a passive income stream is a compelling opportunity.
By looking into the programs mentioned above, you'll be able to get started with affiliate marketing and start earning commissions from the comfort of your own home.
