The world of affiliate programs for bloggers is vast. And every day, there’s a blogger that starts looking into making money blogging. Me included! I started focusing on popular affiliate programs for new bloggers, and am steadily seeing an income from my various activities.
It may seem a bit scary at first, but in truth, affiliate marketing for new bloggers is easy to do.
I’ve already written the how-tos of getting started with affiliate marketing for bloggers in my ultimate guide. And how to write affiliate product reviews that convert into sales.
However, affiliate marketing does require some education to be successful. There are a number of experts who have e-books and e-courses on how to do affiliate marketing well and effectively. I always like to check out what they’re doing (just Google it and you’ll see TONNES of posts about it).
One of the key things to remember is that you will make mistakes and it will take you some time before you begin making huge sales.
However, when you make your first sale, you will feel GREAT!
It’s also doable as a new blogger. So this is why I always recommend it to anybody starting a blog. Within a few months of launching your blog, you can start making money while you grow your community and blog traffic.
DISCLOSURE: This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you click on a product or service, and decide to purchase it, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. All recommended products and services are based on my positive experience with them. For more information, please read my Disclaimer.
Bookmark this pin for future reference!
Before You Begin, Make Sure You’re Blogging Legally
Before you jump into trying out my recommended list of affiliate programs for new bloggers and monetize your blog, there are a few things you need to make sure your blog has… and they are some of the most important investments in your blog.
You need to have your legal pages in place, in particular, the Disclaimer.
This discloses to site visitors how you work with affiliate programs and about receiving commissions from purchases they make through your links. This information is required under the FTC.
It’s important to always include a “disclosure” paragraph on your blog in a section before you drop affiliate links. I like to always add a link to my Disclaimer page (like I did just above).
If you don’t have a Privacy Policy, Disclaimer, and Terms & Conditions pages that are properly created by a lawyer, you can purchase and download easily customizable ones created by a lawyer who also blogs.
So she knows her stuff and knows what people like you and I need for their sites. I have Amira, A Self Guru’s Legal Bundle on this site and can rest easy I’m legally protected.
BONUS: Join A Self Guru’s Affiliate Program
A Self Guru is one of the best affiliate programs for new bloggers, particularly if you’re writing on the topic of blogging.
I recommend you check it out as well! Write a few blog posts on how you started your blog, and include A Self Guru’s Legal Bundles as must-haves for blogging legally.
Even if you don’t blog about blogging, you may come across some other new blogger who wants to know how you created your own key legal pages. You can share your affiliate links with them for her products and earn a commission on the sale.
| RELATED: Learn How To Protect Your Blog Legally
How To Monetize With Affiliate Programs For Bloggers
Although the urge to sign up for each and every affiliate program or affiliate network can be strong, one of the key things I recommend is to be selective at first and to try out two to three to start.
Sometimes a brand or service has an affiliate marketing program that it’s managing on its own. This happens often with smaller brands.
Bigger ones will rely on affiliate marketing networks.
Some of the best opportunities for bloggers are through affiliate marketing networks. The biggest ones – Shareasale, Awin, and CJ.com – have the widest array of brands, retailers and services working with them as merchants. This makes it easy for bloggers to sign up for merchant partnerships.
Merchants (i.e., brands or retailers) are seeking opportunities to get their products and services promoted by platforms, such as your blog. It’s not only awareness they’re seeking but also sales. And so, they offer you a commission or other incentive to help them get exposure to YOUR community, readers and followers.
This is affiliate marketing in a nutshell.
There’s a learning curve and the best way is to read as much as possible about affiliate marketing tips and try things out for yourself.
- Choose to join affiliate marketing networks that have brands and services for your blog’s niche audience.
- Learn how each affiliate marketing network or program works. Each affiliate marketing network has different interfaces and databases. They pay out in various ways.
- Familiarize yourself with the terminology.
- Consider how to include the affiliate links, images or banners in blog posts and your sidebar/footer on your blog.
- Read the terms of service for each merchant who has accepted your application. Some don’t allow you to use their links on social media sites, while others do.
- Look to those who are successfully doing affiliate marketing. Learn from their strategies. Just remember that your activities may not reap the same results immediately.
- Remember to align your affiliate links with what your audience is seeking: a tool, service or product that helps them with the core issue that you’re helping to solve.
- As much as possible, promote affiliate links to services and products that you’ve personally tried out and can vouch for their quality.
This last point is VERY IMPORTANT. It’s how you can convert a reader into a customer.
If you’re giving an honest review with the good and the bad and can illustrate your experience well, the reader is more apt to purchase from your link.
So which are the six affiliate programs for new bloggers that I recommend you look at first?
Before You Go Any Further…
If you’re completely new to affiliate marketing, I recommend you read my ultimate guide to affiliate marketing for bloggers.
I take you through the basics and introduce you to the process.
Read the Ultimate Guide To Affiliate Marketing For Bloggers.
Best Affiliate Programs And Networks To Join
This list contains a blend of the best affiliate programs that stand out and will legitimately make you money.
It also has a list of the best affiliate networks that have brand merchants/advertisers for which you’ll apply to become an affiliate.
Let’s get started!
1. Confident Blogger Academy & Resource Collection
Did you know that I have my own affiliate program?
I’ve launched it for all of my:
- Courses
- Ebooks
- Templates for Canva
They are all beneficial to learning and blogging like a pro. Make a 30% commission on each sale. The payout is at the end of the month when you’ve reached $25 in affiliate commissions. With my top course at USD $197, your commission could be up to USD $59 for one sale alone!
Sign up for the Confident Blogger Academy Affiliate Program today!
2. Etsy
One of the best places to sign up for affiliate sales is Etsy.
Whether you’re a lifestyle blogger sharing recommendations for gift guides or writing about blogging tips, you have many things to share off of Etsy.
Check out some of the printables you can promote:
Want to focus on handmade, or vintage items that make awesome gifts that support small business owners? Etsy’s got you covered too.
It’s a great alternative to Amazon for cool gift ideas and things that are unique and different.
3. Beauty Brands With Independent Affiliate Programs & On Affiliate Networks
Beauty products are some of the most popular for shopping, so why not tap into affiliate marketing opportunities by promoting affiliate links?
While the commissions may seem low, consider how often people are seeking beauty product recommendations and where you can promote: your blog, social media and word of mouth.
Some of the best beauty brand affiliate programs are:
- Sephora
- BH Cosmetics
- Sally Beauty – via CJ.com
- Birchbox – via Rakuten
- Sigma Beauty – via their site
- Glossybox – through CJ.com
There are many more programs out there. Search out your favourite beauty brands with the term “affiliate” and see which ones have their own programs.
5. Hosting Providers
Hosting providers are a great option for bloggers who talk about starting a blog.
They are some of the most lucrative affiliate programs for new bloggers.
It’s best to recommend hosting providers that you have some knowledge of firsthand or through your work (for example as a web designer or blogging coach).
Here are the best ones that I recommend to join:
The payout for qualified sign-ups from affiliate links ranges from $40 and up, depending on the company.
PRO TIP: If you’ve made the move to offer blog setup services, ensure that your clients use your affiliate link to sign up for a self-hosted site. This is the easiest way to make money while offering set-up services at a fraction of the cost.
6. Email Marketing Platforms
Every blogger needs to start their email list as soon as they launch their blog. It’s one of the best ways to build a community.
Since blogging is such a popular thing these days (what else can you do during Covid lockdowns?), there’s a market for email marketing platforms.
What are some of the best email marketing platforms?
- Mailerlite (reasonably priced, 1000 followers and other awesome features are free)
- Convertkit (up to 1000 followers free)
If you use FloDesk, you can also refer it to your audience as well.
Both Mailerlite and Convertkit have great affiliate programs for bloggers with decent payouts. If you have a chance to recommend an email platform to a fellow blogger, share these affiliate links!
7. Graphic Design Tools And Resources
There are several sites that offer graphic design resources and tools.
If you’re in the blogging, marketing or business blog niches, you’ll want to check these out. There are bound to be some products that you will want to promote.
For example:
- Business card templates
- PNGs for graphic design
- Canva templates
- Logo templates
- Resume templates
And so much more.
Check out these for the best graphic design affiliate programs:
- Creative Market – via CJ.com
- DesignCuts– its own affiliate program
- Etsy – through Awin
- Envato Elements – through Impact
8. Lifestyle Brand Affiliate Programs
There are many lifestyle brands with great affiliate programs for bloggers.
Some of the most lucrative ones are:
Think about everything that’s under the healthy living, daily life umbrella and look at opportunities with brands you use daily.
9. Shopify Collabs
Next on my list of affiliate programs for new bloggers is one that’s perfect for go-getters.
Do you have small brands that you LOVE working with that use Shopify?
They may have an affiliate program with Shopify Collabs.
You will need to have at least 1000 followers on your social media platform (Instagram, Facebook page) to join. So get started on growing your account!
However, the opportunities are fantastic.
Through Shopify Collabs, I signed up and joined the Zavida Coffee brand program – one of my favourites.
PRO TIP: Reach out to smaller brands for influencer opportunities. Some of them are willing to send free products for your social media posts. Learn how to pitch brands for collaborations.
10. Affiliate Marketing Platforms
There are many affiliate marketing platforms that brands use for their affiliate programs.
To get access to these brands, bloggers and influencers first sign up to the affiliate marketing platforms.
All will want to check out your site before approving you to their platform. This is quality control, to ensure that your site or social media are legitimate.
I’m including a few that I truly love working with, but there are many others to check out including:
Here are two that I think are great for beginners:
One of the most popular places to start for affiliate marketing for bloggers is Shareasale.
Shareasale has a huge range of brands and retailers including heavy-weights such as Shein, Romwe, YesStyle among others.
This is also the number one reason why it’s at the top of the list for one of the best affiliate programs for bloggers.
Best of all, it offers pay-per-sale, pay-per-lead and pay-per-click programs, so there’s always a way to make money. You can set your minimum payout to $50.00.
It has a fairly easy-to-use interface and you can keep track of your merchant partners. This is a great first affiliate marketing program to sign up to give a try at affiliate marketing.
Some of the best brands working with Shareasale include:
- Grammarly
- Thinkific
- Stella & Dot
And many more!
Impact
A new contender with hundreds of affiliate programs for bloggers is Impact.
Impact is a quickly growing affiliate marketing platform with a number of amazing brands.
For example, Tailwind, which was on Shareasale has now moved over to Impact.
The number of reputable brands using Impact is growing monthly, including many lifestyle, beauty and fashion brands.
Some of the best affiliate links that I’m using are:
- Tailwind
- Evanto Market
- Evanto Elements
- Podia
- Shopify
There are many other lifestyle brands that are moving over to Impact. It’s the one I spend the most time on regularly!
Like Shareasale and CJ.com, you sign up to the platform, search for brands you want to partner with, and then apply to them.
Affiliate Programs For New Bloggers Can Be Profitable, But…
If you’ve got the time to tinker around and try your hand at affiliate marketing, it can be a great side hustle, earning you extra cash. It’s one of the key ways to monetize your blog.
Some people leave behind their full-time jobs to do affiliate marketing exclusively, and they’re highly successful.
But, always be realistic.
How much effort you put in, is how much you get out of any money-making strategy. If you have a full-time job or are a busy parent, set your expectations realistically to avoid disappointment.
And, while there are many out there pinning how they made thousands on affiliate marketing in one month, just remember, your situation will always be different.
Each person’s success is based on luck, their consumer audience and the specific strategies they use.
Finally, as I mentioned before, to monetize your blog right with affiliate marketing:
- Learn, read and take courses to learn affiliate marketing strategies from experts
- Start slow and learn the ropes – once you’re comfortable with what works, you can expand. Don’t overwhelm yourself!
- Partner with retailers and brands that work with your blog/social media audience for the greatest success
REMEMBER: If your blog isn’t making money, check out some of the reasons why it might not be, and how to fix it!
Don’t forget to check out my 50+ Resources And Tools For Bloggers round-up with everything you need to help you get to the next level with your blog!
QUESTION: What affiliate marketing network has been the most successful for you? What’s your best tip for affiliate marketing success?
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I think Amazon is only good if you’re going to do product reviews or have a global audience. There are so many great affiliate programs out there to choose from!! I cannot wait to do some Etsy links!!
I love Etsy! Helps support smaller businesses. 🙂
Thank you Margaret, this is a really helpful list. I appreciate also how you spoke about going about things legally, something I’ve never seen mentioned before.
These are really great tips, I’ll definitely save this post and come back to it. You’re the first person I’ve seen who didn’t care much for the Amazon program, I really appreciate your honesty! I signed up about a month ago with no sales so far. Thanks so much for sharing!
So I’m not the only one who finds it pretty much pointless, unless you’re heavily promoting products!
Wow these are some really great tips on how to monetize your blog. You can never have too many of those.
This is so helpful. I’ve been trying to find ways to monetize my blog without success so I’m definitely going to try some of your tips!
have bookmarked this page. i don’t think i am eligible as i have not started self-hosting as im still just building my audience. hopefully i grow my audience enough to really make self-hosting worth it for me.
Very helpful information for someone that want to start monetizing their blog. thanks for sharing.
I haven’t used affiliate programs at this point, but have been slowly researching them. Thanks for a comprehensive post with so much info gathered in one place!
This is great info for those who want to start monetizing their blogs. Thanks for sharing!