Please note that affiliate links may be included in some posts.
Affiliate marketing is one of the few ways you can build a legitimate, online passive income source. I’m going to take a look at some of the best affiliate marketing programs you can join to help monetize your blog o auth blog or authority site. I review affiliate programs on an ongoing basis- so this list will continue to grow.
Best Affiliate Networks
First, you’ll need to understand the distinction between affiliate networks and affiliate programs. Affiliate networks house affiliate programs. For example, the Rakuten Advertising affiliate network houses affiliate programs as diverse as Udemy and Macy’s. The ShareASale affiliate network houses programs like Reebok, Minted, and FreshBooks. In contrast, the Amazon Associates Program and eBay are their own networks- they don’t operate through something like ShareASale.
Best Affiliate Programs
Travel
- Airbnb has a lucrative affiliate program that can be pretty difficult to get into, but worth it if you had the traffic numbers to back up your application.
- If you’re hankering to get into the travel affiliate game, the Expedia affiliate program is one of the more long-lasting affiliate options in the space. You can also check out individual airlines, like American Airlines (which doesn’t have an affiliate program), for better commission rate options.
- Parking affiliate programs: If you’ve ever booked a flight or scheduled a trip, you’ve probably been prompted to reserve parking.
- Rideshare apps have revolutionized how we commute for work and travel. Tap into the rideshare market with the Uber affiliate program and the Lyft affiliate program.
Internet Marketing
The internet marketing space famous, perhaps even know notorious, for highly lucrative and aggressive affiliate marketing programs. It makes sense because many marketing tools are expensive and recurring, so companies are willing to reward high commissions in this competitive space if you’re able to refer qualified traffic to things like autoresponder software, keyword research tools, SEO services, hosting platforms and domain name providers.
- The WordPress affiliate program: the WordPress.com affiliate program provides 20% recurring payouts, for the first year, for every referral who signs up.
- The GoDaddy affiliate program: There are lots of money-making opportunities with GoDaddy because they provide a variety of domain name registration services; web hosting & storage; website security; website builder; eCommerce solutions; web design services; and email services.
- The Shopify affiliate program has exploded in popularity over the last several years as make money online gurus have hyped the insane earnings potential of eCommerce sites.
- Though it’ll forever be dogged by its spammy domain name, the Fiverr affiliate program is home to many interesting and completely legitimate, productized freelancer services.
- The NameCheap affiliate program is another domain and hosting provider that competes with the likes of GoDaddy.
- The Convertkit affiliate program is a modern autoresponder option- something I use for my email newsletter.
- Page builders are highly popular ways to build websites and there are a bunch of options you can promote. The Wix affiliate program is one option.
- My SEO affiliate program roundup covers many more of these niche internet marketing affiliate opportunities.
Finance
Finance might be one of the most lucrative niches in affiliate blogging. Whether you’re promoting credit card affiliate programs or credit repair affiliate programs, there are lots of options for the motivated site builder.
Home & Garden
- The Wayfair affiliate program has a home & garden specialization and product depth that makes it a solid option to promote. Its 7% commission rate is competitive with the commission from comparable Amazon Associate program categories.
- Lowe’s is a Fortune 500 American company that runs a chain of appliance and home improvement and stores in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The Lowe’s affiliate program if you’re looking to monetize your DIY blog.
- Target is the second-biggest discount store retailer in the U.S., placing just behind Walmart. If you’re running a home blog, could the Target affiliate program be a viable alternative to the Amazon Associates affiliate program?
- Home Depot is a bit-name home goods retailer with a significant in-person footprint. They sell tools, construction equipment, and home services. Check out up-to-date commission rates for the Home Depot affiliate program.
- The Wish affiliate program taps into a mega-marketplace of weird odds and ends, promising big-time bargains but long shipping times.
- The Walmart affiliate program is another resource if you’re trying to make money online by reviewing physical goods.
While some like Ikea don’t have an affiliate program- there are some pretty solid affiliate programs in the Home & Garden niche.
Clothing & Fashion
- Nike’s affiliate program is one way that Nike is working with consumers to reach more people, while offering incentives for people who have helped them grow their business.
- Like Nike, the Adidas affiliate program designs and manufactures clothing, shoes, and accessories. It’s a pretty sexy sports brand and they have some big-name, celebrity athletes on their roster.
- If you’re a fashion blogger, you’re probably searching for big-name affiliate programs. High-converting ones are always the best! The Nordstrom affiliate program could be an option- but how well does it convert?
- The Macy’s affiliate program is another option- one of the biggest, ‘old-world’ retailers available to promote.
- Another trendy clothing retailer, Zara is a Spanish fast-fashion option. Check out the Zara affiliate program to learn more about its commission structure.
- H&M is another wildly popular fast-fashion brand- check out the H&M affiliate program’s commission structure and details.
- Also check out our recent reviews of the Old Navy affiliate program and the Shein affiliate program
Pets
The pets niche is a billion-dollar opportunity- whether you’re running ads, promoting affiliate offers, or selling products.
- The Chewy affiliate program has an Amazon-level product catalog and a massive user base. A great opportunity if you’re running a dog blog.
Online Learning
- The Udemy affiliate program is like the Amazon of online learning. There are tons of courses on every imaginable subject- and they convert really well, too!
- The Skillshare affiliate program is another online learning option, like Udemy.
Entertainment
There’s a lot of opportunities within entertainment- think of all the hobbies and recreational activities that people enjoy.
I’m still waiting on the Spotify affiliate program and the Netflix affiliate program to launch- but there are still lots of opportunities here. I’ll be building out this section with more opportunities going forward.
Technology
If you’re looking for a technology affiliate program, there are some compelling options.
- The iconic Staples brand offers an affiliate program– does it provide easy button profits?
- Spyware and anti-virus services are classic staples of the Windows PC ecosystem. software. The AVG And Avast affiliate programs provide a way to tap into this recurring, anti-virus affiliate opportunity.
- The Best Buy affiliate program could be a good fit if you’re running a tech site with decent traffic. This electronics retailer has over 1,000 U.S. & Canadian store locations as of 2016.
- From Microsoft Word to Minecraft, Internet Explorer to Outlook, the Microsoft affiliate program has a dynamic range of popular and indispensable technology products.
- If you have an audience passionate about computers, laptops and IT solutions, then the Dell affiliate program could be a smart monetization option.
Summing Up
Is affiliate marketing hard? Not if you align niche selection, keyword research and content production!
Last Updated on March 19, 2022 by Ryan Nelson