If you have a blog or a big following on social media, then you have a great opportunity to make money through affiliate marketing. Let’s look at what’s involved and the pros and cons of the best affiliate programs you can join if you’re based in the UK.
I recently wrote a post about how much money you can make from blogging and thought it would only be fair to share some of my favourite affiliate programs (also known as networks) too. All of these I have sites I have used over the last seven years or so, some with more success than others.
Which are the best affiliate marketing networks to join?
So, let’s jump straight into it and take a look at the best networks UK bloggers can join and what to expect.
Awin
Minimum payout threshold: £20
Awin is one of the largest affiliate networks out there, with well over 1,000 companies on their books, including Tesco, Groupon, Boots, Very and Currys. And that’s just for UK users.
It comes with a handy marketplace feature that allows you to let prospective companies know what kind of services you offer. Then, companies will get in contact if they want to work with you.
Awin has a whole host of ready-made banners you can you to promote your affiliates, or you can just put simple links in if you choose.
Panthera Network
Minimum payout threshold: $50
Although this is a US-based company, there are a decent number of offers available for UK users.
Some companies that work with Panthera include Gillette, Experian and GoHenry. Most of the companies do seem to be money-making sites.
When you join, you’ll be assigned an account manager who will regularly be in contact. However, I found the more that I earn, the more they are in contact!
Skimlinks
Minimum payout threshold: £50
Skimlinks is one of the biggest networks out there, with over 48,000 merchants and sales of £1.9m per day. It’s also one of the easiest affiliate networks to deal with. Once you have joined, you’ll have full access to every company listed on their site. So, no need to apply for each advertiser individually.
You see, Skimlinks acts as a middleman between you and networks like Awin and Rakuten. That makes your life far easier. But it’s important to note that Skimlinks does take a cut for its involvement and you’ll have very little contact from their team.
FlexOffers
Minimum payout threshold: $25
Although a US-based affiliate company, FlexOffers also works with plenty of UK advertisers. These include H&M, Harvey Nichols and Reebok. In total, they represent over 12,000 companies.
When you join, some of these will already be pre-approved, whilst others you will have to apply to.
You can refer new publishers and earn a percentage of their commission.
Pro tip
Some companies that you might work with can be listed on multiple affiliate sites… and they don’t always pay the same rate. Check which affiliate company will pay you the most.
Impact
Minimum payout threshold: £10
Formerly known as Impact Radius, impact.com has its head office in the USA and branches across the world and more importantly (for us), the UK.
There are over 3,500 brands to choose from, including companies like Cineworld, Adidas, Levis, HelloFresh and Starling Bank.
financeAds
Minimum payout threshold: €50
This is a little bit of a niche affiliate network as it focuses (unsurprisingly) on finance. But it’s worth mentioning as you may want to use some of the companies listed there and they’re a great affiliate to work with.
Based in Germany, financeAds will give you access to over 500 programmes. You’ll be given your own contact, who fortunately does speak English and will give you help when you need it.
Rakuten Advertising
Minimum payout threshold: £50
Although Rakuten mainly operates from the US, they have dedicated support for many other countries, including the UK. There are some big advertisers listed, such as Jack Wills, Toolstation, McAfee and Microsoft. In fact, there are over 2,000 to choose from. You can even receive private offers to work with companies that think you’ll be a good fit.
If there are companies you would like to work with, you’ll need to put in a separate application for each one.
CJ Affiliate
Minimum payout threshold: $50
CJ Affiliate is the world’s largest affiliate network and has 14 offices across the world.
There are several hundred programmes UK users can apply for, including Argos, Domino’s, boohoo and Sainsbury’s.
Amazon Associates
Minimum payout threshold: £50
This is a programme that any blogger who is serious about making money should join. With sales reaching $386 billion, you can see how trusted and popular Amazon is. And it’s an easy way to make money.
Just place links on your website to products that you think are suitable for readers. And if they make a purchase, you’ll receive a commission. But even better news… it doesn’t have to be the product you linked to. If somebody buys anything off Amazon up to 24 hours after clicking your link, you’ll make money.
You can also earn bounties. This happens if somebody signs up for a service like Audible or Amazon Prime and will earn you quite a hefty reward.
eBay Partner Network
Minimum payout threshold: £10
The eBay Network operates in a very similar fashion to Amazon’s. With so many products on offer, you can create plenty of links to eBay from your blog. You have the ability to create your own custom banners or use the standard ones provided by eBay.
There are lots of affiliate marketing tools available, such as Smart Share, a Chrome extension that allows you to create affiliate links as you browse eBay. And Smart Links ensures all your eBay links contain affiliate tracking information.
Other affiliate networks to consider
So, the above affiliate networks should certainly be top of your list if you’re keen to make money. But there are some other companies to consider joining too. These don’t have as many advertisers but are worth looking at if there’s a specific programme you want to join.
Which is the best affiliate program?
This is a difficult question as it does depend on what you’re after. There’s no point in joining a network if there are no companies you actually want to work with.
But if I had to choose, I would opt for Awin, based mainly on the number of advertisers they have. Skimlinks is also a decent option for newer publishers.
Publisher vs advertiser
If you’ve joined affiliate networks before, then I’m sure you’ll know the answer. If not, I think it’s important that you are clear on the difference between the two before you sign up. Otherwise, it could create more work.
As a blogger, you are a publisher (ie you publish the content). The companies that you will be publishing for are the advertisers. When you sign up to affiliate networks, you will be asked if you’re a publisher or advertiser.
A few tips when working with affiliate networks
The networks you apply to generally all work in similar ways, although they will also have some slight differences. Here are a few tips that may help you through the application process.
Have a good profile
A lot of the networks require you to apply to each advertiser individually. To help them decide if you are suitable or not, they will need to see your profile and possibly a message from you. Make sure you keep all your details up-to-date and if you have an opportunity to send a message, make sure you let them know the benefits you can offer. This can be the difference between a yes and a no.
Technical know-how
A lot of affiliate companies need you to confirm that your site is actually yours before they agree to work with you. This helps to prevent fraud. You may need to add some code to your site – either by placing it in the header or via a widget. Don’t be concerned, this is perfectly normal. Most sites will give you a guide on how to proceed.
Form W-8BEN
As you can see, many of the affiliate networks are based in America. If they’re going to work with you, they need to confirm that you are not liable to pay tax in the US. This is done by filling out the form W-8BEN. It’s quite simple to do and should only take a few moments.
And don’t forget a company’s own affiliate scheme
Not every company works with an affiliate company and they prefer to keep everything in-house. This could mean more money for you as there’s no network taking a cut and the ability for you to build. a closer working relationship with the brand.
If I can’t find a company listed on an affiliate site, I send them an email directly. Most companies are kind enough to get back to me… although some will completely blank me.
What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing involves you promoting products and services to your followers or website visitors. If a visitor clicks on one of your links or uses a code you share before they make a purchase, you receive a commission. This can be a certain percentage of the sale or a fixed fee.
Advertisers are keen to work with you because it increases their sales. Yes, they do have to pay you a small amount for your efforts but it still makes them money.
How much can an affiliate marketer make?
How long is a piece of string? There aren’t any real limits to how much you can make from affiliate marketing. The more traffic you have visiting your site from search engines and social media, the increased likelihood is that they will make purchases of products you recommend.
How much you make partly depends on what you’re recommending too. Your most popular page may generate £1,000 worth of sales from Amazon each day, but that will earn you just £20. There are far more lucrative services out there that will pay you £100 for just one recommendation. That means generating 7 sales per month would earn you more than £30,000 of sales at Amazon!
In the early days of blogging, expect to earn anything up to £100 every month. As you develop, there’s no reason why you can’t be making £1,000’s. The best bloggers can make £10,000’s every month.