There are thousands of affiliate marketing programs out there. However, not all of them are suitable for beginners. Some are more complex than others.
That’s why we’ve created this guide to the best affiliate marketing options for beginners. Here you’ll find all the information you need to get started with affiliate marketing.
New to affiliate marketing?
Read our beginner’s guide to affiliate marketing .
Nine Best Affiliate Marketing Programs for Beginners
Throughout this article, you’ll see many examples of affiliate programs. But the most important thing here is actually the affiliate network . Many people use these terms interchangeably, but the network refers to the place where you can find individual programs.
The way I write this post is by sharing the best networks for beginners - then within each network, I share some of the programs (and their niches) you can sign up for.
This is the best way to share affiliate programs – because no matter what your niche is, these networks will be of great help to you.
1. Amazon Associates
Amazon Associates is definitely the best affiliate marketing program for beginners .
It only takes a few minutes to sign up for an affiliate account, and you can sell almost any product, so no matter what your niche is, you can promote Amazon products.
That being said, the commission rates are very low. You can check the latest commission rates on this page. However, as of this writing, most commission rates are only 1-3%.
It’s super easy to use, though. Check out our guide to creating an Amazon affiliate marketing website for more information.
2. All large warehouse stores
Like Amazon, all the big stores have affiliate programs that are very easy to use.
These include:
Like Amazon, their commission rates are low, but it’s an easy way to get started as you grow and eventually move on to higher paying partners.
3. AvantLink
AvantLink was the first affiliate network I signed up for. I wasn’t too fond of the reporting panel (it’s not the most intuitive), but it was super easy to sign up and get started.
Some of the best and highest paying affiliate programs offered by AvantLink include:
- FFL123.com | 50% Commission | Firearms/Tactical
- Super Speciosa | 40% Commission | Health/Wellness
- Reddiyo | 30% Commission | Bicycle
- Wedding Hashers | 30% Commission | Custom/Personalized Products
- Sprinklers and Cleaners | 25% Commission | Pet Supplies
Of course, it has thousands of other projects, all categorized by niche. You can find these and many more through AvantLink's merchant listings .
4. ShareASale
ShareASale is another popular affiliate network. Although the reporting features are a little lacking, it’s good enough for beginners.
Some great affiliate options on ShareASale include:
- Northwest Registered Agent LLC | $100 Commission | Business Registrant
- Promaster | 15% Commission | Photography
- Print Games Now | 35–45% Commission | Print/Games
- FreshBooks | $55 Commission | Small Business/Finance
- Aviron Interactive | $110 Commission | Fitness
[](https://account.shareasale.com/a-programs.cfm)You can find these merchants and more on ShareASale's merchant page .
5. Commission Junction
Commission Junction (CJ) is one of the oldest affiliate networks, having been established in 1998. As such, it has one of the widest selections of affiliate programs.
Some cool shows on CJ include:
- Slova Cosmetics | 20% Commission | Bath & Body
- Separatec Lingerie | 20% Commission | Clothing
- US Service Animals | 25% Commission | Pets
- Puraclenz | 25% Commission | Equipment
- eHarmony | 30% Commission | Dating
The only downside to CJ is that its dashboard feels a little outdated, and it’s harder to categorize its affiliate merchants compared to other platforms on this list.
6. Tune
TUNE is my personal favorite affiliate marketing software because of its excellent reporting panel and ease of use. However, it is a little different from the other software on this list. You can’t browse its affiliate marketing partners, but you need to find someone who uses their platform to use TUNE.
I will not recommend a specific partner, but I suggest you apply to become a TUNE media partner . Once you sign up, the system will automatically match you with the most suitable affiliate partner for your specific field.
Please note that you do need to already own an affiliated business in order to apply.
7. Impact Radius
Impact Radius has seen huge success in the affiliate marketing space, with brand partners including Airbnb, Adidas, Lenovo, and more.
One of the great things about Impact is that it continuously recommends brand partners based on your niche and existing partners. This makes it easy for you to find new affiliate programs with minimal costs.
Some great affiliate partner options on Impact include:
- Canva | 16–80% Commission | Graphic Design
- Pure Hemp Plants | 50% Commission | CBD
- Thumbtack | 30% Commission | Services
- Hyphen Sleep | 18% Commission | Mattresses
- Skillshare | 40% Commission | Education
8. Refersion Market
Refersion is one of the most successful affiliate marketing software, with partners including well-known brands such as Amazon, Shopify and BigCommerce. Its dashboard is simple and easy to use, which is very suitable for beginners.
To find partners, you can sign up for the Refersion Marketplace . It has a great user interface that makes it easy to filter and find brands to partner with.
Some great brand partner options on Refersion include:
- ZUGU iPad Case | 15% Commission | Mobile Phone
- Sleepwear | 10–20% commission | Children's clothing
- Bodhi Dog | 20% Commission | Pet Care
- LUNA Sandals | 10–30% Commission | Footwear
- Bare & Bones | 20% Commission | Food
9.Rakuten
Last but not least, Rakuten Ads is another of the oldest affiliate networks, having started in 1997. Like CJ, its interface feels dated, but it has a wide selection of brands.
Some options for beginners include:
- Valise Homewares | 14% Commission | Homewares
- Ryderwear | 4–10% commission | Sportswear
- Trafalgar | 10% Commission | Leather Goods
- Size Feeling | 10% Commission | Parenting
- La Mariposa | 15% Commission | Luxury Womenswear
Overall, Rakuten is my least favorite network due to its poor interface, but it does have some interesting affiliate programs.
How to Get Started with Affiliate Marketing
Found the affiliate program that’s right for you? Great – this section will outline how to start earning your first affiliate income.
Getting started with affiliate marketing can be divided into three steps:
- Choose an affiliate marketing niche
- Create your website and content
- Get traffic to your content
1. Make sure you choose the right niche
Your niche is what you talk about in your blog or videos. It can be anything from a hobby to a lifestyle, or any other topic you can think of.
As long as there are people interested in what you want to talk about, you can choose it as your affiliate niche.
Examples of niches include:
- gamble
- trip
- knitting
- Carpentry
- ETC
If you're not sure what to talk about, ask yourself these questions:
- What am I good at?
- What am I curious about?
- What do I know a lot about?
- What do other people tell me I’m good at or compliment me on?
Similarities in your answers are usually a good place to start. For example, I’m good at and curious about startups, and people often compliment me on how good I am at finding ways to make money. So, I blog about finance and entrepreneurship on my website.
You can also use Ahrefs’ SEO Toolbar to find affiliate niches while doing your daily Google searches .
When you search for any question you have, the toolbar will provide you with keyword data, such as how many people search for that keyword each month and how difficult it is to rank for:
If you find a keyword that has a lot of monthly searches and seems easy to rank for, it could be a sign that it’s a potentially good niche.
Are there any niche ideas that excite you and that you know a lot about? The last thing to check is how competitive they are.
You can easily check competitiveness using Ahrefs’ free Keyword Difficulty Checker. Simply enter your keyword idea into the tool and it will give you a Keyword Difficulty (KD) score from 0-100.
As you can see, the keyword “tennis shoes” has a KD of 45, which can be difficult for a newer website to rank for.
Generally speaking, as a new website, you want to look for sites with a KD score below 30. Any site below 30 is relatively easy to rank.
2. Create your website and content
Once you have an idea for a niche, it’s time to create a niche website . This can be done quickly by simply purchasing a domain name and web hosting, then linking your website to WordPress for editing the backend.
Once your website is built, you’ll need to do some basic affiliate keyword research to plan the content you want to create.
When you’re ready to start writing, I recommend checking out our guide to content creation to learn how to craft content that people want to consume.
3. Promote your content
Finally, once your content is created, it’s time to promote that content to start driving traffic (and sales) to your new affiliate site.
There are many ways to promote your content - such as sharing it on social media, contacting other bloggers who might be interested in it through email, and even paid advertising.
However, in my opinion, the best return on investment will be search engine optimization (SEO).
Ranking on the first page of search engines like Google will ensure that you receive regular traffic without having to constantly promote your content or spend money on advertising.
Even better, SEO dovetails perfectly with affiliate marketing because people who are looking for answers are much closer to purchasing intent than those who are aimlessly browsing social media. The former are actively searching for solutions to their problems.
Learning SEO does take time and effort, but you won’t regret investing in this skill.
Final Thoughts
There are so many affiliate marketing programs out there that it can be overwhelming when you first start.
However, there are a lot of super simple and easy to use affiliate programs and networks out there that will have you up and running in just a few minutes.
Hopefully, this guide helps you get started on your affiliate marketing journey.
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