The Best Affiliate Marketing Companies for Beginners!

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The Draw of Monetization

As a new blogger, one of the aspects of blogging that may have appealed to you was monetization, but many struggle to make significant money with blogging without the right strategy. In this post, we will discuss one aspect of blog monetization, affiliate marketing. You will learn how you can get started in this area as a newbie blogger.

Prior to starting my blog I had seen so many random posts about why blogging was a good idea and how easy it was, but I knew from my past experience with blogging that it is actually really challenging at times to run a successful blog. Blogging isn’t hard but it does take a serious time commitment, perseverance and on-going intrinsic motivation.

If you’re interested in blogging for reasons other than pursuing a hobby, and hope to take it on seriously, possibly even making it a career, then you are likely interested in monetizing your blog.

Considering Monetization Strategies

This was part of my thinking when I started blogging. I figured, if I was going to be putting in such a significant amount of my time and effort, I needed to get something out of it. This is especially true if you are blogging full time. This is where I began thinking about the concept of return on investment (ROI). Put simply, return on investment describes the ratio between the effort or time you put in (the investment) to what you get out, in this case income (the return).

With this in mind I researched various monetization strategies. The monetization strategies that I researched included:

• Advertising: Companies like Google Adsense or mediavine, for example, will pay you a commission (usually per click) for people who click on their ads. These ads would be featured in your posts.
• Sponsorship: Companies will pay bloggers to write posts regarding their products or services, or you may receive a free items or other compensation to discuss products or services in your posts.
• Affiliate marketing: When you advertise other people ‘s/company’s products on your blog, and you receive a commission if one of your readers purchase something at no extra cost to them.

The Appeal of Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing appealed to me the most because of my niche (lifestyle blogging) and the fact that I was already writing about a lot of the products and items I use on a regular basis with my family and in my home. It seemed like an easy and natural way to monetize my blog without it feeling forced.

I felt good about the fact that I knew I could recommend products that I wholeheartedly trust and feel comfortable using with my own family, which was one of the goals I set out to do when I first started this blog. Therefore, it seemed to seamlessly and effortlessly fit into what I was already doing.

Affiliate marketing is a fabulous way to generate passive income! It takes a while to set up and get things going, but it has the potential to turn into full-time income and has for many successful bloggers.

Researching Affiliate Marketing Options

The next step was to find companies that I would like to work with and begin my journey with affiliate marketing. What I found was that it isn’t as easy to get into as you may think!

Many of the affiliate networks or companies required that you had a certain number of page views or social media following before you could join, or had a rigorous application process. It was also important to me to work with reputable companies who good products or services.

As someone who was starting a new blog, and had yet to build up page views or a significant social media following, the task of finding affiliate relationships to work with seemed daunting.

After doing a lot of research and reviewing policies, I managed to find some really good companies that would accept me into their affiliate marketing programs and help me build my brand. I completed the application process for those I was comfortable with. This was the start of my affiliate relationships. Once I got those going and had more of a following I was able to apply to affiliate programs!

The Sky is the Limit with Affiliate Marketing!

Once you get your foot in the door the sky is the limit with affiliate marketing. There are many bloggers out there making a full time monthly salary from affiliate marketing alone. The key is to establishing relationships with reputable companies and then using your blog to market the products and services.

If you are a new blogger or don’t have a blog but are interested in getting into affiliate marketing, then you have likely had similar challenges finding affiliate companies to work with. The companies that I will share with you will work with entry level bloggers or others looking to begin their relationship with affiliate marketing.

Be a Reputable Affiliate Marketer

One thing that I want to stress is that it shouldn’t just be about making sales and money. You should not be okay with recommending ANY old product or service. Your readers need to be able to know that you’re reputable and honest. For that reason I only recommend items that I have tried and I like using in my own household to my readers. I would never recommend a product or service that I would not use with my own family, and as a blogger your thinking should be similar if you want your audience to trust you.

Affiliate Marketing Companies that will Work with Beginner Bloggers

I will share with you some of the affiliate companies that work with beginners and how this can help you get your foot in the door when it comes to affiliate marketing.

These companies fall into all different categories to give you a broad range of opportunities, depending on your niche. Choose the ones that feel right to you after doing your research on the products and services they offer.

*This post may contain affiliate links. This just means that I may receive a small commission if you click on a link and make a purchase (at NO extra cost to you). Read the full disclosure here.

Affiliate Marketing Companies for Beginners:

Bluehost

Bluehost is a one of the largest website hosting companies, and an official WordPress recommended provider. It is among the best platforms to start self-hosted blogs and for this reason is very popular among bloggers. Bluehost is popular because of its great rates and unmatched customer service.

Bluehost’s affiliate marketing program offers a commission for anyone who signs up for a hosting package. They offer a competitive commission rate for anyone who signs up for a package using your affiliate link.

How to Join

To sign up for their program, you are required to complete a short application and then wait for approval.

Once you are approved, you are given access to the affiliate’s portal. Within the portal you can access links and banners that can be embedded into your posts.

I use Bluehost links and banners in my self-development posts where I teach about blogging or design.

Bluehost was a great place to start because I use Bluehost to host my own blog and am very familiar with the products and services they offer. For that reason I feel very comfortable recommending Bluehost to my readers.

Elementor

Elementor is known as the leading website builder for WordPress platforms. Although it is used by professionals, developers and designers, it’s ease of use makes it simple enough for even non-techies like me to use.

Elementor was another company that I was easily motivated to work with. I had become familiar with their brand and website building platform while building my own blog. At first, I used the free version of their product to begin building my site. After I fell in love with how easy it was to use and how awesome it transformed my blog, I upgraded to elementor pro, the paid version which offered many more features and themes.

How to Join

To join the Elementor affiliate marketing program you must complete their online application. They ask basic questions about your experience with their product, where you plan to market the product and other relevant information.

Once you are approved, you will be given access to their affiliate’s portal and issued an affiliate link.

I recommend Elementor in self-development posts where I discuss blogging or website building.

Amazon Associates

Amazon Associates is known as one of the premier affiliate marketing companies, and where many new bloggers begin. Amazon’s vast array of products makes it appealing for bloggers because you can market virtually any type of product. It therefore, applies to most, if not all niches. Amazon is also a trusted platform so readers may feel comfortable purchasing from it without much marketing or convincing.

Amazon Associates offers a lower commission than many of the other affiliate marketing programs listed in this blog. However, because of the large range of products, commissions can add up quite quickly. Their cookies also last beyond the initial click from your blog or link. This means that even if your reader only clicks on one link in your post but purchases 3 items during that visit to Amazon or several hours later, you will receive commission for all of the items they purchased.

How to Join

To join Amazon Associates fill out the application using your existing amazon sign-in information or create a new account. Most applicants are typically approved and then begin a probationary period. During this period you are required to make at least 3 sales in a 180 day period.

Once in the Amazon Associates portal you have access to link building software to create links for any product. You may also choose to embed banners as well. You can receive commissions or bounties if your readers sign up for amazon programs like audible, amazon business, baby or wedding registry. Amazon also allows you to promote special promotions like joining amazon prime or amazon music at special rates. It really is a great program that offers versatility in how you market.

Society 6

Society 6 is an online retailer of art and artistic pieces. It is made up of a community of artists worldwide that market and sell their pieces using this platform. They sell traditional artwork, furniture, office supplies, phone cases, bed and bath supplies and much more. Here is an example of a comforter that I love!

The creative and versatile artwork that you come across on Society 6 is unmatched. That is why I was so excited to hear that they offered an affiliate marketing program. I also like that fact that by partnering with Society 6 you are supporting other creators.

Let me tell you a secret, Society 6 offers a great commission rate compared to retailers of similar products, 10%. To find out more about the specifics of their program, check out this article.

How to Join

To join the affiliate program, click the link to complete your application. You will be paid via Paypal. Once you are approved, you can access affiliate links from product pages to share with your audience.

I use Society 6 links when recommending specific items that I love to my readers. They also have a refer-a friend program.

Zazzle

Zazzle is an online retailer that allows creators, designers and independent manufacturers to sell custom products, personalized and digital gifts. Similar to Society 6, they offer a range of different products, including cards, invitations, wedding gifts, clothing and a variety of other personalized items.

They offer 15% per sale, and 17% as a volume bonus, which is one of the higher commission rates I have seen that entry level affiliate marketers can access. Zazzle also offers a great refer-a-friend bonus! To find out more about the specifics, check out this page.

How to Join

To sign up for Zazzle’s affiliate marketing program, click this link to complete your application. You require a Paypal account to be paid.

I typically share zazzle links when recommending their products, and gifts ideas for weddings and babies.

Awin

Awin is referred to as the “fastest growing affiliate marketing platform”, and facilitates partnership relationships between companies and affiliate marketers. The Awin group represents many reputable companies and supports a cost-per-acquisition payment system, meaning that companies will pay the marketer for a completed sale.

Some of the companies under the Awin umbrella include Etsy, Pretty Little Thing, Ali Express and HP. For this reason Awin is a great place to get your foot in the door as it gives you access to a huge list of different brands and products.

Commission rates and offers vary by company. There are some really great opportunities! To find out more about Awin’s affiliate marketing program, click the link.

How to Join

To join Awin, complete the application process by clicking this link. You must complete an online profile. Once this is done companies can contact you to forge a relationship or vice versa.

Final Thoughts

I hope that this post has given you a good starting point for your affiliate marketing research. Affiliate marketing is a great place to start with blog monetization, and these companies are a great place to start.

Remember to check out the user agreements and policies of each company listed above or others that you work with. This will help you to ensure that you are marketing their product or services the right way. This will prevent issues or termination, and help to increase your success with that company.

I hope that you have enjoyed this post! Please feel free to leave comments below or contact me with any questions!

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