If you go over to Google and type 'affiliate marketing network', you'll find thousands of results for it. Some of the results you see are legit, while others are a complete scam. Out of those legit ones, how many do you think are going to fit you? Or get you the desired commission? A very few. And the biggest task is to find these.
With this blog, let's explore what affiliate marketing networks are and things to look for when choosing one. The right one is going to make all the difference in your earnings.
Understanding Affiliate Marketing Networks
Affiliate marketing networks are platforms that connect affiliates with merchants running affiliate programs. Think of them as middlemen who help affiliates find high-paying programs within their niche and businesses find legitimate affiliates to carry out promotions.
They provide a single interface to affiliates to carry out all their activities, right from finding affiliate programs to promoting and tracking. Conversions and commissions are tracked through unique links provided to each affiliate.
Benefits of an Affiliate Marketing Network:
To connect businesses with a large pool of affiliates
To help affiliates find affiliate programs within their niche
To make it easy for affiliates to make comparisons
To scale up and down your affiliate marketing as needed
To put all affiliate marketing functions under one roof
Join Top Affiliate – Boost Your Income!
Things to Look for When Choosing an Affiliate Marketing Network
There are a lot of factors that one should consider when choosing an affiliate marketing network. It's going to stay with you for a long time, so it's best to find one that fits all your needs and expectations.
Niches Offered
The first thing to look for is the niches that are being offered by the affiliate network. It's best to sign up for one that has plenty of affiliate programs within that niche. For instance, if you are a travel blogger, look for affiliate networks that offer programs within the travel niche.
Network Type
Many affiliate marketing networks are available only to exclusive members. That is, they have some or other entry requirements in terms of the traffic your website gets or the number of followers that you have. Some might even ask you to pay an entry fee. For beginners, we recommend choosing networks with no such boundaries. Figure out if affiliate marketing is for you and then upgrade. But it is a good idea if you have a good online presence.
Tracking & Reporting Tools
Another thing to keep in mind is the tracking and reporting tools available. Look for ones with an organized, detailed, and transparent interface that gives sufficient information about your current and previous affiliate programs, current leads and successful referrals, commission balance, and withdrawals. This will make it easy to comprehend the next steps and build strategies accordingly.
Size of the affiliate network
We recommend going for affiliate marketing networks that are larger in size and continuously scale. This ensures that you have plenty of affiliate programs available to compare and choose the best one. Plus, the entry and setup charges of big affiliate networks are relatively low, making them perfect for beginners.
Payouts
One of the most important things to look out for is payouts. You need to check up three things here:
The average commission rate offered by the affiliate network should be good enough
Payment options offered by the network should match the ones available to you
Minimum payout criteria should be clearly mentioned
Look for high-paying affiliate networks that are clear, transparent, and timely about the payouts.
Cookie Duration
Cookie duration determines how long a cookie stays on the user's device after they click an affiliate link. If the user makes a purchase/signs up within this time frame, then that will be counted as a successful referral for the affiliate. Look for a performance marketing platforms that provides at least 30 to 60 days of cookie duration, giving you sufficient time to convince a lead.
Ease of Use
Affiliate marketing networks come in all shapes. Some have extremely simple and easy-to-understand navigation, while others are a bit more advanced and complex. You need to see which one suits you the best based on your experience. We suggest one with a simple interface for beginners, while experienced affiliate marketers can go a bit advanced.
Reputation
Don't start trusting an affiliate marketing network blindly- many are here to scam you. Instead, look for ones that have a reputable image and reputation. Transparency, constant communication, respect for affiliates, a good support system, reliable payments, and acceptance of feedback are qualities of trusted affiliate marketing networks.
Support and Resources
Affiliate marketing can be a tricky thing, especially for beginners. Issues related to program tracking and commission withdrawals are more common than you can imagine. This is why the availability of a robust support system is a must. Even better if they provide free resources to affiliates to get started, and are available 24*7 to get things done.
Conclusion
Plenty of affiliate networks are out there, but which one's the best is a mystery for you to solve. Always take a look at factors like niches offered, tracking tools, payouts, support, etc, before selecting one. Since these directly determine your affiliate marketing and commissions, it's best to take your time. Plus, you don't have to be limited to using one network. The more you sign up for, the more options you will have. Just remember to keep things organized when you're choosing the top affiliate platforms for yourself.
Write a comment ...