There are lots of hidden gems available in the affiliate marketing world.
You just need to know how to find these affiliate programs.
Most newcomers tend to gravitate to the best known programs – Amazon (if it’s available in your area), Clickbank, Commission Junction, etc.
And there’s nothing inherently wrong with any of those affiliate program platforms.
But if you just stick to those, you’re missing a lot of potential.
Some of the most profitable affiliate programs I promote are outside those networks.
So how can you find affiliate programs to promote?
As usual, Google is probably the first place to check.
Just type in your niche keyword and add the phrase affiliate program.
Then check through some of the results that show up.
I like to right click and then open them in a new tab so that I don’t lose my place in the search results.
Some of them will tell you that their program operates through Commission Junction or Clickbank or whatever. In which case you’ll need to sign up via those.
Others will have an extinct affiliate program – it seemed a good idea at the time but didn’t work out but the page is still lurking in the search results.
But a good proportion will still be live.
If that’s the case, check whether they are a product you’re likely to want to promote and then fill out the application form.
Some affiliate programs automatically accept you as a member, others approve most people, yet others go through a more rigorous vetting process.
Regardless of that, it’s worth having a nice looking site so that the approval process is helped by it.
Don’t get upset if you get rejected – that could be for any number of reasons including where you’re based as well as whether or not your site ticks other boxes that the affiliate program uses to decide whether or not to accept you.
You may also find private affiliate networks that are limited to customers – Namecheap has a link to their affiliate program inside your domain control panel. From memory, you still have to apply to join but the process is quite automatic.
Sometimes, vendors like Udemy switch from an in-house program to an external company so it’s worth using a link cloaking system on your own site (WP Shorties, Pretty Link, etc) so that you can change it quickly where necessary.
Once you’ve signed up, what can you expect?
This varies considerably from program to program and also varies by product within the affiliate program.
You’ll definitely get an affiliate link that’s coded to you.
You may get the ability to link to individual pages on the site just by adding an affiliate code – the main hypnosis affiliate program I promote does that. It also allows me to track where the clicks came from so that I know where my efforts are best rewarded.
You may get the ability to promote other websites in the same affiliate group – this site and this site both do that.
You may get the opportunity to attract other affiliates and get a small percentage of the sales they make – all three of the programs I’ve mentioned above do that.
You may get banners, pre-written emails and other affiliate tools.
That varies considerably and my personal preference is to create my own promotional stuff as a lot of affiliates are relatively lazy and just use the materials supplied by the program they’ve joined.
Some networks will send you samples of the products – I’ve had that happen a number of times, sometimes when I’ve requested a review copy, other times when there’s a new program being launched.
You’ll probably get access to a dedicated affiliate support person or team. That can be very helpful as it often provides shortcuts to getting things sorted out – I’ve used that on occasions to help a customer and avoid a refund.
Depending on the network and how many sales you drive, you may also get a dedicated affiliate partner to support you.
Some affiliate networks run promotions every now and then – you get notification of the promotional period, maybe a special discount coupon to offer your list, maybe entry into a prize draw if you make sufficient sales.
It varies.
A lot.
But it’s almost always more than you’d get with a program like Clickbank.
Commission Junction varies as they’re really just the glue between a lot of companies and a lot of affiliates.
Isn’t it more trouble than it’s worth?
In my experience, no.
I’ve personally had greater success with private affiliate programs than the regular ones that everyone seems to sign up for.
Initially, yes, it takes slightly longer to sign up.
But after that, an affiliate link is an affiliate link.
The quality of affiliate programs varies but generally I’ve found them to be higher quality than other more common ones.
I like the more personal relationship with an affiliate manager.
And I like that I can usually get review access or review copies when I ask.
That helps me write a much better review than I could write just from reading the sales page – and that comes across in what I write and (I think) helps sales.
Most programs pay by Paypal or direct deposit (although AWeber still send me cheques) so there’s no real effort of banking money. It just happens automatically.
There’s also a better chance of being told that a product has been changed or withdrawn – something that Clickbank can’t do as they don’t really know who’s promoting which product.
That means you can react quicker and not waste clicks on products that no longer exist.
On balance, I tend to prefer private affiliate programs.
They’re certainly worth further investigation in the area you’re in – not doing so could mean you’re missing out on relatively easy money.
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