One of the easiest ways to monetize your blog is to use affiliate links.
Affiliate money accounts for a significant portion of my blogging revenue (about $5,000 per month), so if you aren’t already using affiliate links on your blog, I strongly advise you to do so immediately!
The benefit of affiliate links is that even inexperienced marketers can use them. Even if you don’t have a lot of traffic yet, I recommend you start using affiliate links. You have really nothing to lose, and you’ll be able to start earning as soon as your traffic grows.
This article discusses:
I’ll go over all of the greatest ways for bloggers to earn affiliate income. This includes Amazon, Affiliate Networks (particularly LinkShare and ShareASale), RewardStyle, or ShopStyle. I’m using ALL of these on my other blogs, so I’ll go into the specifics: what they are, my experience, and the benefits and drawbacks of each money source.
How Affiliate Links Operate
In a nutshell, affiliate links have a tracking code embedded in the URL. You will earn a commission if someone purchases through your affiliate link. This commission fluctuates, but it is usually between 5% and 15%, depending on the vendor.
You must partner with companies that offer an affiliate program in order to have affiliate links on your site. Many retailers do, and they either participate in a larger affiliate network (such as Linkshare, ShareASale, or rStyle) or run their own programs (like Amazon).
The majority of affiliate networks and programs are simple to join. The most notable exception is rStyle.
The linguist
A large network that manages a plethora of brand affiliate programs. Affiliate networks include, for example, Linkshare and ShareASale. They host affiliate programs for companies like Sephora, Nordstrom, and Forever 21.
Merchants/Advertisers: Affiliate Network retailers and companies (such as Sephora, Nordstrom, and Forever 21).
You, the blogger or website owner, are the publisher.
The percentage of the entire sale that goes to the publisher is referred to as the commission. You are paid a commission on any purchases made through your affiliate link, regardless of whether or not the specific product you linked to was purchased.
When someone clicks on your affiliate link, a cookie is placed on their computer. The cookie will expire after a certain period of time, making your affiliate link invalid. So, if the cookie duration is set at 24 hours, you will receive a commission as long as you make a transaction within 24 hours of the cookie expiring.
Let’s start with something that really ANY blogger can use to earn money quickly: Amazon.
Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, operates its own affiliate program. And it’s fantastic for a variety of reasons, particularly for new bloggers.
Pro’s
You should have no trouble being recognized (as long as your blog does not break any regulations). You do not need any traffic.
People do, in fact, buy from Amazon all the time! This increases your chances of receiving a commission.
Creating links is simple, and their entire platform is user-friendly. You can view all of your metrics and keep track of your progress.
They have a large product range, so there’s a good chance you’ll find something appropriate to link to.
Con’s
The cookie expiration date is only 24 hours. This isn’t unusual in affiliate programs, but you won’t get compensated until the purchase is made within the next 24 hours.
Commissions are low. Amazon used to have reasonable commissions, but they’ve been drastically reduced in recent years.
Keep in mind that you will not be reimbursed until your balance exceeds $100. It could take a few months to get paid if you’re just starting out.
Commission
For areas such as health and personal care or groceries, the commission starts at 1%. For most things, it averages around 4%. Luxury Beauty is at the top, with a 10% commission.
The following are the rates:
Amazon also provides incentives based on what the customer signs up for. For example, if a customer uses your affiliate link to sign up for Amazon’s baby registry, you’ll earn $3.00. You may find a complete list of the bounties, as well as the commission structure, by clicking here.
It’s worth noting that you don’t have to link directly to Amazon’s Baby Registry (or any other site) to earn the prize. The reader only needs to sign up by clicking on one of your affiliate links.
How to Get Started as an Amazon Affiliate
Sign up for Amazon’s Affiliate Program by clicking here. You’ll need your Amazon account credentials, or you may sign up for a new one.
Affiliate networks
I also recommend that you join an affiliate network if you’re just beginning off as a blogger (particularly the ones I mention below). This is the ideal option to earn affiliate income when your traffic isn’t large enough for rStyle (I’ll go over this later).
Affiliate networks are beneficial because:
They’re massive, which means you may join a plethora of affiliate programs from renowned brands and retailers. This includes the fashion and beauty industries as well.
They are open to everyone and usually do not require a large audience to join.
Among the most well-known affiliate networks are:
LinkExchange (Rakuten)
Pepperjam Network Impact Radius, CJ Affiliate ShareASale (formerly Commission Junction)
I’ll only mention LinkShare and ShareASale, which are also two of my favorites. I believe that those two will be the most beneficial to the majority of bloggers.
What exactly is LinkShare?
This is the affiliate network you should join. Many retailers in the fashion and beauty industry are members of LinkShare. Nordstrom, ASOS, Sephora, Bloomingdales, Birchbox, and Net-A-Porter are just some of them.
Who Is Using LinkShare?
Here are various affiliate programs that you may join with LinkShare:
Tilbury, Charlotte (8 percent )
Nordstrom Inc. (2 percent )
e.l.f. (Private) Net-A-Porter (5 percent )
Marc Jacobs Cosmetics (8 percent )
smudge box (8 percent )
Laura Mercier (8 percent )
Estee Lauder & Co. (4 percent )
Ms. Bobbi Brown (8 percent )
Advantage (4 percent )
The Bath and Body Works (3 percent )
Sephora’s (Private)
The Cult of Beauty (5 percent )
The store Kohl’s (4 percent )
The sly fox (7 percent )
The Birchbox (5 percent )
Betsy Johnson’s (7 percent )
21st Century Fox (4 percent )
Bloomingdale’s Stores (2 percent )
JC Penney’s (3 percent )
ASOS (7 percent )
What are the requirements to join?
There are no requirements, and it is completely free for publishers. Once you’re a member of the network, you can apply to as many affiliate programs as you desire. As long as your website is good, most programs will let you join if you have enough traffic or come from a certain country or city.
How Do You Sign Up for LinkShare?
Fill out the form by clicking here. You’ll need to add your contact information as well as website information.
ShareASale
What exactly is ShareASale?
ShareASale is, in my opinion, the second most essential affiliate network for bloggers in general. If you’re in the health or green niche, this is a wonderful network to join if you’re in the health or green niche. Anyone who blogs about lifestyle, beauty, or fashion will find plenty of chances.
Who Is Using ShareASale?
Shopbop’s (1 percent )
The brand Ulta (5 percent )
The QVC channel (1 percent )
Apparel by American Apparel (3 percent )
American Eagle Outfitters (2 percent )
The Banana Republic (1 percent )
21st Century Fox (4 percent )
People Who Are Free (4 percent )
chasm (1 percent )
Gilded (3 percent )
LOFT (5 percent )
Lululemon Athletica (2.5 percent )
Mangoes (2 percent )
OLD NECKLACE (1 percent )
The philosophy (5 percent )
Clothing Revolve (5 percent )
ROMWE (10 percent )
The retailer Urban Outfitters (5 percent )
zappos.com (8 percent )
What Are the Requirements for Participation?
There are no prerequisites, and it is also free for publishers. Once you’re a member of the network, you can apply to all of the other affiliate programs, and in my experience, the vast majority of them will approve you. The primary condition is that you have a respectable website.
How Do You Sign Up for LinkShare?
Create an account by clicking here.
rsStyle affiliate program
I’ve only been using rStyle for a few months, but I already see fantastic results. So much so that I’m in the process of converting the majority of my links to rStyle! In a moment, I’ll explain why it’s my favorite network.
What exactly is the rStyle affiliate program?
RewardStyle’s rStyle is essentially an affiliate network similar to the ones stated above, but it is extremely different. First and foremost, it is geared towards bloggers, particularly those in the fashion blogging sector. It is also more exclusive, which means that not everyone who applies is accepted (true story: I got denied twice).
Because it’s designed just for bloggers, rStyle is elegant, simple to use, and, most importantly, it integrates ALL of the main brands and retailers.
I noted that rStyle is not like the other affiliate networks I’ve described. This is because they do not have their own affiliate platform and instead rely on pre-existing affiliate networks. As a result, rStyle stands between you (the blogger) and the affiliate network (like LinkShare or ShareASale).
This is actually a positive thing, as I’ll explain below.
What is rstyle affiliate links?
RewardStyle is an affiliate marketing network that focuses on the lifestyle and fashion industry. rStyle affiliate links are links provided by RewardStyle that content creators, like bloggers or social media influencers, use to promote products. When a user clicks on an rStyle link and makes a purchase, the content creator earns a commission from the sale.
The concept of rStyle links operates like any other affiliate marketing system. The process involves three main steps:
- Signup: First, content creators must apply and be accepted into the RewardStyle network.
- Link Generation: Once accepted, creators can generate unique rStyle affiliate links for specific products they wish to promote. These links can be shared on various platforms including blogs, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, and more.
- Commission Earning: If a follower or reader clicks the rStyle link and purchases the product, the creator earns a commission on the sale.
RewardStyle and its rStyle affiliate links have become particularly popular in the lifestyle and fashion blogging industry due to their curated selection of high-quality brands and simple-to-use linking tools. One of its popular tools is the LIKEtoKNOW.it app, which allows Instagram users to shop their favorite influencers’ looks directly from their posts.
Pro’s
RewardStyle provides many advantages over other affiliate networks.
First and foremost, rStyle is substantially larger. If you’re a fashion or beauty blogger, it integrates all the brands and retailers you’re talking about on your blog (essentially, it unites all the affiliate networks in one spot, so you don’t have to join them all).
Higher commissions are available through rStyle. Because RewardStyle generates so many sales (from ALL of their bloggers combined, which is enormous! ), they are able to negotiate higher commissions. I don’t think I can provide specific figures, but they offer more commissions than LinkShare and the others. I was also told that the average cookie lifespan is 30 days, which is fantastic.
Another significant advantage of rStyle is the ease of creating links! If you are unfamiliar with affiliate networks, you may not realize how time-consuming it is to develop personalized affiliate links. The battle is real! It’s a time waster, but rStyle’s browser widget makes it simple and painless. Two clicks. Done.
Another benefit of joining rStyle (and the reason I joined them) is that they can get any brand or retailer they want, something you, as an individual blogger, cannot always achieve. I’ve had problems getting into various programs in the past, which is quite aggravating.
RStyle’s style is much more sleek and modern, and it is far more user-friendly than other affiliate networks (which can be intimidating and hard to figure out).
RStyle also controls all of the various programs for you. Bloggers are inconvenienced when retailers decide to switch networks. It implies that all of our old links have suddenly stopped working, and we must go through the painstaking process of updating them. Bloggers can do this easily with rStyle.
Their “customer service” is likewise excellent. Every blogger has a manager who will help and advise them as they go along.
Con’s
Getting in is more difficult, which is sad for new bloggers. You must have a social media presence and a lot of interaction, among other things, in order to be a good teacher.
One issue I’ve encountered with rStyle is its limited reporting system. There’s no way of knowing which things you’ve sold or how much commission you’ve earned on each order. You can only view the commission you received (as shown above), but not the entire sale, individual items sold, or the commission in %. LinkShare, for example, provides all of this information.
Another thing to keep in mind is that rStyle has complete control over your links if you utilize them. They can cancel commissions at any time and do whatever they want. And if something goes wrong with rStyle and they go down, your affiliate money will drop to nothing overnight. Regarding affiliate earnings, you should always have a backup plan and never put all of your eggs in one basket.
Commission?
The advertiser determines the commission. The lowest commission is 4.9 percent, while the highest commission is 30 percent (if we exclude some exceptions that offer even more). The typical commission is slightly more than 10%.
How to Join RewardStyle
According to rStyle, the following are deciding factors:
Audiences are large and expanding. Many of our daily sales come from social networking sites like Pose, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest, and we also look for blog comments.
Consistent publishing regarding monetizable products (at least three times per week).
Original information and high-quality imagery that is both unique and aesthetically pleasing to your readers.
Linking all linkable information so that your readers are brought to retailers’ websites.
The blog has a consistent, clean, and editorial design that runs across it (like Luella & June, for example).
Nota bene: Based on what I’ve seen, I believe the first aspect is the most crucial. You will be accepted if you have a huge audience, particularly on social media.
My RewardStyle Experience
RStyle is only interested in bloggers that have established websites. I had to apply twice before I was accepted. The third time’s a charm! But it was also around this time that they revised their application form to include your blog traffic and income, which I believe helped my application (since my social media statistics didn’t match my traffic).
After entering, I was met by my manager, who was both informative and friendly. She is still available to answer my queries, and I receive important updates. It’s a well-oiled fully working machine and one of the most efficient networks. If you’re new to affiliate links, they will work with bloggers to help them make more money.
The most surprising aspect of joining rStyle was their commission rates, which were greater than I had anticipated. Their entire platform is simple to use, well-designed and equipped with various widgets to make your life easier. One of these is their linking widget, which makes it extremely simple to create links.
How to Register
Create an account and apply to rStyle.
ShopStyle
ShopStyle is the last but not least for new bloggers. This one is similar to rStyle, but there is one key difference: they pay per click rather than per sale or commission. This implies that each click is monetized, and you will receive a few cents for each hit.
What exactly is ShopStyle?
ShopStyle works similarly to rStyle in that it bridges the blogger and the Affiliate Network. When someone clicks on your ShopStyle affiliate link, you’ll make roughly 5 cents per click. The cookie is then sent to ShopStyle, and if the user makes a purchase after clicking on your link, ShopStyle receives the commission.
It is a risk, but it makes sense. Only a small fraction of users who visit an affiliate link make a purchase.
So, if you use commission-based affiliate links on your site, most clicks will earn you $0. And occasionally, you get lucky, and someone buys something, which usually results in a few bucks in commission for you.
Pro’s
If you don’t have a large audience, ShopStyle may be a nice choice, especially if you know your target audience and know they aren’t huge spenders (i.e., if you have a high click-through rate but low commission).
Each and every click is assured to be monetized.
They accept all bloggers, and you may begin making money right now.
It’s ideal for bloggers with low traffic.
It’s good for bloggers who get many clicks but only a few sales.
The platform is user-friendly and has a modern appearance.
Cons
Purchase-based commissions may allow you to earn more commission. As I previously stated, it’s a risk, but most bloggers earn more from purchase-based commissions than bought clicks.
Commission
It’s about 5 cents each click for me.
My Shopstyle Experience
Signing up for and using ShopStyle was a breeze.I mainly wanted to try out ShopStyle because I use purchase-based commission links on my site.
As an experiment, I posted two ShopStyle links on my site. Those links received 1,700 clicks in the last six months; my revenues were $85. This implies I earned precisely 5 cents per click.
How to Sign Up for ShopStyle
Simply click here to register for a new account. It’s simple to sign up.
To summarize
All of my recommendations for bloggers who want to use affiliate links on their sites are listed above. Amazon is a must-have resource that will always come in handy. If you’re a well-known blogger, I recommend that you join rStyle. I also recommend LinkShare and ShareASale to everyone so that you can become acquainted with them. Finally, if you don’t have a lot of traffic yet, ShopStyle can be a nice solution!
I don’t enjoy placing all of my eggs in one basket regarding affiliate links. I now utilize Amazon, LinkShare, and ShareASale, and I’m also transitioning to rStyle. If you’re going to use rStyle, I think it’s a good idea to have a backup.
I hope this was useful!
Do you employ affiliate links on your blog? If so, what do you employ? Tell me in the comments!