Getting started as an Affiliation in 2021 isn’t always easy.
Like walking on a tightrope, it can feel like you’re eternally caught in a balancing act.
Because to be successful, you need to find the perfect match between two conflicting elements, Trust and opportunity.
Firstly: You need a program that you can TRUST to deliver
If you’re paying attention, you’ll see new Affiliation programs being launched every single day.
A simple scan of new products that hit clickbank, and anyone can see it’s NOT hard to find a new program.
But the question remains, is this program going to deliver.
With any NEW product, sales are still a test.
They may do their best to assure you that their product is the next big thing, but products often come and go in a heartbeat.
The most common products you’ll find on Affiliation marketplaces are ones that deliver questionable promises to their customers – and equally questionable promises to their Affiliation partners.
But maybe you give it a go.
You create your new blog posts, video reviews. Set up a brilliant sharing schedule on social media, hoping to reap passive rewards for years to come and help your audience…
Only to see it vanish!
There one day, but gone the next, along with your hard-earned rewards.
This is far too common a story and why everyone should be wary of a brand new offering.
This means that it’s vital for you to select brands which you can trust to 1) stick around for years to come. And 2) deliver excellent service to anyone you refer.
But there’s a problem when you stick with these types of trusted brands.
They don’t leave anywhere near as much opportunity for you to explore.
Second: You need a product with space for you.
At the other end of the spectrum, yes you have the trusted products we all know and love.
The household names, which are market leaders in their respective industry.
Great, you think.
They will definitely track your referrals, give a great service and definitely pay out.
But there’s a catch.
You’re also competing with the biggest market leaders for attention and competing against years of optimized ads run by the company themselves.
You are competing with affiliates that have spent years optimizing sales pages and blogs with 1,000s of links and SEO juice that could take years to beat.
Competing against the biggest influencers who are contracted to constantly share links.
Which raises the question…
How can you compete?
The truth is, you can’t.
You may be able to deliver a small amount of local value.
With a program like Shopify, you can start by referring a few people you know. If you’re a web developer, you can refer a few small clients.
But that’s only scratching the surface of your Affiliation potential.
By getting in early with a brand, you get the chance to be an industry leader, to build renown and be found in search engines for much greater online profit.
What’s the best way forward?
You need to find your own balance.
A place where you are confident dedicating energy.
Each of you will have a natural preference for risk of a new program, some of you may want to take a risk and become a huge earner. Others may prefer the security of a known brand.
But what would I recommend…
The trifecta of Affiliation marketing.
- A long standing product – which has a brand you can trust
- Not promoted by huge influencers – yet a relatively new affiliate program with space to grow
- With recurring commissions – which make your efforts multiply month on month and year by year.
These opportunities may be a little harder to find and may require a little more work up front. But you give yourself a much better chance at success.
Below are a few examples that we think are great up and comers.
Shift
Shift is a workstation platform that helps streamline your apps, accounts, and workflows. It’s a logical tool that doesn’t compromise in its simple and minimalist design. Shift allows you to access multiple Google and Microsoft accounts, connects you with apps, and focuses with Workspaces.
Commission Rate: 30% commission on sales for Gold commission
Payhip
Payhip partner program is one of the best new programs around.
It provides the easiest way for creators to sell digital downloads & memberships.
They make it a piece of cake to sell and promote anything from ebooks, memberships, software, design assets, music or any type of digital products directly to your customers. They are a well established company serving over 100,000 happy customers and offer an excellent reward structure.
Commission Rate: 50% commission on all revenue for life
FanDuel
FanDuel is the premier destination for sports fans online. In 2009, FanDuel reimagined the concept of fantasy sports, giving fans the ability to play one-day fantasy sports for real cash prizes.
Commission Rate: 35% commission on sales
Whatever you decide, make sure to think about how your balancing trust and opportunity before you start work on your next affiliate offer.
Jessica Davis
Affiliate queen and blogger