How to Choose the Best Affiliate Programs to Work With

Whether you’re dabbling in affiliate marketing as a side hustle, or planning to turn it into a full-time career, it’s really important that you find affiliate networks that work for you. Companies that are easy to communicate with. Brands and products that your followers or customers are likely to engage with. And programs with a variety of payment structures, so you can choose an approach that suits your style. But choosing the best affiliate programs isn’t always easy. This short guide should give you the information you need to move forward with confidence.

Four Tips for Choosing the Best Affiliate Programs for You

1. Think about your niche

This probably sounds kind of obvious. But whichever affiliate programs you decide to join, you need to be certain that the products work for your niche. If, for example, your fans usually expect you to talk about lifestyle products, you won’t succeed with even the very best affiliate program if its main focus is high tech business tools. Whereas an online dating affiliate does have a chance of appealing to your demographic. But it is worth remembering that you don’t have to focus solely on your core subject. To increase your earning potential, look at associated areas. For example, dating promotions can work in a wide variety of niches: men’s interest; women’s interest; lifestyle; relationships; health.

2. Select quality products to promote

There are affiliate networks dedicated to all kinds of products. Almost anything you can think of will have a brand somewhere, looking for marketing partners. But if you want to build long-term relationships with your followers, you need to look beyond the one-hit wonder. Promoting poor quality products and services can seriously damage your reputation. To create a business, you need to become a voice your fans can trust. Selecting high quality goods to work with, is one of the best ways to do that.

3. Look at the affiliate network’s reputation

If you’re putting your time and effort into promoting a vendor’s products, you need to know that they’re on the level. So, before you sign up, do some research. Read their online testimonials. Google the company to see what people are saying. Do they pay out as promised? Are there hidden caveats, or are they known for fairness? Do they publish conversion metrics? Does the affiliate program provide support and resources? If the answer to all – or most – of these questions is ‘yes’, then you can be confident that you’ve chosen well.

4. Work with products you’re interested in

One of the things that a lot of people forget when they ask the question, ‘what are the best affiliate programs’ is that there is no single answer. The best program for you might be a nightmare for someone else. And that’s because you need to work with things that interest you. Otherwise, you’re never going to be able to promote them convincingly. And you affiliate work will become as much of a chore as any other 9-5 job. So, if you’re fascinated by relationships, then dating offers could be the perfect vector for you. If you’re into motoring, then probably not so much!

Finding the best affiliate programs to work with can take time. It can be a matter of trial and error. And sometimes, it can take a while to establish whether you’ve made the right choice. But researching before you start can save you a lot of time. And with luck, you’ll find the perfect affiliate program to build your online business around.