You’ve decided to finally start affiliate marketing. You know how and what you need to start, you’ve built a website, and are ready to start posting those affiliate links you got from affiliate programs! But there’s a problem. You don’t know how to find affiliate programs!
Fear not, dear reader. I’m gonna help you out! That’s my job, see. If you’re just starting out, chances are you’re gonna be lost at figuring out how to get those links you need. I hope you are, otherwise this post won’t be of much use!
I’ll go over finding these programs right after explaining just what kind of products to link to.
Knowing What to Promote
I may be starting off in obvious territory here, but I thought it’d be good to cover it.
You’re obviously gonna promote products in your niche. And you’re gonna want to promote the good items, of course.
If you don’t know where to start, you could try items you already use. If I had a retro-gaming website, I’d probably do a review on Donkey Kong Country 2 (1995), which is a game I’ve beaten and enjoyed multiple times.
So this could mean books you’ve read, or recipes you’ve tried. It goes without saying that writing about something you use is easier than writing about something you don’t.
But you could also do the opposite. I’ve never played Chrono Trigger (1995), but it’s widely considered one of the best games of all time. Any gamer can tell you that. I could feature it in post and recommend it to my readers. It’s just that good. Wait, why didn’t I play it yet?!
The reputation of a product is important, as you can see. I couldn’t play every game ever, right? The same goes for books and recipes.
What I would do is use Amazon to quickly get an idea of the item’s quality. 1-2 star reviews across the board is a hard sell, but a solid 5 stars (with plenty of reviews) means you’re on to something.
Don’t always go this path! As I said above, writing about something you’ve tried personally is much easier.
I’d also recommend using a good keyword tool to find out how popular your product is on the search engines, namely Google. Luckily, I have a free keyword tool right here on the site that makes it a snap.
Now let’s get to the main event!
Finding Affiliate Programs
Affiliate programs aren’t as “out-there” as you would expect. The affiliate marketing industry isn’t very mainstream.
Regardless, no matter your niche, there are programs out there. Where you start, though, depends on what you want (like every other aspect of life).
Are you promoting big-name items, like NBA gear and MLB baseball bats (I didn’t wanna say gear twice)? Or JC Penney clothes? Or Walmart…er, stuff? The prime destination for brands like these are affiliate networks, like these:
Most well-known companies have products on these sites. They’re great places to look for those mainstream brands. They do require your own site to join, though. They’re pretty serious.
There are also networks that specialize in digital goods, like e-books, software, and yes, the “get-rich-quick” schemes. These networks are easy to join, and contain high commissions most of the time. Some of these are:
Many affiliate marketers use Clickbank. Like, a lot. It pays well. I personally use JVZoo more often, Clickbank still has it’s uses. Just remember these sites are much more likely to contain scammy products. 
And of course, there’s the ubiquitous Amazon Associates program. This is by far the most popular network, because there are millions of items to advertise! No matter your niche, you’re gonna find something on Amazon.
Not all companies require you to go to the networks though. On many companies’ websites you can find a “Affiliates” menu item, usually on the footer but sometimes front and center on the main menu. Clicking on these will take you to the sign-up page.
Keep in mind that some programs do evaluate you in some way to make sure you qualify. I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Usually you just have to describe your site.
A Note About Commissions
Before I get to the end, I just wanna get a word out about commissions. If you’re new to all this, you might only chase after high commission percentages. I tried it that way too, but the truth is, it’s advisable to go after products you know will sell.
Remember, Amazon rarely goes over 10% commissions, but it’s still the most popular program!
The Hunt Begins!! Program Perceptive Marketer!
Affiliate programs can be hit or miss, but the important thing is to get some experience with them. They’re free to use, after all, so you won’t really lose much.
Oh yeah, about being free… that’s what all programs should be. As I’ve mentioned before, a ‘paid’ affiliate program is not worth your time. It could be a scam.
Personally, my favorite affiliate program is also my favorite online business platform. If you wanna learn more about it, check out my detailed look into it here.
What do you think of these tips? Was I mostly right? What’s the best affiliate program you’ve used so far?What about the worst? Annoyed with these questions yet? Share your thoughts in comments below!
Your partner in programs,
-Makki
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Some great information. I’ve tried Clickbank but not JVzoo so I might give that one ago. I guess the key is figuring out how to get the conversions aye. Cheers 🙂
Hey Micaela! I highly recommend JVZoo. It works way better than Clickbank for me. Feels a lot more… professional. Thanks for commenting!
Hi Makki,
Thank you so much for sharing this valuable information with us. You’ve done us a great deal of favor in publishing this post on affiliate programs. I’ll definitely come back for more. All the best to you!
Glad I could help you out Peter! Thanks for commenting!
Used clickbank before, never heard of the other two. I would have to check those out. However, as a clickbank user I am always confused about all the stats they give me. Have you done an article on this? I think having a low gravity is good right? But how low is good? What exactly makes a ‘good’ product to promote on clickbank?
That’s a great question Matt. I haven’t done an article yet, but I really should. I’ll have a post up about Clickbank in the future.
Anyway, low gravity is generally bad, except for internet marketing products, where gravity is often inaccurate since affiliates buy with their own links. High gravity means high sales. Low gravity means you should find out more about the product before deciding. I’d generally look for a high commission rate, high gravity, ad high price. That’s just me though.
Good information on the top free to join affiliate programs. I am another who had never heard of JVZoo before but I have just signed up as an Affiliate there. The best of the ones you have listed above for me has been ClickBank so far and I have received several commission payments from them. Amazon is 2nd but I have yet to reach the payment threshold for my account
Sounds about right. Clickbank is popular for a reason. I prefer Amazon over all, but the commissions can be pretty low. I hope you like what JVZoo has to offer James! Thanks for sharing!
It’s important to realize that you don’t need to do anything specific when it comes to any niche, just choose what you like and go from there. It may seem like there’s no market for it since you’ve never personally seen one but rest assured it’s there. So for those people looking to start in on something like this just keep that in mind.
I used to think the same thing, that I had to go ultra-specific in a niche. But there are sites dedicated to the wackiest of stuff, and pretty successful to boot. Following your passion is always a good idea. Thanks for commenting Justin!
Great site, I love it. Thanks for sharing this information on affiliate programs.
It’s very useful for a beginner affiliate marketer and I like the layout of the page. Keep it up!
No problem Vee! Happy to see you enjoyed it!
I’ve bookmarked your site – I believe learning about affiliate marketing is an ongoing process and insightful articles like this one help with the information that is required. Thanks.
Thanks for the bookmark! I really appreciate it Norah. Affiliate marketing can be a real puzzler, so it’s important to know what you’re doing before you get totally lost.
Hey! Good info here 🙂 I tried Amazon affiliate and it’s ok. Also tried to use CJ, but it’s a bit slow (at least in my opinion) – loading time for products/advertisers it way to long for me 🙂 I’m sure I’ll check on some of the ideas mentioned by you here! Thanks for this post!
Admittedly, I haven’t used CJ all that much, but it definitely has some speed issues. It doesn’t seem to affect everyone though. You won’t go wrong with Amazon, however! Try them all out, it’s good to experiment. Thanks for reading Lukas!
Some nice info here Makki. I’ve tried clickbank with very little success, I’ll definitely have a look at JVzoo.
Thanks Hutch! I’m sure you’ll find some success with JVZoo!
There is a lot of good information on here. I am just getting started in my affiliate marketing career and am about to start looking at different affiliate program. Amazon is on my list because if you can get someone to link over you can and they buy anything you get a cut. My site specializes in natural soap making and the place I order my ingredients offers and affiliate program. I have heard and used click bank before, but I have always been wary of their product. Thanks for the info.
You certainly can’t go wrong with Amazon. It’s sure to have some soap products for your site. Clickbank is mostly digital, so I don’t know what soap-related products you could promote. You’re right though; always be cautious. Thanks for your feedback Calvin! Much appreciated!