READING TIME: 5 MINUTES
If you’re a content creator you’ve probably heard of affiliate marketing. If you’re anything like me, you may be overwhelmed by the vast amount of affiliate marketing platforms available. In the last couple of years I’ve started taking this opportunity for passive income more seriously. After trying out quite a few, I have found 4 of the best affiliate marketing platforms for creators and beginners. The best part is that these are all FREE affiliate marketing websites. As you grow your social media community, they can provide a great opportunity to easily link to products you love – and make money while doing so.
*This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission should you join the platforms mentioned.
Should you join an affiliate marketing platform?
If you regularly share your favorite products with your audience, the answer is yes! While you may not earn a ton from it initially, as you build trust with your audience they will be more likely to make a purchase from the links you share. An added bonus, it’s an easy way to earn a few extra dollars (or hundreds of dollars depending on how seriously you take it – can you say cha ching!). Below you’ll find 4 that have helped me make the most money.
Planet Howl
Howl is the most recent affiliate marketing platform that I’ve joined but it has already earned its spot in my top 3. Here’s why:
1. Their commission rates are generally higher than other platforms. Some brands have rates as high as 75%!
2. They have an instant payout option. You can choose to wait the usual payout terms for no fee payment or you can have your earnings paid out instantly for a small fee. Similar to how PayPal charges an instant transfer fee on transactions.
3. There are no return penalties. Of course you don’t want to abuse this perk. However, if a shopper returns their item, the money you earn from the sale is not reversed. That in itself made Howl one of my top 3 affiliate marketing platforms.
Bonus: You can create a storefront of linked items so your audience can easily shop what you are sharing with them.
Planet Howl is a creator first platform. The website does not say that you have to have a certain number of followers. However, it’s important that you’re active on socials and create quality content!
MAvely
Mavely is a platform that I’v been using for a few months now but I’ve made the most, in the shortest amount of time, using this one. There are a few reasons I like this affiliate marketing platform including:
1. They share when brand partners are having sales. Instead of having to search for hours trying to figure out who’s having a sale, you can easily view current promotions right from your Mavely dashboard.
2. There was a pretty big update on their analytics dashboard. Many affiliate marketing platforms will only show that you’ve made a conversion and how much you earned. On Mavely, it’s broken down by brand, specific links, and the traffic source that clicks came from. This makes it easy to figure out where to focus your attention when posting links.
3. Like Howl, you can create a shop on Mavely as well. You can also create collections to easily separate your links into specific categories.
Bonus: You can earn extra money by meeting specific sales goals or participating in brand campaigns.
To sign up for Mavely, you just need to apply and wait to hear back from them! There is no follower requirement indicated on their website. Just make sure you’re active on social or personal blog.
MAgiclinks
MagicLinks has been around for some time and is actually the very first affiliate marketing platform that I joined. In the beginning, they were geared more towards creators who shared links on YouTube but they now accept their links to be posted to other social platforms as well. Some of the reasons I like using MagicLinks are:
1. They provide a sustainability score for brands,
2. They share weekly flash deals and upcoming promotions. If you’re struggling to figure out what products to post about during a certain time, both of these features make it easy to determine which promotions your audience may enjoy the most.
3. Like the other two affiliate marketing platforms that I mentioned, you can create a storefront using MagicLinks. If you often share links on YouTube, MagicLinks might be better though. You can auto-sync your page to automatically create a storefront from the links you share! That way you don’t have to add products one-by-one. You can also easily create a “in-bio” page. Think LinkTree except you can actually add content like YouTube videos or . That’s a game changer, especially if you don’t have your own website.
Bonus: There’s a tab that easily lets you find top selling products.
To get started building your MagicLinks storefront, you need to apply first. There don’t seem to be any follower requirements as long as you are active on social media. This can be on YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok.
ShopMy
ShopMy is a platform that I signed up for in the last couple of months but it’s easily becoming my go-to. My favorite features of ShopMy are
1. You can set up a storefront and also choose the layout of how you want it to look. They offer aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate options. You can even link to other affiliate programs so that you can have all of your affiliate links in one place. This alone is a game changer!
2. Many brands have higher commissions. Compared to some of the other platforms they have a larger selection of brands and some of them offer higher commissions on ShopMy.
3. The ability to collaborate with brands. Once you meet certain requirements, you have the ability to contact and collaborate with brands. The more you use the platform, the faster you unlock this ability.
The ShopMy affiliate network doesn’t explicitly outline follower requirements to join but there are requirements you have to meet in order to move up tiers once you’re approved.
Learning how to effectively use affiliate marketing takes time
If you’re just starting out using affiliate marketing websites, don’t be discouraged if you don’t see a ton of money coming in at first. Keep in mind that there is a learning curve and it will take time to get into your groove. Affiliate marketing also requires a lot of work. It’s important to come up with a strategy that works for you and allows you to stay true to yourself and trustworthy to your audience.
If you found this helpful, be sure to check out my other social media and content creator tips!
Let's get social!