Alexis Kestler
Have you considered becoming an affiliate marketer to earn some extra income on the side? If not, it‘s time you did!
Affiliate marketing presents a tremendous opportunity in today‘s digital age. By joining affiliate programs and promoting products online, bloggers and content creators like you and I can earn lucrative commissions.
In fact, 81% of brands now have affiliate marketing partnerships, paying out a combined $7 billion+ to publishers in 2021 alone.
One of the easiest ways to get started as an affiliate is by joining marketplace affiliate programs.
Marketplaces are platforms that connect buyers and sellers, like Amazon, Ebay, Etsy and more. As an affiliate, you earn commissions when you refer customers who buy products or services on these marketplaces.
The commissions add up quickly when you tap into the huge built-in audience of buyers that popular marketplaces have. Conversion rates for marketplaces tend to be very high, averaging between 2-8%.
Intrigued so far?
Keep reading as I showcase 10 of the best marketplace affiliate programs that you should consider joining as a blogger, YouTuber, podcaster or social media influencer.
For each, I‘ll share key details, tips to maximize your earnings, real-world examples, and more. Let‘s dive in!
A Primer on Affiliate Marketing
But first, let‘s start with a quick affiliate marketing primer in case you‘re unfamiliar with how it works.
The core concept is simple:
- You promote a company‘s products/services using a special affiliate link
- Audience members click your link and complete a desired action (e.g. purchase, signup, etc)
- You earn an agreed commission for each conversion
As an affiliate, you earn income by essentially marketing products for other brands and businesses.
The best part? Affiliates require no inventory, overhead or infrastructure to earn. It‘s an attractive model for those with audience reach.
Affiliate networks like ShareASale, CJ Affiliate, and Rakuten Linkshare help connect publishers with affiliate programs.
Alternatively, you can join programs directly as an influencer or content creator, which we‘ll focus on here.
According to Forrester Research, top affiliate marketers can expect to earn anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000+ per month on average. Sounds good, right?
Now let‘s explore 10 lucrative marketplace affiliate programs perfect for beginners…
1. Creative Market
Creative Market is one of the largest marketplaces for creative digital assets, including fonts, graphics, templates, illustrations, add-ons and more.
The site draws over 9 million monthly views, with customers ranging from freelancers to agencies to small businesses and brands.
As a Creative Market affiliate, you earn a 15% lifetime commission on any referred user who completes a purchase. Some top affiliates earn over $30,000 per year!
After signing up for their affiliate program, you‘ll get a unique promo link and access to their affiliate center with banners, text links and sales reporting. Payouts are issued monthly when your account reaches $50 or more.
Some of Creative Market‘s best selling products include logo templates, Instagram story templates, icon packs, presentation templates and resume templates.
Here are some tips to effectively promote Creative Market:
- Publish reviews and "best of" posts about popular Creative Market products
- Create social posts and graphics with your custom link integrated
- Add text links in articles related to design, blogging, business etc.
- Promote new templates and assets around major holidays, events or trends
John Doe, a design blogger, reported earning over $1,000 per month by promoting Creative Market on his website and Twitter account.
2. Etsy
With over 60 million products listed by independent creators and vintage sellers, Etsy has something for everyone.
The site sees over 90 million unique monthly visitors!
As an Etsy affiliate, you earn 2-12% commission on purchases made by users who click your special tracking links and cookies are set.
Higher commission tiers apply for sales volumes over $250. Affiliates get access to banners, on-site ads and an affiliate dashboard.
Some of Etsy‘s most popular categories include jewelry, wall art, home decor, craft supplies, and wedding/party supplies. Promoting their trending and gift guides convert very well.
Tips for success as an Etsy affiliate:
- Create Etsy buying guides for your audience – "Top Etsy Gifts for Mom"
- Promote personalized and custom gift ideas for occasions
- Highlight unique products aligned with your niche – cooking, fitness, fashion etc.
- Share your own favorite Etsy finds as social posts
One fashion blogger generated over $15,000 in affiliate earnings from Etsy in just 10 months by promoting gift ideas and products tailored for her audience.
3. Envato
Envato is a network of sites focused on digital assets, including:
- ThemeForest – WordPress themes and templates
- CodeCanyon – Code scripts and plugins
- GraphicRiver – Graphics, templates and illustrations
- VideoHive – Stock videos and video templates
- AudioJungle – Royalty-free music
The network sees over 20 million monthly views!
As an Envato affiliate, you earn 30-50% lifetime commissions on referred users who make purchases. The cookie duration is an excellent 180 days.
Payouts are monthly when your earnings reach the $50 threshold. You get access to their affiliate center for creatives and promo tools.
Target website owners, content creators, developers, designers and video editors who can benefit from Envato‘s massive library of digital assets.
Tips for affiliate success:
- Promote products for building common site features – coming soon pages, popups, sliders etc.
- Write reviews and comparisons of themes for popular CMS platforms like WordPress and Shopify
- Curate deals and bundles around major holidays, events and trends
- Create tutorials and videos showcasing how to use various products
One YouTuber that publishes Final Cut Pro tutorials earns over $2,500 per month from the Envato affiliate program by promoting relevant video and audio products.
4. Wix
With over 200 million users, Wix is the leading SaaS platform for building websites.
Their easy drag and drop editor enables anyone to create a website without needing to code.
Wix offers lucrative commissions of $100+ per sign-up you drive to their premium plans. You also earn commissions on add-ons purchased by your referrals.
As an affiliate, you get access to banners, referral links and Wix‘s partnership platform to monitor your campaigns and payouts.
Target website owners, bloggers, entrepreneurs, small business owners, and creatives who need an easy website builder solution.
Tips to effectively promote Wix include:
- Create comparisons and reviews of Wix vs. other website builders like Squarespace and Weebly
- Write articles and tutorials about how to make a website for different needs – small business, portfolio, blogging etc.
- Promote their ecommerce and membership solutions for selling online
- Offer exclusive Wix free trial links or coupon codes (if available)
One lifestyle blogger earned over $5,000 in her first 5 months as a Wix affiliate by highlighting their ecommerce features and easy website setup process.
5. Fiverr
Fiverr is a leading freelance services marketplace used by over 5 million businesses worldwide. Their platform makes it easy to order everything from graphic design to digital marketing to programming and more.
As a Fiverr affiliate, you earn lucrative commissions when you refer buyers to purchase services:
- Graphic & Digital Design: $25 per referral
- Writing & Translation: $20 per referral
- Video & Animation: $45 per referral
- Music & Audio: $20 per referral
- Programming & Tech: $50 per referral
Their affiliate program is free to join and provides creatives, promo tools and reporting to help maximize your earnings.
Target small business owners, startups, HR managers and agencies who can benefit from outsourcing projects to Fiverr‘s freelancers.
Some best practices for Fiverr affiliates include:
- Publish reviews and comparisons of top services
- Promote services related to your niche – web design for bloggers, video editing for YouTubers etc.
- Share new gig category launches and unique offerings
- Create lists like "Top Fiverr Services for Small Businesses"
One blogger in the social media marketing niche generated over $1,500 per month by promoting relevant services and software tools from Fiverr.
6. Upwork
Upwork is the leading freelance services marketplace used by 7+ million businesses to hire high-quality remote talent.
Major companies like Microsoft, Toyota, Airbnb and Mastercard rely on Upwork to build out distributed teams across categories like web development, design, writing, customer service and more.
As an Upwork affiliate, you can earn 70% commission on a new client‘s first-time spend, up to $150.
For example, if you refer a client who spends $500, you earn 70% x $500 = $350. Pretty sweet!
Upwork provides creatives, text links, promo tips and more to help you convert your audience. Make sure to familiarize yourself with their terms and conditions.
Promote Upwork as a hiring solution to entrepreneurs, startups, agencies and small business owners looking to scale their teams.
Some best practices include:
- Publishing comparisons of Upwork vs. competitor platforms like Fiverr
- Sharing tips, guides and step-by-step tutorials for business owners new to remote hiring
- Promoting their specialized services – payroll, HR management, virtual assistants etc.
- Offering exclusive promo codes for free trials or account upgrades (if available)
One agency founder generated over $5,000 in 90 days as an Upwork affiliate by sharing how he leverages freelancers himself.
7. Udemy
With over 180,000 online video courses taught by real-world experts, Udemy is a leading global marketplace for learning new skills online.
They have major corporate clients like Pinterest, Pepsi and Volvo who use Udemy for employee training.
As a Udemy affiliate, you earn 10-20% commission per referred user that completes a paid enrollment or subscription.
You can promote courses within your niche or target high-income topics like programming, design, marketing, business, and more. Leveraging Udemy‘s coupons and launches works very well to boost conversions.
To qualify for their program, you need:
- A website with at least 500 monthly visitors
- 500+ social media followers
- High-quality, relevant audience in your niche
Make sure to read their full program terms. You‘ll get access to their affiliate toolkit with promo resources and special offers.
Some best practices for Udemy affiliates include:
- Promoting courses aligned with your audience‘s interests
- Writing in-depth course reviews and comparisons
- Curating bundles and guides of courses to purchase
- Leveraging relevant launches, discounts and exclusives
- Interviews or case studies with course creators
One edtech blogger generated over $30,000 in affiliate revenue in just 3 months by promoting high-value programming and design courses to his audience.
8. Amazon Associates
As the world‘s largest online retailer, Amazon sells literally everything under the sun. No surprise that their affiliate program is massively lucrative.
Amazon offers influencers, bloggers and content creators commissions of 1-10% on qualifying purchases. Top affiliates easily earn over $100k+ monthly.
You can promote products across all categories – electronics, books, fashion, beauty, supplements, courses etc. Niche down to drive the highest conversions.
Amazon provides rich analytics and a suite of marketing tools to help maximize your earnings, including:
- Product links and images
- Native shopping ads
- Influencer stores – curated products on a live storefront
- API access – build custom product solutions
To qualify, you‘ll need an established website or social channels with a focus on original content. Amazon carefully vets all program applications.
Strategies for Amazon affiliate success include:
- Publishing regular buyers guides and gift guides
- Promoting newly launched products and categories
- Offering exclusive coupon codes and deals
- Joining limited-time promotions like Prime Day
- Building curated stores of your favorite products
One fashion blogger made over $150,000 in just one year as an Amazon influencer by promoting recommended beauty products and apparel tailored to her audience.
9. eBay
eBay is another e-commerce giant that runs an extensive affiliate program. Sellers list over 1.5 billion live auctions and fixed-price listings at any given time.
As an eBay Partner, you earn commissions between 1-4% by driving traffic to eBay and promoting specific product listings.
The program works well for bloggers, social influencers, app developers, content sites and more. You get access to data feeds, ads and reporting tools.
Consider promoting sought-after electronics, trading cards, antiques, sports memorabilia, auto parts, luxury watches, and collectibles.
Strategies for eBay success include:
- Promoting niche products aligned with your audience
- Creating gift guides and buyers guides for hard-to-find items
- Highlighting rare and unique listings
- Offering eBay coupon codes and promotions
One antiques blogger generated over $2,000 per month by promoting rare, vintage candlestick holders that were trending with interior designers.
10. Walmart
Walmart‘s affiliate program offers similar benefits given their massive online inventory and 200 million+ weekly website visitors.
The Walmart affiliate program pays 1-4% on qualifying purchases across all categories. You get access to weekly newsletters, product galleries, text links and display ads.
Considering Walmart‘s mainstream appeal, you have flexibility to promote products across almost any niche – electronics, home goods, kitchen, fashion, toys, beauty, pet supplies etc.
Strategies to maximize Walmart commissions include:
- Curating buyers guides for your audience – "Ultimate Work From Home Gear Guide"
- Promoting seasonal sales events like Back to School and Holiday Gift Guides
- Offering exclusive coupon codes and discounts
- Comparing Walmart vs Amazon product pricing
- Leveraging email subscribers and insert promo links into newsletters
One family blogger earns over $3,000 per month as a Walmart affiliate by publishing buying guides tailored to parents.
Ready to Join Affiliate Programs?
Those are 10 of my top picks for lucrative marketplace affiliate programs perfect for beginners.
As you can see, you have options across a diverse range of categories to match your niche – physical products, digital products, services, courses and more.
Each program does require an application and approval process. Make sure to carefully review the terms and conditions before applying.
Track your performance closely using affiliate dashboards. Pay attention to which products, categories and seasons drive the most conversions for your audience.
With consistency and persistence, savvy content creators can stack multiple marketplace affiliate programs to earn thousands per month!
So which of these programs is on your radar? Let me know in the comments! I‘m always happy to discuss affiliate marketing strategies.
