If you have started a Facebook Page, blog or website, are an influencer with an Instagram following or are just someone who wants to make money on the internet, the next step apart from awesome content is to monetize it so it makes you an income.
A good way of doing this is through affiliate marketing.
Affiliate marketing is promoting and selling other people’s products and taking a cut of the profit. Australian Affiliate Programs are only now really taking off with a few of them really leading the world in customer service for bloggers and small business owners.
And it is a HUGE BUSINESS. Here are some statistics for you:
- 80% of Brands now have an affiliate program
- 25% of all Affiliate Programs are in the Fashion Industry
The best thing about Affiliate Marketing is that you don’t need to have stock, post out products or order anything. You can just find products or services you really love, and start promoting them with a special link. In fact, you can even pay a Freelancer the setup it up for you.
Now, I’ve written a heap about affiliate marketing before – but today, I thought I’d give you a list of the Top 15+ Australian Affiliate Programs to use — programs that I use myself and are reputable!
1. Starting on the Road to Affiliate Marketing
If you don’t even know how to go about starting affiliate marketing on your website – we’ve got that covered too! There are many companies that will take the lead and will do all the embedding of codes and signing up to platforms for you.
We have a list of them at the end of this article.
One that we can recommend to you is the Pawns.app…
Pawns.app
Pawns.app is a is a fast growing app that offers users across the globe an easy way to generate passive income by allowing individuals to participate in surveys and share their unused bandwidth. There are three primary methods for users to earn money through Pawns.app:
- Completing Surveys: Users can accumulate earnings by actively participating in surveys.
- Sharing Internet Bandwidth: By sharing their unused internet bandwidth, users can also boost their income.
- Referring Friends: Through the affiliate link provided, users can invite friends to join the platform, further increasing their earnings.
Pawns.app has received glowing reviews from numerous users on various platforms, including TrustPilot, Google Play, App store. Moreover, users have the opportunity to earn up to 20% from affiliate marketing or receive an instant $1 reward for each successful referral.
Also, consider using a freelancer off Fiverr (Visit Fiverr), many are inexpensive and it will pay off to have a professional to assist you. They can even build an affiliate site for you.
You see, although affiliate marketing can be extremely lucrative, it also takes time to learn how to do it, how to read trends, how to embed codes, and what works (and what doesn’t). If you are flat out like a lizard drinking – perhaps look at one of those companies or approach one to do a profit share arrangement.
Question: Is Affiliate Marketing Legal in Australia?
Absolutely affiliate marketing is legal in Australia. You are just promoting products and taking a commission on the sale! Affiliate marketing is used by the biggest websites in the world!
Question: How Do I Become an Affiliate in Australia?
Easy – to become an affiliate in the most basic form – follow these steps:
- Research what you are thinking of promoting.
- Build a website or a start a blog about the product or service.
- Join the appropriate affiliate platform that supports your product.
- Update your content with embedded affiliate links.
- Promote your content.
2. I don’t own a website, what are my options?
Not having a website, our recommendation would opt to obtain the services of an offshore Freelancer to build one for you. By far the best in terms of scale and general freelancer affordability is Fiverr (Visit Fiverr). You will be pleasantly surprised by how low-cost a powerful website can be in comparison to the thousands quoted by local web developers. Also, note you can also obtain digital marketing services and services from those that know affiliate marketing via their platform too.
Also generally note that using platforms like Wix.com and others is generally not recommended as they don’t allow customizations, or control, and work out expensive in comparison to a WordPress-powered site which will pay off long term.
Additionally, you can use Social Media to circulate your special tracking link, however having a website that you own, can update the content, and use social media to funnel traffic to it, is a far better and more long-term strategy.
3. Is Affiliate Marketing Worth The Effort?
Abso-freaking-lutely! The thing is – it takes time and consistency consistency consistency. If you make it part of your working day – it will soon become a real income stream for your business. But if you just do it intermittently, you are setting yourself up for failure.
“Affiliate Marketing is much like a rolling stone gathering moss, the more it rolls, the more moss you get.“
So doing a little every day will keep adding up, and you will get better and better at reading your audience, finding what works well, and testing testing testing. Just like any part of a business! There is no such thing as a get-rich scheme and affiliate marketing is certainly not that.
Highest Paying Affiliate Programs
You also need to find the right niche for your market. Fashion is fun, but doesn’t make a lot of money via commissions. Sex toys have a HUGE commission structure (up to 30%!), but they are harder to sell. Plus you have to see what your audience will buy – so the first few months of dabbling in Affiliate Marketing is all about finding out more about what your audience will buy.
The highest-paying affiliate marketing niches (that pay the most) include:
- Adult Products
- Website Hosting
- Online Dating Programs
- Turn-key Websites
- Digital Marketing Apps
- Online Courses/Education
How much do you make as an affiliate?
I have now been an affiliate marketer for 12 years (so keep in mind I have a 12 year head start). On average, I make about $2k per week using just one platform. As proof – here is a screenshot of payments made to me during the last few months of 2022.
4. Affiliate Marketing for Bloggers and Influencers
To make affiliate marketing for your blog, you need to write your usual content, then go back to see what products or services will enhance the content, rather than deciding on what you want to sell and making content around that. Get it right – it won’t seem like advertising and the dollars will keep dropping into your bank account!
The key is to incorporate affiliate marketing as part of your blog from the start. This is how successful bloggers use it to their advantage!
5. Affiliate Disclosure Statements
You also need to disclose that you are using affiliate links. Not only is this a requirement, but most advertisers also have this as part of their sign-up process – so if you don’t list your disclaimer and you get a sale, they can void it! The disclosure statement needs to be at the top (above the fold) in your website – and be written in clear, simple language that is easy to understand.
Something along the likes of (and feel free to copy):
Disclosure: We use affiliate links to monetize our content. We may receive a commission on products or services that you purchase by clicking on links within this blog.
Disclosure: This is a review of a product or service. I am an independent blogger and the reviews are done based on my own opinions, however, I may get compensated for sales made by the companies who produce the items.
Disclosure: This blog receives a commission for using affiliate links within our content. Although we receive a commission for using and linking to these products, all of our opinions and suggestions are unbiased.
Disclosure: Any/all of the links on this website are affiliate links of which we receive a small commission from the sale of certain items, but the price remains the same for you.
Disclosure: I am an affiliate marketer with links to various online retailers on my website. When people read about products or services and then click on the links and purchase something, I earn a commission from the retailer.
6. What to Consider When Choosing an Affiliate Platform
Every affiliate platform has differences. Some are easy to use, and some concentrate on higher-end products. I think if you are going into affiliate marketing to make money on your own blog or website, join the lot of them!
I like to log into every platform weekly to see what new sellers they have and to read any messages that those sellers may send you through the program. They will keep you updated with any sales, coupon codes, or discount promotions.
7. Step by Step Instructions on Creating Affiliate Links
Step 1: Apply to one of the Affiliate Platforms
Sign up to one or all of the affiliate platforms listed below. When you are applying, they will ask you for the link to your business, your social media links, website traffic details, Paypal details and will also ask you how you intend to promote the said advertiser.
Hint: When you get started it is harder to be approved by advertisers, however, if you ensure you answer all the questions and can ‘Impress’ – you are more likely to be approved.
Step 2: Decide What You Want to Promote
Once you are approved to promote a business, the next step is to check out its website and find the products or services that you love or think your followers will love or need. Choose only a few products to promote rather than a huge range, especially at first. You want to ‘test the waters.
Step 3: Linking
Once you have settled on a product, grab the URL to the landing page of that product. Then find the ‘Deep Linking’ section on the affiliate platform. All of the platforms have the ability to deep link. So a ‘deep link’ is where you are linking to a direct product, rather than just referring traffic to the home page of a website.
You paste the URL into the deep linking section – and the platform will give you a new affiliate embedded code. This code is either a URL, or is to be embedded into your website. Choose the one that you are most comfortable doing.
Paste the link – and you are done!
Pre-Made Banners
If you don’t want to ‘Deep Link’ a product or service, you can promote a business on its own. When you are approved through an affiliate platform, you are offered a range of banners that you can embed in your website. Go to the advertising section and browse the ads to find one to suit your site.
Stay at Home Mum Hint:
Always try and choose a banner that is close in colours and style to your website – it is proven that this increases the number of clicks, and therefore the number of sales made.
8. More Information on Affiliate Marketing
- Starting an Online Business Using Affiliate Marketing
- List of Australian Health and Fitness Affiliates to Sign Up To
- Highest Paying Affiliate Program Niches for Bloggers
- How to Increase Sales for Your Small Business Using Affiliate Marketing
- 14 Ways You Can Make Money Using Pinterest Using Affiliate Marketing
First things first, the traditional Affiliate Marketing Platforms:
9. List of Australian Affiliate Marketing Platforms
Commission Factory
BEST FOR LARGE BUSINESSES
Commission Factory is an Australian Affiliate Network that was created by “Affiliates for Affiliates”, which means they build relationships between affiliates, advertisers, and agencies throughout Australia and Asia Pacific.
They offer different brands to promote in various niches. Their member interface for affiliates is user-friendly and functional. Their support page for WordPress plugins is also organised. So far, they have the best user experience for their customers. Their customer service is also second to none!
I like them because it is a platform made for publishers – as some other affiliate marketing companies are very hard to navigate and function.
They are a great platform for brands such as:
- Boden Clothing
- RY – Recreate Yourself
- Adult Shop
- Adairs
Refersion
BEST FOR SMALL TO MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES
Refersion is an easy-to-use affiliate platform that allows anyone including bloggers and influencers to promote products for a commission. Refersion is simple to use, without all the bells and whistles many of the other affiliate platforms have.
Because Refersion tends to work with more niche brands, the commissions are typically higher than other affiliate platforms.
To choose who to promote, you go to the Refersion Marketplace and you can sort affiliates via their niche.
Rakuten Marketing (formerly LinkShare)
BEST FOR FASHION AND RETAIL GOODS AFFILIATES
This is one of the oldest affiliate marketing networks that offer a wide array of products/brands in different categories. Its user-friendly admin control panel and robust support documentation make it a great choice, but it has limited advertisers and its payment schedules are sometimes irregular. But it is HUGE and in Australia, we are kinda limited for choice when it comes to huge affiliate programs.
Best Niches on the Rakuten Network:
Women’s Fashion, High-End Goods, Retail Goods.
Merchants that use Rakuten include:
| Noni B | Rockmans | Microsoft | Baby Bunting |
| Rockwear | Kissed Earth | Boohoo | City Chic |
| Cotton On | Asos Au | Bellabox | St Frock |
| Chemist Warehouse | SEGA Shop | H&M | Witchery |
AvantLink
GOOD FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND START-UPS
Although AvantLink doesn’t yet have a huge number of advertisers on its platform, they are advertising pretty hard at the moment to get signups.
The platform is pretty easy to use and is very much the same as Impact and GrowthOps with useability.
Some of their advertisers include:
| A Life Plus Meal Delivery | OzWeightLoss | Ripley’s Surfers Paradise | ATP Science |
| Under Armour Australia | The Football Factory | Vet Supply Au | Primus Outdoor |
GrowthOps
BEST FOR MEDIUM TO LARGE BUSINESSES
GrowthOps is a Growth Marketing Agency that provides a range of services to businesses including affiliate marketing. They currently operate on the Impact Platform and they have been in the affiliate industry for a long time, previously as APD and before that, DGM.
Advertisers that are listed with GrowthOps include:
| Dell Computers | Rebel Sport | Menu Log | Priceline |
| BCF | Clinique | Bobbi Brown | Kogan Australia |
| NordVPN | Aveda Australia | Light in the Box | Atkins Diet |
| Fossil | Angus & Robertson | Avis Car Hire | SEED |
Flex Offers
BEST FOR MEDIUM TO LARGE BUSINESSES
Flex Offers has a huge variety of different advertisers to choose from, both from Australia and around the world (they are pretty big in the United States). Some of the larger advertisers they have to include Hurley, Lululemon, Under Armour, Pretty Little Thing, Surfstitch, Boohoo and Lands End.
Their platform is a bit clunky – but they do offer such a variety you can look past that.
Skimlinks
Skim Links has the latest technology in affiliate marketing. Rather than having to add affiliate links manually to each page, Skim Links ‘Reads your content’ and then applies your approved merchant codes automatically. Yes, you need to have your developer embed some code so that your website can read it – but it is so worth it!
This is so far ahead of its time and really is the future of affiliate marketing. Although the technology is far from perfect at this stage, it only continues to improve!
VigLink
VigLink is really nifty because you don’t have to go through your website and put affiliate links in manually like most other affiliate sites. Instead, you copy and paste some code into your website (your web dev can do this easily) – and the code will read your content and will apply any applicable affiliate code automatically.
So it is fantastic for time-poor website owners that want a ‘set and forget’ affiliate marketing solution.
It is also good if you want to monetise your blog without showing advertisements.
ClixGalore
BEST FOR ONLINE AND SUBSCRIPTION-BASED SMALL BUSINESSES
The clixGalore affiliate marketing network offers many quality merchants and affiliates with no monthly fees and really great support, but they’re using an old interface which can be painful and frustrating at times. But if you are looking for an affiliate network with no fees where you can promote your products, this is for you.
Merchants on the ClixGalore platform include:
- Australian Ugg Boots
- Zanui
- Roses Only
The only downside is that they pay you your commissions via cheque – so it can take quite a while.
CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction)
It is an online advertising company and is the largest affiliate network in North America that operates worldwide. Aside from its established merchants, it has a wide range of offers such as the Pay-Per-Sale deal, Pay-Per-Lead or Pay-Per-Call. All commissions are also paid by CJ, meaning payments are predictable and secured.
Best Niches: Online Retail, Software
Advertisers with CJ Affiliate include:
- Fairy Season
- Avenue
- ACG Technologies
- Go Daddy
- Living Social
- Hotels Combined
Ebay Network
It is a multi-billion dollar online auction and shopping website that sells different types of goods worldwide. Its payments are usually on track and it’s fast and consistent. It also has a low payment threshold of only $25.
However, it’s relatively hard to be approved and does not have flat commission rates.
Awin Australia
BEST FOR LARGE BUSINESSES
Awin is worldwide and has just bought out Commission Factory here in Australia. They have some fantastic advertisers to join such as:
| Nike | Booking.com | Ted Baker | Missguided |
| Michael Kors | Ovo Energy | Etsy | Look Fantastic |
| Boden Clothing | GHD | Cloud Nine | Fiverr |
| Etsy | Moonpig | Bugaboo | My Heritage AU |
10. International Affiliate Marketing Platforms
ShareASale
BEST FOR WHOLESALE BUSINESSES
This is an effective premium affiliate program that allows a variety of options for you such as Earning Per Click, Average Amount Sale, Average Commission and Reversal Sale. One thing unique about this program is that some products are ShareASale exclusive, meaning most of them are not found on other platforms. It also pays fast. ShareASale has been around for 17 years, so it has also stood the test of time and is very easy to use compared to some other affiliate platforms.
Many of their merchants are also web-based services which make it great for Australian audiences as we don’t have to cough up for the huge postage that incurs from shipping from the United States.
Best Niches on Shareasale:
Women’s Fashion, Home and Garden, Green, Business, Family, Insurance, Legal, Education
To see a huge list of ShareaSale Merchants, check out their list here. But some of their best merchants include:
| Modcloth | Grammarly | Rose Wholesale | Wayfair |
| Reebok | Love Honey | Cricut | Daily Harvest |
| FreshBooks | Shein | Etsy | Weebly |
Clickbank
It is an affiliate marketing network for digital products like eBooks, software and membership sites in various categories. Registration is easy that’s why it usually is the first choice for beginners, and it supports recurring commissions. However, it has limited promotional tools and has a high refund rate with its 60-day refund policy.
Clickbank is good for small bloggers and websites wanting a foot in the door for the affiliate world.
Best Niches: How To Manuals, Ebooks, Online Dating, Digital Goods, Self Improvement
Microsoft Affiliate program
Microsoft is the largest software and technology company that has launched its affiliate program which allows you to earn commissions (about 10% on qualifying sales) by referring Office 365, Surface, Xbox, PCs and Windows Store content including, apps, games, music, movies and TV shows.
Amazon Affiliate Program
With its incredible range of products, this affiliate program creates a unique opportunity for you. Its control panel is so simple to promote affiliate products and keep track of earnings, and it has a low minimum payout. However, if you’re promoting products from the US and purchases were made from Amazon in other countries, you won’t get commissions.
Other Individual Affiliate Programs to Join:
There are many companies that run their own affiliate platforms on their own website. So to join, you need to first find them, and then join each company individually.
Yes, this is time consuming compared to using an affiliate platform – but we can’t tell businesses how to run! Really there are too many to list – so we have put them all in categories to make your life easier.
- Adult Product Affiliates
- App and Online Product Affiliates
- Drop-Shipping Affiliates
- Fashion Affiliates
- Healthy, Fitness and Wellness Affiliates
- Jewelry Affiliates
- Lingerie Affiliates
- Highest Paying Affiliate Niches
- Travel and Holiday Affiliates
Affiliate Marketing Companies That Do the Work For You
Now first a disclosure – as I’ve always done my own affiliate marketing myself, I really don’t know what these companies are like to work with – however, I have researched and they seem to be the most popular online. So do your own research on each beforehand!
Our Recommendation: Fivvr
Hire a freelancer to do all the work for you. SAHM uses freelancers from time to time when we need to employ experts in a certain area.
MGECOM
Offer energetic knowledgeable manager who has years of experience in online marketing.
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