Do you want to monetize your blog? You should consider how to find affiliate links and programs that you can share within your content.
Regardless of your niche, you can find at least a few affiliate programs. Read on to learn where you can find ideas for affiliate programs to join.
But first, this post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy to learn more.
Visit Competitor Blogs
You can take inspiration from your competitors regarding how to find affiliate links. Take a look at the blog posts your competitors have written recently and which are the most popular.
Look through the post and see if there are any links to specific products or services. If so, write down the names of those companies and figure out if they have an affiliate program you can join.
Ideally, you would have done some competitor research when choosing your niche, so you should know of a few blogs. If not, you can use Google and other search engines to find blogs in your niche.
Scroll Through Pinterest
Another way to find potential affiliate programs to join is to use Pinterest. It’s one of the best programs for bloggers to use to get more blog traffic.
Because of that, you can use it to find competitors that you may not know about. Scroll through your home feed and click on any blog posts that are product reviews or roundups.
You can also click on other posts that interest you to see if the blogger uses affiliate marketing.
Some bloggers even pin affiliate links directly to Pinterest. If you click on a product, check the full URL to see if there’s an affiliate code attached, in which case you may be able to join that same affiliate program.
Check Your Favorite Stores
One of my favorite ways to find affiliate links and programs is to go through my favorite stores. The first affiliate program I joined was the Amazon Associates program because I use Amazon all of the time.
I’ve also become an affiliate for Woodwind & Brasswind, an online music retailer, since my other blogs are about music. Of course, you should make sure the store relates to your content.
You probably won’t find and WWBW links on this blog, but you will on my music-related websites. But starting with your favorite stores means you’ll know you like the product and service, so you’ll be able to share more links.
To find out if a store has an affiliate program, search in Google for “[store name] affiliate program.” You can also go to the website and scroll to the footer and look for the word “affiliates” or something similar.
Consider Online Courses
If you’ve ever taken an online course for your blog, revisit the course platform. Many course creators add a lesson near the end that mentions they offer an affiliate program.
Assuming you’ve gone through the course, you can become an affiliate and share your link with others who may like the course. I’m an affiliate of a few courses I’ve taken, and courses usually pay relatively high commission rates.
For example, if you enroll in the Instagram Marketing & Sales Academy using my link, I’ll make about 20% of the sale. Course affiliate sales can also help you earn more money without a massive audience.
Now, most online course affiliate programs I’ve seen require that you enroll in the course first. That makes sense because it means only people who’ve gone through the program will promote it.
Think About Your Tools
Another option is to list out all of the tools you use that are related to your blog niche. Using myself as an example, I’ve hosted my websites with SiteGround for years.
Because of that, I have an affiliate link that I use whenever I write about the service. Consider if you’ve used an appointment booking tool to book clients or something similar.
If it’s relevant to your content and niche, you can (and should) become an affiliate. Of course, you can look on the website or Google to see if the company offers an affiliate program.
Use Google Search
Sometimes, Google is your best friend when finding affiliate links and programs. You can input “[your niche] affiliate programs” into Google to find plenty of results.
In some cases, the results will be for blog posts listing affiliate programs based on a specific niche. Click through some of those articles and read what the bloggers recommend.
You can apply to a few programs right away or save the articles or specific programs for later. That way, you can go through any program requirements and fill out your applications for each.
Only Work With Brands You Trust
One of the tough parts about affiliate marketing is that it can be tempting to join every program under the sun. If it seems even remotely relevant, you never know if it could make you money, right?
That’s technically true, but that doesn’t mean you should do it. As you build your blog, you’re going to become a trustworthy, authoritative source in your nice.
You need to stick to recommending products you would recommend if you weren’t getting paid. If you promote a brand that you dislike, your readers may catch on if they buy through your link and end up hating the service or product.
Now, many affiliate marketers say to only recommend brands you’ve used. I understand that, but there are some cases where you can use the experiences of others, such as within the musical instrument realm where not every player likes the same brand.
Join Multiple Affiliate Programs
The nice the about affiliate marketing is that you’re not stuck promoting one program alone. If you want to increase your earning potential, you should join a few programs.
Then, you can link to multiple vendors and increase the chances of making some sort of sale. I’d recommend joining two to three programs at the start.
That will give you a few options to work with. However, you won’t have too many programs to learn the rules of and worry about breaking those rules.
You can always apply to more affiliate programs later on. Then, you’ll be able to increase your earning potential even more.
Always Be on the Lookout
As you work on your blog, always keep your eyes peeled for affiliate marketing programs. I like to search for new programs once ever few months and apply to any relevant ones right then.
If there are some programs that are interesting but that I need to try, I’ll make a list of those to check out later. You may also come across programs when you’re not actively looking, so add those to your list.
New affiliate programs are always popping up, so there might be a new program since your last search. And if you want to start multiple niche blogs across industries, you can look for programs in the latest niche you want to tackle.
Review the Program Rules
One of the most important things to do when choosing affiliate links and program is to know the rules. Consider if you can share links in emails or private messages.
Think about the branding that the program provides for you to use on your website. Some affiliate programs are flexible, but Amazon Associates is one with a lot of rules.
Make sure you know what you can and can’t do as an affiliate. That way, you can make sure you only join programs that align with you and your values.
Final Thoughts
Knowing how to find affiliate links and programs is vital if you want to make money as a blogger. Affiliate marketing is the best way to make money on your own schedule.
For better or worse, there are tons of affiliate programs out there. Be sure to consider your niche and brands you already love to help start your search.