How Publishers Can Convince Brands to Start an Affiliate Program

Why should a brand start an affiliate program?

Starting an affiliate program can offer many benefits to a brand, and the following are a few of the most prevalent and influential reasons:

Affiliate marketing is booming with the industry expected to reach an estimated worth of $12 billion in 2022 ! The industry has tripled in size since 2015.
Affiliate programs are a low-risk and cost-effective way to acquire new customers, with 8 in 10 marketers ranking the ROI as better than other channels.
Provides brands with another avenue for marketing their products or services.
The affiliate channel can help to increase brand awareness and reach new audiences.
High volume potential of traffic, leads, and sales.
Shared first-hand experiences help to build brand loyalty and trust .
Good affiliate programs average 20% additional revenue for a brand.

The list above has numerous justifications, however, I chose to reserve the finest one for the end. A 20% supplementary increase in just the first year can have a significant impact on a company.

I have managed programs myself, wherein affiliate marketing contributed to 50% of sales!

Despite having such statistics, it may still be challenging to persuade the brand to commit to the initial investment of time, resources, and budget.

How to convince a brand to start an affiliate program

To begin, it is crucial to comprehend the requirements of the brand. This entails familiarizing yourself with their present marketing objectives and their methods of acquiring fresh clients. With a good grasp of how the brand operates, you can then customize your proposal to suit their specific needs.

Certain brands may exhibit a greater level of caution and aversion to risk, while others may be more receptive to fresh concepts and prospects.

When presenting to a brand that has a more conservative approach, it could be beneficial to highlight the advantages of affiliate marketing as a strategy that boasts minimal risks and expenses for the acquisition of new customers. Additionally, emphasizing the potential of the affiliate channel to expand brand visibility and target fresh audiences would be advantageous.

It is crucial to identify the appropriate person to contact.

It is possible that the individual in charge of making decisions regarding starting an affiliate program may not be the marketing manager, but could instead be the CEO or owner of the company. Conduct research and strive to schedule a meeting with them in order to converse about how implementing an affiliate program could assist in the accomplishment of the brand’s objectives.

Bring along evidence and instances of how other brands have attained triumph through affiliates. In case you require a few instances for reference, you can refer to some affiliate marketing case studies that could be beneficial to distribute.

How much will the brand need to invest to start an affiliate program?

The degree of variation in this matter will be significant. There are certain brands that feel hesitant when considering the launch of an affiliate program due to concerns about high costs. Yet, the reality is that the expense can be controlled.

There are various factors that will determine the costs.

Tracking solution – Ranging from $49/month to $1,000+
Management – Free to $10,000+/month
Partner management tools – Free to $1,000+/month
Commissions – Depend on payouts and the volume of new sales

If you opt for the basic package, your expenses will be around $1,000 annually. Nonetheless, if you choose to harness cutting-edge technology, superior resources, and efficient program administration, you increase the likelihood of generating greater revenue for your program.

I strongly recommend setting aside a substantial budget of $50,000 for the upcoming year in order to initiate this program.

Suppose there is a brand that currently earns $1 million in revenue within a fiscal year. Implementing a well-designed affiliate program could potentially yield an extra $200,000.

It appears to be a worthwhile exchange to receive a 4 times return on a $50,000 investment.

How To Get Started With Affiliate Marketing

“Below is a brief overview of the steps to begin with affiliate marketing.”

Build an audience. You need websites with traffic, email lists with subscribers, or social media accounts with followers to promote a product – or ideally, a combination of all three.
Find products and services you can passionately promote to the audience you have built. The more you love something and believe in its efficacy, the easier it will be to convince someone else to buy it.
Sign up for affiliate and referral programs. These will be offered directly through the company selling the product or service, or a third-party affiliate platform .
Fill out your application and affiliate profile completely. Include your niche, monthly website traffic, number of email subscribers, and social media audience size. Companies will use that information to approve or reject your application.
Get your custom affiliate or referral link and share it with your audience , or the segment of your audience that would benefit most from the product you are promoting.
Look for opportunities to recommend products to new people . You can be helpful, make a new acquaintance, and earn a commission.
Monitor your affiliate dashboard and website analytics for insights into your clicks and commissions.
Adjust your affiliate marketing tactics based on the promotions that generate the most revenue.

Read on further to discover the top-rated high-ticket affiliate programs that allow you to register in 2023, all of which provide a lucrative one-time payment, recurring commissions, or even both.

The Best High-Ticket Affiliate Marketing Programs

The determination of what constitutes the “best” affiliate marketing programs is subjective. However, I made my selection based on the payout amount, number of clients, and average client ratings. The ratings from clients assist in deciding if a product merits endorsement. You can also utilize client reviews as a marketing tool by emphasizing the remarkable outcomes achieved by the customers from utilizing the product or service, as well as the features they admire the most.

1. Smartproxy

With Smartproxy, consumers gain access to global business data for activities such as examining competitors, extracting search engine results pages (SERP), collecting price data, and verifying ad validity.

It received an average rating of 4.7 out of five stars from 836 reviewers.

By participating in Smartproxy’s affiliate program, you have the potential to earn as much as $2,000 for each customer you refer.

2. Thinkific

Over 50,000 educators utilize Thinkific, an online course development platform which has produced more than 100 million courses.

An average rating of 4.6 out of five stars was given by 669 reviewers.

With the Thinkific affiliate program, you have the opportunity to earn a maximum of $1,700 per referral annually.

3. BigCommerce

BigCommerce offers a range of ecommerce solutions, including open SaaS, headless integrations, omnichannel capabilities, B2B features, and offline-to-online options.

It received an average rating of 8.1 out of ten stars from 648 reviewers.

You can receive a maximum payout of $1,500 from newly acquired enterprise clients or an amount equivalent to 200% of their initial payment by enrolling in the BigCommerce affiliate program.

4. Teamwork

Maximizing billable hours is the focal point of Teamwork, a project management software that boosts efficiency across your organization, benefitting everyone from the founder to the project managers.

It received an average rating of 4.4 out of five stars based on the feedback of 1,022 reviewers.

With the Teamwork affiliate program, you can receive as much as $1,000 for each new customer referral.

5. Flywheel

Managed WordPress hosting by Flywheel is designed to cater to agencies, e-commerce, and websites that experience high traffic volumes.

The product received an average rating of 4.4 out of five stars from 36 reviewers.

The Flywheel affiliate program offers the potential to gain $500 for every fresh referral you bring in.

6. Teachable

Over 100,000 entrepreneurs, creators, and businesses have utilized Teachable to develop captivating online courses and coaching businesses through its online course platform.

The product received a rating of 4.4 out of five stars based on feedback from 150 reviewers.

By enrolling in the Teachable affiliate program, you can potentially earn $450 every month as an average partner.

7. Shutterstock

Shutterstock is an international platform where one can acquire stock photography, vectors, illustrations, videos, and music.

An average rating of 4.4 out of five stars was given by 507 reviewers.

8. HubSpot

The HubSpot CRM platform is designed to oversee various aspects of your organization’s operations, including marketing, sales, content management, and customer service.

The product received an average rating of 4.5 out of five stars from 3,616 reviewers.

By joining the HubSpot affiliate program, you can receive an average payout of $264 per month (based on existing affiliate earnings), and even higher earnings as a solutions partner.

9. Sucuri

Sucuri provides a security platform that operates in the cloud and involves skilled security professionals who perform malware scanning and elimination along with ensuring protection against hacks and attacks, in addition to enhancing site performance.

An average rating of 4.6 out of five stars was given by 251 reviewers.

By enrolling in Sucuri’s referral programs for their platform, firewall, and agency products, you have the potential to earn $210 for each new sale.

10. ADT

ADT provides security systems for both homes and commercial establishments.

The product received an average rating of 4.5 out of five stars from 588 reviewers.

With the ADT rewards program, you can receive a maximum of $200 for each fresh client that you introduce.

Program management going forward

After creating the program, decisions would have to be made regarding its management and four available options can be considered.

Do nothing – This is only an option if you have a very small program with few affiliates. If someone signs up, great. If not, that’s okay too. This requires the least amount of work but also has the lowest potential for growth.
Hire an in-house manager – This is a good option if you have the budget to add another person to your team. They will be responsible for all things affiliate-related, from recruiting to maintaining relationships.
Outsource program management – If you don’t have the budget for an in-house manager, you can outsource program management to an agency. You will get what you pay for with this option.
Train a junior marketer or VA – This is a great option if you have someone already on your team who is looking for more responsibility. They can be trained through my affiliate manager training course and it will be less expensive than hiring an agency.

FAQs

How much does it cost to start an affiliate business?

You can establish an affiliate program with a starting investment of $1,000. Nevertheless, if you initially invest more in essentials such as tracking systems, program and partner management tools, and commission rates, your return on investment will increase significantly.

Can I do my own affiliate program?

Although it is possible for you to initiate and handle your own affiliate program, it will require a significant amount of time to establish and operate efficiently. I strongly advise seeking the assistance of experienced professionals for the planning and management aspects of the program.

How do I start an affiliate program with no money?

This is not an option. Purchasing the tracking solution requires only a small investment. Attempting to reduce expenses by creating an internal solution (a practice that should be avoided) still involves paying a developer to construct it. While you must provide personal funds to make this avenue effective, it will be less expensive than initiating and experimenting with social media channels.

Are affiliate programs profitable?

The amount of love you have for the channel will determine its success. By investing in the recommended pieces mentioned earlier, you will undoubtedly experience a positive return on investment.