Gary Vaynerchuk, aka Gary Vee of VaynerX, once said, “I am obsessed with reaching consumers… Regardless of technological advancements or marketing disruptions”. If you think about it, reaching the target customer is not a tough job but that often requires a multi-million dollar budget. Hopefully, this is not a problem with affiliate marketing.

Talking about affiliate marketing, sure many of you are like, “what exactly is affiliate marketing anyway?” No need to Google it, affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing strategy in which you (the brand) hire affiliates (marketers). Once the affiliates get the action you want to make a conversion, you reward affiliates with a small commission on every action.

Moving on, big marketing minds suggest affiliate marketing because it can leverage your sales by 10-20%. Unfortunately, out of 81% of brands that rely on affiliate marketing, only 5% succeed. That’s like knowing you have a slim chance to expect a favorable outcome from all the hard work you put into your affiliate marketing.

No wonder, when we look around, we often come across examples that may put your business on the line. However, not anymore because there are some brilliant affiliate programs you will find that make you see the bright side of how you can find the way to success.

So, look no further because down there are some great affiliate marketing inspirations that can help you plan, shape, and design your affiliate program to succeed in the long run.

1. Amazon

Source: AffiliateStorePros

Let’s begin with one of the biggest and most well-known affiliate programs, the Amazon Associate Program. This is something that is being used by more than 2 million product creators and marketers. Amazon affiliate program works in an eCommerce industry, of course, and offers a commission rate of between 1% to 10%.

The question is, why is it so good and still growing? Here are the reasons:

• Amazon is quite a renowned name itself in the affiliate industry. That’s why marketers want to work with it.
• While we are on Amazon, do you notice it has such a high commission rate? That really makes associates (Affiliates) work harder. Although, their commissions may vary on what type of product they pick to promote.
• Whenever the customer uses an affiliate link to add the product to the cart, the affiliate earns a commission on the entire list of items they purchase. That’s insane.
• There’s a wide range of products affiliates can find to promote that too in a variety of niches. It’s hard to find any other platform that has such a wide range of products.
• Not many know this but Amazon Associate Program has a little extended version, aka Amazon Influencer. As the name suggests, this one gives special facilities to high-profile influencers. They can create a separate page and link all the products they recommend. Amazing, right?

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2.  Unbounce

Next up we have Unbounce which is one popular landing page platform that brands use to monitor campaigns, get conversions, and all. Now, coming to the point, Unbounce is quite known for its affiliate program that gives out a commission rate of up to 20%. This is pretty generous but there is more that makes Unbounce a good inspiration for your affiliate program.

Here is why Unbounce is a go-to affiliate program for marketers.

• One thing most companies fail at is finding the right fit for the affiliate program. Unbounce truly understands who will work perfectly for their product promotion that’s why they go for any influencer, marketer, or even agency that helps companies to increase conversions.
• Unbounce has a real-time dashboard for every affiliate that helps them keep a track of revenue, clicks, purchase, and more all in real-time.
• It’s quite straightforward with the payouts. However, the good news is, the affiliates get commissions even if the customer renews their subscription on Unbounce. Affiliates know how great this is for their long-term revenue generation.
• Unbounce affiliates are spread across the world but they don’t need to have a commission in USD anymore. It makes the payments multiple currencies giving affiliates accessibility to promote outside borders.
• Its affiliate link comes with a cookie validity of 90 days. That’s amazing.
• Not to mention, every affiliate is trained before getting to work for better conversion.

3.  Wix

Source: Wix

We all must have a website but do you think WordPress is the only way? Wix is one platform that has made it easier to create a website with a simple drag, drop, and slide options. This platform actually shows you don’t need to master the coding to create the website of your dreams.

When it comes to Wix’s affiliate marketing program, apart from its $100 per premium subscription pay rate, many other things make it stand out. Check them out.

• Just like its website editor, Wix has an intuitive dashboard where affiliates can keep an eye on progress with convenience.
• It can be boring to go through the entire terms and conditions section before applying to any affiliate program. This is pretty clear with Wix because the T&C section is easy to go through.
• Having translations works wonders for your marketing programs and campaigns. This is the reason why Wix offers its banners and landing pages in multiple languages. This goes far beyond one community.
• Some products promote themselves. This makes it easier for affiliates to focus more.

4. BigCommerce

There are over 24 million eCommerce websites. Sure, many are still looking forward to building an online store. BigCommerce is a go-to platform for that. No wonder it has thousands of powerful eCommerce stores in more than 150 countries.

Coming to the BigCommerce affiliate program, it is not wrong to say that it is immensely popular for many reasons. Some of the are:

• Its competitive commission rates are unbeatable. This one either offers 200% on a standard subscription or a flat $1500 on every enterprise purchase. There are no minimum commission rates which is why only relatable top affiliates apply for this one.
• Like all others, BigCommerce also has a dashboard to help affiliates track their progress and make their strategies stronger.
• Affiliates don’t need to experiment much with the banners as there are pre-made, quality assets available.
• BigCommerce has a bunch of affiliate experts that help affiliates pave the way towards more affiliate commission. They assist you, help you find good strategies, and reach your goals to grow your business as well as BigCommerce’s business.

5. Skillshare

Source: SkillShare

How many times have you come across celebrities promoting the best things about online learning on SkillShare? Yup, we have been there. SkillShare is not only known for its number of online courses but also its affiliate marketing strategies.

Sure, SkillShare’s affiliate program offers like 7% of commission on every purchase of a course but what’s more that makes it a big hit?

• There’s no need for the marketer to pick a niche. They are allowed to go through the entire course list of SkillShare and promote the affiliate link for whichever courses they like. This somehow gives freedom of choice to the affiliate, hence, freedom to advertise.
• For affiliates, it often takes time to get results on a link. SkillShare understands this and offers a 30-day cookie life with the affiliate link so that affiliates have an entire month to get results.
• Just like Unbounce, SkillShare provides a dashboard where affiliates can track real-time data. Be it the traffic they are getting, payouts they are influencing, or referrals they are getting.
• This one pays their affiliates on a monthly basis. That’s why people go for it because they get the bulk pay at the end of every month.
• One more thing, no matter if the course the affiliate promotes is free or paid, they still get the commission. In fact, they even get a commission once the customer goes for a trial.

6.  Kajabi

As we are on the online learning, it would be quite unfair not to mention Kajabi’s affiliate program. For those who don’t know, Kajabi is a platform that allows you to create your own online courses, landing pages, marketing campaigns, and more.

• Kajabi is quite generous when it comes to paying commission as it offers 30% rates on every purchase. This doesn’t stop on a single purchase but keeps adding up whenever the customer renews the subscription. Just like Unbounce.
• This affiliate program is even open for existing subscribers to use. There is no need to be from the industry because the affiliate program is open to anyone. Affiliates still have to apply though.
• As the affiliates get better at making sales, Kajabi offers more rewards, benefits, and bonuses, like getting payments towards the car of their dreams.
• Kajabi now has a revised dashboard that doesn’t only show success. Affiliates can easily track what type of audience is picking up what type of campaign and what practice is working at best. This somehow indicates better planning for them. Only if affiliates are good at analysis.

This literally helps all affiliates succeed together because whenever affiliates want, they can connect and learn from each other.

Source: Partners Kajabi

7.  Airbnb

At least once you have booked your accommodation through Airbnb. We all know how reasonable it is and, let’s face it, there are some good accommodations listed on this platform. This rental platform has an affiliate program that goes two ways- pay on hosting or every book of a guest.

Some key features that make the Airbnb associate program a big hit in the industry. Want to know which ones? Read on.

• Affiliates have an open book to promote properties from more than 4 million options in over 191 countries. That’s like picking up your best shots and advertising them for a better commission.
• Airbnb has a clear vision and, just like Unbounce, understands who will be a great fit for their affiliate program. Hence, their requirements are highlighted with no transparency – passionate, relevant, creative, and versatile.
• To shortlist the good affiliates, this platform has a definitive questionnaire that the affiliates have to answer while applying.

8.  The Home Depot

Last but definitely not least, there is The Home Depot known as the largest home improvement retailer in the US. Now, instead of just offering high-quality appliances, tools, services, and more, this one is renowned for its affiliate program.

The Home Depot affiliate program can be summed up as an alternative to Amazon in the home-improvement industry. Again, what makes it an inspiring campaign?

• This one has straightforward commission rates of up to 8% on products.
• The Home Depot filters its affiliate applications thoroughly. For this, Every applicant must show the strategies they will use, provide personal information, and even their media properties. This helps them get the perfect fit for their program.
• The affiliate cookies are only available for 24 hours. This somehow put the pressure on affiliates to get as many sales as possible in a really short time.
• Like Amazon, this platform also has a wide range of products to promote allowing affiliates to pick work with their preferences.

The Home Depot is best at offering support to affiliate marketers. Whenever they are stuck at something, the expert will come in and walk them through the way out. All this is done quite professionally.

Source: TheHomeDeport

To Sum Up

There’s a famous saying – Being a good example teaches others to be good. The companies we have listed above sure stand out to be the best in performing their best in affiliate marketing. Hence, these stand as good examples for you. All you need to do now is note down the best things and plan your affiliate program accordingly.

Just take the inspiration, go through the try and testing thing, and create your perfect affiliate program. Hope this inspires you to come up with your best shot.

Where are you heading off to? There’s a lot more to affiliate marketing that you’re yet to explore! Check out our mega guide on affiliate marketing to learn the past, present, and future of affiliate marketing!