One of the most straightforward and accessible ways that influencers can start earning money is by recommending products to their followers through commission-based affiliate marketing.
In short, affiliate marketing is when an influencer, blogger, or publisher shares a product through a specific link. Purchases made through this link are tracked, and the person who shared the link will receive a cut of every sale made.
This form of income is a particularly effective way for emerging “nano” and “micro” influencers (with between 1,000 and 100,000 followers) to start making money and working with sponsors.
Influencers typically share affiliate links on Instagram Story “swipe-ups” or in the comments below a YouTube video. Some have even started texting their followers links to their favorite products as a way to drive sales through features like affiliate-marketing network MagicLinks’ Text2Shop, which is powered by the text-marketing startup Community.
Publishers also use affiliate marketing, with special links in travel articles or product reviews, for example.
More recently, the social-media platforms influencers use to connect with and grow their audiences are tapping into affiliate marketing. In June, Instagram announced it was building its own native affiliate-marketing tools.
Influencers typically earn between 1% and 20% commission from these links. Retail programs generally offer a lower rate, while rates from tech programs run higher, according to industry professionals.
There are a number of factors that play into the percentage, including what type of content the influencers create. For instance, some finance influencers make a considerable percentage of their income from affiliate links for investing apps like Robinhood or Acorns.
One personal-finance influencer, Tori Dunlap told Insider in March that she earns between $85 and $125 every time someone clicks on an affiliate link she shares on TikTok.
“I might post a video about how to save money and mention that a high yield savings account is the best place to keep money for short-term goals,” Dunlap said. “Then, I’ll say, ‘The one I recommend is linked in my bio’.”
Affiliate marketing is especially useful for creators like Dunlap, who share advice and recommendations. If an influencer is frequently sharing products or content that is shoppable, joining affiliate-marketing networks can be “worth it,” micro influencer Lissette Calveiro told Insider.
But affiliate marketing takes time and work, from getting onboarded into a program to navigating the platforms, and finding the right links and products. Some influencers also juggle several affiliate marketing platforms at once if they’re promoting more than one brand, which is why Calveiro suggests creators keep a running spreadsheet of all their links and codes.
In our second annual list, Insider is highlighting some of the top affiliate programs used by social-media influencers that offer high commission rates, access to top brands, and robust interfaces and tools. Each network has specific qualifications to apply, and some offer varying rates and tools — like shoppable apps or special tracking information.
The list was determined by Insider based on our reporting, conversations with industry insiders, and the nominations that we received.
Here are the top 9 affiliate networks influencers use, listed in alphabetical order:
Average commission rates: 1% to 10%
How many followers are needed to apply: Amazon declined to share how many followers a creator needs to apply for the Amazon Influencer Program, but on its FAQ page, Amazon states that “when reviewing your application, we look at the number of followers you have in addition to other engagement metrics.”
Brands offered: Anything sold on Amazon
Content categories: Wide variety of categories, from health and tech to beauty and fashion
What the network is notable for:
The Amazon Influencer Program stands out for allowing creators to partner with one of the world’s largest retailers and access a robust suite of tools.
Since it launched in 2017, the Amazon Influencer Program has grown to be one of the largest affiliate-marketing networks available.
Influencers can upload content like product reviews, buying guides, and unboxing videos to their Amazon Storefronts, and they can also conduct livestreams through the program.
Influencers earn commission when their followers make “qualifying” purchases from the influencer’s recommendations (purchases are disqualified from earning commission when they violate the program’s terms and conditions, more on that here).
Tools offered include:
Influencers who use Amazon’s program include tech creator Wade Bennett (217,000 YouTube subscribers) and fashion creator Shea Whitney (1.3 million YouTube subscribers), who livestreams on Amazon every week.
Read more:
Amazon is building new tools for influencers to make money and recruiting YouTube and Instagram stars to livestream
Average commission rate: Varies by brand
How many followers needed to apply: No minimum follower size to apply
Brands offered: Etsy, PrettyLittleThing, Warby Parker, FabFitFun, Under Armour, Reebok, HP, Asos, Sephora, Samsung, Boohoo, Travelodge, and more
Content categories: Fashion, travel, tech, beauty
Notable for:
Awin — which acquired ShareASale in 2017 and folded it into its platform — is an affiliate-marketing network that has few barriers to entry, and industry insiders said is a particularly good option for smaller and emerging creators.
The platform connects influencers and publishers to more than 16,000 brands.
Influencers can browse through Awin’s network where brands and advertisers post about new campaigns, or they can also to the Opportunity Marketplace and market themselves to brands enrolled in Awin’s network.
The platform attempts to make affiliate marketing more accessible for publishers and brands. It offers tools like a browser extension to quickly generate a trackable, affiliate link, as well as in-depth performance metrics reporting.
Awin also has advanced payment options, such as accelerated payments regardless of if the platform has been paid by the advertiser and “Payment on Influencer,” a customizable system that lets influencers get paid for every sale they have a “touchpoint” on.
Influencers who use Awin include Emily Starr Alfano (60,000 Instagram followers) and Kayla Compton (2,700 Instagram followers).
Disclosure: Awin is owned by Insider’s parent company, Axel Springer.
Average rates: 1% to 10%
“Sometimes could even be higher than 10%, but it is dependent on the brand and the agreement with the publisher,” the company said.
How many followers needed to apply: No minimum follower size to apply
Brands offered: Go Pro, Barnes and Noble, Overstock, Home Depot, and more
Content categories: Home and technology
Notable for:
CJ (formerly Commission Junction) is most commonly used by publishers like BuzzFeed and CNN, along with bloggers.
The network works with over 3,800 brands and provides services to influencers like sponsorship negotiation, campaign execution, and tracking.
The company uses a pay-for-performance method, which lets an influencer earn money not only based on sales, but also on other performance metrics like traffic.
Its tools allow creators to generate trackable links directly from a brand’s website, and CJ is partnered with the influencer-marketing analytics tool CreatorIQ to offer in-platform metrics to help influencers showcase their value to interested brands.
Influencers who use CJ include The Everygirl (1 million Instagram followers), Mocha Man Style (7,600 Instagram followers), and Sher She Goes (60,000 Instagram followers).
Average commission rates: Between 5% and 20%, depending on the brand, or a flat fee
How many followers are needed to apply: At least 1,000 followers
Brands offered: Walmart, Uber, L’Oreal, Levi’s, Lenovo, 1-800-Flowers, Paula’s Choice, and more
Content categories: Fashion, tech, beauty, home, and more
Notable for:
Impact’s platform is known in the industry for being a user-friendly way for brands to connect with influencers.
The platform runs affiliate-marketing campaigns and acts as a network to recruit and find new partners. It was recently valued at $1.5 billion, following a $150 million funding round in July.
More than 300,000 influencers used Impact as of August 2020, according to the company. Impact works with about 1,600 brands, from beauty giants like L’Oreal to tech companies like Uber and Lenovo.
Brands can easily recruit influencers using a website form developed by Impact. On the platform, brands also set their own commission rates, which vary.
For instance, Paula’s Choice, a skincare brand, has a default commission rate of 7% for influencers. Vi Lai, a skincare influencer on Instagram and TikTok, frequently uses its affiliate links and generates thousands of dollars in sales (and commission) per month.
In June, Impact launched a new tool that allows brands to run performance-based campaigns with influencers. These use real-time ROI metrics to determine how much money influencers are paid.
And last month, Impact released an integration with Shopify that makes it easier for influencers to choose which free products they want to get from brands.
Influencers who use Impact include: Vi Lai (830,000 TikTok followers), Lissette Calveiro (60,000 Instagram followers), and Austen Tosone (11,000 Instagram followers).
Average commission rate: As high as 25%, according to the company, but varies by both brand and region
How many followers needed to apply: LTK does not have a strict minimum number of followers to apply, but looks for influencers with a public profile, “significant and engaged social following on at least one platform,” and high-quality and consistent shopping posts.
Brands offered: Farfetch, Sephora, Ulta, Nike, Gucci, Nordstrom, Walmart, Lululemon, and more
Content categories: Fashion, beauty, and home
Notable for:
LTK (previously known as LIKEtoKNOW.it or rewardStyle) gives influencers a customized URL and an in-app page called an “LTK Shop” where they can compile a shopping list of their affiliate links for followers.
It was cofounded by Amber Venz Box — a blogger herself — ten years ago.
Its network of over 5,000 retailers and brands gives influencers ample choices when it comes to finding and linking to the products they post about. LTK also has an app of its own, where users can shop across influencers’ posts.
Influencers often link to their LTK pages on social media, whether on an Instagram Story using a “swipe up” or in their TikTok bio. There are more than 150,000 influencers using LTK, and the company says it has minted more than 130 millionaires.
Even if an influencer isn’t making millions, LTK is an easy way for influencers to generate passive income by linking to the platform across their social-media accounts.
Influencers who use LTK include Amanda Stanton (1.1 million Instagram followers), Monroe Steele (131,000 Instagram followers), and Sam Hwang (63,000 Instagram followers).
Average rates: 10% to 15%, depending on the brand
How many followers needed to apply: A minimum of 10,000 followers
Brands offered: Nordstrom, Lululemon, Urban Outfitters, and E.L.F.
Content categories: Beauty, fashion, technology, and home
Notable for:
MagicLinks is focused entirely on influencers — it doesn’t work with publishers — and offers the ability to conduct affiliate marketing through text messages.
The company offers tools like ObsessedWith.it, an app that gives influencers the option to make Instagram posts and YouTube videos shoppable for fans.
Last year, MagicLinks launched Text2Shop, a retail tool that gives consumers direct access to shop influencers’ social content through text message. Over 30,000 consumers have opted-in to receive Text2Shop messages.
The platform works with over 21,000 influencers and 5,000 e-commerce brands.
Influencers who use MagicLinks include Naomi Boyer (463,000 YouTube subscribers), Gretchen Geraghty (370,000 YouTube subscribers), Juicy Jas (927,000 YouTube subscribers), and Nazjaa (188,000 YouTube subscribers).
Read more:
Influencers are using text messages to drive sales with a new affiliate-marketing tool
Average rates: 7.5% to 15%
How many followers needed to apply: No follower requirements to apply
Brands offered: Charlotte Tilbury, Everlane, and Philips
Content categories: Fashion, beauty, home, and technology
Notable for:
Partnerize works mainly with publishers and bloggers, and is known for its fashion offerings. In 2020, Partnerize acquired Pepperjam, an affiliate-marketing service, and folded its technology into its existing platform.
Through the Partnerize dashboard, marketers can find influencers to collaborate with on both influencer-marketing campaigns and affiliate marketing.
The service works with a number of brands in the fashion and beauty spaces like Everlane, Clarks, and Pact.
The platform, which tracks analytics like traffic, conversions, and commission, offers varied compensation types, and influencers can earn money based on performance, not just sales.
Influencers who use Partnerize include The Mother Chic (146,000 Instagram followers), The Daily Connoisseur (42,000 Instagram followers), and The Glow Wellness (29,000 Instagram followers).
Average commission rate: Varies by brand
How many followers needed to apply: At least 500 followers
Brands offered: Abercrombie & Fitch, Our Place, Biossance, and more
Content categories: Fashion, beauty, wellness, and jewelry
Notable for:
ShopStyle Collective, which was acquired by Rakuten in 2017 but operates separately, is an influencer-focused affiliate network that has a relatively low barrier of entry. Influencers using Shopstyle can quickly generate affiliate links using the platform’s LinkIt tool and, similar to LTK, are able to compile their picks on a shoppable feed.
ShopStyle Collective has two different programs for influencers that offer different perks and requirements. The standard program is for influencers who are new to content creation and is geared toward nano and micro influencers. These influencers are paid on a per-click basis instead of a commission on sales. The advanced program provides influencers with more tools and insights — and a commission payment system.
ShopStyle Collective has about 30,000 influencers enrolled on its platform, the company said. It also runs courses for influencers who want to grow and improve monetization.
Influencers who use ShopStyle Collective include Jules Sariñana (6.2 million Instagram followers), The Home Edit (5.5 million Instagram followers) and Bethany Everett-Ratcliffe (16,000 Instagram followers)
Average commission rate: Varies by brand
How many followers needed to apply: 500 followers
Brands offered: Macy’s, Nordstrom, New Balance, JetBlue, and more
Content categories: Fashion, beauty, wellness, jewelry, home, financial services, and travel
Notable for:
Rakuten Advertising is also owned by online retail giant Rakuten. The affiliate-marketing platform is known for its expansive network of brands, including global companies across categories like Sephora, Virgin Holidays, and Wells Fargo.
Unlike ShopStyle, which works exclusively with influencers, Rakuten Advertising also works with publishers and bloggers.
Influencers and bloggers are able to apply to brands’ programs within the Rakuten platform, where they can also track their performance and earnings from the programs they’re enrolled in. They can also use the platform’s matchmaking AI to find partnerships that are the right fit.
While commission rates vary depending on the brand and vertical — Nordstrom’s is as much as 5%, while New Balance’s is 4% — Rakuten reported double-digit commission rates for its publishers within the luxury and beauty verticals this year.
Influencers who use Rakuten include Julia Berolzheimer (1.3 million Instagram followers), Sher (60,000 Instagram followers), and blogger Lindsey Puls (of Have Clothes Will Travel).
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