3 Best Affiliate Programs to Make Money On the Side

Over 80% of online publishers use affiliate marketing. They sign up for affiliate programs that provide them with links to place in their online content. If they encourage their followers to make sales through these links, they receive a small commission.

If you have a successful website or large social media following, this could be a fantastic side hustle. You could make some money on the side of your day job with very little effort.

But not all affiliate programs offer a good commission or product choice. So which are the best affiliate programs to make money? Here’s a list of the top ones!

1. Amazon Affiliate Programs

Almost every publisher that does affiliate marketing uses or has used Amazon affiliate programs. They are one of the biggest brands in the world, and almost everyone knows who they are. Users are more likely to buy items through your affiliate links if they recognize the company.

But in 2020, Amazon cut commissions on their affiliate links, and they haven’t raised them. They’re still one of the best affiliate programs to make money, but you need to weigh up the pros and cons.

2. Adidas Affiliate Program

Amazon never succeeded in the clothing and fashion industry like it wanted to. If your website or social media platforms have a sports and fitness niche, you’d be better off joining the Adidas affiliate program.

They have a lot of product variety, and you could sell most of their products through affiliate links. Their commissions are around the market average.

Plus, cookies stay in your follower’s browsers for 30 days after they click the link. This means that you will still get the commission even if they buy the same product through another link.

3. CJ Affiliate Program

Also known as Commission Junction, CJ Affiliate host many brands under its umbrella. So if you sign up for CJ’s platform, you can sell many products from various brands, but you only need to sign up for one platform.

Some of the brands they represent include:

• Blue Apron
• Barnes & Noble
• IHG Hotels & Resorts
• Office Depot

Most affiliate programs only pay out once you’ve earned a certain amount. By signing up for a multi-affiliate platform, you’re more likely to pass the monthly threshold.

But if they don’t represent brands that you want to sell, it would be pointless to sign up with them. For ethical reasons, you shouldn’t sell products to people who trust your opinion if you don’t use and love a product. You may need to sign up for lots of different programs to get paid to sell products you actually love anyway.

These Are the Best Affiliate Programs To Make Money

When you’re working a side hustle alongside your day job, you don’t want to waste your time promoting bad affiliate programs. But if you stick to this list of the best affiliate programs to make money, you’ll see a good return.

Want to learn other ways to make money online? Browse our other articles for tons more ideas and advice!