Shareasale Complete Guide for Affiliate Marketers

So you're interested in learning more about Shareasale, huh? It's a fantastic platform for affiliate marketers, and I'm excited to share some key insights with you.

Shareasale is a network that connects thousands of advertisers with millions of affiliates worldwide. With over 25 years of experience, it's one of the oldest and most reputable affiliate networks out there.

To get started with Shareasale, you'll need to create an account and go through their approval process. This usually takes a few days to a week, depending on the network's workload.

Shareasale offers a vast marketplace of products and merchants to promote, with over 25,000 advertisers and 1 million products listed.

A unique perspective: Google Affiliate Marketing Programs

To join the ShareASale affiliate program, go to ShareASale.com and click on "Join our network" to create a free account. Provide your basic contact information.

The approval process is not complicated, especially when compared to that of other networks. It may take up to 20 business days for ShareASale's Compliance team to review your affiliate application.

Once approved, you can start searching the ShareASale network for a merchant program to promote. You can filter merchants by name, status, coupons, deals, and categories using the search feature.

To find relevant affiliate programs, use the search feature to filter merchants by name, status, coupons, deals, and categories. You can also do a keyword search and click "Modify Search" to filter your search down even more.

Here are the three merchant marketing models offered by ShareASale:

After selecting a merchant, you can access their referral links and banners through your ShareASale account. Simply copy the link, head over to the WordPress post or content you want to use, highlight the text, click the Insert/Edit Link button, and paste the ShareASale affiliate URL.

ShareASale pays commissions monthly, and you can check in on your earnings whenever by logging into your account. The minimum threshold to cash out is $50.

Take a look at this: Sponsored Link

The ShareASale affiliate program is a fantastic way for anyone to make money by promoting products from a bunch of different sellers.

It doesn't cost anything to join and is perfect for bloggers, vloggers, podcasters, influencers, or website owners.

ShareASale experts know all about local markets, so they can help you with anything you need as an affiliate.

Over 270,000 active affiliates are growing their website with the platform, which is a testament to its effectiveness.

You can check out what the sellers offer, get creative materials like banners and links to promote stuff, and see how well you're doing with simple analytics.

ShareASale generated 200m sales in 2021 alone, which is a staggering number.

You choose any of these merchants to use it and try to direct sales to their websites, and you'll receive a commission for sales that result from your referral.

Companies use ShareASale to find affiliates to promote their products to an untapped audience, while affiliates use ShareASale to find products to promote so that they can earn extra cash.

The ShareASale affiliate network is a convenient way to search for affiliate programs related to your niche, and you can search the platform quickly and apply to any that fit your needs.

Once you're partnered with affiliate merchants, you can manage your earnings all in one place without having to visit different platforms.

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Earning commissions on ShareASale is a straightforward process. You can earn commissions ranging from 4% to 50% depending on the merchants you choose to promote.

To give you a better idea, let's consider an example. If you earn $10 in commission, ShareASale will deduct a 20% transaction fee, leaving you with $8.

ShareASale provides several payment options, including checks, direct deposit, wire transfers, and Payoneer. Payments are issued on the 20th of each month for the previous month's work.

To access your earnings, you need to reach the minimum payment threshold of $50 in commissions. Once your earnings cross this threshold, you can request a payout.

Here's a breakdown of the payment methods available:

Remember, payments are issued on the 20th of each month, so you can rely on a consistent income source.

ShareASale has been around for 20 years, offering over 4,500 partner programs across various industries. Its reputation is great, thanks to its straightforward and reliable payment system.

The platform has thousands of merchants to choose from, making it easy to find suitable products to promote. This variety is one of the main reasons ShareASale is a popular choice among affiliates.

However, there are some drawbacks to consider. The minimum payout threshold is $50, which means you won't receive your earnings until you reach that amount. This can be a challenge for those just starting out.

Another con is the older website interface, which may look outdated compared to newer platforms. Additionally, there's a chance your account could be temporarily held if issues arise.

Here's a summary of the pros and cons:

Overall, ShareASale is a reliable platform with many benefits, but it's essential to be aware of the potential drawbacks.

To join the ShareASale affiliate program, start by visiting their website and clicking on "Join our network" to create a free account. Provide your basic contact information.

The approval process typically takes up to 20 business days, so be patient. If your application is missing important information, the Compliance team may send you a reminder to your email address.

Once approved, you'll have access to thousands of affiliate programs, including ones from popular brands and small businesses. This means even if you're a creator with a smaller audience, you should be able to find merchants that are willing to work with you.

To find relevant affiliate programs, use the search feature to filter merchants by name, status, coupons, deals, and categories. You can also use the keyword search and click "Modify Search" to filter your search down even more.

Here are some options to filter your search results:

To earn money with Shareasale, you can promote multiple complementary merchant offers to maximize your earnings. Diversifying your promotions is key to success.

You can create targeted content around your favorite products and offers, which tends to have higher conversion rates. In-depth reviews and recommendations are a great way to engage your audience.

Balancing commissions and conversions is crucial. While high-paying merchants may be tempting, don't overlook lower-commission options, which can offer higher conversion rates and more earnings over time.

Exclusive promotions can entice your audience and lead to increased commissions. People love feeling they're getting a special deal through your affiliate links.

To make money with Shareasale, you can earn commissions through pay per lead and pay per sale. Pay per lead brings you a commission each time someone clicks on your affiliate link, while pay per sale only earns you a commission when someone makes a purchase.

Here are the two main ways to make money on Shareasale:

The commission rates and cookie durations depend on each brand, so it's difficult to make assumptions about how much money you can make. Your earnings will depend on the amount of traffic you get on your blog or website and the number of conversions.

ShareASale provides a range of tools to enhance your affiliate marketing experience. These include the Make-A-Page feature for creating custom product tables and the Product Showcase widget for displaying products.

The platform also offers tools like the Merchant Discovery Box and the Affiliate API to help you discover new businesses to promote and customize your interactions with the platform. The Affiliate API delivers automated updates on merchant deals, creatives, and link maintenance needs to the affiliates.

Here are some of the key features of the ShareASale dashboard:

The ShareASale dashboard is your control center for managing affiliate marketing activities. It's equipped with various tabs, including Reports, Merchants, Links, Tools, Account, and Payments.

Each tab has its unique purpose and benefits. The Reports tab provides comprehensive data about your performance, while the Merchants tab allows you to explore and connect with various sellers.

The Links tab enables you to access your affiliate links, and the Tools tab provides additional features for generating custom HTML code and creating product display tables. The Account tab is where you can manage your account settings, and the Payments tab handles your commissions and transactions.

Here's a breakdown of the main tabs in the ShareASale dashboard:

With these tabs at your disposal, you can easily navigate the ShareASale dashboard and access the features you need to succeed.

Mastering links is a crucial step towards success on ShareASale. The platform provides various affiliate link options, including text links, banners, and the ability to create a custom link.

To add a banner to your blog, navigate to the ShareASale dashboard, click on the 'Links', and then 'Get Banners' to select from the offerings by merchants you wish to promote. This is a great way to visually enhance your content and grab users' attention.

You can embed affiliate links in different types of blog posts, such as product comparisons, roundup reviews, and tutorials, to target specific keywords and buyer-intent audiences. This can significantly boost the click-through rates and conversions of affiliate links.

Visual elements like buttons with calls-to-action, comparison tables, and lists can also make a big difference in maximizing affiliate link visibility. A resource page that lists useful products or services with genuine recommendations can effectively maximize the visibility and conversion of affiliate links.

Here are some ways to effectively use affiliate links:

Generating your custom HTML code for affiliate links is simpler than it sounds. ShareASale provides tools for creating product display tables and other engaging link formats.

Choosing a high-quality hosting service is crucial for a reliable and fast website.

A simple domain name that communicates what your page is about is essential. This can be achieved by including common terms related to your market niche in your WordPress domain name.

Selecting a user-friendly WordPress theme that matches the tone of your posts is vital.

Your website's hosting service should be regularly updated to the newest version to ensure optimal performance.

Here are four tips to optimize your WordPress site:

To maximize your promotional efforts on ShareASale, it's essential to understand the tools at your disposal. You can employ Google Ads or Facebook Ads as paid advertising strategies to enhance the reach of your ShareASale promotions.

Merchants have the authority to set a lock date for transactions, which allows time to validate and adjust before payments are finalized. This influences timing considerations for your promotional campaigns.

To leverage these tools effectively, ShareASale offers custom tools designed to help affiliates promote brands and products more effectively. This includes a range of promotional tools, analytics, and payment options to help affiliates customize their affiliate marketing efforts.

To boost your affiliate marketing profits, you can target content to an engaged subscriber list through social media and email marketing. By sending promotional emails with new products or special discounts, you can maximize the reach of your ShareASale promotions.

On social media, it's recommended to be genuine and place affiliate links naturally within valuable content to build trust with the audience. This approach is especially effective on platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, and X, which offer unique features and benefits for promoting ShareASale Affiliate's products.

To maintain transparency and comply with regulations, include clear disclosures such as ‘#AD’ or ‘Affiliate Link’ in your social media posts.

Here are some key takeaways to keep in mind:

Payments are a crucial aspect of the Shareasale affiliate program, and understanding how they work is essential for earning money through the platform.

Shareasale offers multiple payment options, including checks, direct deposit, wire transfers, and Payoneer. You can choose your preferred payment method when setting up your account or update it later in the 'Payment Settings' section.

The minimum payment threshold on Shareasale is $50 in commissions, which means you must earn at least this amount before you can request a payout. If your earnings cross this threshold, you can request a payout, and your payment will be processed on the 20th of each month.

Payments are issued on the 20th of each month for the previous month's work, so if you're expecting a payment on July 20th, it will be for any sales up to June 20th. This allows you to reliably predict when you'll receive your earnings.

You can receive your payments through various methods, including check via Postal Mail, check via FedEx, direct deposit, wire transfer, and Payoneer. However, it's essential to confirm that your balance surpasses the set payment threshold before expecting a payment.

Shareasale requires that affiliates exceed the minimum payment threshold of $50 before they can cash out their earnings. If you haven't received a payment, check your account balance to ensure you've met this threshold.

Here's a summary of the payment options available on Shareasale:

Remember to factor in Shareasale's 20% transaction fee when calculating your earnings. This fee is applied to the commissions you earn, so if you earn $10 in commission, the platform will deduct $2 (20% of $10).

ShareASale is a solid choice for affiliate marketing, especially when compared to Amazon Associates. Amazon slashed its commissions several years ago and may do so again in 5-6 years.

One key advantage of ShareASale is its higher average commission rate, ranging from 7-8% compared to Amazon's 2-3%. This is a significant difference, especially for those in niches where commissions can add up quickly.

However, it's worth noting that Amazon's 24-hour cookie length is extremely low, which can limit the potential for earning commissions.

CJ Affiliate is probably the biggest competitor to ShareASale, and it's because the network is trustworthy and works with top brands.

CJ Affiliate will suspend your account if you don't generate a sale within the first 180 days after being approved.

The platform is quite clunky and can be difficult to use, especially for those who are new to affiliate marketing.

For more insights, see: Cj Affiliate Ceo

Amazon Associates has some drawbacks that make it less attractive compared to other affiliate programs. Amazon slashed its commissions several years ago and it's likely to happen again in 5-6 years.

The cookie length of any affiliate link click is only 24 hours on Amazon, which is relatively low. This means that even if someone clicks on your affiliate link, they have a short window to make a purchase before the cookie expires.

The average commission rate you can expect is about 2-3%, which is lower than what other programs offer. For example, ShareASale's average commission rate is 7-8%.

If you want to use Amazon's API to promote products, you're not allowed to monetize your site through other networks or programs. This means you can't use ShareASale affiliate links on your website if you also use Amazon's API.

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People have varying reviews about Shareasale on Trustpilot and G2.com. The main negative reviews on Trustpilot were about the customer service.

Others are happy with the range of merchants to choose from and the fact that payments are always on time. Many more positive comments can be found on G2.com, but some users suggest there's room for improvement.

If you're not sold on Shareasale yet, consider checking out these other networks, which are listed as alternatives.

ClickBank is geared toward people who want to promote both physical and digital products, making it a great option for those in the digital service/product niche.

It's worth noting that ClickBank has a significant drawback: there are lots of spammy sellers on the platform.

You'll need to spend a lot of time on ClickBank to try and separate the wheat from the chaff, which can be a major time commitment.

If you're not sold on Shareasale yet, check out these other networks.

ClickBank is a popular alternative that offers a wide range of products to promote.

Commission Junction is another big player in the affiliate marketing space.

Rakuten is a global affiliate network with a vast array of products to promote.

AvantLink is a great option for those looking to promote outdoor gear and apparel.

MaxBounty is a CPA (cost-per-action) network that's worth checking out.

These alternatives offer similar benefits to Shareasale, such as access to a large pool of products and a user-friendly interface.

You can explore these options to find the one that best suits your needs.

Curious to learn more? Check out: How to Promote Affiliate Links without Website

Reviews of the Shareasale affiliate network are mixed.

Some reviewers on Trustpilot have been unhappy with the customer service.

Others on Trustpilot are pleased with the variety of merchants available and the reliability of payments.

G2.com has more positive comments, but some users suggest there's room for improvement.