In here we’re share with you ShareASale complete review for publishers. If you’re a new blogger aiming to enhance your blog’s earning potential, the ShareASale affiliate program emerges as the perfect option. This affiliate network caters excellently to both beginners and experts, offering a fantastic opportunity to monetize your blog or website.
Through the ShareASale Affiliates program, even newcomers can generate a monthly income ranging from $250 to $5000. This affiliate network presents a range of enticing programs including pay-per-lead, pay-per-click, and pay-per-sale options. Sounds enticing, doesn’t it?
ShareASale’s affiliate program holds a special place in my preferences due to its vast array of benefits. Boasting over 3,900+ merchants across 40 diverse categories, it ensures ample choices.
With an array of programs, every blogger can seamlessly partake in their affiliate initiatives and select a merchant that aligns with their niche. Irrespective of the niche or product you wish to promote on your blog, they’ve got you covered.
Ready to explore if ShareASale stands as the ideal affiliate network for your ambitions? Let’s dive into the details and get started.
Table of Contents
- What Is ShareASale?
- How Does ShareASale Work?
- How To Be Approved As A ShareASale Affiliate?
- ShareASale Overview
- How Do You Earn Money with ShareASale?
- ShareASale Payment Details And Doubts
- ShareASale Pros and Cons
- ShareASale Alternatives
- Optimizing Your WordPress Website for Shareasale
- Conclusion
What Is ShareASale?
Since its inception in 2000, ShareASale has solidified its position as one of the foremost and widely embraced affiliate marketing programs. Collaborating with a staggering count of over 16,500 merchants, ShareASale encompasses a diverse range of markets and niches.
What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing involves earning a commission by promoting products from others (individuals or companies). Your role is to spotlight products you appreciate to your audience, and for each sale generated through your efforts, you receive a portion of the profit.
This concept resembles a salesperson’s commission system, though you aren’t an employee of the company. Rather, you’re rewarded for steering new customers toward the company’s offerings.
In simpler terms, when your efforts lead to a company’s sales, you reap a share of the benefits.
The most enticing aspect is that you don’t need to invest time and resources into creating your own products, as someone else has already accomplished that challenging work.
You can initiate your affiliate journey once you have a platform to recommend products, whether it’s a personal website, a podcast, or even your social media presence.
However, does everything conclude once you’ve directed traffic to the product via a link? Not exactly.
This process involves more nuances for success, which is why many individuals who delve into affiliate marketing either encounter setbacks or see only marginal gains.
My aim is to guide you towards exceptional, life-altering outcomes through affiliate marketing, and I’m genuinely appreciative of your presence here.
Affiliate marketing encompasses two avenues: being the creator of a product or an affiliate marketer.
In this discourse, we’ll concentrate on the approach of online affiliate marketing from the perspective of an affiliate marketer.
Undoubtedly, affiliate marketing stands out as one of the most potent techniques to generate online income. Its potential knows no bounds if you approach it adeptly, regardless of your niche.
For beginners, especially, affiliate marketing offers the advantage of not having to spend time developing products for your audience. Why? Because the chances are that these products already exist.
Hence, affiliate marketing welcomes participation from anyone and facilitates easy initiation.
In fact, you’ve likely encountered affiliate marketing without even realizing it – such as when you click on a link in a blog post, leading to a product on another website. The owner of the original website likely earns a commission from your subsequent purchase.
Affiliate marketing is pervasive, yet many fail to harness its full potential.
In my view, affiliate marketing represents the world’s most underestimated avenue for passive income generation.
This largely untapped process holds immense promise, and I’m thrilled to elucidate precisely how it functions.
How Does ShareASale Work?
Established in the year 2000, ShareASale operates as an affiliate marketing network situated in Chicago, Illinois. Its operational model involves compensating affiliates in accordance with their sales performance.
As an affiliate marketer collaborating with ShareASale, you gain access to over 2,500 programs, all of which present opportunities to accrue these commissions. Beyond the community of affiliates, ShareASale also administers a network of merchants.
The Merchant
ShareASale stands as a prime illustration of performance marketing. For online merchants, the realm of performance marketing serves as a means to expand their clientele by capturing new customers.
Within the ShareASale framework, merchants gain access to exclusive technology that facilitates connections with a wide-ranging network of well-established affiliates.
The commission structure, set by each individual merchant, governs the remuneration provided to ShareASale affiliates. Notably, commissions are only dispensed for successful sales. Consequently, if the ShareASale program fails to culminate in a direct sale, the merchant incurs no commission charges.
The Affiliate
In the capacity of an affiliate, your role involves handpicking from ShareASale’s array of merchants and endeavoring to channel sales towards the respective merchants’ online platforms. As a consequence of your referrals, the affiliated merchants extend commissions for the sales generated.
Affiliates retain the authority to choose the particular merchants they wish to endorse, along with determining the preferred approach for promoting these merchants.
Furthermore, affiliates possess the capability to access the ShareASale website, enabling them to monitor their real-time statistics and earnings.
How To Be Approved As A ShareASale Affiliate?
Before applying as a ShareASale affiliate you need the following:
- Opting for a personalized email address associated with your domain name is strongly recommended. It’s advisable to refrain from utilizing free hosted email addresses such as tommethew8990, @hotmail, or @yahoo.com, as they might lead to automatic rejection.
- Please input a website that you own, featuring a top-level domain like yourdomain.com. Ensure that the URL directs to an active website containing English content.
- It’s crucial to furnish authentic and precise details about yourself.
- Kindly ensure that all communication is conducted in English.
ShareASale Overview
Becoming a part of ShareASale is a straightforward process involving just a few steps.
Signing Up For ShareASale
To initiate your journey with ShareASale, visit their website and select the “Affiliate Sign Up” link to commence the registration process.
Upon clicking, you will be directed to the signup page depicted below. After generating a username and password that you can easily recall, and inputting your country of residence, proceed by clicking on “Move on to Step 2.”
Subsequently, you will encounter a new page where you’ll be prompted to provide information about your website, including its URL and primary language. It’s important to highlight that having an operational website is a requirement for utilizing ShareASale. Therefore, ensure your website is live and functioning before proceeding with the application. Upon completion, proceed by clicking “Move On To Step 3.”
During this stage, you will need to verify your email address. Once you’ve supplied this information, proceed by clicking “Move on to Step 4.”
On this particular page, you will be required to input your contact information, indicating where you wish ShareASale to send your payments. Once you’ve duly completed the form, proceed by clicking “Move on to Step 5.”
Finalizing the application process necessitates the selection of a payment option. It’s important to note that ShareASale does not utilize PayPal, however, it does provide payment alternatives such as Payoneer, ACH, or physical check.
After clicking “Complete Sign Up,” the subsequent step entails patience. Your application will usually undergo review and approval within a span of 2-3 days.
How Do You Earn Money with ShareASale?
Upon receiving approval for your application, it’s time to delve into adding affiliate links. ShareASale provides a comprehensive search tool that empowers you to refine your merchant options by category, keywords, sales commission structure, or duration of partnership with ShareASale. Additionally, you can explore the top 100 merchants on the platform to identify any alignment with your website’s niche. Subsequently, when you select a specific merchant, you’ll gain insights into their commission structure and payment details.
Within ShareASale, there exist three merchant marketing models through which you can generate earnings:
- Pay Per Lead — Compensation is provided each time a visitor follows your affiliate link to a merchant’s lead capture form and successfully fills it out.
- Pay Per Sale — Earnings are acquired when visitors utilize your direct link to access a product or webpage and subsequently make a purchase.
- Pay Per Click — Commissions are obtained when individuals click on ads present on your website.
ShareASale Affiliate Programs
After gaining approval as a ShareASale affiliate, the next step involves identifying affiliate programs that align with your audience’s interests.
ShareASale boasts an extensive array of merchants within its network. This selection encompasses prominent names such as Minted, Reebok, and Etsy, while also encompassing numerous smaller enterprises available for promotion.
This diverse range of brands proves advantageous, particularly for newer bloggers or those with a more modest online presence. In contrast, some networks, like CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction), predominantly highlight larger brands. However, the stipulations for these brands often pose challenges for bloggers and content marketers with limited traffic.
ShareASale further enhances this opportunity through its advanced search and filtering capabilities, which surpass those offered by other affiliate networking programs. This functionality streamlines the process of discovering the most fitting brands within your niche.
It’s important to remember that as you embark on your search, affiliate marketing serves not only as a channel for generating income but also as a means of providing value to your audience through your genuine product recommendations.
Here’s your guide to uncovering pertinent products for promotion within your niche.
Commence your search by utilizing the drop-down menu located under the “Merchants” option in the top menu bar.
Within this menu, you have the option to conduct searches based on individual merchant names or their status. Additionally, you can identify merchants who are presenting coupons or deals.
You can also search by category on the left sidebar menu. You can find products in:
- Accessories
- Art/Music/Photography
- Auction Services
- Automotive
- Books and Media
- Business
- Career/Jobs/Employment
- Clothing
- Commerce/Classifieds
- Computers/Electronics
- Domain Names
- Education
- Family
- Financial
- Food/Drink
- Freebies/Free Stuff/Rewards Programs
- Games/Toys
- Gaming/Lotto
- General Web Services
- Gifts
- Gourmet
- Green
- Health
- Home and Garden
- Insurance
- Legal
- Marketing
- Military
- Moving/Moving Supplies
- Online Dating Services
- Real Estate
- Recreation
- Search Engine Submission
- Shopping Malls
- Sports and Fitness
- Travel
- Web Hosting
- Webmaster Tools
- Weddings
You can also explore alternative search methods. For instance, you can navigate through featured categories such as “New Programs” or vendors highlighted in the “Power Ranking.”
Another avenue is to employ the Marketing Calendar, which provides insights into upcoming holidays and events. This tool facilitates the discovery of relevant affiliate offers aligned with these occasions.
Finding Products To Promote
Locating specific products to promote is equally straightforward.
You have the option to conduct a keyword search,
Then refine your search outcomes by filtering based on merchants—companies selling office chairs, or you can apply filters to display products—actual office chairs.
Upon searching for “office chair,” you’ll notice a substantial 7,834 product results, making it challenging to sift through such an extensive selection.
To streamline your findings, leverage the “Modify Search” option located on the left-hand menu bar. This feature allows you to refine your search based on various criteria, including affiliate programs that offer auto-approval, exclusivity to ShareASale, and more.
Auto-approval, for instance, proves beneficial as it eliminates the need for merchant program confirmation before you can become an affiliate.
An additional filtering option is available on the right-hand side.
In this section, you have the ability to sort results based on:
- 7-Day Epc (earnings per click)
- 30-Day Epc
- Sale Commission
- Lead Commission
- Hit/Click Commission
- Cookie Length
And more.
Setting Up Affiliate Links
ShareASale simplifies the process of embedding affiliate links into your content.
Begin by utilizing the drop-down menu under the “Links” section to choose the type of hyperlink you desire (banner, coupon, page link, etc.).
Alternatively, after you have received approval from certain merchants, you can opt to select from your roster of approved merchant programs.
Initiate the process by either typing the merchant name in the search bar or directly selecting from the list of vendors you are associated with.
Once you have located the desired vendor, click on their name…
…and this action will direct you to a page displaying the range of products and links they offer. Look for the “Get HTML Code” option and click on it.
Copy the provided code and paste it into your document.
ShareASale Payment Details And Doubts
Now, let’s delve into the financial aspect! After all, that’s often the driving force behind our efforts, and undoubtedly, your favorite day of the month!
Below, you’ll find key insights and answers to frequently asked questions regarding ShareASale’s monthly payday.
When is Pay Day?
ShareASale disburses affiliate payments on the 20th of every month for transactions that occurred in the previous month, unless a Merchant specifies an extended lock date. In cases where the 20th falls on a U.S. holiday or a weekend, payments are processed on the next business day.
For instance:
- Scenario #1: If August 20, 2016 is a designated pay day but also falls on a Saturday, the payment for August will be issued on Monday, August 22.
- Scenario #2: The payment on July 20, 2016, would cover the total commissions earned during June 2016.
Moreover, ShareASale has set a minimum threshold of $50 for cashing out your earnings.
You mentioned a lock date, what is that?
The lock date is established and chosen by the Merchant. This time frame allows the Merchant to review and authenticate each transaction, addressing any potential returns or required adjustments.
Once the transaction reaches the lock date, the process concludes. Subsequently, the affiliated amount will be remitted to the affiliate, and the Merchant loses the capacity to edit or nullify the transaction.
How do I get paid?
ShareASale provides affiliates with four distinct methods for receiving their payments.
- Physical Check sent via United States Postal Service
- Physical Check sent via FedEx (additional fees required)
- Direct Deposit
- Payoneer
How long does it take for payments to reach me?
The average processing times for each of the payment methods are as follows:
Check Via mail (USA): 1 week
Check via mail (Internationally): 1-4 weeks
Direct Deposit (USA): 2-3 business days
Direct Deposit (UK): 5-6 business days
Direct Deposit (IN): 5-7 business days
Direct Deposit (CA): 2-3 Business Days
Direct Deposit (AU): 3-4 Business Days
Direct Deposit (MX): 3-4 Business Days
Direct Deposit (NZ): 3-4 Business Days
Direct Deposit (CH): 3-4 Business Days
Direct Deposit (EU): 5-6 Business Days
ShareASale Pros and Cons
Pros
- ShareASale stands out as an exceptionally active affiliate marketing platform, featuring a wide array of companies and products spanning various categories. With ongoing additions of new products, it offers an invaluable resource. This point, in my opinion, takes precedence in this ShareASale review.
- One notable distinction is its user-friendly interface that makes navigation effortless. I’ve found it straightforward to access the information I require. This is particularly significant to me since my focus primarily rests on content creation. A convoluted experience would detract from my productivity. Thankfully, I’ve never encountered this issue, and that’s a considerable plus.
- I’ve experienced a notably higher acceptance rate into affiliate programs on ShareASale compared to similar websites. This was one of my motives for choosing ShareASale — the ease with which I was accepted into programs aligning with my preferred products. Being declined from an affiliate program closely relevant to my content is a frustration I’d rather avoid. With ShareASale, this hasn’t been a concern, and I’ve nearly achieved a 100% acceptance rate for programs I intend to join.
- Reliability in terms of payouts is a key feature. Transfers to my account have been consistently punctual, and I’ve never faced any complications in this regard. If legitimacy is a concern, rest assured that ShareASale is indeed a reputable company. I’ve always received my payments on time.
- One of the highlights is the easy accessibility to affiliate managers, individuals overseeing specific offers. Any competent affiliate marketer recognizes the value of swift communication with affiliate managers for various programs. There have been numerous instances where I needed to engage with a product’s company to negotiate higher commission rates due to my substantial sales. ShareASale simplifies this process, enabling me to establish beneficial relationships with affiliate managers and secure enhanced commissions for the products I endorse.
Cons
- The affiliate links provided by ShareASale might not be the most WordPress-friendly. The issue arises due to the presence of characters like “&” in the affiliate links, which WordPress tends to replace with “ ” when toggling between text mode and visual mode during content editing. This can cause problems, particularly if you frequently preview your content during formatting. When switching to the visual formatter, these characters automatically change, rendering your ShareASale text links ineffective. As a result, you’re compelled to add links at the last moment before publishing, often in the plain text viewer – a challenging task due to the raw code nature of this mode.
- Linked to the WordPress issue, I haven’t yet discovered a way within the ShareASale website to validate the links I use. While activity reports offer insights into click counts for each link, identifying broken links isn’t straightforward. This proves particularly frustrating since it’s highly likely that many of my links have inadvertently broken over time due to edits made to older WordPress articles.
- Regarding the ShareASale website’s design, it’s worth noting that it’s somewhat outdated. While this might not be a critical concern, I bring it up because it occasionally raises questions about their resources and long-term operational capabilities. Although everything functions, a more modern and up-to-date website design would offer reassurance. This sentiment is more about peace of mind than anything else.
ShareASale Alternatives
Looking for a ShareASale alternative? we had published top 12 affiliate networks article for you. you can read that click here
Optimizing Your WordPress Website for Shareasale
While you have the flexibility to integrate ShareASale links into any WordPress post and place affiliate banners across your website, it’s crucial to remember that earnings depend on users actually clicking through.
To amplify the effectiveness of your WordPress site and enhance your affiliate earnings, consider implementing these four steps:
- Opt for a premium hosting service renowned for its reliability, speed, and regular updates to maintain your WordPress site at the latest version.
- Choose a straightforward domain name that clearly conveys the essence of your page. For instance, if you operate a fitness blog, ensure your WordPress domain name includes common terms relevant to that specific niche within the fitness market.
- Opt for a user-friendly WordPress theme that not only aligns with the tone and style of your content but also ensures easy navigation for your visitors.
- Strategically select and promote products that resonate with your audience. If your platform is a popular fitness blog, ensure you’re linking to merchants offering products like nutritious food options, fitness equipment, or training services – all catering to the interests of your visitors.
Conclusion
In conclusion, ShareASale emerges as a dynamic and influential affiliate marketing network that offers a wealth of opportunities for bloggers and content creators to monetize their online presence. With its vast array of merchants spanning diverse categories, ShareASale provides a versatile platform for affiliates to find products tailored to their audience’s interests.
The simplicity and user-friendliness of ShareASale’s interface make it accessible even to newcomers in the affiliate marketing arena. The abundance of features, from advanced search and filtering tools to the ease of inserting affiliate links, enhances the overall experience for affiliates, enabling them to efficiently manage and optimize their campaigns.
However, it’s important to acknowledge a few challenges. The non-WordPress-friendly affiliate links and the lack of a dedicated link verification tool can potentially hinder the seamless integration of ShareASale links into WordPress content. Additionally, the somewhat dated website design raises questions about the network’s long-term sustainability.
Nonetheless, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. ShareASale’s consistent payouts, high acceptance rates, and the ability to establish direct contact with affiliate managers are particularly commendable features. As a valuable resource for locating products to promote and generating a steady income, ShareASale offers affiliates a reliable avenue to leverage their online influence.
Ultimately, ShareASale’s wide merchant network, ease of use, and commitment to affiliate success position it as a competitive player in the affiliate marketing landscape. By adhering to best practices and leveraging the network’s strengths, affiliates can capitalize on ShareASale’s potential to foster lucrative and sustainable partnerships with merchants.
