Affiliate/Sheet

What an Affiliate Marketing Network Is

A network is one roof over many brand programs. Here is how it differs from a single-brand program, with named networks as examples.

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How affiliate programs work
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An affiliate marketing network is a platform that holds many brand programs in one place. Instead of joining one brand at a time, a publisher signs up with the network and applies to brands from there. This page explains what a network is, how it differs from a single-brand program, and what a few named networks say they offer publishers.

What an affiliate marketing network is

A network sits between publishers and brands. The brands bring their offers. The publishers bring their audiences. The network gives both a shared place to work.

Each network has its own name for what it runs. Awin runs the Awin affiliate platform. CJ runs the CJ Affiliate publisher network. ClickBank runs the ClickBank affiliate marketplace. FlexOffers runs the FlexOffers.com publisher network. impact.com runs the impact.com Affiliate Partner Marketplace. Rakuten Advertising runs the Rakuten Advertising publisher network. Travelpayouts runs the Travelpayouts affiliate platform.

Network vs. single affiliate program

A single affiliate program belongs to one brand. You sign up with that brand, get its links, and earn from its sales or leads alone. FlexOffers' program page puts it plainly: affiliate programs let a publisher earn commission for generating leads or sales.

A network holds many such programs at once. You join the network once, then apply to the brands on it. That is the main difference. One brand, or many brands under one roof.

Neither shape is better by default. A single program fits a site about one product. A network fits a site that covers many things. For more on single-brand options, see affiliate programs for bloggers and creators.

Affiliate network examples: Awin, CJ, ClickBank, FlexOffers, impact.com, Rakuten Advertising, Travelpayouts

Here is what each network's own page says it offers, in its own words.

  • Awin's publisher page says creators can share affiliate links in blogs, social posts, videos and newsletters.
  • ClickBank's affiliate page says you sign up for a free ClickBank account to access products.
  • impact.com's affiliate page says its marketplace lets you connect directly with top brands that match your audience.
  • Rakuten Advertising's publisher page says publishers can partner with brands in verticals like Luxury, Retail, Finance and Travel.
  • Travelpayouts' homepage says anyone with a public channel, such as a blog, website or social media, can become an affiliate partner.

Each line comes from that network's own page. Read the page yourself before you join, since offers and terms change.

What networks give publishers: tools and brand access

The main thing a network gives is access. One account can reach many brands. Rakuten Advertising names verticals like Luxury, Retail, Finance and Travel. impact.com says its marketplace lets you connect directly with brands that match your audience.

Networks also handle the plumbing. Links, tracking and reporting live in one place. When a network tracks a click over time, that window works like the one described in what a cookie window is. The details belong to each program, so read them there.

How networks pay: payout models and methods

Payment models differ by network. ClickBank's affiliate page says affiliates can be paid by revenue share or by cost per action. Revenue share means a cut of the sale. Cost per action pays a set dollar amount, as ClickBank's page states.

How money reaches you also differs. Each network or program states its own minimums and payment methods on its own page. Learn to read those lines in how affiliate payouts are sent.

Cost to join: which networks state they are free

Some networks say joining costs nothing. ClickBank's affiliate page says you sign up for a free ClickBank account. FlexOffers' program page says it is free to register as a publisher. impact.com's affiliate page says joining as an affiliate partner is free. Travelpayouts' homepage says sign-up is free, with no sign-up fees and no ongoing costs.

Check the pages of Awin, CJ and Rakuten Advertising for their current cost terms. Do not assume a network is free because another one is.

How to choose a network for your audience

Match the network to what you publish. Rakuten Advertising's publisher page says publishers can partner with brands in verticals like Luxury, Retail, Finance and Travel.

Ask two questions. Does the network carry brands your readers care about? Does its page state terms you can accept? If a network's brands do not fit your audience, its size does not matter.

You do not need a blog alone. Awin says creators can share links in blogs, social posts, videos and newsletters. Travelpayouts says anyone with a public channel can become an affiliate partner.

Once you post links, follow the disclosure rules in FTC affiliate disclosure requirements.

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