{"id":21378,"date":"2024-02-02T12:53:44","date_gmt":"2024-02-02T17:53:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/?p=21378"},"modified":"2025-03-13T16:13:08","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T20:13:08","slug":"how-to-find-affiliates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/how-to-find-affiliates\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Find Affiliate Marketers: Top 10 Ways [+ 1 to Avoid]"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">\r\n<p>How to find affiliate marketers? Jump right in with these top 10 ways to find affiliates:<\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n<li><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/how-to-find-affiliates\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-3\">Reach out to niche bloggers<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><i class=\"\"><\/i><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/how-to-find-affiliates\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-4\">Partner with similar but non-competing websites<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><i class=\"\"><\/i><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/how-to-find-affiliates\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-5\">Look for key social media personalities<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><i class=\"\"><\/i><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/how-to-find-affiliates\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-6\">Partner with industry influencers and experts<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><i class=\"\"><\/i><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/how-to-find-affiliates\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-7\">Search on social media groups and forums<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><i class=\"\"><\/i><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/how-to-find-affiliates\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-8\">Invite existing customers<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><i class=\"\"><\/i><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/how-to-find-affiliates\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-9\">Attract affiliates with a valuable commission<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><i class=\"\"><\/i><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/how-to-find-affiliates\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-10\">Create an easy-to-find program landing page<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><i class=\"\"><\/i><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/how-to-find-affiliates\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-11\">Utilize paid ads<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><i class=\"\"><\/i><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/how-to-find-affiliates\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-12\">Make your program as visible as possible on owned channels<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<p>You\u2019ve decided to<a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/how-to-start-an-affiliate-program\/\"> start your own affiliate program<\/a>. But how will you find those all-important affiliates to promote your products?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Whether your online business is a small startup or an international ecommerce store, an <a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/affiliate-program-examples\/\">affiliate marketing<\/a> strategy can help you bring in new customers and increase your sales through <a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/word-of-mouth-marketing\/\">word of mouth<\/a>. In fact, according to some sources, affiliate marketing\u00a0programs <a href=\"https:\/\/mediakix.com\/blog\/affiliate-marketing-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">generate as much revenue as email marketing<\/a>!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Of course, that\u2019s only if you have the right affiliates in your corner. So, how to find affiliate marketers?<\/p>\r\n<p>Today, we go over 10 proven ways for finding affiliates (plus, how to recruit affiliates) in our step-by-step guide. We also unearth why one popular way to find affiliates doesn\u2019t work as well as you think.<\/p>\r\n<p>First, let&#8217;s look at the types of affiliates you could find and recruit.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<h2>Who could be your affiliates?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Affiliates could be:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Bloggers<\/li>\r\n<li>Social media personalities<\/li>\r\n<li>Other online entrepreneurs\/website owners<\/li>\r\n<li>Industry influencers<\/li>\r\n<li>Niche experts<\/li>\r\n<li>Your existing customers<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><strong>They don\u2019t have to be familiar with your product, but they should be trusted within the same niche you occupy, or by the same audience you target.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Regardless of their type, affiliates will <a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/affiliate-marketing-metrics-to-track\/\">place trackable links <\/a>to your website \u2013 affiliate links \u2013 on their own channels in exchange for compensation, which is usually a cash commission for every sale they help you make. So, you\u2019ll need to search for affiliates strategically (and then offer benefits that encourage best-fit affiliates to sign on).\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to find affiliates: Top 10 proven ways<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>You&#8217;ll have to put in a little bit of work to find the best affiliates to enroll in your own program, but it\u2019s well worth it.<\/p>\r\n<p>How to find affiliate marketers? Here are our 10 best practices, including the top places to look for affiliates.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Reach out to niche bloggers<\/h2>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">\r\n<p><strong>Advantages of this approach:\u00a0<\/strong>Brings in targeted leads, leverages bloggers&#8217; authority, could drive lots of traffic to you if they have SEO experience\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Things to keep in mind:<\/strong> Finding bloggers can be time-consuming, and you may need to familiarize bloggers with the product<\/p>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Bloggers make great affiliates because they already have a built-in audience that trusts what they say. If the right blogger recommends your product and posts an affiliate link to your website, this trust factor will bring warm leads right to your doorstep.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>But don\u2019t just go after any blogger \u2013 look for bloggers who share a target audience and niche with yours, and recruit them as affiliates.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><strong>If a blogger\u2019s audience overlaps with your brand\u2019s own audience, they\u2019ll bring in targeted leads who trust their recommendation. And if a blogger is an expert in the niche your product or service fits into, their authority will make their readers even more likely to trust their recommendation.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Finding and recruiting bloggers whose audience and niche match yours will lead to more targeted affiliate traffic, as well as referrals who are more likely to purchase from you. In other words, a higher conversion rate.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>And since most successful content creators have turned their blogging into a business, they\u2019ll dedicate time to publish high-quality content around your product. They\u2019ll creatively showcase your product with compelling stories, create related images and photos, or even shoot videos to highlight your product. Many will also have their sites optimized for SEO, further increasing the chances your product will be found by the right audience.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>There\u2019s a reason why so many brands recruit bloggers as affiliates!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-33154 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/the-points-guy-1.png\" alt=\"the points guy credit card affiliate\" width=\"429\" height=\"542\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/the-points-guy-1.png 1265w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/the-points-guy-1-237x300.png 237w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/the-points-guy-1-810x1024.png 810w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/the-points-guy-1-1214x1536.png 1214w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 429px) 100vw, 429px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>A list post on the travel points niche website <\/em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/guide\/best-credit-cards-travel-protections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Points Guy<\/a><\/em><em>\u00a0highlights several affiliate links to the travel credit card companies. <\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to find affiliates with a blog search?<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Finding niche bloggers to become your affiliates is all about using the right keywords.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\r\n<li>Start by searching general keywords related to your industry. Then, move to more specific niche keywords to narrow down the pool.<\/li>\r\n<li>Search for bloggers who are answering questions related to your niche.<\/li>\r\n<li>Try searching for \u201cbest [category your product or service fits into]\u201d to find blogger reviews and lists of top products in your niche.\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Has a blogger mentioned your product in a post? Ask if they would be willing to add an affiliate link to your site.<\/li>\r\n<li>Have they written lists where your product fits in, or reviews of similar products? They might be willing to feature your product as well, especially since you\u2019re offering a commission.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\r\n<li>Search for a keyword using \u201cblog\u201d or \u201cexpert\u201d (e.g., \u201cWordPress hosting expert\u201d or \u201cessential oils blog\u201d) to increase the chances a blog will turn up in search results.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>As you find possible bloggers, keep track of them in a spreadsheet with notes. Also, check in on how well each blog is driving traffic <a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/free-seo-tools-from-experts\/\">with <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/free-seo-tools-from-experts\/\">SEO tools<\/a>, like Ahrefs and SEMRush.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Once you\u2019ve compared potential affiliates and highlighted your preferences, it\u2019s time to personally reach out to affiliates. Check out their About page, Contact page, or social media accounts to find the best way to reach them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Remember, this message is the perfect opportunity to really make a connection and show them the benefits of being your affiliate. So don\u2019t be generic. How will the partnership bring value to them? How does (or how will) their content help your brand?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><strong>Pro tip:<\/strong> Affiliates don\u2019t need to have experience with your product before you recruit them. But if a blogger hasn\u2019t tried your product yet and you decide they would make a good affiliate, send over a product sample.<\/p>\r\n<p>This way, they\u2019ll be able to authentically review and write about your great product, and better convince their audience to check you out via their affiliate link.<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Partner with similar but non-competing websites<\/h2>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">\r\n<p><strong>Advantages of this approach:\u00a0<\/strong>Lets you leverage cross-promotion, works well for all industries, lots of webpage options for website affiliates to promote your products (beyond blog posts)\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Things to keep in mind:<\/strong> Make sure the website partnership feels natural, especially since other businesses won&#8217;t be reviewing the product like bloggers and social personalities can<\/p>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>In your search for bloggers, you might come across other websites that fit with your niche and share a similar audience, but don\u2019t compete with you.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>You can also partner with these sites and ask if they\u2019d be willing to promote your product using an affiliate link. Since they\u2019ll be compensated for successful referrals (and since you\u2019ll cross-promote each other\u2019s companies as part of the joint venture), it\u2019s a win-win for everyone.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>What\u2019s more, this strategy for finding affiliates works well for B2Bs and B2Cs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>For example:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\r\n<li>If you\u2019re a luggage company, you might partner with a travel agency.<\/li>\r\n<li>If you sell social media scheduling software, a brand mention software service\u00a0would be a solid potential partner.<\/li>\r\n<li>If you sell gourmet cheese or chocolate, you could partner with a wine company.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Your <a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/b2b-affiliate-marketing\/\">business affiliate partners<\/a>\u00a0can include affiliate links in their own blog posts, on recommendation pages, on dedicated partnership promo pages, or coupled with partner-exclusive coupon codes.<\/p>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-25846\" src=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/luggage-free-affiliate.png\" alt=\"luggage free affiliate: How to find affiliate marketers from websites\" width=\"680\" height=\"258\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/luggage-free-affiliate.png 1275w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/luggage-free-affiliate-300x114.png 300w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/luggage-free-affiliate-1024x389.png 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Luggage shipping company Luggage Free invites travel agents to become Luggage Free affiliate partners. Their related but non-competing services make this partnership a great fit.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Look for key social media personalities<\/h2>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">\r\n<p><strong>Advantages of this approach:<\/strong> Social personalities&#8217; followers are extremely engaged, and social personalities can give authentic reviews of your products (high trust factor)<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Things to keep in mind:<\/strong> Smaller influencers will be easier to leverage, and will have higher follower engagement, compared to bigger names. Also, most influencer-affiliates will expect coupon codes for their followers.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Social media personalities also make excellent affiliates, so make sure to comb the social networks your audience frequents most. Just like bloggers, many social media personalities have turned content creation into a business. Not only are they able to create exciting content, visuals, and stories around your brand, they also have built trust with their audience. This means that <a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/influencer-affiliate-programs\/\">influencer marketing and affiliate marketing<\/a> can go hand in hand.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><strong>When selecting social influencers to be your affiliates, don\u2019t be misled by their number of followers.<\/strong> Here are more effective things to look out for:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\r\n<li>Personalities with an audience that matches yours<\/li>\r\n<li>Voices who speak authentically and personally to their audience<\/li>\r\n<li>People who offer value and show expertise<\/li>\r\n<li>Personalities with consistently high levels of engagement from their audience<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><strong>In fact, influencers with relatively smaller numbers of followers tend to be more focused on a niche \u2013 and more trusted by their community of followers. <\/strong>They\u2019re also more likely to be motivated by an affiliate commission structure, where they\u2019re compensated for each sale they help you make. (On the other hand, bigger influencers tend to charge high prices upfront for any marketing campaign they execute for a brand.)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>So how do you find the best affiliates for your brand? Look for micro-influencers and nano-influencers in your brand\u2019s niche. Micro-influencers have between 10,000-100,000 followers, while nano-influencers have between 1,000-10,000 followers.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Use targeted industry hashtags to find affiliates on social media platforms. You can also use a <a href=\"https:\/\/truested.com\/software\/brand-mention-tools\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">brand mention tool<\/a> to find personalities who have mentioned your products or who are talking about relevant keywords in your niche.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Track these potential affiliates on a spreadsheet. Then, personally reach out to your top picks and give them a chance to try your product if they haven\u2019t already (just as you would with bloggers). Be sure to cover the mutual value an <a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/affiliate-partnerships\/\">affiliate partnership<\/a> would create!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21377 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/pasted-image-0-10.png\" alt=\"jjsbakesuk social media affiliate link\" width=\"643\" height=\"412\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/pasted-image-0-10.png 911w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/pasted-image-0-10-300x192.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 643px) 100vw, 643px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Nano-influencer <\/em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/jjsbakesuk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@jjsbakesuk<\/a><\/em><em>, a content creator in the cake space, is an affiliate for GlamFactory, a baking mold\/baking supply retailer.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Partner with industry influencers and experts<\/h2>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">\r\n<p><strong>Advantages of this approach:<\/strong> High levels of authority within your industry (extremely trusted names)<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Things to keep in mind:<\/strong> Not all experts have websites, blogs, or social accounts where affiliate links will fit naturally<\/p>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>For a B2C, industry influencers are often bloggers or social media personalities \u2013 as people trust their opinions about industries like food, clothing, accessories, tech products, and home products.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>But for B2Bs, industry influencers don\u2019t always have a social media account \u2013 or even a blog. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/b2b-affiliate-marketing\/\">If you\u2019re in the B2B space,<\/a>\u00a0look for speakers, experts, and thought leaders within your industry and niche, whose opinions are most trusted.<\/strong> As long as they have a suitable website where they can place your affiliate link on, they could be your affiliates.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>This is true for some B2Cs as well, especially in the health space. For instance, if you\u2019re an electric toothbrush company, you might ask dentists to be your affiliates. If you have a skincare line, you could include accredited estheticians in your outreach. Other industries (both B2B and B2C) may find that industry analysts make effective affiliates.<\/p>\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-25845 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/affiliate-blog-dentist.png\" alt=\"affiliate blog dentist\" width=\"474\" height=\"688\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/affiliate-blog-dentist.png 923w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/affiliate-blog-dentist-207x300.png 207w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/affiliate-blog-dentist-705x1024.png 705w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>St. John&#8217;s Pediatric Dentistry sometimes promotes dental products on the dental practice blog, as an expert affiliate.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Search on social media groups and forums<\/h2>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">\r\n<p><strong>Advantages of this approach:<\/strong> You can find many experienced, active affiliates on one forum\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Things to keep in mind:<\/strong> This can take more time than other approaches, since you&#8217;ll need to build a trusted presence in the group before reaching out<\/p>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Industry-focused social media groups and forums are already a great way to stay connected with trends in your niche, as well as build relationships and trust.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>These include:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\r\n<li>Forums on industry sites<\/li>\r\n<li>Facebook groups<\/li>\r\n<li>LinkedIn groups<\/li>\r\n<li>Reddit pages related to your industry<\/li>\r\n<li>Quora<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Why not use these groups to find experts willing to share your products and services? After all, they\u2019re already familiar with your niche and active in related discussions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><strong>It\u2019s also worth your time to find affiliate-related social media groups and forums. Active affiliate marketers frequent these forums to find new products to promote. <\/strong>This means these groups are particularly great places to find affiliates who are willing and already familiar with the ins and outs of affiliate marketing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>However, before you share your program in a direct message, it\u2019s usually best to take the time to build trust and relationships first. Once you\u2019ve built a presence within the group or forum and a relationship with the relevant experts, it will be easy to reach out with a private message and tell them about your program&#8217;s benefits.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>And like always, make sure the affiliates you plan to recruit are relevant to your niche and have an audience that matches yours.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><strong>Pro tip:<\/strong> Whether you\u2019re a B2B or B2C, don\u2019t sleep on LinkedIn groups for affiliate networking, especially if you find a group targeted to your niche. Join the group and post a message, and affiliates will contact you if they\u2019re interested. After all, they\u2019re already looking for potential programs!<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Invite existing customers<\/h2>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">\r\n<p><strong>Advantages of this approach:<\/strong> Existing customers already know and love your product, and their peers trust what they have to say \u2013 they don&#8217;t need a large following to make an impact<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Things to keep in mind:<\/strong> If you want all your customers to promote you (not just the ones creating content regularly), and you want to offer rewards other than cash, then a referral program will be a better fit<\/p>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>It\u2019s no surprise your happy existing customers can be some of your best advocates. They already know all the details of your products and services, and may even have already promoted your product to others.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Word of mouth is powerful \u2013 your customers don\u2019t have to be content creators, influencers, or experts to make an impact because people already trust the recommendations of their peers.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>Plus, the average customer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hashtagsforlikes.co\/blog\/instagram-followers-how-many-does-the-average-person-have\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">has 150 followers<\/a> on their personal Instagram account, meaning that every time a customer shares you and places their affiliate link in their Instagram bio, they could reach 150+ friends at once. Couple that with the power of trust, and that&#8217;s a massive impact.<\/p>\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30731 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/customer-affiliate.png\" alt=\"pura vida customer affiliate\r\n\" width=\"645\" height=\"337\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/customer-affiliate.png 933w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/customer-affiliate-300x157.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 645px) 100vw, 645px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Jewelry company Pura Vida only accepts affiliates who already buy from and love the brand, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/ChFb45kg2YX\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Madison Keller.<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><strong>Why not personally <a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/customer-affiliate-marketing\/\">invite your best customers to join your affiliate program?<\/a> Whenever they share with friends, family, or followers (which they might already be doing!), they can receive a commission on every successful sale.<\/strong> This not only shows your appreciation, but also deepens customer relationships and loyalty.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">\r\n<p><strong>Pro tip:<\/strong> If you want to invite a larger base of your customers to refer friends, and you&#8217;re looking to try out different reward structures (other than cash commissions), using a <a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/\">referral program software<\/a> may be a better fit.<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>But whether you choose a <a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/referral-program-vs-affiliate-programs\/\">referral marketing program or an affiliate program<\/a>, Referral Rock can help you set up both, track the ROI of word-of-mouth marketing, and accelerate your growth!<\/p>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Attract affiliates with a valuable commission<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Once you\u2019ve found the best potential affiliates for your program, the next step is to convince them to partner with you. Personally reaching out to the candidates you\u2019ve found (as we\u2019ve covered above) is key, but offering a valuable commission payout is another key factor in recruiting the best affiliates. After all, affiliates promote products as a way to earn reliable passive income.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><strong>Offer a commission rate that\u2019s competitive to other affiliate programs in your niche, while still making sure it\u2019s sustainable for your business.<\/strong> Consider offering higher commissions or added bonuses to your top-performing affiliates. For more on this topic, see our other article that covers\u00a0all the details on <a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/affiliate-commission-rates\/\">setting a commission rate <\/a>that effectively attracts affiliates.<\/p>\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-26405 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/activecampaign-affiliate-commissions.png\" alt=\"activecampaign affiliate commissions\" width=\"512\" height=\"253\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/activecampaign-affiliate-commissions.png 512w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/activecampaign-affiliate-commissions-300x148.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>ActiveCampaign offers a recurring commission on both sales and renewals of the product&#8217;s subscription.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Create an easy-to-find program landing page (which includes or links to an application)<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Your affiliate program\u2019s landing page also plays a big part in finding affiliates and attracting them. It\u2019s the hub of your program and contains all the information a potential affiliate needs to know. Transparency is key when convincing affiliates to apply to your program.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Your affiliate program page should include:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\r\n<li>What commissions you offer (Include the flat rate or percentage, how it\u2019s paid, and whether higher commissions or bonuses are available for top-performing affiliates. Remember that offering an attractive commission increases the odds that an affiliate will sign on.)<\/li>\r\n<li>What affiliates must accomplish to earn a commission<\/li>\r\n<li>Benefits of joining the program<\/li>\r\n<li>How interested affiliates can apply to join the program, and a link to the application<\/li>\r\n<li>Clear terms and conditions of the program<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Next, make sure your affiliate program landing page is optimized for search. Place easy-to-find links to the page on your website and on any the other digital marketing channels an affiliate might check (more on this in #9 below).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>By bringing potential affiliates to you, a landing program page can save you a lot of legwork!<\/p>\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-25843\" src=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/bigcommerce-affiliate-program-page.png\" alt=\"bigcommerce affiliate program page: how to find affiliate marketers using your website\" width=\"375\" height=\"711\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/bigcommerce-affiliate-program-page.png 1300w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/bigcommerce-affiliate-program-page-158x300.png 158w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/bigcommerce-affiliate-program-page-540x1024.png 540w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/bigcommerce-affiliate-program-page-810x1536.png 810w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/bigcommerce-affiliate-program-page-1080x2048.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 375px) 100vw, 375px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>BigCommerce makes their affiliate program easy to apply to, and highlights plenty of benefits, including through a testimonial.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Finally, don\u2019t just allow every interested affiliate to join your program. <strong>Carefully screen each creator who applies to your program, and see how well their niche and audience match yours. <\/strong>Only once you feel someone is a good match should you reach out and let them know they\u2019re accepted to your affiliate program.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9. Utilize paid ads<\/h2>\r\n<p>Although they can get expensive, paid ads are another way to attract marketers to your affiliate program. Google AdWords is the most common method, and will give you a wide reach if you select the right keywords to target.\u00a0 But Facebook Ads and LinkedIn ads might also work well, as they let you target your ads to very granular audiences Whichever method you choose, focus on niche keywords \u2013 think &#8220;[specific industry or product] affiliate program&#8221; and highlight your affiliate commission in the ad.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<h2>10. Make your program as visible as possible on owned channels<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>How to get the right people to your affiliate program page, at a lower cost than paid ads? Here are several effective ways to promote your program on a variety of owned channels (the free channels that your business controls):<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\r\n<li>Include an affiliate program page link in your website\u2019s top menu and bottom menu<\/li>\r\n<li>Optimize your website&#8217;s affiliate program page for key niche terms plus \u201caffiliate program\u201d (e.g., \u201ctreadmill affiliate program\u201d or \u201cweb host affiliate program\u201d) so it\u2019s easily found in search engine results<\/li>\r\n<li>Promote your affiliate program in dedicated emails or email newsletters<\/li>\r\n<li>Briefly mention your affiliate program in transactional and thank-you emails<\/li>\r\n<li>Post your affiliate program on social media (and include a link to your program page in every one of those posts)<\/li>\r\n<li>Link to your affiliate program in your social media bios<\/li>\r\n<li>Add a link to your affiliate program in your email signature using a brief blurb (\u201cCheck out our affiliate program!\u201d)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30733 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/ranktracker-affiliate-promo-2.png\" alt=\"ranktracker affiliate promo\" width=\"430\" height=\"592\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/ranktracker-affiliate-promo-2.png 973w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/ranktracker-affiliate-promo-2-218x300.png 218w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/ranktracker-affiliate-promo-2-743x1024.png 743w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 430px) 100vw, 430px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Ranktracker promotes their affiliate program in a dedicated email.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">For more promotion tips, don&#8217;t miss our detailed guide to<a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/how-to-promote-your-affiliate-program\/\"> promoting your affiliate program.<\/a><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h2>Why you shouldn\u2019t use an affiliate network for finding affiliates<\/h2>\r\n<p>Here&#8217;s why one well-known method for finding affiliates <em>isn&#8217;t the best use of your resources.<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>You\u2019ve probably heard about affiliate networks while doing your <a href=\"https:\/\/referralmarketingschool.org\/affiliate-marketing-beginners-breakdown\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">affiliate marketing<\/a> research. These existing networks find and manage affiliates for you. But while they remove some of the legwork, these <a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/affiliate-software-vs-affiliate-network\/\">affiliate networks come at a cost.<\/a><\/p>\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>You\u2019ll need to pay the affiliate network for finding affiliates for you. This \u201cfinder\u2019s fee\u201d can be as much as 30% of the commission you pay affiliates.<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><strong>Note:<\/strong> The fee for using the existing affiliate network is <em>on top of <\/em>the commissions you pay your affiliates.<\/div><\/div>\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>What to do instead? Opt for an <a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/affiliate-marketing-software\/\">affiliate marketing software program<\/a> and create your own affiliate network. <b>Using software is more profitable in the long run, as you won&#8217;t have to pay the extra commission to a network. This also gives you complete control over your affiliate data.<\/b><\/p>\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>Plus, <a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/affiliate-marketing-software\/\">with affiliate marketing software,<\/a> you\u2019ll be able to personally reach out to affiliates (and build stronger relationships as a result), rather than relying on a middleman to pass messages back and forth. It may take a bit more time to find affiliates with software, but the full control that software gives makes it well worth it.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<h2>How to encourage affiliates to join your program?<\/h2>\r\n<p>Once you&#8217;ve found new affiliates, how to increase the odds that they&#8217;ll sign on? Follow these <a href=\"https:\/\/referralmarketingschool.org\/affiliate-marketing-best-practices\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">best practices<\/a> for reaching out:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Use the outreach method that&#8217;s most convenient for the affiliate, based on where you found them and the contact information they provided<\/li>\r\n<li>Cover the benefits an affiliate stands to reap from the program, including commission details and any other available incentives\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<li>Explain how the creator&#8217;s content will benefit you as a brand<\/li>\r\n<li>Point out what you love about their content or work, and mention how you share a niche and\/or audience<\/li>\r\n<li>Share very brief details about how the program works, so the affiliate knows what to expect<\/li>\r\n<li>Offer free products if the affiliate isn&#8217;t yet familiar with your brand \u2013 or if you have a newer product you&#8217;d like them to promote<\/li>\r\n<li>If they have plugged your brand before, thank them and recognize the relevant content they&#8217;ve created<\/li>\r\n<li>Above all, focus on showing care and building a warm relationship with the potential affiliate<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key takeaway for finding affiliates: Prioritize quality over quantity<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Now, you know how to find \u2013 and recruit \u2013 top affiliates to enhance your digital marketing\u00a0efforts.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The key to successful affiliate marketing is to make sure your affiliates share your audience and can send you high-quality leads. It\u2019s much better to have a few quality affiliates than to waste your energy on a large number of affiliates who may have a large following, but don\u2019t perform as well.<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">For more insights, <a href=\"https:\/\/referralmarketingschool.org\/how-to-find-high-quality-affiliates\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">check out this roundup for tips on choosing high-quality affiliate marketers.<\/a><\/div><\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to find affiliate marketers to promote your business? Learn 10 proven ways to find affiliates (and recruit them). We also unearth why one popular way to find affiliates doesn\u2019t work as well as you think.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":21382,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5829,2579,2676],"tags":[5985,3270,3272,5821,5831],"class_list":["post-21378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-affiliate-marketing","category-marketing","category-word-of-mouth-marketing","tag-key-takeaways","tag-affiliate-marketing","tag-affiliate-marketing-guide","tag-affiliate-program","tag-find-affiliates"],"acf":{"takeaway_1":"To find affiliates, look for bloggers, social media personalities, website owners, and experts who are trusted by a similar audience to yours.","takeaway_2":"Existing customers who are content creators make great affiliates, since they're already familiar with your products or services.","takeaway_3":"Affiliate networks charge extra fees when your affiliates make a sale; using affiliate software means you won't pay extra fees (but you do have to find your own affiliates)."},"modified_by":"Jessica Huhn","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21378"}],"version-history":[{"count":63,"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21378\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38620,"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21378\/revisions\/38620"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}