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ShareASale affiliate network overview
With the abundance of affiliate programs and networks, it might be hard to make up your mind when joining the affiliate marketing field. In this review, we will help you get an inside look at the ShareASale affiliate network and understand the ways in which it differs from other platforms and can be beneficial for you as a marketer. You’ll also learn the step-by-step process of how to join ShareASale and earn your first commission.
What is ShareASale?
ShareASale is one of the biggest US CPA affiliate marketing networks in existence, with over 3,900 merchants and 700,000 affiliates (and counting). The company was founded in 2000 and acquired by Awin in 2017, although the network features a different set of affiliate tools and offers from Awin. ShareASale provides affiliate programs in a variety of niches, such as Home and Garden, Fashion, Green, etc.
With ShareASale, you can track your earnings in real time and manage your various affiliate campaigns from a single dashboard. The network also provides promotional tools to assist affiliates in generating sales and offers support in multiple languages. To start working with the network, you’ll need to set up an affiliate account on the ShareASale website and apply for the affiliate program of your choice. Joining the network is free of any fees for affiliates. Below, we’ll discuss this process in more detail.
Payouts
Payment method
ShareASale sends out payments via check or direct deposit to an affiliate’s bank account. Direct deposit is available for a limited number of countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, most European countries, and more. You can also set up a Payoneer card to receive payouts electronically. ShareASale supports this payment method only for specific countries.
Different payment methods have different processing times:
- Check via Mail: one week for the USA and one to four weeks if sent internationally
- Direct Deposit: two to six business days depending on the country
Payment date
Payouts for the previous month are due on the 20th of the next month. Should the 20th fall on a weekend, commissions will be paid on the following Monday. Merchants might extend the locking period, so make sure to check the terms and conditions of each affiliate program you join.
Minimum amount
The minimum threshold for payment is $50, but it might be higher for a particular program. To receive commissions, make sure you reach the default amount by the end of the month. Once the payment has been issued, you’ll see your balance decrease.
Features
ShareASale offers affiliate programs in various niches, so you can run various campaigns from a single interface. In addition, it is particularly convenient for marketers with multiple websites, as there is an automatic signup feature.
According to affiliates, the network dashboard is easy to navigate, even for newbies, and beginner-friendly. Reporting is available in real-time and you can generate various types of reports.
Furthermore, marketers can take advantage of the deep linking feature to customize their links and hide their affiliate ID. Another great feature, affiliate API, allows for more advanced promotion techniques.
Make sure to remember that your affiliate account will be closed if it is considered abandoned. An account shall be considered abandoned if it has not been logged into for six months and no transactions have been posted to it.
Niches
With ShareASale, you can choose among affiliate programs in almost 40 different niches, such as:
- Accessories
- Art/Music/Photography
- Auction services
- Automotive
- Business
- Classifieds
- Clothing
- Computers/Electronics
- Online dating services
- Domain names
- Education
- Family
- Financial
- Rewards programs
- Food&Drink
- Gifts
- Gourmet
- Green
- Health
- Home&Garden
- Web hosting
- Insurance
- Careers&Jobs
- Legal
- Gaming&Loto
- Shopping malls
- Marketing
- Books and media
- Military
- Moving supplies
- Recreation
- Real estate
- Search engine submission
- Sports/Fitness
- Games&Toys
- Travel
- General web services
- Webmaster tools
- Weddings
Tools
ShareASale provides a great variety of text links, banners, custom links, deals, coupons, data feeds, and product showcases, in addition to the Make-A-Page tool. The exact set of tools depends on each advertiser.
Reviews
Based on multiple reviews shared by affiliates online, we’ve identified some of the upsides and downsides to ShareASale. On average, affiliates give three stars to the network. Let’s see in detail which aspects they like and dislike.
Pros
- It’s a transparent and honest network
With 20 years of experience, ShareASale has established itself as a reputable network with accurate reporting. - Timely payments
Affiliates receive payouts in a timely manner and can choose from various payment methods: bank deposit, check, or Payoneer. - ShareASale educates affiliates
The network regularly runs webinars, affiliate marketing classes, monthly interface overviews, and offline events, so that every partner can successfully run their campaign. - It’s easy to join and use
Many affiliates note that ShareASale is beginner-friendly in contrast to most other affiliate networks. It’s also convenient for owners of multiple websites, who can automate the signup process for all their sites. - A great choice of niches and merchants
With almost 40 niches and 3,900 merchants, you can partner with both small and large brands and provide your customers with great alternatives for each product category. - Searching for merchants is easy
You can filter search results by keywords, commission, merchant status, rating in the network, etc. - Great customer care
Customer support is available online 24/7 and there is also a live phone help center (Monday–Friday 9am–6pm CST). - Deep linking
Make your links tidy and direct customers to the right page. Generating links is also faster than ever before. - Real-time reporting
You’ll see clicks and purchases at the exact same time they are made.
Cons
- An online resource is a must
You must have a website, application, or service (including email service), or be a sub-network, to join the affiliate network. - Limited payment methods
Convenient payment gateways, such as PayPal, are not available. - Limited reporting metrics
In the affiliate dashboard, you will see the stats on clicks and sales, but you can’t identify the product that generated those commissions. - Poor notification system
You may not receive a notification if the advertiser you’ve signed up for deletes their affiliate program. To avoid this problem, regularly check on the status of your merchants. - Brands of medium popularity
Some affiliates complained that ShareASale doesn’t partner with industry leaders, but only with merchants of medium popularity.
ShareASale affiliate offers in the travel niche
Below, you’ll find a complete list of travel programs available at ShareASale.
How to work with ShareASale
To start working with ShareASale, you need to create an affiliate account in the network, join the programs you like, and start promoting them on your webpage. Below, you’ll find a detailed guide on how to set up an affiliate account with ShareASale, an overview of the network’s affiliate interface, as well as tips on how to earn your first profits.
How to join ShareASale
- Click the “Affiliate Sign Up” button, which you can easily find in the top right corner of the home page.
- You can become a ShareASale affiliate in a few simple steps. First, create your username and password, then choose your country of residence.
- Indicate your primary website for verification purposes. According to the affiliate terms of use, you need to operate a website, application, or service (including email service), or be a sub-network.
Provide additional details about your website.
- Fill in your email address.
- Fill in your contact details.
- Choose a payment method. (You can omit this step and choose later.) You’ll see available methods depending on your country.
- Finally, read and agree to the affiliate terms of use.
- Don’t forget to confirm your email address. Then, and only then, will your application be reviewed.
- Confirm your email address.
- Upon confirmation, your account will be reviewed within one business day.
ShareASale affiliate account overview
Now, we’ll walk you through the affiliate interface homepage at ShareASale.
- In the upper left corner, you will see your Affiliate ID and Balance.
- Below, there is the Activity Feed with newsletters from merchants, coupons and deals, bonus opportunities, and products that are selling really well.
- Next to the Activity Feed, you will see your account at a glance: your current balance and the amount that is locking on the next payment day.
- Slightly below that is the Alerts tab, where you can find offline and closed merchants, as well as invalid links.
- Scrolling down, you will see the Merchants Search Toolbar with a few icons for the most popular categories, such as Fashion, Home and Garden, etc.
- On the lower left, you will see the featured Programs of the Week and join them right from the homepage.
- On the right, you’ll see Your Top Merchants. These are your top performing merchants and your total commissions, as of today.
- Continuing on, there is the Trending Merchants section, which shows advertisers you haven’t joined yet.
- Just under that, you’ll see your 30 Day Stats, including clicks, commissions, gross and net sales, and number of transactions. You can also view that information in a chart.
- On the right, there is the Updated Links section, showing merchants who have recently updated their creative inventory.
- Scrolling down, you’ll see your Recent Transactions with the sale amount and total commission amount, as well as the day and time of the sale.
- On the right, you will see Offline Merchants.
- Below, there are the latest posts from the Blog.
- Next, there is the Holiday section, featuring offers for specific holidays.
- Finally, there is a section with Help Tickets, where you will see the history of your communication with the support center.
How to make first profits with ShareASale
Once you’ve set up an account, it’s time to earn your first commission as an affiliate. It’s pretty simple. Here is what you need to do:
- Join affiliate programs. You can pick a few advertisers from different categories or within the same one. In the first case, you will help your customers plan various aspects of their travel, while, in the second, your customers will have a choice between a few different merchants. At this point, you must have an understanding of your target audience and their needs.
- Study the terms and conditions. These documents present forbidden traffic types, locking periods, products eligible for payments, and so on. If you fail to comply with the rules, the advertiser is likely to ban your account. The ShareASale affiliate commission rate depends on each program.
- Check the affiliate tools. The set of tools varies for each advertiser. Go to the merchant’s page in your affiliate account, pick the tools, and place them on your webpage.
- Track your campaign. This will allow you to stay on top of your visitors’ activity and adjust the campaign along the way. For example, change the widget position on the webpage or add another banner.
- Experiment. Every niche might offer different merchants. To find the most profitable one, you need to try out as many as possible. Not all programs will bring equally high income, but experimentation will allow you to find the highest converting offers and make more profits in the long term. Make sure to experiment with the program tools, placement, etc.
Remember that simply joining an affiliate network and placing tools on your website isn’t enough. You will need to drive traffic to your webpage, try out various marketing channels, and focus on attracting interested clients rather than non-targeted traffic. Most advertisers pay affiliates for actions rather than clicks or impressions, so it’s vital to bring an audience who will actually perform the desired action. Thus, make sure to use the right keywords when promoting your offer. For instance, a person who is looking for luggage sizes for Delta Airlines is “less desirable” than a person who wants to find out how to get to Niagara Falls, because the first user probably already bought tickets and is now preparing for their trip.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to promote various products at the same time, such as flight tickets and airport transfers. Such a strategy usually works great because travelers are in need of different services and you can facilitate their planning by recommending a bundle of offers.
Support
Affiliates have 24/7 access to the online support center, so you can always submit a ticket to the help center in the affiliate interface. You can also contact live customer support by phone between 9am–6pm CST on Monday to Friday. Emails are responded to within 24 hours on those days of the week.
Take advantage of the numerous supporting events that ShareASale runs for its affiliates: affiliate marketing classes, regular webinars, monthly newsletters, monthly interface overviews, and more.
ShareASale at a glance: Our verdict
With 20 years of experience and a large selection of advertisers, ShareASale is one of the leading affiliate networks and is definitely worth your attention. It is known for timely payments and transparent reporting. To join ShareASale, you need to have an online resource, such as a website, email service, etc. The signup process may take a few business days, depending on your platform. The set of tools is large and fully customizable for the convenience of affiliates.
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