If you are in an affiliate marketing business, you have probably searched for affiliate network solutions before. From Ai tools to automate the process to fraud protection and API integrations – when you are in affiliate business in 2022, you can employ plenty of tools to make your affiliate network grow. Today, we will look at the 10 best tools and solutions to help you along your journey.

What exactly are affiliate networks?

Affiliate networks are platforms that serve as a go-between for the publisher (the affiliate) and the advertiser (the merchant). Advertisers create affiliate programs on an affiliate network, and publishers can search the network for programs to promote. The affiliate network serves as a liaison between publishers and advertisers.

How do affiliate networks work?

For an affiliate network to function, both advertisers and publishers must initially register with the network. Once accepted, advertisers can add their programs to the network, and publishers have immediate access to a plethora of affiliate programs and promotional materials.

Best Affiliate Network Solution For Growing Businesses - Affiliate Network Solution

Publishers can seek to be accepted into any program they want to support. They have access to a selection of promotional texts or creatives that may be utilized across a variety of platforms, such as social media, emails, or websites, once they have been accepted as an affiliate partner with the advertiser.

When a publisher joins the network, he or she is granted a unique publisher ID, which is used to track sales for each program advertised on the affiliate network. 

The affiliate links are placed throughout promotional material by the publisher; when potential customers click on the link, they are directed to the advertiser’s website to complete their purchase. The affiliate network tracks the ID so that the sale may be credited to the publisher. Publishers and advertisers can access at any moment to their dashboard and check all parts of the program on the affiliate network’s platform.

Affiliate networks such as Awin provide skilled account management and counseling, assisting both advertisers and publishers in developing and nurturing partnerships to grow and optimize each affiliate program.

Affiliate network VS private platform

The affiliate network vs. private platform debate is unavoidable when it comes to operating performance marketing campaigns.

To know which to employ, you must first understand the distinctions between the two.

First, what exactly is a private platform?

A private platform is software that allows you to build an in-house affiliate program that allows you to recruit, manage, and expand your affiliate network. Unlike with an affiliate network, there are no intermediaries, and you connect directly with your affiliates. Walmart’s affiliate program is a nice example. The company runs an in-house affiliate program. Walmart is also a wonderful example of how retailers can use affiliate marketing to increase sales.

In a nutshell, private platform software provides you with all the tools you need to set up and run your own affiliate program. The rest is all up to you.

The difference between affiliate network solutions and private software solutions?

Is there a benefit to leveraging one over the other?

That’s what we’ll go through today as we take a quick look at the differences that have the most impact on your internet marketing and, eventually, revenue.

Another significant distinction between affiliate networks and private platforms is reach.

You get access to thousands of affiliates when you use an affiliate network. This makes it easy to identify appropriate partners to advertise your products to the appropriate audience. It also means that your goods have a better possibility of reaching more purchasers.

In contrast, a private network falls short in this sense. You must put in some effort to establish your affiliate network from the ground up.

Read also: Where to find affiliates?

Both affiliate networks and private platforms have advantages and disadvantages, affiliate networks are the preferable alternative. The key reason is that they are easier to handle and provide greater reach. You must understand how to use the technologies and tools required to administer an affiliate program while using private platforms. You must also be well-versed in the creation and management of affiliate programs.

Best affiliate networks for affiliate managers.

As an affiliate manager, you’re undoubtedly wondering which affiliate networks will give your company the most return on investment (ROI). Let’s take a brief look at some of the greatest affiliate networks for driving sales and revenue.

Impact.

Impact was established with a single objective in mind: to assist brands and publishers in growing through smart relationships.

Best Affiliate Network Solution For Growing Businesses - Affiliate Network Solution

One of the primary reasons you should pick Impact for your affiliate network needs is that they have developed sophisticated tools to assist you in discovering, recruiting, and onboarding new affiliates. You can also use their platform to learn which affiliates are generating the most traffic for your competition. This piece of competition research is critical since it allows you to target the right affiliates with whom to partner.

Once you’ve recruited your affiliates, Impact’s comprehensive tracking and analytics dashboard makes it simple to keep track of them and their performance. The software can also assist you in identifying and blocking fake affiliates.

Overall, the major benefit of working with Impact is their broad collection of tools for better affiliate management.

CJ Affiliate

CJ Affiliate is another seasoned affiliate network with a sizable affiliate network. Founded in 1998, the network’s duration in the game attests to its dependability and profitability.

Best Affiliate Network Solution For Growing Businesses - Affiliate Network Solution

CJ Affiliate’s advanced technology and tools are one of the factors that make it an appealing affiliate network for companies and affiliate managers. A good example is cookie-less tracking, which is becoming increasingly crucial as we move toward a cookie-free future. Here are some more examples:

Affiliate personalization, assists you in developing beneficial relationships with the proper affiliates.

Real-time reporting lets you know what’s going on at all times.

Affiliate consumer insights that demonstrate affiliate client purchasing habits and preferred channels.

Another reason CJ Affiliate is popular among businesses is that it provides several tiers of affiliate management services. You can run your own program utilizing their tools and technology, or you can collaborate with an agency partner. 

Operating in over 250 countries and with the ability to assist advertisers in almost every sector, a collaboration with CJ Affiliate will be beneficial.

ShareASale

ShareASale, which was founded in the year 2000, is one of the oldest and most well-known affiliate networks. As a result, it has some pretty significant merchants on its roster, including FreshBooks, Reebok, Cricut, Minted, Allbirds, WP Engine (my baby), and many others.

Best Affiliate Network Solution For Growing Businesses - Affiliate Network Solution

Awin, a global affiliate network, bought ShareASale in January 2017 with the purpose of providing more solutions, collaboration options, and technological products, as well as international reach, to ShareASale’s advertisers and publishers.

Because the site contains over 40 categories, ShareASale is popular with both merchants and affiliate marketers. It’s also a great way to promote both physical and digital products. You will certainly find affiliates to advertise your goods regardless of your specialization or sector.

Another benefit ShareASale has over other affiliate networks is the ease of setting up your account and profile. And, because everything is on a single dashboard, it’s simple to keep track of your affiliates and transactions.

Private platforms for affiliate managers

Are affiliate marketing networks not for you? Private platforms provide a white-label solution that may meet your requirements.

The biggest advantage of using a private platform is cost savings. As previously stated in this essay, the big networks provide a good pool of affiliates, gather tax information, and handle all affiliate payouts. However, this comes at a cost, usually in the form of commissions.

If you don’t want to perform the heavy lifting, some excellent private platforms will meet your requirements.

Scaleo – an affiliate network solution

Not satisfied with the features and functionality of the private platforms you’ve examined thus far?

Then give Scaleo a go.

What Is Affiliate Software?

One of Scaleo’s selling points is that you can utilize the platform as a foundation to develop your own—with the unique features and functions you require. Scaleo’s has over 100 API integrations, allowing you to create the ideal affiliate private platform for your needs.

Another of Scaleo’s assets is its powerful data and analytics engine. It’s never been easier to track campaigns across any digital channel (including app, mobile browser, and desktop). Among other benefits are also:

  • Fraud detection and protection in real-time
  • Automated workflows and payments
  • Cookieless tracking
  • Lightning-fast database

All of these benefits (and more) are available for a monthly fee of $299.

Scaleo may be the platform for you if you want to fine-tune your affiliate marketing business, start an affiliate network or manage your advertising/media buying from a single robust marketing dashboard.

If you want to check out also free private label affiliate network solutions, check out our list of 25 best free tracking software.

Conclusion

Whether you utilize an affiliate marketing network, a private platform, or a combination of the two, one thing is certain: affiliate marketing should be a component of your digital marketing plan. Apart from providing you with an army of independent sales representatives to boost your sales, it also enables you to access audiences that you would not be able to reach on your own.

However, finding and leveraging the best affiliate marketing networks or private platforms is necessary. Thus, choose the affiliate network or private platform that resonates the most with you.

Remember, that affiliate network solutions provide a trusted communication channel via which partnerships and relationships can be formed. This is critical to the speed with which sales and returns on investment may be produced, giving affiliate marketing a key competitive advantage and distinguishing the business from many other marketing channels.

Last Updated on January 17, 2024

Author

Elizabeth is a Senior Content Manager at Scaleo. Currently enjoying the life in Prague and sharing professional affiliate marketing tips. She's been in the online marketing business since 2006 and gladly shares all her insights and ideas on this blog.