Curated Affiliate Resources
Affiliate Link Disclosure
Please note that we use affiliate and referral links when we feel the match is good. We also have deployed Skimlinks' technology on this site which automatically converts some of the links posted here into affiliate links. In short, if you purchase something after clicking one of our affiliate links then Affilinomics may receive compensation. We thank you for your support.
Affiliate Networks
- AvantLink
- Awin (formerly Affiliate Window)
- CJ affiliate (formerly Commission Junction)
- Impact (formerly Impact Radius)
- LinkConnector
- Pepperjam
- Rakuten Marketing (formerly LinkShare)
- ShareASale (now part of Awin)
Publications About Affiliate Marketing
- Performance Marketing Glossary - definitions for over 250 terms, acronyms, and abbreviations used in affiliate marketing (prepared by the PMA)
- Affiliate Marketing Glossary - very brief post that covers some of the most-used terms
Tools & APIs
- Affiliate Link Automation
- Affluent – reporting across networks (for affiliates and agencies)
- datafeedr (referral link) – product catalogs across networks
- FMTC – coupon and deal data feed services (read my personal recommendation)
What About Amazon?
- Things to Note
- Commission is typically (much) lower than from other sellers – see "The Amazon Effect" and "The Grass is Greener on the Other Side."
- Cookie life is very short – typically just 24 hours.
- Very limited technology options (no coupon code tracking or cross-device tracking, for example).
- Little support for affiliate publishers.
- And many other reasons.
Affiliate Industry Support
- Performance Marketing Association (PMA) – non-profit trade association
- Affiliate Summit – affiliate networking and education conference
- ThinkTank – two days of education, program guidance and networking with top partners of the Awin US Group
- FeedFront Magazine – Affiliate Summit's official magazine
Affiliate Network Resources
- AvantLink – blog
- AWIN – news & events, market insights, Partner Success Center
- CJ affiliate – content hub
- Impact – blog, glossary
- LinkConnector – blog
- Pepperjam – resources (webinars, white papers, more), blog
- Rakuten Marketing – blog
- ShareASale – blog, getting started guides
Affiliate Industry Resources & News
- Acceleration Partners – affiliate marketing channel (blog)
- Adam Riemer's blog
- Affilinomics - blog, how to create custom links in ShareASale
- AffiliateTip.com
- Affiliate Summit – blog
- AM Navigator – blog, knowledge base
- Fanatics – affiliate resources
- FMTC – blog
- GeekCast.fm (affiliate marketing podcasts)
- The Apogee Blog
- Tricia Meyer
Other Affiliate Resources by Affilinomics
- Editorial calendar – designed by us for affiliate marketing.
- Affiliate marketing presentations – slides and additional info.
Check back often as this page is regularly updated.
Last updated: 19-Mar-2024
FTC Compliance
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has some strict guidelines specifying affiliate link disclosure requirements. The article linked within the previous sentence was written by Tricia Meyer, an affiliate industry veteran and friend. She is also an attorney and regularly keeps this article updated. It is probably the best resource for quickly understanding these complex legal disclosure requirements.
For more information, check out the Q&A post by the FTC entitled The FTC's Endorsement Guides. See also the FTC's .com Disclosures (.pdf) for guidance on "how to make effective disclosures in digital advertising."
FTC Compliance Summary
The following general statements do not constitute legal advice. They are, however, intended to address the intent of the FTC's disclosure requirement.
- You must disclose your affiliate relationship wherever and wherever you promote a retailer, service provider, or their products or offers in a way that could yield commission to you.
- This FTC requirement applies to all forms of media including, but not limited to, websites and blogs, videos, email, social media platforms, and even print distribution.
- Plainly put, your disclosure must be sufficiently clear that your audience is able to understand that you could earn commissions if they click your link and/or buy the product or services referenced.
- Finally, if you receive a product or service from a retailer in exchange for your review and/or promotion of it then that "compensation" relationship must be stated within your disclosure.
Some FTC Disclosure Tips
- Place disclosures as close as possible to your endorsement, promotion, claim, etc. but do not use pop-ups or anything that could be blocked or easily "missed" by the reader.
- Make sure your disclosure is clearly visible – that often means "above the fold" so no scrolling is needed to view.
- Use a conversational tone that matches your style. Something like "This post [or video, etc.] contains affiliate links [or coupons if they are trackable]. That means if you purchase something after clicking my link [or using my coupon] I may receive compensation" might work well for you.
- Take this opportunity to thank your readers. Adding something like the following to the end of your disclosure statement may further encourage your readers to trust you: "I value your trust and never recommend anything I do not trust. The compensation earned from affiliate links is how I pay for my blog [or videos, etc.]."
Social Media
Related to FTC Compliance issues, when posting affiliate links on social media, be sure to follow all guidelines about disclosure. Check out the PMA article about the Facebook Branded Content Tool also.
Office & Tech Coupons
You have a business! Below are some curated coupon pages that we've compiled that can help you spend less when you buy certain tech and business services.
- Office & Business Coupons - by Businesswright
- WordPress Coupons - by Presswright
WordPress Recommendations
While our curated coupon pages (linked above) contain some WordPress recommendations, the resources below are especially relevant to affiliate publishers using WordPress. For 20 specific plugin recommendations, see the Simplifying Your Affiliate Workload with WordPress presentation and handout.
- Affiliate Coupons (plugin) – create, edit and manage coupons for your WordPress site from a single dashboard. Many display options.
- Lasso (plugin) - create featured product displays and keyword or phrase links automatically plus manage all your site's affiliate links from one location.
- SiteGround (hosting) – best low-cost web hosting (including managed WordPress hosting) we've ever experienced.