Affiliate marketing is one of the oldest ways of making money online in Canada and it can be very lucrative if you focus on the right programs. Merchants may have an in-house affiliate program or join networks like Share-A-Sale, where thousands of website owners may partner up with them for a percentage of sales they make. Affiliates add the merchants’ banners to their website, or write content around a text link. They can also promote merchants in their newsletters. Clicks on the links are tracked and commissions are paid through the network or directly if the program is independently operated.
There are thousands of affiliate (partner) programs available to Canadian website owners and bloggers, which makes it difficult to select a few to focus on. We all want to choose the most lucrative offers but it’s hard to say which ones will be successful. Some may pay less but convert more, or vice versa. The final outcome will depend on how well the program is matched to your website visitors and how good you are at affiliate marketing in general.
You will also want to consider seasonal shopping, which starts earlier online to allow for shipping time. “Seasonal” can be anything from calendar holidays to actual seasons, such as promoting school supplies and wedding affiliates during the Summer months, and tropical destination travel in Winter. Additionally, if your target market includes Canadians you’ll need merchants that are based in Canada or ship to / serve Canada (all of the merchants listed below fall into these categories).
A little inside info can go a long way in affiliate marketing. I manage several websites and blogs, a number of which participate in affiliate programs to generate revenue. There are a broad range of sectors covered between them, making this compilation beneficial for most affiliate marketers. I’ve ranked them according to the amount they brought in for each individual website, and combined totals when multiple sites earned from the same merchant. I’ll be doing this for you every month or so in the hopes of saving you some time, and ultimately increasing your income.
Top 10 Earning Affiliate Programs for October, 2015
Our best affiliate programs for Canadians in October came from a mix of Halloween, holiday shopping, flu prevention, and increased interest in online selling as we approached the holiday season. We’re still seeing an increase in shopping at Canadian online stores, probably due to the low Canadian dollar. Most haven’t broken into our top 10 yet, but they’re climbing quickly.
1. World Wide Brands – Offers lifetime access to upwards of 10,000 wholesale companies and drop shippers. Members also enjoy dozens of drop shipping training videos, market research, mobile access, and a discussion forum. Pays a 25% affiliate commission per sale.
2. eBates Canada – We just got involved with eBates Canada and it has already taken off. Canadian shoppers only have to click through eBates to their favourite online shopping destination, to automatically receive a percentage of their purchase back. Holiday statistics show Canadians are looking for more deals than ever this year, so it’s a popular option for them. eBates Canada pays $5 for referrals after you join, and you get $5 free when you sign up.
3. Pet Wellbeing Inc. – Earn 15% of sales of natural pet health and wellness products.
4. Wishpond – Lead generation software for creating landing pages and contests (Facebook sweepstakes, photo contests, Instagram hashtag contests, etc), track leads, automate eMail campaigns and more. Wishpond is based in Canada. Earn 30% of sales.
5. Silver Leaf Tea – More than 800 exotic and gourmet teas from around the world, which is why I’m also a customer of this one. There are so many angles here that may not be obvious at first, such as herbal teas that increase alertness for business sites. Pays 25%/sale.
6. WeeCanToo – Provides the perfect eco gift for babies & toddlers… edible art supplies! This company has really taken off due to top media coverage. They should perform well over the holiday season, even though it’s in the US (ships to Canada). You’ll earn 15%/sale.
7. Starwest Botanicals – A huge selection of high quality, bulk herbs and essential oils. I get the vast majority of my herbs & oils from Starwest, in fact. They’ll pay you 15% per sale.
8. Performance-Based Affiliate Network – Focuses on environmentally-friendly “Eco” merchants. Includes a “Ships to Canada” section to make it easy for Canadian affiliate marketers to find links. Their commission rate is 50% per sale.
9. Canon Canada – The popularity of Canon products for holiday shoppers is showing itself early this year. Since most of their products are more expensive gifts and they’re a trusted brand, you can do OK with their 3% commission rate.
10. Amazon Canada – According to Ipsos, Amazon will be the top online store visited by Canadians this holiday season. That means a high conversion rate that can be profitable, even at a 4-8% commission rate. Note that you have to join the Amazon Canada program separately from the Amazon USA site.
This search will provide a list of our top earning affiliate programs for other months.
INSIDER TIPS!
- Free, extensive affiliate training and affiliate marketing tools can be had through the masterminds at Affilorama.
- Free affiliate marketing courses, community and more from The Wealthy Affiliate.
- If you’re looking for a profitable niche that isn’t too saturated, start with keyword research and competitive intelligence using the acclaimed Long Tail Pro tool that “super affiliates” love.
What was your top earner in October, 2015? Please share your success or questions in the comments below.
✔ You may also be interested in reading:
Top Two-Tier Affiliate Programs for Canadians
10 Hot Product Niches to Sell or Drop Ship Online in Canada
10 Low-Cost Side Businesses you can Start Online from Home
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Melody McKinnon is an internet entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in a wide range of online business models, backed by a formal business/marketing education and enhanced by training and mentorship. She has owned or managed both educational and ecommerce websites. Her book, 7 Recession Proof Online Businesses to Start From Home, is available from all major ebook retailers.
Melody has worked with many businesses in a multitude of capacities. She can often be found on CanadianDigitalMedia.com, CanadiansInternet.com, CanadianFamily.net, and AllNaturalPetCare.com, as well as other quality digital publications. Her content has earned reference links from highly-respected websites, magazines and university textbooks.
I love the way you write! Keep bringing us fresh content.
I watch for these posts every month. When I find one that fits my stuff I try it and it’s been profitable every single time so far. You have a magic 8 ball for affiliate programs? 😉 😀
Pure gold…many thanks
I just went through some of your other best income posts. It’s interesting to read about which programs do best in each month because you can practically see what’s going on…like with back to school in september or whatever. I’m looking forward to the next couple of reports to see what works for the holidays. Thank you for doing this.