Chances are you’ve encountered a gift guide when shopping online. They’re an excellent way to increase traffic, obtain review products, and earn affiliate commissions.
Gift guides can be produced for holidays and occasions, but they can also have more ‘evergreen’ themes. Be it gifts for the senior citizen who has everything or the best toys from new movie releases, you can find affiliate programs with suitable gifts for your target market (and their favourite people). Finding Canadian companies, or at least retailers with a Canadian presence, can be a challenge though.
Finding the Best Affiliate Programs for Canadian Gift Guides
Selecting profitable affiliate programs for your Canadian gift guide should be based on demand and volume, as opposed to the amount of commissions paid by each retailer. If you only include high-commission merchants, expensive products, or items only a few people would want to receive as a gift, you won’t make sales.
Take a moment to reflect on the mindset of shoppers within your target market and who they may be buying for. Consider what they can afford and include something for every budget. Your focus should always be on your ideal customer and how you can best serve them.
You can also hedge your bets by staying on top of trends related to your target market. For example, you can find data regarding trends for recent or upcoming holidays on sites like ours and consumer-focused sites.
“Spending on electronics is running below prior holiday shopping periods, but spending on apparel, gifts, books, music, and entertainment is strong,” RBC stated in the December, 2022 Consumer Spending Tracker.
You can see how the above stats could be useful, as you decide what affiliate products to promote.
TIP: If your target market is mostly Canadian, make sure your gift guide visuals convey that. Nothing grabs the attention of Canadians faster than something created just for us.
Set yourself apart with a professional design, such as using a slider plugin for your gift guide. We often use MasterSlider, which has a free version if you need it.
If you require further guidance on the topic of affiliate marketing as an online business, please read How to Start Affiliate Marketing in Canada.
Top Affiliate Programs for your Canadian gift guides
The following merchants have products that work really well in gift guides. We’ve organized our top picks for Canadian gift guides by network. Affiliate networks facilitate connections between publishers (website or blog owners) and advertisers. They handle everything from tracking to payments.
Affiliate networks are a good option for most publishers because you can find offers and receive commissions from many advertisers, all in one place. Most gifts you recommend will be from the retail world. Retail commissions are notoriously low due to thin margins. Some are so ridiculously low they do themselves more harm than good. Affiliate marketers aren’t going to put extra effort into promoting products if they’re not going to earn enough from a sale. As they say on Dragons’ Den, I don’t even get out of bed for 1%.
Unfortunately, retailer affiliates are the most suitable for the majority of gift guides. If you can generate enough sales from low-commission programs and throw in a few higher-priced or higher-commission products, the gift guide will still be profitable.
Additionally, if you use merchants that usually generate larger orders, it can offset low commission rates. For example, most people who shop on Amazon add more than one thing to their cart each time they order. You’ll still be paid for the other products they order for 24 hours, thereby earning more.
If you go through a network, those small commissions from multiple Canadian merchants will add up to faster payouts because you’ll reach the payment threshold faster. Virtually all affiliate programs and networks have payment thresholds that you have to reach before being paid.
TIP: If you have the traffic or have brought the merchant several sales already, you might be able to negotiate higher commission rates. While you’re talking to them, ask for product samples. These products have value that will go towards your bottom line, whether you use them or sell them.
Another advantage is most networks have advanced search functionality that allows you to easily find Canadian retailers, as well as international retailers that ship to this country or have a Canadian presence. That alone can save you so much time and effort in your affiliate marketing endeavors.
[DISCLOSURE: We may receive compensation for links to products on this website.]
TIP: We look for affiliates with ‘deep linking’ options, so we can link directly to the gift we’re recommending. However, product links can change and product availability isn’t at all consistent. To easily update affiliate links throughout your site, consider a link management plugin. If you use these links, you’ll only have to change it once to update your entire site (or anywhere else you use it). You’ll also save time when you use affiliate links as the plugin will automatically add critical SEO HTML, such as “no follow” & “sponsored” tags, and a link title. Pretty Links and Thirsty Affiliates are two popular link managers used by affiliate marketers.
Share-A-Sale
Share-A-Sale has a number of Canadian merchants, including small businesses. Canadians are very enthusiastic about supporting small businesses, which can give you an edge if you emphasize it.
Search for the following merchants on the Share-A-Sale network:
Mary Maxim has everything the Canadian crafter needs, including kits that make fantastic gifts.
Pays 10% of sales
Aosom Canada offers a diverse selection of gifts, including categories like home & décor, pet supplies, outdoor, sports & recreation, office products, toys & games, health & beauty, home improvement, and holiday & gifts.
Earn 10% per sale
Puzzle Master has an amazing collection of puzzles and brain-teasers here in Canada. I’ve been very pleased with the products I’ve ordered from them.
Earn 10% of sales
Pet Wellbeing is perfect for any pet gift guides you may publish. They’ve done well for us in the natural pet care niche.
Pays 10% of sales
CJ
CJ (Commission Junction) is a large affiliate network and they have more Canadian advertisers (or advertisers with a Canadian presence).
Check out these CJ merchants for your Canadian gift guides:
Acer Canada offers Acer laptops, desktops, Chromebooks, monitors, gaming hardware, and projectors.
Earn 4% for laptops, tablets and gaming hardware.
The Source has laptops, tablets, computers, audio, game consoles, smartphones & more.
Earn .5% to 5% on most products.
Jewlr Jewelry Canada
Pays 5% and converts really well.
Joe Fresh has clothing and accessories for both adults and children.
Another program that converts very well, making it profitable even at 4%.
TIP: Experiences are often the most appreciated and memorable gifts. That doesn’t necessarily mean mystery rooms, road trips, and zip lines.
Foodie gifts are popular “experiences” and some affiliate programs in that niche pay quite well. You can join Factor Canada Gourmet through CJ and suggest the gift of gourmet food at home. It’s heat-and-serve, so busy Canadians are bound to love it.
Earn a $40 commission for each subscription you bring in, plus performance incentives, bonuses, and competitive promotions.
Chef’s Plate is another Canadian meal service. In fact, it’s one of the largest meal kit companies in Canada.
They pay a $15 commission on the eligible first sale of every new customer (subscription) you bring in, as well as performance incentives, bonuses, and competitive promotions.
Rakuten Advertising
Rakuten Advertising (formerly Linkshare) is one of the oldest affiliate networks and they have several Canadian retailers of all sizes. You do need to dig around the network to find them, but I have a few suggestions for you here.
Roots is a Canadian icon in the apparel industry. They offer clothing and accessories for the whole family… even the dog.
4% last click commission
Home Hardware Stores Limited is Canada’s largest independent home improvement retailer.
They have some unique gift ideas for everyone, but their commission rate is very low at 1%. Shoppers often buy more, however, and they also stock more expensive products, which offsets the low commission rate somewhat.
Lululemon was born in Vancouver, BC. They focus on performance-led technical gear for training, yoga, running, and so on.
The Lululemon affiliate program pays 5%
PRFO Sports is a leading action sports retailer in Canada. They carry over 200 brands related to mountain biking, snowboarding, skiing, skateboarding, technical apparel & accessories.
Pays 5% per sale
Kobo Canada is now run by Rakuten and includes both eReaders and eBooks.
With Kobo, you can earn 10% on device & accessory sales, 5% per ebook sale, and 5% for gift cards.
TIP: Canadians love to shop with their heart, and that means retailers who support or represent causes are popular. From supporting small businesses, to environmental concerns, to underrepresented groups, Canadians are taking an active part in shopping with a conscience. Suggesting these gifts extends the goodwill to your site in the eyes of visitors, and it feels good too.
For example, many actively seek out Indigenous-owned businesses, both to support their endeavors and because they often have unique gifts.
Cheekbone Beauty has an affiliate program on Rakuten Advertising and it checks a lot of important boxes. It’s a Canadian small business, it’s Indigenous-owned & founded, and it offers sustainable colour cosmetics.
You’ll earn an 8% base commission.
Rakuten also has Sequoia, a proudly Indigenous bath & body brand inspired by Indigenous culture and stories.
Earn 5% of sales.
Impact
Impact is a long-standing affiliate network with a growing number of global companies to promote. They’re not the most affiliate-friendly network online and that’s been a source of frustration for many affiliate marketers who want to work with the following brands. You can always ask if they’re on another affiliate network if you’d rather not deal with Impact.
BestBuy Canada offers a full range of electronics and small appliances.
Earn 1% for sales in select departments.
NBA TopShot Canada focuses on officially licensed NBA digital collectibles. On Top Shot, iconic NBA performances are exclusive and authentic limited edition collectibles that you can buy, sell, and trade.
Pack Purchase Earn 20%
Marketplace Sale Earn 2%
Hockey Canada Store is the official online store of Hockey Canada. They feature officially licensed Jerseys and fan apparel from Nike, as well as home & office items and accessories.
Earn 8% per sale
Both Shark Clean and Ninja Kitchen Canada have affiliate programs on Impact.
Each pays 1-4%
Armani Beauty Canada has Giorgio Armani fragrances, makeup and skincare.
Earn 2% of sales
Staples Canada is the king of office equipment and supplies.
Pays 2% of sales.
Reitmans Canada sells women’s apparel and accessories.
Earn 2-4%
Lancome Canada is part of the L’Oreal Luxury Products division, selling skin care, fragrances, and makeup.
Earn 2-4% of sales
Search the above networks for more Canadian advertisers, until you have a perfect mix of suggestions for your gift guide.
What About Amazon?
Amazon’s commissions are extremely low, but it can still be profitable for gift guides. You can deal with Amazon.ca or find Canadian small businesses to buy from through the platform. I use Amazon (or other extremely low-paying affiliates) if I can’t find the product from a higher-paying retailer, or occasionally if I’m in a hurry and don’t want to search for individual suppliers.
Will you create a gift guide this year? Please share your experience or questions in the comments below, or join us for discussion in the Online Business Canada Facebook group.
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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.
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Feeling festive today and started working on a few holiday ideas for online ads. Your post came up when I was searching for influencers to recommend for client gift submissions to gift guides. It’s late for this year but I’m working on a list for future years too. Working it for affiliates is brilliant. I didn’t consider it but I don’t manage the program. I’ll shoot the idea off to them and appreciate the idea.
That’s what I love so much about this site!! You go in deep on online business topics when most only skim the surface. That’s really helpful information from an experienced affiliate marketer and thanks for sharing it. Keep it up please!