Affiliate marketing is a way for you to earn money by promoting the products or services of others. When someone clicks your link and makes a purchase or meets some other conversion goal, you receive a commission (Fig. 1). It’s a popular online income strategy because you don’t need to create your own product. You act as a bridge between a buyer and a seller.

If you are just starting, as a blogger, a content creator, a social-media promoter or someone curious about income online, this article will walk you through how to start affiliate marketing. You will be able to choose which platforms are good, which give the best commissions, and which niches are worth exploring.

Fig. 1. Steps in affiliate marketing

 

What is Affiliate Marketing & Why It Works?

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based strategy where businesses reward affiliates for driving sales or traffic. It works because of the benefit of the three parties as follows:

• You (the affiliate) promote a product or service,
• A merchant (who owns the product/service) pays you when you bring them a customer,
• A customer finds something useful and purchases via your link.

The advantages

• Low upfront cost (you don’t need to build a product),
• Scalability (your links can be shared widely),
• Passive potential (once set up, you may earn while you sleep).

But consider the following points

• You need traffic (people seeing your content),
• You need trust (people must believe your recommendation),
• You should pick good programs and niches (so your effort pays off).

Disclosure and regulation

You should clearly tell your audience that you’re using affiliate links (ethical and often legally required). You can say- this post contains affiliate links. However, research shows that many affiliate posts don’t disclose properly. 

Which are the best Platforms to Start Affiliate Marketing

There’s no single “best” for everyone. It depends on your niche, audience, region, and traffic methods. However, you can consider the following points:

Easy to sign up

As a beginner, you may want to choose one network (like Impact or CJ) plus a few direct merchant programs, so you have options. The simpler the sign-up and reliable the tracking/payouts, the better for a start.

Higher commissions

Some affiliate programs (especially software, high-ticket or subscription services) offer higher commissions. For example, some recurring-payment SaaS tools offer 30%-60% recurring commissions. Digital products or high-value services can give one-time large payouts. 

So, if your goal is high earnings, look for programs with high average order value + high commission percentage + recurring payments if possible.

Cookie duration

The cookie duration varies from 24 hours to 90 days or more, depending on affiliate programs. Although shorter duration encourages immediate sales, longer durations are better for products with a longer decision process and are more attractive to affiliates.

Steps to Start Affiliate Marketing

Here’s a simple step-by-step plan you can follow:

Step 1: Choose your niche

You need a specific topic area to concentrate on. Having a clear niche helps you attract an audience, build trust, and produce relevant content.

Step 2: Build your platform

Decide where you’ll promote: blog/website, YouTube channel, social-media pages, e-mail list, etc. Even if small at first, focus on one platform and grow. Ensure you have content, traffic and value to offer your audience.

Step 3: Join affiliate programs

Sign up for one or two affiliate networks (Impact, CJ, ShareASale) so you can browse offers. Also, join direct affiliate programs of trusted brands in your niche. Get your unique affiliate links/tracking codes. Read the program terms (commission rate, cookie duration, payout frequency).

Step 4: Create useful content & promote

Affiliate marketing works best when you provide something useful (not just “buy this”). For example: “Best camera under €500 for travel” + affiliate links. “How I built my first website in Bangladesh – tools & hosting I used” + affiliate links. “10 must-have apps for productivity”, etc. Focus on your audience’s pain points. Don’t just shove your affiliate links into every nook and cranny of your site. 

Step 5: Drive traffic & build trust

Optimise your content for search engines (SEO). Use social media, YouTube, and email newsletters to share your content. Build trust, honest reviews, and transparent disclosure (“This link is an affiliate link”) help build credibility. Track what works: which posts get clicks, which convert to sales, and adjust accordingly.

Step 6: Optimise & scale

Test different offers and content types:

• Promote high-commission offers (but still relevant to your audience), 
• Consider recurring-commission programs for long-term income, 
• Add more content, more traffic sources, more affiliates, 
• Keep up with industry changes (commission rates can change, policies can shift).

Step 7: Compliance & ethics

Always disclose that you use affiliate links (“I earn a commission if you buy through this link at no extra cost to you”). Don’t promote shady products just for high commission; damage to reputation hurts long-term. Follow local laws and platform rules (e.g., social-media disclosure rules).

Best/Better Niches for Affiliate Marketing

Choosing the right niche is critical. Some niches are very competitive; others have lower traffic or lower commissions. Here are ideas especially suitable for someone starting, along with pros & cons.

High-value/low competition niches

There are many options depending on your education and interests. A few examples are shown below:

SaaS/Software tools

Many affiliate programs give recurring commissions. For example, HubSpot, AWeber, NordVPN, etc. 

Online education/courses

If you know a subject (agriculture, nutrition, research methods!), you can promote courses and get decent commissions.

Specialised equipment/technology

Specialised equipment for affiliate marketing includes tracking software, analytics tools, link management platforms, and automation technology, enabling efficient campaign management, performance tracking, and optimised marketing strategies. For example, you can select drones for agriculture, precision-farming tools for linking to international suppliers.

Finance & investment tools

Finance and investment tools for affiliate marketing include payment gateways, analytics platforms, ROI calculators, and budget management software to optimise earnings and track financial performance. If you are qualified with higher trust and compliance, it can have high payouts.

Health & wellness

This affiliate marketing utilises products, supplements, fitness programs, and telehealth services, supported by reviews, blogs, and social media to drive engagement and sales. 

Evergreen, broadly popular niches

Evergreen, broadly popular niches like health, finances, beauty, relationships, and technology consistently attract audiences, ensuring stable and long-term affiliate marketing success.

Home & lifestyle

Products for home improvement, kitchen gadgets, and décor are good items for affiliate marketing. You can promote products like furniture, appliances, and organisation solutions, appealing to homeowners and renters seeking comfort, style, and functionality for their living spaces.

Hobbies & leisure

Promote products like outdoor gear, arts and crafts, photography, gaming, and musical instruments to attract enthusiasts seeking fun and relaxation.

Personal development/self-improvement

Affiliate marketing for books, courses, coaching, and wellness tools helps individuals enhance skills, confidence, and overall life quality.

Technology & gadgets

Showcase the latest smartphones, smart home devices, wearables, and accessories to appeal to tech-savvy consumers seeking innovation and convenience.

These have many audiences, but also more competition and often lower commissions compared to high-ticket programs.

Niches to be cautious about

• Very low-value products (commissions may be very small).
• Highly saturated markets (you’ll need a very strong strategy to stand out).
• Shady offers or make-money-quick schemes (these may damage your reputation).

Niches where local/region-specific behaviour is complicated (if you’re in Bangladesh or South Asia, ensure you pick offers that support your region, or you can target an international audience).

Matching the niche with your strength

Depending on your professional/educational experiences, you should choose a niche of your comfort zone(s). It could be precision agriculture tools & software, nutrition/food science courses, equipment for lab/research, medical instruments, latest operational development, etc., etc. These specialised niches may give you credibility and less competition.

Which Programs Give the Best Commissions?

Let’s look at some examples and what to look for when comparing programs. You can select a program from the 30 affiliate programs listed below. However, before selecting an affiliate program, you should know what you are looking for and what your educational background is. 

What to look for

Commission rate: Higher is better, but also consider the average sale amount. 20-30% is good; 50%+ is excellent for digital products.

Recurring vs one‐time payments: Recurring commissions that you keep earning while the customer stays subscribed. It favours long-term income. The Beehiiv partner program offers up to 60% recurring commission for newsletters.

Cookie duration: A Longer cookie life means you get credited even if the purchase happens later.

Average order value/high price points: A higher ticket means more money per sale. High-ticket programs, such as for SaaS or digital products, can give large one-time payouts or high recurring.

Reputation & trust: A strong brand helps convert your audience.

So, if you pick a program with say 40% recurring in a niche where subscriptions cost US$50/month, you’re looking at US$20/month per customer you referred, not bad.

Tips & Best Practices for Success

Choose offers you believe in: You’ll be promoting them, so align with your audience,

Build trust: Honest reviews, value-added content, no hype,

Focus on traffic & engagement: Without an audience, you won’t make many sales,

Track and optimise: See which links/posts work, which don’t, and iterate,

Use multiple channels: Blog, email list, social media, and YouTube,

Be patient: It takes time to build traffic and conversions,

Comply with rules: Always disclose affiliate links, follow platform policies,

Diversify: Don’t rely on a single program; mix higher/medium commission offers, and

Localise if necessary: If you’re in Bangladesh or targeting South Asia, consider offers accessible to your audience (payment methods, shipping, etc).

30 affiliate programs 

Amazon Associates: Commission of ~1–10% by category. Best for product reviews and broad consumer audiences; has local storefronts for the US/Canada/France/Germany/India.

Awin (global, strong EU/UK presence): Varies by advertiser (5–20% typical). A network that gives access to many EU/US programs. Good for European markets.

CJ/Commission Junction (US-centric global network): Commission varies by advertiser. Excellent for mainstream US & Canada advertisers across many verticals.

ShareASale (global advertisers): Varies widely (fixed or %). Large network with many merchants targeting the US/Canada/Europe.

Impact (global affiliate platform): Varies by brand. Enterprise network used by big SaaS & retail brands, good for tech & services.

Rakuten Advertising (global, strong EU/US/JP): Varies. Good for fashion, retail, and travel audiences in the US/Europe/Japan.

ClickBank (digital products, global): High (up to 50–75% for many digital vendors). Great if you promote online courses, e-books, and digital tools.

Shopify Affiliate Program (global, e-commerce): Up to ~$200 per merchant or a fixed bounty. Strong if the audiences are entrepreneurs/online store owners.

Hostinger Affiliate Program (global, popular in EU/Asia):  ~40% (typical) and up. Great for tech/small biz/ag-tech audiences needing hosting.

Bluehost Affiliate Program (global): Flat payouts (e.g., ~$50–$65 per sale). Good for website/tech tutorials in the US/Canada.

SiteGround Affiliate Program (global; EU strong): Fixed bounties/tiered. Popular among web/tech audiences in Europe & the US (https://www.siteground.com/affiliate-program.htm)

Google Workspace Reseller/Partner (business SaaS): Per-seat referral/reseller rates vary. Target businesses and institutions in the US/Canada/Europe.

Microsoft Affiliate/Partner Programs (365, Azure partners): Commission varies. Good for B2B audiences in developed markets.

Coursera Affiliate Program (global MOOC): ~20–45% commission depending on product. Great for education/professional development audiences worldwide.

Udemy Affiliate Program (global): Commissions vary by ~10–20% depending on offers. Useful for promoting short courses (skill development).

Teachable/Thinkific (course platforms): Commission varies (bounties, %). Good when promoting your own or third-party courses to global learners.

Etsy Affiliate Program (US/EU/global): Commissions are typically ~4–8%. Works for handmade/agriculture-adjacent products, as well as niche home/garden goods in Europe & North America.

eBay Partner Network (global): Commission varies by category, often as a percentage of the sale. Useful for electronics/gadget promotions across regions.

AliExpress Affiliate Program (global; strong in Asia): Commissions are ~3–10% range. Good for price-sensitive audiences and dropship/unbranded gadget promotions (works across South Asia and the West).

A2 Hosting/WP Engine/Kinsta (hosting/managed WP): Fixed or % bounties (varies) commissions. High payouts for developer/WordPress audiences in the US/Canada/Europe.

Canva Affiliate Program (design SaaS; global): Commissions are fixed or % on subscriptions. Excellent to promote to creators, educators and small businesses worldwide.

Adobe (Creative Cloud affiliate): Commission varies by product & region. Good for creative audiences in the US/Europe.

Booking.com Affiliate Partner (global): ~25% of the commission Booking receives (varies). Useful if you target travel or agritourism in Europe/North America/Asia.

Skimlinks/Sovrn//Affiliate tech for content sites (global): Aggregates merchant links; revenue share varies. Good for bloggers who want hands-off monetisation across regions.

Awin-Local Partners: Tradetracker/Tradedoubler (Europe): Commission varies. European affiliate networks are valuable for the France/Germany audiences and for localised merchants.

Daraz Affiliate (South Asia). Commissions are ~10–18% in categories (varies by campaign). Works well for Bangladesh/Nepal/Pakistan/Sri Lanka audiences for consumer goods. Country-specific Daraz sites differ.

Flipkart Affiliate (India): Commissions range from ~1 to12% by category. Big for Indian audiences for consumer products.

Payoneer/Remitly/Wise referral/affiliate programs (fintech): Referral bonuses vary (fixed amounts). Useful if your audience spans countries and needs international payments/remittances (US/EU/Asia).

Conclusion

Affiliate marketing can be a powerful and flexible way to earn income online, especially if you choose good platforms, effective niches and quality offers. You can choose Impact.com, CJ affiliate, ShareASale (Awin), Shopify affiliate, Coursera, and the Amazon associate program.

Start by picking a comfortable network, choose a niche you’re passionate about, build content and audience, and select affiliate programs with strong commissions and recurring potential. With consistent effort, trust-building, and optimisation, you can create a sustainable affiliate income stream.