Influencer Affiliate Programs that will Make You the Most Money

Ready to turn your passion for creativity into some serious cash? Today, I’m diving into the world of influencer affiliate programs that have the potential to fill your pockets while you inspire others with your DIY decor content. I’m sharing what affiliate programs are, how they work, which ones are the most lucrative for me, and how to make affiliate programs a part of your own revenue stream.

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What Are Affiliate Programs?

An affiliate program is a system where you can create custom links to products after you’ve been approved to join the program. Then, you share the custom affiliate link on your blog, YouTube channel, or social channels whenever you share the product. When someone clicks on your affiliate link and purchases the product (or often, any product from that specific store), you receive a commission from that sale.

Affiliate programs are definitely a part of my own revenue stream, and I find that the work I put into my affiliate sharing is directly proportionate to how much money I make. You can actually make a lot of income via influencer affiliate programs, even if you’re a new influencer.

I make a good amount of money per month from affiliate earnings. It’s a good chunk of my income. However, I do make more money through YouTube video ads and blog ads. You can find all the ways I generate income as a DIY decor influencer right here.

The Best Affiliate Programs

There are quite a few different influencer affiliate programs that you can sign up for. My favourite programs are the ones that have multiple products or stores available upon sign up. It makes it a lot easier for me to keep track of everything! Of course, I also love and use the programs that support products I actually use and enjoy.

From most lucrative to least (for ME), here are the best affiliate programs:

Amazon Associates

Let’s kick things off with the ultimate online marketplace – Amazon. Joining Amazon Associates means unlocking affiliate links to a ton of crafting supplies, home decor gems, and more. You can become an Amazon Associate (which is the name of their affiliate program) in both Canada and the USA. You can also sign up to become an Amazon Influencer. This is where you can create an Amazon Shop featuring your picks, and make affiliate income from your shop. When just starting out, you might be more successful being approved to the Amazon Associates program, then when you have more followers you can apply for the Amazon Influencer program.

LTK (formerly RewardStyle)

Fashion meets DIY & decor with LTK. With LTK links, you can incorporate fashion finds and home decor finds into your social sharing and blog posts and earn commissions simultaneously. It’s a win-win for your style-savvy followers and your bank account! LTK features hundreds of different brands – everything from Anthropologie to Target to Canadian Tire. I personally love that they do a good job of integrating with Instagram to make it easy for social shoppers. You can also have your own LTK shop featuring posts or videos with links to the products underneath. I find the most successful influencers using LTK post a lot (often multiple times daily) on their LTK profile and their social profiles. You do have to be a more established influencer to join this program.

Impact.com

Impact.com is an affiliate network similar to the next couple I’m sharing where there are multiple brands available to work with. Cricut now works with Impact.com, and I also have some fashion and decor brands I work with there like Poppy Barley and Rugs USA.

ShareASale

ShareASale also has a vast merchant list, so it’s a good affiliate network to sign up for too. Brands like Dollar Tree, Magic Linen and Knit Picks are on ShareASale. I used to make more money there when Cricut was part of the program, but it’s still a decent money-maker for me.

CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction)

CJ Affiliate brings a plethora of brands under one roof. Like ShareASale, it has a vast merchant list that you can tap into.

Etsy Affiliates

Dive into the handmade haven of Etsy and discover how their affiliate program can add a unique touch to your income. Etsy sells handmade products that can align seamlessly with your DIY vibe. Etsy links do well around holidays like Christmas, where you can promote handmade gifts to your audience.

Tips and Tricks for Maximizing Your Earnings:

• Authenticity is Key: Stay true to your DIY and decorating roots and share what you actually use and love. Your audience trusts you for your authenticity, so choose affiliate products that genuinely resonate with your style. One of my influencer pet peeves are folks who share affiliate links to things they’ve never even used.
• Strategic Integration: There’s an art to seamlessly integrating affiliate links into your content. A good place for affiliate links on your blog is in the “Materials” portion of a tutorial – link to materials from Amazon using your Amazon Affiliate links! Home tours and room makeovers on YouTube, blogs and social shares could also feature links to items you’ve used in your space. My YouTube description box affiliate links usually perform the best!
• Engage Your Audience: Boost your engagement and conversion rates by actively involving your audience. From polls to Q&A sessions, we’ll explore interactive ways to make affiliate marketing a community affair. You could ask your audience which product they want you to review, or ask them what they’re shopping for so that you can help them out with a product suggestion.

Can you make lots of money with affiliate links?

So, the bottom line is: can you actually make money sharing affiliate links? You sure can. But like I mentioned at the beginning, I find this method of income generation a lot of work. The amount of money you make is wildly dependent on how much work you put into sharing these affiliate links. Plus, you *should* first purchase the products you’re sharing, so there’s that financial aspect.

However, if your share hits the right audience that trusts you and loves the product you’re sharing just as much as you do, the result can be a goldmine. Plus, affiliate links can be the gift that keeps on giving. For example, affiliate links I’ve put in a successful YouTube video I published about Cricut in 2020 generate me a little bit of commission every day without any work now. Pretty fabulous!

So… are you ready to try influencer affiliate programs? Share your thoughts, experiences, and success stories in the comments below. Let’s craft a community of empowered and prosperous DIY & decor influencers together!