How to use ShareASale and Make Money Blogging (3 Easy Steps)

ShareASale is a popular affiliate marketing network that connects businesses and merchants with content creators who promote their products and services.

As a new blogger looking to make money from your blog, utilizing ShareASale can be a great way to get started!

As you may well know, Affiliate Marketing is one of the first strategies that many new bloggers use to generate passive income.

In this post, I’ll be focusing specifically on how to use ShareASale and make your first $$ from blogging.

This post contains affiliate links, and I may earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you make a purchase after clicking one of those. I only recommend resources I use and love! Read my full disclosure.

How to use ShareASale and make money as a new blogger?

Step 1: Signing up to become a ShareASale affiliate

To get started, sign up for a ShareASale network account. It’s free and easy!

Click here to visit the affiliate sign up landing page and join over 270,000 active affiliate marketers and 25,000 merchants.

Note that while you can explore affiliate marketing opportunities as soon as you have set up your blog, I’d recommend that you only take this step once your website is fully built and designed.

Also, for better chances of getting approved by your favorite brands when you request to join their program, it is a good idea to join the network using a branded email that matches your domain and to have at least a few blog posts already published.

While these might not be dealbreakers for some companies, using a professional email address and having 5 to 10 blog posts up will build trust.

It can also accelerate the approval process and increase approval rates.

Getting started with ShareASale

Getting started with ShareASale’s affiliate program is easy.

If you haven’t yet, it’s time to head directly into the affiliate application screen and join ShareASale’s affiliate network for free.

The first step in the application process collects some basic information about your new account and prompts you to choose a username and password.

Next, you’ll be asked for a few additional details that will be useful to potential partners reviewing your profile:

• Website URL—While you may create and share content on multiple channels, you should add the primary website you’ll use to promote potential affiliate partners here. If you have more than one, you can add them later from your ShareASale dashboard.

• You’ll also answer a few questions about the website itself, the types of content that you produce, and the promotional strategies you intend to use.

Once you fill in all the required details and agree to the platform’s terms and conditions, you’ll receive a confirmation email to complete the sign-up process.

Then, your application will be manually reviewed, and you should hear from someone on ShareASale’s team within 3 to 10 business days.

Once your affiliate account has been approved, you can log in to your ShareASale account, explore the platform, and join some of the best ShareASale merchants.

The affiliate dashboard can be a little overwhelming at first, but you’ll get used to it quickly!

Let’s go through some of the areas you’ll use the most.

Step 2: Updating your Affiliate Profile

Updating your affiliate profile and ensuring that all the information stays accurate is key.

Your profile is the first thing potential partners will see besides your main website, and how well you present yourself will determine whether you’re accepted into new affiliate marketing programs.

While, as bloggers, we work solely online, we must not forget that companies are still run by people. A great first impression matters!

To review and update your profile on ShareASale, head to “Account” and click “Account Settings”.

Here you’ll have different sections that you can navigate, including the details you have provided on the application screen.

If you need to change your brief or add more websites, you can do that easily.

From the payments tab, set up your preferred payment method and the minimum amount you want to reach before new payouts are triggered. 

The following payment options are currently available:

• add your bank account details for a direct deposit;
• request mailed checks to be sent to your address; 
• request wire deposits; or 
• connect your Payoneer account.

Once you’ve reached the $50 threshold, you can request your first affiliate commission payout.

Step 3: Finding Brands on ShareASale

One of the best things about ShareASale is that it offers a wide range of brands in various niches.

You can easily search the entire database and apply to partner with new brands by heading to “Merchants” and then clicking “Search for Merchants” from the top navigation menu of your affiliate panel.

ShareASale’s user-friendly interface makes finding the best affiliate programs to promote, regardless of your niche effortless.

Merchants are well organized into several categories, so you can quickly find relevant partnership opportunities.

One thing that truly bothers me on other platforms is that I can easily spend hours scrolling through the database before I find any companies or products that might actually be a good fit for my audience.

Thankfully, in ShareASale, that’s not needed!

Its robust search tool allows you to quickly find the brands and programs that align with your blog’s niche and that will add value to your content.

Another feature worth highlighting is their “Power Rank” selection. This helps you identify the most successful merchants on the platform, giving you an idea of which affiliate programs might be worth applying for.

Next to each brand, you’ll see the merchant’s category, website URL, chosen commission structure, and a short list of keywords that offer a quick overview of the program. 

ShareASale’s merchant categories:

Besides almost 40 main categories, each of these is also broken down into several sub-categories, and you can even search using relevant keywords.

This makes navigating the platform and joining the most suitable programs super easy.

Here’s a complete list of ShareASale’s current merchants’ categories and sub-categories:

• Accessories (Jewelry, Fashion, Accessories, Beauty, and Earrings)
• Art/Music/Photography (Art, Photography, Scrapbooking, Crafts, and Home Decor)
• Auction Services (Auctions, Jewelry, Ebay, and Online Auctions)
• Automotive (Automotive, Car, Car Accessories, Auto, and Auto Parts)
• Books/Media (Books, Magazine, Literature, and Textbooks)
• Business (Business, B2B, Small Business, Marketing, and Productivity)
• Career/Jobs/Employment (Resume, Jobs, Career, Job, and Employment)
• Clothing (Fashion, Clothing, Apparel, Dresses, and Accessories)
• Commerce/Classifieds (eCommerce, Shopify, Vape, and Amazon)
• Computers/Electronics (Electronics, iPhone, Tech, and Headphones)
• Domain Names (Domains, Web Hosting, and Domain Name Registrars)
• Education (Education, Learning, Online Courses, and eLearning)
• Family (Baby, Kids, Children, Family, and Mom)
• Financial (Finance, Money, Trading, and Credit)
• Food/Drink (Food, Organic, Vegan, Wine, and Healthy)
• Freebies, Free Stuff, Rewards Programs (Freebies, Rewards, and Coupons)
• Games/Toys (Toys, Games, and Kids)
• Gaming and Lotto (Sweepstakes, Games, Lottery, Gaming, and Gambling)
• General Web Services (WordPress, Websites, Software, Saas, and Web Design)
• Gifts (Gifts, Christmas, Birthday, and Home Decor)
• Gourmet (Food, Cooking, and Healthy)
• Green (Sustainable, Green, Eco-Friendly, Organic, and Vegan)
• Health (Health, Wellness, Beauty, Skincare, and CBD)
• Home & Garden (Home Decor, Furniture, Bedding, and Kitchen)
• Insurance (Health Insurance, Healthcare, and Life Insurance)
• Legal (Legal, LLC, Legal Services, and Divorce)
• Marketing (Marketing, SEO, Social Media, B2B, and Advertising)
• Military (Military, Hunting, Protection, Tactical, and Backpack)
• Moving/Moving Supplies (Moving Supplies, Appliances, Packaging Supplies, and Plastic Bags)
• Online Dating Services (Dating, Sex, Sex Toys, and Dating Services)
• Real Estate (Real Estate, Property, Land, and Home)
• Recreation (Camping, Outdoor, Hiking, and Fishing)
• Search Engine Submission (SEO, Internet Marketing, Google, and Digital Marketing)
• Shopping Malls (Electronics, Beauty, Fashion, Toys, and Clothing)
• Sports/Fitness (Fitness, Sports, Health, Exercise, and Workout)
• Travel (Travel, Luggage, Vacation, and Hotels)
• Web Hosting (Hosting, Cloud Hosting, VPS, and WordPress Hosting)
• Webmaster Tools (WordPress, WordPress Themes, SEO, WordPress Plugins, and eCommerce)
• Weddings (Wedding, Bridal, and Party)

As you see, ShareASale is easy to join and can be used to promote products and services in various industries.

It is the perfect affiliate marketing network for bloggers in any niche.

How to get affiliate links from ShareASale’s merchants?

Once you join the network and get approved into a few of your favorite affiliate programs, it’s time to grab your custom affiliate links and start promoting those companies on your blog.

To get your unique ShareASale links (otherwise known as referral links) and other resources such as banners and coupons, head to “Links” and click on “Get a link/banner”. 

On this page, you’ll see the list of the merchants you have joined.

Click on the “Get Links” button next to the merchant you want to promote first, and then choose the type of link you need. It can be a text link, deals/coupons, or a banner.

Each of these options includes your unique tracking code so that any sales generated will be correctly assigned to your affiliate account.

How much money do bloggers make from ShareASale?

As with any other affiliate program or network, there aren’t any magic numbers or secret strategies to making money from blogging.

Your revenue potential depends on a few factors, such as:

• the quality of the content you produce,
• your ability to drive traffic to your blog, and
• how many of those readers will actually click your affiliate links and make a purchase.

However, when it comes to ShareASale specifically, there are two main types of payment opportunities that I want to cover:

Pay Per Sale

Being awarded a certain percentage for each sale that you generate is the most common type of agreement in affiliate marketing.

Essentially, you will either receive a cut of the overall sales price or a pre-established flat amount whenever a client buys from a brand after clicking your unique affiliate link. 

Pay Per Lead

This type of arrangement is more commonly utilized by brands that don’t necessarily have a direct checkout on their website.

It essentially means that the brands you’ve partnered with will pay you a flat rate when you send them a new lead.

This is most used by merchants who offer services that require consultations or that offer trial periods before any actual purchases are made.

With this type of arrangement, you’d get rewarded even when you haven’t generated a direct sale.

To increase your earning potential, I’d recommend that you only join a few key programs to start.

Having dozens of brands to promote can become overwhelming, and you’ll end up not promoting any of them properly.

Here are a few ways in which you can promote brands and share your affiliate links without coming across salesy:

1. Create a Resources or Recommendations page for your blog and add it to your main navigation;
2. Produce helpful content and share your affiliate links within those posts: how-to guides, reviews, and “best of” blog posts drive the most affiliate sales;
3. Write a roundup blog post showcasing your favorite tools and products;
4. Add a couple of promotional banners to your blog’s sidebar;
5. Mention your favorite brands in your email marketing campaigns.

Once you’ve nailed down your affiliate marketing strategy for a few of the brands you love the most, you can slowly join more programs. Using strategies similar to the ones you see work best, you can continue to promote relevant products to your audience.

Ultimately, your earnings from affiliate marketing depend on your promotional efforts, the commissions you’ve negotiated with each brand, and the number of sales you can convert.

What is affiliate marketing?

Affiliate Marketing is a type of performance-based marketing where an affiliate (blogger, influencer, etc.) promotes a product or service and earns a small commission for every sale or action made through their unique affiliate links.

This is the number one monetization strategy that I use on this blog, and I love it! 

If you run another business like I do or have another full-time activity, it can be challenging to keep up with everything a money-making blog requires.

As if producing regular content wasn’t enough, all the experts advise you to create your own products ASAP… 

Uffff! I know it’s a lot of hard work! 

With so much to do and so little time to do it, affiliate marketing will soon become your best friend! 

It isn’t easy, but starting out with affiliate marketing offers plenty of benefits rather than coming up with your own products to sell.

For starters, the products you promote are done and maintained by someone else (or a company, of course).

That means that *all you have to do* is recommend the things you love to your readers, driving traffic and sales to those third parties.

Of course, you do need to get traffic to your own blog first and build a community of active readers.

That takes time. 

Nobody’s saying that blogging or affiliate marketing is a get-rich-quick scheme.

It really isn’t! 

My point is that once your blog gets enough attention, the affiliate links you’ve included in your content will make you money on autopilot. It can be a great way to increase your income without doing too much of extra work.

See, the thing is, you might already be mentioning some products and services to your readers.

You do that naturally because that’s part of producing helpful content and building trust. If a product has helped you, it will probably benefit others as well.

So all you have to do once you start joining your favorite programs and networks, is go back and update your old posts to include your trackable links.

How to add trackable affiliate links to your content?

For that, I recommend using either Pretty Links or Thirsty Affiliates (two popular affiliate link management plugins for WordPress) to manage and link to your affiliate products. Both of these offer free and premium plans, but you can certainly start with the free versions!

I’ve written a guide on Pretty Links that you can read here.

Ultimately, affiliate marketing offers unlimited income potential. And you’ll see those numbers increase as your traffic and number of followers grow.

That’s why there’s no better time to start than right now! Even if it starts out slow, you’ll certainly see your blog income add-on over time, and you avoid having to go back and replace links later.

Click here to join ShareASale, right now!

As a side note, please remember that as soon as you become an affiliate for any brand and start adding links to your blog, you must have your legals in order.

As per the FTC’s guidelines, you must include an affiliate disclosure on every page where referral links are shared, and it needs to go before those link placements.

In addition to your short on-page disclosure statement, you need a disclosures policy page as well.

I recommend checking out Lucrezia’s Legal Bundle Value Pack or Amira’s Legal Store to get everything you need to blog legally.

Alternatively, if you already have all the essential website legal pages, here’s an affordable affiliate disclosure template you can grab as a standalone.

What are the best ways to make money from affiliate marketing?

Knowing your audience and promoting the right products must be your number one priority.

You don’t want to blindly apply for all the companies listed on ShareASale’s database. 

Instead, you will take some time to find specific products and join programs you know and love.

The secret to converting affiliate sales is trust.

Sure, you can make some money promoting products or services randomly.

But in the long term, establishing trust and detailing your personal experience with the things you promote, will benefit you most.

That’s why I continuously advise against joining dozens of programs and throwing spaghetti at the wall.

You cannot promote anything you come across at random and expect to see $$ come in! That won’t work, and it won’t be sustainable.

Focus your efforts on things you can talk about for hours without getting bored.

You’ve probably seen me promote my hosting company a few times within my blog.

I shout about them from the rooftops!

Do you want to know why that is? 

They don’t offer the biggest affiliate commissions, nor are they the obvious choice for new bloggers. In fact, many bloggers have never even heard of them. 

But I LOVE hosting my blog with this company, and I am yet to get tired of telling the world about my experience with them. 

I could promote the mainstream hosts that most other bloggers talk about. I’d probably earn more, but I know those aren’t the best choices. I have tried a few myself, and the difference is tremendous!

So, I don’t mind if my readers end up going a different route. At least, I can rest knowing that I haven’t sent them on their way to a 1-2 year commitment with the wrong providers.

What I do care about is sticking with my number one business value: transparency! 

I know my hard work will pay off eventually.

Above all, my affiliate marketing efforts have 2 main goals:

• making me some extra income and
• helping my audience on their blogging journey.

Sharing helpful content and honest advice might not get you a quick buck.

But it will turn your visitors into raving fans and establish you as an authority in your field!

Here’s a free e-book I highly recommend reading!

10 Quick tips for generating more affiliate sales and earning passive income with ShareASale:

1. Create long-form, high-quality, and helpful content that will benefit your readers and has a chance to rank;
2. If possible, only promote products and services you’ve tested or used so that you can offer your own opinion and expert advice;
3. Focus on tutorials and review posts to promote the companies you’re affiliated with;
4. Write comparison posts such as “[Company A] vs. [Company B]: which one is best for [end goal]”;
5. Include a “tools and resources” section on your website or at the end of every post;
6. Write a listicle (a.k.a. list article), such as “Best tools for [your target audience]”, “Top 10 Black Friday findings for [your target audience]”, or the “Best Christmas gifts for [your target audience]”;
7. Grow an email list of active subscribers who know, like, and trust you;
8. Disclose affiliate links property (stay legally compliant and earn your audience’s trust);
9. Share discount codes when available to give your readers an incentive to use your link;
10. Repurpose your blog’s content into a podcast or social media post and link those back to your blog post. This will drive more traffic and potential buyers to your affiliate links.

What is ShareASale?

With over 6,000 retail programs on its database and 270,000 active affiliate partners, ShareASale is one of the top affiliate marketing networks worldwide.

It helps bloggers and influencers monetize their content and business owners boost their revenue potential.

Affiliate partners join programs, and merchants get an army of marketers to spread the word about their business for them.

While, as you’ve seen above, there are plenty of brands for numerous niches, ShareASale identifies primarily as a retail-based network.

As a side note, I do want to mention that while ShareASale is a part of Awin, these platforms operate separately. Becoming an affiliate partner of Awin doesn’t automatically grant you access to ShareASale, or vice versa. 

Affiliates must apply for each program individually.

Frequently Asked Questions about ShareASale

Can I use my own ShareASales affiliate links?

This is a common question I see newcomers ask. Whether we’re talking about ShareASale or any other affiliate program you join, DO NOT USE YOUR OWN LINKS.

Of course, you can and should click on your links occasionally to ensure that they are working correctly. But you cannot purchase for yourself after clicking your own referral links.

This will get you kicked out of the programs and put you in serious legal trouble, so be careful about clearing your browser’s cookies after testing your links.

How much does ShareASale pay?

The commission you earn from ShareASale comes from each of the companies you’ve joined and varies for each program. ShareASale is only the network that facilitates the relationship between you and the companies that you promote.

You’ll need to check each of your partners’ terms to find out how much they offer.

Is ShareASale free for affiliates?

Yes, ShareASale is free to join! All you need to do is submit your application on this page.

When do affiliates get paid?

ShareASale pays on the 20th of every month.

It is important to note that the commissions you earn in a certain month will be available on the 20th of the following month.

So, let’s say you made $100 during the month of January. These funds will be released and eligible for a payout on February 20th—or the following Monday if that falls on a weekend or holiday.

Your payout will be released once you reach the threshold, which is $50 by default or a higher amount, depending on the settings you’ve chosen.

Can I apply to be a ShareASale affiliate without a website?

While, in my opinion, having a website is best, getting approved to be a ShareASale affiliate is possible even if you don’t have one. This is what the company has said:

“Yes, you are more than welcome to apply with your social media account. To do so, simply enter the URL for your social media account when you are prompted for a website in the signup process.“

“ShareASale requires all affiliates to have a live, content-rich website or social media page written free of hate speech and adult content. You must also own and control the website you apply with.“

ShareASale.com

How do I get accepted into ShareASale?

My number one recommendation for better chances of approval into ShareASale (or any other affiliate marketing program, in fact) is to have a well-designed and content-rich platform of your own.

While you can apply with social media accounts, as we have discussed above, a professional-looking website will give you a better chance of approval. If you haven’t started one yet, click here to read my ultimate guide on starting your blogging business and follow these steps to start a self-hosted WordPress blog.

Before submitting an affiliate application, I recommend reading the company’s terms and conditions to see if those align with your brand and the content you produce. Choosing relevant programs is key!

Additionally, ensure you provide as many details as possible about your business and your promotional plans. This will hopefully give the affiliate manager reviewing your application all the information he/she may be looking for.

ShareASale Alternatives

Now that you’ve explored your first affiliate marketing network, you might be wondering: What other affiliate networks can I join as a blogger?

Although ShareASale is one of the largest and most reputable affiliate networks out there, you may also want to look into these:

• Awin (as mentioned above)
• Mavely
• CJ
• Impact
• Rakuten
• Cactus Media
• Partner Stack
• Travelpayouts (for travel bloggers)

This short list gives you plenty of options and products to promote.

My advice? Choose wisely! And remember, don’t just promote affiliate links at random.

Besides these popular affiliate marketing networks, many companies offer their own affiliate programs individually.

You can apply to those separately. You’ll usually find an affiliate application section linked in the footer of their websites.

Alternatively, simply type into Google [Company Name] + affiliate program.

Conclusion

Whether ShareASale is the best affiliate network for you to join comes down to the type of content you produce.

But since it’s free to get started, my recommendation is that you take a moment to submit your application and then explore the platform yourself.

Click here to get started today!

With so many merchants on the network, I bet you will find at least a handful of products to get started with.

Whether you’re a lifestyle blogger, a food blogger, a travel blogger, or a content creator in any other niche, the opportunities are fantastic!

Also, remember that you can always reach out to each program’s affiliate managers for additional tips or ask any questions you need answered about promoting their program.

As one of the most respected affiliate marketing networks out there, you can expect to find quality programs and some of the biggest brands on ShareASale’s database. 

The application process is extremely straightforward, and the platform is user-friendly.

So, if your website is ready to be shown to the world, join ShareASale today and start making money from your blog in no time.

Useful resources

• Follow Michelle’s strategies in this course to learn about affiliate marketing and increase your income. I recently took it myself, and I can’t recommend it enough. She also offers a free e-book to download here to start learning right now!
• Carly is another full-time blogger I trust who offers an affordable affiliate marketing program for beginners.
• Increase your Google rankings using this SEO tool that has been specifically developed for bloggers.
• Protect yourself legally with all the necessary legal pages and affiliate disclosures, by following this comprehensive program, or quickly editing and publishing these templates.
• Read this post next to learn how to organize and use your affiliate links on WordPress.