Choosing the Right Affiliate Network: A Comprehensive Guide to Platform Selection

In today's affiliate marketing landscape, choosing the right technological backbone for your program is crucial for success. As affiliate marketing evolves beyond traditional models, understanding the strengths and limitations of different platform options has become essential for program optimization.

Legacy Networks

Legacy networks represent the foundation of the affiliate marketing industry, combining both technology and service components in their offerings.

Commission Junction (CJ)

CJ has maintained its position as one of the industry's leading networks, particularly excelling in travel, shopping, and financial services verticals. Owned by Publicis (through their Epsilon division), CJ offers a comprehensive solution that includes both technology and program management services.

While their technology platform may not be as modern as newer entrants, their extensive publisher relationships and deep industry expertise make them a reliable choice for many advertisers, including brands like MasterClass and Nike. Key publishers on CJ include BuzzFeed and Refinery29, which provide significant reach across multiple verticals.

"Legacy networks like CJ still maintain significant value through their extensive publisher relationships, especially for brands in established verticals looking to scale quickly."

Rakuten Advertising (Formerly LinkShare)

Rakuten Advertising operates as part of the larger Rakuten ecosystem, which includes Rakuten Rewards (formerly Ebates). Their strength lies in retail and financial services, leveraging their connection to one of the world's largest e-commerce conglomerates. Publishers like Ebates Performance Marketing and RetailMeNot form the backbone of their network's reach.

Advertisers should note the potential conflict of interest created by Rakuten's ownership of both the affiliate platform and a major cashback site, as discussed in our training on loyalty partners.

Awin and ShareASale

Awin's acquisition of ShareASale created a powerful combination in the affiliate space. While Awin traditionally focused on European markets, ShareASale's strong presence in the US market complemented their global reach.

ShareASale continues to operate as a distinct platform, offering a simpler, more cost-effective solution particularly well-suited for smaller retailers and those new to affiliate marketing. This makes it an excellent starting point for brands like Etsy and Wayfair that are testing the affiliate channel. Publishers such as Brad's Deals and Hip2Save perform well on this platform.

Partnerize (Ascend)

Following their acquisition of Pepperjam, Partnerize has strengthened their position in the market. Their platform, now called Ascend by Partnerize, caters to enterprise clients while maintaining the service-oriented approach characteristic of legacy networks.

SaaS Platforms

The emergence of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms has brought technological innovation to the affiliate marketing space, offering more flexible and modern solutions.

Impact

Impact, founded by former CJ leadership, has established itself as a technology leader in the partnership space. Their platform extends beyond traditional affiliate marketing to support various partnership types. Impact's willingness to develop custom solutions for major clients has driven innovation in areas like compliance monitoring and attribution modeling.

Their platform can also create branded partner portals, making it particularly attractive for larger brands like Uber and Airbnb looking to maintain their identity throughout the partner experience. This technological flexibility allows for integration with publishers like Future PLC and Forbes, which operate multiple media properties.

PartnerStack

PartnerStack has carved out a strong position in the B2B space, offering specialized features for software companies and other B2B services. Their platform supports broader partnership types including channel partnerships and strategic alliances, making it an excellent choice for B2B-focused programs.

One of the key values for a B2B brand on PartnerStack is that their marketplace is filled with agencies and consultants that would be a great fit for B2B. This means that companies like Xero, HubSpot and Monday.com can quickly find relevant partners. Content publishers like Benzinga and The College Investor that focus on business and finance audiences often perform well here. However, PartnerStack is generally not a great fit for B2C brands.

Long-tail Solutions

Several platforms cater to smaller advertisers or those just beginning their affiliate marketing journey. First Promoter and Rewardful offer entry-level solutions starting around $30 per month, compared to the $500-1000 monthly fees of enterprise platforms.

These solutions can be particularly appropriate for early-stage companies, allowing them to test affiliate marketing without significant investment. Brands will often consider bringing in an agency when they have made the transition from a long-tail to a more traditional platform.

Specialized Platforms

Influencer Platforms

The rise of influencer marketing has spawned two distinct categories of platforms (although the lines between the two continue to blur):

• Influencer Affiliate Platforms (like LTK and Magic Links) specifically facilitate affiliate partnerships with influencers, combining influencer discovery with affiliate tracking and payments. These platforms can be valuable for brands like VEED and Sephora that benefit from demonstration content. RewardStyle (now LTK) and Mavely are key players in this space.
  
  
• Influencer SaaS Platforms (such as Grin and CreatorIQ) focus more broadly on influencer relationship management, campaign tracking, and content approvals. Brands like Glossier and Away often leverage these platforms for holistic influencer program management alongside publisher partners like ShopStyle Collective.
  
  

Amazon Affiliate Platforms

A new category of platforms has emerged to support brands selling on Amazon. Players like Levanta and Partner Boost help brands manage affiliate programs that drive traffic to Amazon listings, addressing a growing need in the e-commerce ecosystem. This approach benefits companies like Philips and Anker that maintain strong Amazon presences, and can often work alongside traditional coupon sites like CouponFollow and Couponology.

Platform Selection Guidelines

When advising clients on platform selection, consider these key factors:

Partner Access

The top 5 platforms (CJ, Rakuten, Awin, Impact, and PartnerStack) provide access to the largest and most established publishers. This access often justifies their higher costs, particularly for larger brands.

Technology Requirements

Modern platforms like Impact offer superior tracking capabilities and API access, which may be crucial for technically sophisticated programs. Companies like Shopify and Squarespace often prioritize these advanced tracking features. This is particularly important when working with publisher networks like Skimlinks and YieldKit that aggregate multiple content sites.

Service Needs

Legacy networks include program management services, while SaaS platforms require either in-house management or agency support.

"Understanding your internal capabilities is critical when choosing between a full-service network and a SaaS platform. The right choice depends on your team's affiliate expertise and bandwidth." [TEAM MEMBER QUOTE PLACEHOLDER]

Budget Constraints

Platform costs can vary significantly, from $30/month for long-tail solutions to thousands monthly for enterprise platforms.

Historically, larger companies like Target and Best Buy have gone with networks like CJ or Rakuten because they wanted to deal with a single contract, rather than dealing with separate agencies and platforms. As new blood comes into these brands, more marketing leaders are willing to focus their resources on hiring best-in-class agencies alongside cutting-edge software, creating a massive opportunity for agencies like Hamster Garage over the next 5 years.

Multi-Platform Strategy

While traditionally discouraged due to increased complexity and costs, certain situations may warrant a multi-platform approach. For instance, B2B companies like BILL and Salesforce might benefit from maintaining presence on both Impact and PartnerStack to maximize their partnership opportunities. However, this decision should be carefully evaluated against the increased technical debt and management overhead.

Sometimes, brands will have different platforms in different regions, although this is not the ideal approach because this creates silos. Ideally, companies are using one platform for all markets.

"While multi-platform strategies can offer access to diverse partner sets, the operational complexity often outweighs the benefits. We generally recommend consolidating on a single platform whenever possible." [TEAM MEMBER QUOTE PLACEHOLDER]

Conclusion

The choice of affiliate platform can significantly impact a program's success. Understanding the strengths and limitations of different platforms enables affiliate managers to make informed recommendations based on client needs, budgets, and growth objectives. As the industry continues to evolve, staying informed about platform capabilities and innovations remains crucial for affiliate marketing professionals.

‍