ShareASale

Product Snapshot

Overview: This ShareASale review will provide detailed information about the platform’s marketing network and illustrate whether it is worth your subscription.

Price: One-time access fee of $625.

Discounts Available: No discounts are offered.

Lifetime Plan: No.

ShareASale Pros:

• The sign-up and approval process is easy.
• Prompt payments.  
• Easy to navigate the user interface.

ShareASale Cons:

• Educational resources are brief.  
• The customer service interface is outdated.
• Merchants must approve your application before joining the affiliate program.

Introduction

Affiliate marketing has grown since the inception of the internet.

It entails advertising other companies’ products to earn a commission after the sale.

However, these affiliates need a platform to interact with other merchants and know their products.

As such, ShareASale provides a platform where the affiliates can market the merchant’s products and earn a commission.

This ShareASale review will take a close look at the company’s history, what the site offers affiliates, how much it costs, and whether it’s worth joining.

Overview of ShareASale

This section will focus on what ShareASale is and delve into the history of the company.

What Is ShareASale

ShareASale is a marketing network that connects merchants with affiliates who advertise their products.

The merchants must first pay a one-time access fee to join the platform and interact with other advertisers.

However, ShareASale will receive a commission after every sale.

Some of the money is used to pay the affiliates, who are also given a commission after every sale.

When a client clicks on the affiliate’s ShareASale link, the affiliate marketing network gets notified so they can track the sale.

They will then send your commission after the sale is completed.

Essentially, ShareASale’s primary role is to increase the merchant’s product traffic using the company’s links.

ShareASale History

ShareASale is an American affiliate network that was founded in 2000.

Brian and Michael Littleton were the principal founders of this marketing platform, and it has more than 16,550 merchant programs.

However, these two founders left the company in 2018 after Awin bought their business the previous year.

The acquisition was reportedly for $35 million.

The company has grown since its inception, becoming one of the largest affiliate networks in the country due to the number of merchants using the platform to market their products.

Pros and Cons of ShareASale

ShareASale has plenty of advantages, especially for people starting out as affiliate marketers.

But, there are some cons to consider, too.

Pros of ShareASale:

• Sign-up process is not technical compared to other networks
• Affiliate payments are prompt
• Easy user interface
• Wide range of merchants
• You can quickly create links as an affiliate, thus decreasing your turnaround times

Cons of ShareASale:

• Outdated customer user interface
• Merchants must approve an affiliate’s application
• ShareASale links are not WordPress friendly. The ShareASale links use characters like “&,” which WordPress may not accept.

How Much Does ShareASale Cost

The affiliate marketing network charges a one-time access fee of $625, which is only deductible once your account is set up and activated.

Once your account is up and running, there is a 20% transaction fee on the commission of all qualified transactions.

Is ShareASale Worth the Cost?

Given the quality of service and customer relations, ShareASale undoubtedly returns value for your money.

But why is the platform worth the cost?

Why ShareASale Is Worth The Cost

ShareASale has an easy set-up that is perfect for launching affiliate or partner programs.

Its intuitive features ensure a campaign runs seamlessly, allowing you to access many merchants and reap handsomely.

Moreover, the platform enables you to reap significant returns from your efforts with its good commissions and reachability.

ShareASale is also one of the most transparent affiliate marketing networks online.

It makes timely payments and lets you view the status of your sales and commissions.

This level of transparency compared to many alternatives offers affiliates peace of mind.

The Problem ShareASale Solves

Affiliate marketing is becoming increasingly popular as merchants push their products through third parties who earn commissions with every sale.

Despite the growth, it can be a challenge to get into the industry if you do not have experience as an affiliate marketer.

As with any venture, experience does matter, and many programs might be hesitant to enroll novices.

ShareASale seeks to aid this problem by presenting a platform where affiliates and merchants can interact and work together.

You can easily link up with merchants whose products you want to advertise without any experience whatsoever.

Why Would Somebody Want to Use ShareASale?

Unlike some affiliate marketing networks, ShareASale has an intricate search tool that allows you to filter merchants who buy their products and commission structure, among other categories.

This comprehensive search function is invaluable for finding products that you are comfortable with and appeal to your target audience.

Who Is ShareASale Best For?

ShareASale is best for online marketers who wish to earn money by advertising their favorite products from their preferred merchants.

So, the platform is an excellent option for social media influencers or content creators who push products on online platforms.

Why ShareASale Is Best for Online Marketers

ShareASale has an impressive range of product options.

The site’s search tool makes finding the right match a relatively straightforward process, thanks to a robust set of filters.

Moreover, the affiliate links are customizable and it’s easy to share on multiple platforms and sites.

Who Should Not Use ShareASale?

ShareASale is generally an excellent platform for online marketers, but it has its downsides.

If you do not have patience or time on your side, you may be frustrated by the platform’s slow response to user queries.

The platform lacks instant chat support, making it difficult to get a prompt response if there is a problem.

Why Large Affiliates Should Not Use ShareASale

If you are a bigger affiliate, ShareASale may not offer clear advantages.

The site is well-suited to those starting out as affiliates but does not have many prominent brands.

Moreover, Paypal is not available as a payment option despite it being commonplace in affiliate marketing.

What To Think About Before Buying ShareASale

Before diving into ShareASale, you will need to consider several factors.

Niche

ShareASale connects online marketers to a wide range of merchants with different products.

However, you must seek ones with products related to your online content to ensure success.

Target Audience

Successful marketing relies on your target audience responding to the products you advertise.

With that in mind, make sure you know precisely what your audience wants before setting up an account on ShareASale.

Commission Levels

Once you have an idea of the products you’d wish to advertise and your target audience, you should consider the commission you’d earn.

Vendor Support

Problems can occur at any stage of your online market journey.

Working with a vendor with fantastic support services makes all the difference in handling the challenges and your overall experience.

Competing Networks

Before hopping on any affiliate marketing network, including ShareASale, look at what their competitors offer.

Check out their commissions, programs, and associated products to ensure you make the right decision for you.

Features and Benefits

This section will provide a detailed insight into the features you will discover when using ShareASale and their benefits.

Affiliate Education

ShareASale has an affiliate education feature to train new users on their site.

It contains blogs, webinars, and training videos that provide a comprehensive overview of the marketing platform.

In addition, ShareASale uses this program to teach new affiliates about the company’s terms and conditions.

This approach ensures advertisers do not violate any rules or regulations, such as those governed by the US Federal Trade Commission.

The topics taught in this training program include blog creation, advertising, content generation, searching for merchants, adding affiliate links, writing reviews, and using the affiliate account.

Let’s discuss the benefits of the affiliate education feature.

• It educates the affiliates on the network’s use.
  Some websites do not familiarize new users with their platform, impacting navigation and potentially even an affiliate’s productivity.
• The affiliates learn various marketing tips.
  As part of the training, ShareASale trains the affiliates on how to improve their advertising skills, like boosting blog traffic and sales.
• Provides blog samples.
  Another benefit of the affiliate education feature is that advertisers are given blog samples, which they can use when creating their blogs.

Affiliate Diagnostics

The affiliate diagnostics feature helps affiliates to know their campaign performance.

It provides accurate data on the impressions, clicks, and sales you have received within a specific period.

Here are some of the benefits of the affiliate diagnostics tool.

• Helps to improve your performance.
  Some marketing network platforms do not provide data on the affiliates’ performance, which makes it hard to know their blog traffic.
• Provides affiliates with valuable insights.
  They are better placed to know which products receive more clicks and impressions, ensuring they can make informed decisions.

Real-Time Click Tracking

ShareASale offers a real-time diagnostic tool that allows merchants and affiliate marketers direct control of the platform’s activities.

This feature lets you adjust your strategies according to your needs.

The tracking tool allows affiliates to keep tabs on the account dashboards, giving them customized views and tracking the sales traffic in real-time with just a few clicks.

The data reports offered with real-time tracking can help an affiliate make better marketing decisions and increase their productivity.

Here are some of the benefits of the real-time click tracking tool:

• Check earnings.
  Since ShareASale pays commissions monthly, you can get into your merchant’s account anytime and review your earnings.
• Tracks how many clicks you are getting in real-time.
• Increase your revenue.
  The ShareASale tracking tool may make it easier for you to gain a better return on investment.
• Unlike offline accounts, having an account within a platform that provides real-time access allows you to make more sales and conduct fast payments.
• Enables you to detect issues with the program or affiliate links.
  As a merchant, you can easily see or pinpoint, using the real-time interface, which links are not working.

Merchants Tab

ShareASale prides itself on being a comprehensive marketing network that connects affiliate businesses with merchants offering products in different market categories, including health, business, education, food, and travel.

The scale of services and products can seem daunting at first glance.

However, ShareASale has streamlined the process of matching up with a merchant that fits your business needs.

In particular, ShareASale’s merchant search functionality, found on the site’s dashboard, is a surprisingly powerful tool.

It boasts a range of filters and options to narrow down your search.

Let’s look at some of the benefits of the merchant tab tracking tool:

• Gain access to affiliate programs in one place.
  ShareASale provides an extensive variety of merchant programs in one place.
• Easier to look for specific merchants.
  All merchants and brands are categorized based on different market classes.
• Ranks brands and merchants based on key metrics.
  You can choose a product or service via performance data and positive reviews.

Custom Link Creation

Once an affiliate blogger or marketer is approved for a merchant’s program, they can immediately begin promoting products using the custom link creation generator tool.

ShareASale makes it easier to create custom links that help drive action and purchase on the merchant’s website.

Thus, the custom link creation tool may allow affiliates to generate license plate links with shortened URLs.

Such links are easily shared with others through social media, translating to a lot of traffic on the merchant’s websites.

A custom link creation tool can boost direct traffic to the merchant’s page.

Using the custom link generator, an affiliate can create a specific custom link with a shortened URL related to their marketing content and share it with their audience.

Moreover, this tool allows affiliates to create downloadable banners and videos.

In marketing, it is always important to present featured content from the merchant’s list.

After getting approval for the merchant program, the custom link generator lets you create links that can be converted to downloadable content.

Your audience may use these before they visit the merchant’s page to make a purchase.

ShareASale Customer Service

Customer service is an essential part of any website, so what is available with ShareASale?

Does ShareASale Offer Customer Service?

Yes, ShareASale offers a “Help desk” feature without extra charges.

Customer service is on-hand, whether you have a late payment or are confused about the dashboards and do not know how to create links to a specific affiliate program.

You can reach support by calling, emailing, or texting their hotlines for help.

The service team also assists bloggers, marketers, and other customers with navigating the ShareASale platform.

Additionally, they offer prompt responses to requests brought forward by their prospective clients.

They may advise you on how to sign up for an affiliate account and offer tips on searching for merchants.

What Types of Customer Service Does ShareASale Offer?

ShareASale is always available to support its clients.

They offer the following services:

• Client support.
  A team is assigned for any inquiries related to program optimization.
  For instance, they help review your merchant accounts and provide complimentary advice and programs that may help drive your sales and business growth.
• Self-Help services.
  ShareASale provides a knowledge-based interface that offers excellent resources and answers to people asking frequently asked questions.

Social Proof

Trust isn’t something that comes easily.

Like everyone else, you need proof to ascertain claims and opinions on different topics.

You may wonder why you should trust our review on ShareASale.

Why Should You Trust Us?

For our ShareASale review, we scoured the platform to get a first-hand account of ShareASale’s features and interface.

We also perused numerous reviews from the network’s users, who overwhelmingly wrote positive feedback on the platform.

What ShareASale Users Are Saying

Although a few users occasionally had terrible experiences, the platform is reliable, boasts impressive search features, and a variety of merchants and services.  

Let’s look at some users’ opinions on ShareASale to help you decide whether you should join the platform:

• One review highlighted how easy it was to set up an affiliate program.
  However, it noted affiliates became hard to monitor as they grew in number.
• A second user also highlighted the ease of setting things up and mentioned that it’s straightforward to test out the waters, thanks to the lack of contracts.
• The last reviewer praised how well-established ShareASale’s network of merchants and affiliates is. They did find the website design and limitations on data sets frustrating.

ShareASale Alternatives

Before settling on ShareASale as your preferred affiliate marketing network, you may want to explore some alternatives and see what they offer.

Three of the most prominent are Commission Junction, Amazon Associates, and ClickBank.

Commission Junction

Commission Junction, abbreviated as CJ Affiliate, is a popular platform online marketers use to connect with merchants and earn a commission on sales.

The forum was created in 1998 and is part of Alliance Data Systems, a Fortune 500 company.

How Does Commission Junction Differ From ShareASale?

One feature that sets it apart is the platform’s use of analytic data to help affiliate marketers to evaluate and better their marketing strategies.

Who Is Commission Junction Best For?

Commission Junction is well-known for being used by big-name brands, like Buzzfeed, Barnes & Noble, and CNN.

Amazon Associates

Amazon Associates benefits from its link to its parent company, Amazon.com.

That connection ensures it has a healthy volume and range of products to sell from several merchants.

How Does Amazon Associates Differ From ShareASale?

The main difference between Amazon Associates and ShareASale is that it offers affiliates a lower commission and payment.

However, the platform compensates for its customer base as people prefer ordering from Amazon.

Who Is Amazon Associates Best For?

The affiliate marketing network is well known for the range of products available.

Therefore, it’s a popular choice for influencers and bloggers wanting to monetize traffic.

ClickBank

ClickBank is one of the first affiliate network platforms to be created, founded in 1998.

It has hundreds of categories and thousands of listings with a user-friendly interface.

How Is ClickBank Different from ShareASale?

The main difference between the two platforms is that ClickBank charges users with a dormant account while ShareASale continues hosting the account.

If you have a ClickBank account and don’t make any sales, you will be charged up to $50 daily, depending on the duration of your dormancy.

Who Is ClickBank Best For?

Like ShareASale, ClickBank works best for new affiliates and those looking to explore marketing on a budget.

If you are a blogger or content creator specializing in digital and lifestyle products, this platform is a good choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are common questions asked about ShareASale.

Conclusion

ShareASale is a great affiliate marketing option for online marketers who want to make money recommending their favorite products to prospective buyers.

It is a convenient platform, letting you connect with merchants with an affiliate marketing program that suits you and offers products within your area of expertise.

With its easy sign-up process and superb search filtering features, you should be up and running in the online marketing business in no time.