Hey there! I’m writing this during my transition from working at an SEO agency that managed hundreds of affiliate sites to my new role as an Organic Growth Manager for a SaaS company. Since I finally have some breathing room after years of juggling massive affiliate portfolios, I wanted to share everything I learned about affiliate networks with fellow bloggers who are just starting out.
For three years, I was the guy responsible for optimizing affiliate monetization across our agency’s entire portfolio, from tiny niche blogs making $200/month to authority sites pulling in six figures annually. We had everything: tech review sites, deal blogs, lifestyle content, B2B comparison sites, you name it. I’ve probably tested every major affiliate network out there, and I learned which ones work for different scenarios the hard way.
Now that I’m focusing on SaaS growth marketing, I realize how valuable these insights could be for individual bloggers who don’t have the luxury of testing at scale like we did. So here’s my honest breakdown of what actually works.
Quick Comparison Based on Managing 100+ Sites
| Platform | Automation | Ease of Approval | Payout Threshold | Ideal For | My Experience |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skimlinks | Yes | Easy | $10 | Content-heavy sites | 6 lifestyle and product sites |
| Sovrn | Yes | Medium | $10 | Bloggers, niche content | 6 lifestyle and product sites |
| ShareASale | No | Easy | $50 | Deal or niche sites | 10+ Deals and Comparison sites |
| Impact | No | Hard | $50 | SaaS, B2B, Pro affiliates | 15+ high-value SaaS/B2B sites |
| Awin | Hybrid | Medium | €20 | Global, commerce+content | 6 lifestyle and product sites |
| FlexOffers | No | Medium | $25 | Large volume sites | 6 lifestyle and product sites |
| CJ Affiliate | No | Medium/Hard | $50 | Brand partnerships, tech | 2 premium finance and 2 tech sites |
Why We Relied Heavily on Skimlinks (And Why You Should Consider It)
When you’re managing 80+ content sites like I was, automation isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Skimlinks became our default for most lifestyle and product-focused sites for obvious reasons:
Scale was everything. Imagine trying to manually create affiliate links across 60 sites publishing 200+ articles per week. We’d need a full-time person just for link creation. With Skimlinks, I could onboard a new site in under 10 minutes.
The approval process never failed us. In three years, I never had a single site rejected by Skimlinks. Compare that to other networks where we’d wait weeks for approval, sometimes getting rejected for sites that were already profitable.
Low payout thresholds kept cash flow healthy. When you’re managing smaller sites alongside big ones, having some sites hit $10 payouts monthly while others build toward $500+ kept our revenue consistent.
Real example from our portfolio: We had a pet accessories blog that averaged 15K monthly visitors. Through Skimlinks automation, it consistently generated $300-400 monthly with zero manual link management. The writer just mentioned products naturally in articles, and everything was handled automatically.
When I Learned Skimlinks Wasn’t Enough
About 18 months into my agency role, I started noticing patterns across our portfolio:
Our high-traffic sites were underperforming. One tech review site with 200K monthly visitors was only making $800/month through Skimlinks. When I manually tested ShareASale and Impact for the same content, we tripled revenue within 90 days.
SaaS comparison sites were practically worthless on Skimlinks. We had 8 sites reviewing project management tools, CRM software, and marketing platforms. Through Skimlinks, they were generating maybe $200/month combined. After moving them to Impact and building direct partnerships, those same sites now generate $3,000-5,000 monthly.
International traffic was completely wasted. Our fashion and lifestyle sites had 30% European traffic, but Skimlinks’ EU merchant network was limited. Adding Awin increased our EU revenue by 180%.
How We Matched Networks to Site Types (After Lots of Testing)
Managing diverse portfolios taught me that one-size-fits-all doesn’t work in affiliate marketing. Here’s what we discovered:
Lifestyle and Product Sites (60+ sites in our portfolio)
Our standard setup: Skimlinks for automation + ShareASale for high-performing product categories
These sites covered everything from home decor to fitness equipment. We found that Skimlinks handled 80% of monetization automatically, but manually adding ShareASale links for top-performing product categories increased revenue by 25-40%.
Case study: A home organization blog with 45K monthly visitors went from $600/month (Skimlinks only) to $950/month after I added ShareASale links for storage solutions and furniture. The extra 15 minutes per article was worth $350 monthly.
SaaS and B2B Review Sites (15 sites)
What we used: Impact.com + CJ Affiliate + direct partnerships
This was where I learned the most about high-value affiliate marketing. These sites required completely different strategies:
The approval process was intense. I spent 2 months getting our first SaaS review site approved for Impact. Had to provide traffic analytics, content samples, and even had calls with their partnership team.
But the payoff was massive. Our Slack vs Microsoft Teams comparison started earning $400-800 per month instead of the $30 it was making through Skimlinks.
Direct relationships became crucial. I learned to bypass networks entirely for major SaaS deals. Our CRM comparison site now has direct partnerships with 5 major platforms, earning $200-600 per qualified trial.
Deal and Coupon Sites (30+ sites)
Our approach: ShareASale + FlexOffers + CJ Affiliate (no automation)
Running deal sites taught me that manual control is essential. We had sites covering everything from electronics deals to travel offers.
Speed mattered more than convenience. When Amazon runs a 4-hour lightning deal, you need affiliate links created immediately. Automated systems couldn’t keep up with flash sales and limited-time offers.
Relationship building was key. Our Black Friday strategy involved reaching out to merchants 6 weeks early to negotiate exclusive deals and bonus commissions. This only worked through manual networks.
International Sites (25+ sites)
Primary network: Awin + local affiliate networks
Managing global content taught me that US-focused networks miss huge opportunities:
EU traffic was goldmine. Our sustainable fashion site had 40% German traffic that Skimlinks barely monetized. After adding Awin, EU visitors became our highest-converting segment.
Currency fluctuations actually helped. During favorable exchange rates, our €-based commissions increased our dollar revenues by 15% without any extra work.
Understanding Payout Models (From Managing $50K+ Monthly in Commissions)
Cost-Per-Sale (CPS) – Our Foundation
Best networks: ShareASale, Awin, CJ Affiliate
This was our bread and butter across product review sites. I learned that CPS works best when you can control the entire customer journey from content to conversion.
Scale insight: Across 40+ CPS-focused sites, our average commission was $23 per sale, but the range was huge. Electronics averaged $45, while beauty products averaged $8.
Cost-Per-Lead (CPL) – High-Volume Play
Best networks: FlexOffers, Impact
Our finance and insurance sites relied heavily on CPL because customers research for weeks before converting.
What I learned: CPL requires massive traffic to be profitable. Sites with under 50K monthly visitors struggled to generate meaningful CPL revenue, but our high-traffic sites made $2,000-4,000 monthly from credit card and insurance leads.
Revenue Share – Long-term Strategy
Best networks: Impact, direct partnerships
This was my favorite model for SaaS sites because customers stayed subscribed for months or years.
Real numbers: One customer I referred to a $99/month project management tool has generated $1,200+ in commissions over 24 months. These compound over time beautifully.
My Detailed Experience with Each Network
1. Sovrn //Commerce – Our Skimlinks Alternative
We started testing Sovrn when Skimlinks had some tracking issues in 2022.
Where we used it: 25+ cooking, gardening, and hobby sites
Implementation was identical to Skimlinks: Same JavaScript snippet, same automatic conversion process.
What worked well:
- Setup across multiple sites took one afternoon
- Their merchant network included several kitchen brands Skimlinks missed
- Reporting dashboard was actually cleaner than Skimlinks
- Payment processing was faster (7 days vs 15 days)
Where it fell short:
- Customer support was slow (we managed too many sites to wait 3-4 days for responses)
- Conversion rates were about 15% lower than Skimlinks across our test sites
- Some international merchants had linking issues
Real performance data: Across our cooking blog portfolio (8 sites, 200K combined monthly visitors), Sovrn generated about 85% of what Skimlinks produced for similar content.
2. ShareASale – Our Manual Control Champion
This became our go-to for sites where we wanted optimization control.
Where we used it: 40+ deal sites, product comparison sites, and high-traffic lifestyle blogs
Why we loved it:
- Applied to 200+ programs across our portfolio with 90%+ approval rate
- Deep linking tools let us promote specific products during sales
- Performance bonuses from merchants added 10-15% to our earnings
- Transparent reporting helped us identify top-performing content
The operational challenges:
- Creating links for roundup posts took 2-3x longer than automated networks
- Training writers to use proper affiliate links required ongoing supervision
- Higher payout threshold meant smaller sites waited longer for payments
Success story: Our “Best Kitchen Appliances” series across 5 cooking sites generated $12,000+ through ShareASale last year, mostly because I could negotiate seasonal bonuses and promote specific models during sales events.
3. Impact.com – Where We Made Serious Money
This was the most challenging network to work with but generated our highest per-site revenues.
Where we used it: 15 SaaS review sites and B2B comparison sites
The onboarding process was intense:
- Required 6-month traffic history for each site
- Had to provide content calendars and editorial guidelines
- Some brands required individual calls and content reviews
- Took 3-4 months to get fully operational across our SaaS portfolio
Why the effort paid off:
- Average commission per conversion was $180 vs $25 on other networks
- Direct access to brand marketing teams for custom campaigns
- Advanced attribution tracking helped optimize our content strategy
- Account managers provided competitive intelligence and market insights
Game-changing results: Our project management software comparison site went from $400/month (Skimlinks) to $2,800/month (Impact + direct partnerships) with the same traffic level.
4. Awin – Our International Revenue Unlock
Adding Awin was a revelation for monetizing non-US traffic.
Where it transformed performance: 20+ fashion, lifestyle, and travel sites
What made it special:
- Access to 500+ European brands not available through US networks
- Browser extension made bulk linking manageable across multiple sites
- Conversion rates for EU traffic were 40% higher than US networks
- Seasonal campaigns (like EU summer sales) provided bonus opportunities
Operational considerations:
- Currency conversion required careful tracking for profitability analysis
- Some offers weren’t available to US-based sites
- Interface complexity required additional training for our team
Breakthrough moment: Our sustainable fashion site’s EU-focused content went from $200/month to $800/month after adding Awin, purely by better monetizing existing European traffic.
5. FlexOffers – Our Testing and Volume Platform
This became our laboratory for testing new verticals and high-volume campaigns.
Where we used it: 30+ cashback sites, coupon sites, and experimental verticals
What we appreciated:
- Massive offer inventory let us test almost any niche quickly
- Multiple payout models helped us optimize for different traffic types
- Bulk tools made managing high-volume campaigns feasible
- Account management team helped with custom deals for our biggest sites
The operational challenges:
- Offer quality varied dramatically (required constant monitoring)
- Some programs had hidden approval requirements
- Backend interface was clunky for managing multiple sites
- Performance tracking wasn’t as detailed as premium networks
Testing insights: We ran A/B tests comparing FlexOffers vs ShareASale for cashback promotions. FlexOffers paid higher commissions ($8 vs $5 per signup) but had 30% lower approval rates, making ShareASale more profitable overall.
6. CJ Affiliate – Our Premium Brand Gateway
This was the hardest network to access but essential for high-value content.
Where it made sense: 12 finance sites, premium tech review sites, and authority blogs
The approval gatekeeping:
- Required established traffic and content history
- Some premium merchants took additional weeks to approve
- Had to maintain performance standards to keep access
- Regular account reviews to ensure compliance
Why we prioritized it:
- Access to Fortune 500 brands not available elsewhere
- Commission rates were typically 3-5x higher than standard networks
- Advanced tracking helped attribute conversions across long sales cycles
- Direct merchant relationships through the platform
Revenue impact: Our credit card comparison content generates $1,500-2,500 monthly through CJ Affiliate alone, with most earnings from 4 premium card issuers we couldn’t access through other networks.
My Honest Recommendations Based on Your Situation
If you’re just starting (first 6 months): Start with Skimlinks. I’ve seen too many new bloggers get overwhelmed trying to manage multiple networks. Get your first $100 in commissions and learn the basics.
If you have consistent traffic (25K+ monthly visitors): Add ShareASale for your best-performing content categories. This is when manual optimization starts paying off.
If you’re ready to treat this seriously (100K+ monthly visitors): Apply to Impact and CJ Affiliate. The approval process is worth it when you have the traffic to make premium partnerships profitable.
If you have international audience: Awin unlocked revenue we didn’t know existed. Don’t leave international traffic on the table.
If you’re in competitive niches: Direct partnerships often beat networks. I learned to reach out to brands directly once sites hit authority status.
The biggest lesson from managing affiliate monetization at scale? There’s no perfect network. The best strategy uses multiple networks strategically, matching each one’s strengths to your content and audience. Start simple, then layer complexity as you grow.
Most importantly, focus on creating great content first. I’ve seen too many sites obsess over affiliate optimization while neglecting the content that drives traffic in the first place. The best affiliate strategy is worthless without readers who trust your recommendations.