The Target Affiliate program might not be as famous as Amazon Associates or the Walmart Affiliate program, but it's an excellent alternative worth considering.
In this review, I'll go over the program's advantages and disadvantages, helping you decide if becoming a Target affiliate is the right choice for you.
Let's start by taking a closer look at the Target Affiliate Program:
- Commission: You can earn between 1% to 8% in commissions.
- Cookie Duration: The tracking cookie lasts for 7 days.
- Where to Join: You can sign up through the Impact platform.
- Payment Options: You have the choice of receiving payments through PayPal or Bank Transfer.
Sounds alluring, isn't it? Let's take a closer look at this affiliate program.
The Target Affiliate Program is set up through Impact Radius. If you want to become a Target affiliate, you can sign up for it on their website.
To be a part of this program, you should have a website that mostly gets visitors from the USA. Target is open to affiliates from all over the world, but your audience should be mainly from the United States.
One important thing to note is that Target doesn't ship its products internationally. So, if your website doesn't have US visitors, promoting Target might not be the best fit for you.
When you're part of the Target affiliate program, you have a 7-day window where you can earn a commission for any orders made by visitors who click on your affiliate link. This means you get credit for purchases made within a week after your visitor's initial click.
Once you're accepted into the program, you can access more than 150 banners in different sizes to help you promote Target.
They even provide banners for special sales and promotions, which can be really helpful for your affiliate marketing.
Products that You Can Promote On the Target Affiliate Program:
When you're part of the Target Affiliate Program, there are some restrictions on what you can promote. You can only advertise products in these categories:
This means you can't promote things like electronics, video games, music, books, and other items that aren't in the specified categories.
So, if you want to promote those kinds of products, the Target affiliate program may not be the right fit for you.
The Target Affiliate Program is managed by Impact Radius, and to join, you need to sign up through the Target Affiliate website.
This means you don't have to create another account on a different affiliate network. The best part is that it's free to join. Some affiliate programs ask for a refundable deposit, but not this one.
To become a Target affiliate, you need to meet a few requirements:
- You must have a family-friendly website.
- Your website should already have visitors, and most of them should be from the United States.
- During the signup process, you can add multiple websites to your account if you have more than one.
Now, let's talk about how you get paid for referring customers to Target's online store.
Here's the exciting part - your commission rate depends on how many products you sell. This sets the Target affiliate program apart from others.
For example, in the 'Home & Outdoor Living' category, you start with a 5% commission rate if you refer 0 to 10 sales per month. However, if you manage to refer 10,000 sales per month, your commission rate increases to 8%.
You might think that an extra 3% doesn't sound like much, but let's say you're promoting a $10 item, and you sell 10,000 of them. That additional 3% would earn you an extra $3,000 per month in affiliate commissions.
However, there's a catch. In the 'Health and Beauty' category, you get a flat 1% commission, regardless of how much you sell. And here's the not-so-great part: some categories in this affiliate program offer a 0% commission rate.
That means you won't earn anything for referring sales in those categories. Here are some of the categories that pay 0% commission:
So, while some may complain about Amazon's commission rates, at least they pay you something for almost everything in their store, except for a few specific items.
Other Categories (0% Commission)
Groceries, Baby care items, Pets, Household essentials, Electronics, Toys, Sporting goods, Movies, Video games and consoles, Target Photo, Music, Target Optical, Target Café, Gift cards, SweetJoJo, Pharmacy and OTC, Books, Contract mobile
0% for all sales
Commission Rates Based on Referrals Per Month:Here are five good reasons to take a closer look at the Target affiliate program:
1. Less Government Hassle: Unlike Amazon, Target doesn't have to deal with as much government interference.
For example, Amazon faced challenges like social activists opposing their plans in New York City and taxes imposed by various states. Target doesn't have to worry about these issues.
2. Wide Range of Products: Target offers around 1 million different products, all from well-known brand names. This means you can promote products from brands you recognize and trust.
3. Higher Commissions for High Sales: Target rewards its affiliates with higher commission rates when they generate a lot of sales.
This is something Amazon used to do but doesn't anymore. It shows that Target values its affiliate partnerships and pays you more for your hard work.
4. Longer Tracking Period: Target provides affiliates with a 7-day tracking cookie. This means you have more time to earn commissions from the traffic you send to Target's website compared to many other e-commerce affiliate programs.
5. Decent Earnings per Click: While a $12 Earnings per Click (EPC) might not make you rich, it does indicate that Target is good at turning affiliate traffic into paying customers.
Can I Make $1,000 a Month as a Target Affiliate?
Can you make $1,000 a month as a Target affiliate, even with the low commission rates? Well, it's possible, but there are some things to consider.
To reach $1,000 in earnings, you'll need a website that gets a lot of visitors because you have to get many people to buy products through your affiliate links.
The exact amount of traffic you need depends on a few factors: the price of the products you promote, the commission rate, and how often people actually buy after clicking your links.
Let's take an example: a laptop backpack from Target that costs $42. For this type of product, the commission rate is 7%.
So, if you sell this backpack, you'd earn around $2.90 in commission. To make $1,000 in a month, you'd need about 345 people to buy this backpack through your links.
Now, let's say you have a conversion rate of 2%, which means that out of every 100 people who visit your site, 2 actually make a purchase.
With a 2% conversion rate, you'd need around 17,500 visitors to your website every month to generate those 345 sales.
Of course, you might need fewer visitors if you promote a more expensive product, but those often have lower conversion rates.
For instance, if you earned a $5 commission per sale but only had a 1% conversion rate, you'd still need 200 sales, which would require 20,000 visitors.
So, making $1,000 a month as a Target affiliate can be challenging, and it depends on various factors like the product's price, your commission rate, and how many people buy through your links.
Keep in mind that this example is for just one product, and in reality, you'd promote multiple products. Your actual results may vary based on your audience and the quality of your reviews.
If you want to make money with the Target Affiliate Program, it's essential to understand their limitations on what you can promote.
Instead of creating a website that promotes only Target products (which isn't recommended), it's a better idea to focus on a specific niche when building your affiliate site.
1. Niche Affiliate Website:
Target restricts what you can promote, so it's smart to create a niche affiliate website rather than a broad one.
This means your site should concentrate on a particular category of products. For example, you could focus on women's apparel and accessories.
2. Choosing a Subcategory:
Within your chosen category, like women's apparel and accessories, there are various subcategories, such as tops, dresses, handbags, jewelry, and scarves.
Start by selecting one subcategory. In this example, let's say you pick "handbags."
Now, your job is to create content related to handbags. You can write handbag reviews, compare different handbags, and provide information that people are searching for online.
Make sure to use relevant keywords to help your content show up in search results.
As your website grows and you see positive results in the handbag category, you can consider expanding to promote products from other subcategories within women's apparel and accessories.
But remember, if your domain name is too specific, like "handbags.com," it might not look trustworthy when you start promoting other products like dresses.
Which is Better? Amazon Or Target Affiliate Programs?
When comparing the Amazon and Target affiliate programs, both can be valuable for bloggers, influencers, and publishers looking to earn passive income.
They share some similarities, like strong brand trust and a wide range of product categories.
However, there are key differences to consider:
1. Commission Structure:
Target rewards affiliates based on sales volume, meaning the more you sell, the higher your commission rate. Amazon doesn't have this tiered structure.
2. Cookie Duration:
Target provides a 7-day cookie window, allowing you to earn commissions on sales made within a week after a visitor clicks your affiliate link.
Amazon, on the other hand, offers only a 24-hour cookie window, which is much shorter.
3. Product Restrictions:
Amazon generally has fewer restrictions or exclusions for product categories that earn commissions. Target may have more limitations in this regard.
In summary, both Amazon and Target affiliate programs can complement your income, but they cater to different affiliate strategies.
Amazon is more flexible for niche affiliates, while Target offers the potential for higher commissions based on sales volume. Your choice should align with your specific goals and audience.
Pros:
- Target's extensive brick-and-mortar presence in the US boosts product awareness for affiliates.
- Target offers a wide range of brand-name products, making it easier to drive sales.
- Affiliates can earn commissions on any product a reader buys within the 7-day cookie window.
- Established affiliates with high web traffic can benefit from Target's tiered commission structure.
Cons:
- The 7-day cookie window is shorter than the industry average.
- Some product categories offer zero commissions, which can be limiting for affiliates.
- Target's physical stores may lead readers to buy products in person, bypassing affiliates.
Thus, I can say that joining the Target Affiliate Program can be a good idea if it aligns with your niche and strategies.
It offers various opportunities with a wide range of products, a fair commission structure, and a 7-day cookie policy.
However, there are limitations to consider, like the program being limited to the U.S. and some categories offering zero commissions. Your success with this program depends on your niche and marketing skills.
Quick Links:If your niche matches the commission categories and you have the right tools to attract and engage your audience, the Target Affiliate Program can be profitable.
But if you fall into zero-commission categories, you might want to explore other affiliate programs.
Affiliate marketing is a long-term journey, so it's essential to make informed decisions and choose the right program for your goals. Your success depends on finding the right affiliate partnership for your journey.
Andy Thompson has been a freelance writer for a long while. She is a senior SEO and content marketing analyst at Digiexe, a digital marketing agency specializing in content and data-driven SEO. She has more than seven years of experience in digital marketing & affiliate marketing too. She likes sharing her knowledge in a wide range of domains ranging from e-commerce, startups, social media marketing, making money online, affiliate marketing to human capital management, and much more. She has been writing for several authoritative SEO, Make Money Online & digital marketing blogs like ImageStation.
