The Ultimate Guide to Online Courses Affiliate Programs

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Online courses affiliate programs have revolutionized the way we learn and earn. With millions of courses available, you can monetize your online presence and expertise by promoting high-quality courses to your audience.

You can earn up to 50% commission per sale, depending on the affiliate program's terms. This can add up quickly, especially if you have a large following or a popular blog.

To get started, you'll need to find a reputable online course platform that offers an affiliate program. Some popular options include Udemy, Teachable, and Skillshare.

These platforms typically have a vast library of courses in various subjects, from photography to coding.

What Are Online Courses Affiliate Programs?

Online course affiliate programs are a great way to get your course seen by a wider audience. They involve partnering with content creators like vloggers, bloggers, and influencers who promote your course on their platforms in exchange for a financial incentive.

These creators place affiliate links to your course landing page in their content, aiming to drive traffic to your website and encourage paid enrollments. The commission is usually cash-based, either a fixed amount or a percentage of the sale.

In this type of program, an affiliate can earn passive income from their own channels, which is a win-win for both parties.

Benefits and Advantages

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Participating in online courses affiliate programs can be a lucrative opportunity for individuals to monetize their online presence while learning. Almost 90% of advertisers find affiliate programs important to their overall marketing strategy.

Affiliate marketing allows you to harness recommendations from affiliates already in your niche, quickly building brand awareness among a targeted audience. This can expose your brand to new groups that match your own target audience.

Online courses remain an evergreen demand for lifelong learning, and in a world where individuals consistently aspire to acquire new skills and knowledge, these programs become pivotal. Affiliates engaging with education-focused products cater to a diverse audience hungry for personal and professional development.

By incorporating relevant educational content into their platforms, affiliates have the opportunity to learn and earn using platforms that provide centralised resources and personalised support. This allows affiliates to generate income through commissions on each successful sale.

Here are some benefits of using affiliate marketing for your online course:

  • Quickly builds brand awareness among a targeted audience
  • Boosts traffic, leads, and sales
  • Harnesses earned trust
  • Returns better results than ads because of the power of social proof
  • Gives audiences authentic insights into your online courses
  • Works well even if your course involves a significant time or money investment
  • Is more cost-effective than PPC (search engine ads)
  • Makes it easy to track affiliate sales and ROI

Affiliate programs are largely performance-based, meaning you only pay whenever a sale is made, aside from a small financial investment upfront. This reduces the risk of wasting money on campaigns that don’t convert.

Targeted Audience and Offerings

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By tapping into a targeted audience of learners actively searching for educational resources, affiliates can enhance their marketing efforts and increase the likelihood of successful conversions. This approach ensures that promotional efforts resonate with the intended audience.

Affiliates can effectively promote a wide range of learners through diverse course offerings, including medical and law schools or specialized training. These programs organically cover various subjects, including certificate courses, technical skills development, and professional certifications.

Targeted Audience

Engaging with a targeted audience is key to successful marketing efforts. This is especially true for affiliates offering education programs, as they can tap into a specific group of learners actively searching for educational resources.

By targeting a specific audience, marketing efforts become more impactful, leading to more conversions.

Affiliates can enhance their marketing efforts by reaching out to the right people, ensuring that their promotional efforts resonate with the intended audience. This increases the likelihood of successful conversions.

Diverse Offerings

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Customizing promotions with diverse course offerings allows affiliates to engage with a wide range of learners.

With so many course options available, these programs can organically cover various subjects, including certificate courses, technical skills development, and professional certifications.

This flexibility is especially beneficial for promoting medical and law schools or specialized training, giving affiliates a more comprehensive approach to their marketing efforts.

By including different educational pursuits, affiliates can tailor their promotions to meet the unique needs of their target audience.

Education Conferences

Education conferences have become increasingly popular, especially with the rise of online events. This shift has made it easier for people to access knowledge from anywhere in the world.

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this trend, with online webinars and conferences gaining immense popularity. Hosting or sponsoring such events can be a great way to reach a targeted audience.

Organizers of online events often share affiliate links with participants, providing a convenient way for attendees to access additional resources. This can be a valuable opportunity for businesses to promote their offerings.

By leveraging online education conferences, businesses can reach a wider audience and establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry.

Commission Structure and Earnings

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Choosing the right commission structure is crucial for attracting and retaining affiliates. A commission structure that offers a higher payout than competitors can attract more affiliates.

Consider offering recurring commissions or lifetime value commissions to increase long-term earning potential. For example, Thinkific's Affiliate program offers a recurring commission of 30% for the life of a customer.

Pay-per-sale is another option, but it's essential to consider the potential for losses if affiliates only sell cheaper courses. To avoid this, consider a tiered approach or payouts based on each course offered.

A residual program can incentivize affiliates to promote your course by offering a percentage of sales for a subsequent period. This can be seen in Carol Tice's Freelance Writers Den, which offers residual payouts to its affiliates.

Tiered affiliate programs can motivate affiliates to bring in a higher volume of students without tying payouts to a specific dollar amount. BreakThroughAcademy's referral program, for example, is divided into three tiers with larger bonuses based on the number of members referred.

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Here are some common commission structures used in online courses affiliate programs:

Ultimately, the commission structure you choose should be based on your course platform's ability to afford consistent payouts.

Tools and Resources

Having a solid set of tools and resources can make a huge difference in your online courses affiliate program. Consider the level of support provided by the program, such as a dedicated affiliate manager or a community forum where you can connect with other affiliates for advice and guidance.

You can also utilize free tools and resources to streamline your operations. Here are some examples:

  • Manual Referral Tracker [Spreadsheet]
  • Referral Program Workbook
  • Referral Fee Calculator
  • Referral Agreements / Contract Templates

If you're creating courses on Thinkific, you'll be happy to know that they offer free affiliate tools with a paid plan, including a browser cookie that records how prospects get to your site and associates them with your affiliate.

Tools and Resources

Marketing strategies can be greatly enhanced with the right educational resources. These tools can help you create informed and persuasive content about your courses or programs.

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To create effective content, consider the level of support provided by the program, such as a dedicated affiliate manager or a community forum where you can connect with other affiliates for advice and guidance.

Manual Referral Trackers and Referral Program Workbooks are available as free resources to help you manage your referrals and create a successful program.

A Referral Fee Calculator can also be useful in determining the fees you'll need to pay your affiliates. Referral Agreements and Contract Templates are available to help you establish clear terms and conditions for your program.

Thinkific offers affiliate tools for course creators, including a browser cookie that records how prospects visit your site, allowing you to track affiliate referrals and pay commissions accordingly.

If you're using Thinkific, you can choose which courses or bundles your affiliates can promote and export a clean report to show who you need to pay.

Here are some free tools and resources available to help you get started:

  • Manual Referral Tracker [Spreadsheet]
  • Referral Program Workbook
  • Referral Fee Calculator
  • Referral Agreements / Contract Templates

Systeme.io

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Systeme.io is a fast and simple marketing tool that has everything you need to launch, grow, and scale your online business. It's used by over 200,000 customers to build sales funnels, send unlimited emails, create and manage online courses and blogs, run affiliate programs, build websites, and automate almost every aspect of their marketing.

Systeme.io offers 6 different pricing packages, ranging from $27 per month to $828 per year. This flexibility makes it accessible to a wide range of businesses.

With multiple lead magnets and online courses available, affiliates can pull in a maximum number of leads to their funnels. They can leverage all 6 pricing plans and onboarding materials to convert new users.

Systeme.io affiliates earn 50% lifetime commissions on all subscriptions and course sales. Plus, they earn 5% second-tier commissions if their referrals successfully promote the platform themselves.

This affiliate program offers attractive income potential – with a monthly payout of over $100,000 to their affiliates, and over $2,000,000 in total affiliate commissions earned so far.

Quality and Effectiveness

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When evaluating an online course affiliate program, it's essential to consider the quality and effectiveness of the educational content.

Collaborations with respectable establishments, curricula, or online learning environments recognized for providing excellent instruction are a good sign. Accreditation and reviews can also give you an idea of the program's reputation.

To ensure the program's effectiveness, look for instructors or educators with expertise and qualifications in the field. This will give you confidence in the program's ability to deliver high-quality content.

Here are some benefits of affiliate marketing for online courses:

  • Build reach in a specific industry
  • Generate more “passive” revenue
  • Build social proof

By partnering with affiliates, you can tap into their influence and skills to bring you sales. This can be especially helpful for course creators who are low on money and time. With affiliate marketing, you only pay affiliates a commission when they make sales, making it a more affordable option.

Quality of Educational Content

When evaluating the quality of educational content, it's essential to look for programs that collaborate with respectable establishments. These collaborations can provide excellent instruction and a high level of quality.

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Seek out programs that have accredited curricula or online learning environments recognized for their excellent instruction. Course content is a critical factor in determining the reputation of educational resources.

The expertise and qualifications of instructors or educators involved in creating and delivering educational content are also crucial. Look for instructors with relevant experience and qualifications.

To give you a better idea, here are some key factors to consider when evaluating the quality of educational content:

By considering these factors, you can make an informed decision about the quality of educational content and choose a program that meets your needs.

Is Effective?

Affiliate marketing is a genuine way for small businesses to build reach in a specific industry, generate more "passive" revenue, and build social proof.

It's more affordable, both money and time wise, which is a huge advantage for course creators who are low on one of those assets.

You can spend $1000 on ads and get zero course sales, but with affiliate marketing, you'll only pay affiliates a commission when they make sales.

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This means all you have to do is get competent affiliates to join your program for affiliate marketing to start doing its thing.

With affiliate marketing, you'll have automated payouts for affiliates, detailed analytics, and precise tracking, which clears more time for you to work on other marketing channels.

Your relationship with your affiliates is a win-win situation for everybody involved, and it's a beautiful thing to see.

Here are the benefits of affiliate marketing for course creators:

  • More enrolled students
  • Increased reputation for their skills and results
  • Sustained revenue stream

Set Up and Track Your

Using affiliate software makes setting up your own affiliate program easy. It has many benefits, including tracking affiliate sales and compensating them automatically upon a sale.

You can use affiliate software to give you full control over your affiliate data and complete freedom to customize and run your affiliate program the way you want.

This method costs much less than signing up for an affiliate network, as you won’t have to pay the network a cut of your sales.

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Affiliate software is key for making informed decisions based on collected data, allowing you to check if your affiliate program meets the goals you set and refine your program as needed.

Here are the benefits of using affiliate software:

  • Tracks affiliate sales and compensates affiliates automatically
  • Provides full control over affiliate data
  • Offers complete freedom to customize and run the affiliate program
  • Costs less than signing up for an affiliate network

Alternatively, you can set up your own affiliate platform and host it on your site. This method allows you to track affiliate links by adding UTM parameters to the link that your affiliate uses.

You can also use plugins and cookies to track affiliate conversions, depending on your web host and CMS.

This method requires time to configure everything and additional software expenses, but it's ideal since you avoid fees charged by affiliate platforms and can control all your affiliate activities.

Choosing the Right Platform

To choose the right platform for your online courses affiliate program, consider the following requirements. Most of the courses you offer should be paid, not free, as affiliate marketing depends on paying affiliates a commission.

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Your online course business should have a library of courses that appeals to a broad audience, and be willing and able to pay cash commission on every affiliate sale. Knowing your profit margins will also help determine how much you can afford to spend on commissions.

To find the right affiliates, look for content creators with audiences that match your own business audience. It's also a good idea to put it out there that you are accepting affiliates as a way of driving more sales.

Find the Right

Finding the right platform for your online course is crucial for its success. The best affiliates are familiar with your online courses, especially those who have already promoted you before for free.

To find the right affiliates, take your time to search out and screen content creators in your niche. Reach out to the content creators who meet your needs. You can also open an application on your website and let the affiliates come to you, then screen those who apply until you have your course's best fit.

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Smaller content creators can be a great option, as their communities are often close-knit and foster higher engagement. However, bigger names have a wider reach, but may ask for higher commissions.

Here's a comparison of smaller and bigger content creators:

Using affiliate software is key to setting up and tracking your program. It allows you to track affiliate sales and helps you compensate them automatically upon a sale. This gives you full control over your affiliate data and complete freedom to customize and run your affiliate program the way you want.

Setting Up Your Own Platform

You can set up your own affiliate platform and host it on your site, which is ideal since you avoid fees charged by affiliate platforms.

This method requires time to configure everything, so be prepared to invest some time upfront.

You can use UTM parameters to track affiliate links, which will show up in your Google Analytics reporting and can be passed to wherever your leads are being sent.

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UTM parameters are a simple and effective way to track affiliate links without needing to install additional software.

Depending on your web host and CMS, you can also use plugins and cookies to track affiliate conversions.

Plugins and cookies can help you automate the tracking process, but you'll still need to configure them properly.

Every month, you can run a report and pay the affiliates who have sales tracked to them, giving you complete control over your affiliate activities.

This DIY approach can be cost-effective in the long run, especially if you have a large affiliate network.

Teach:able

Teach:able is a powerful e-learning platform that's perfect for creators who want to share their knowledge with the world. With over 18 million students and 186 thousand active courses, Teach:able is one of the most reputable e-learning platforms out there.

You can earn up to 30% lifetime recurring commission on referrals' monthly subscription fees, which can add up to a significant amount of money. Plans range from $29 to $499 per month, so the potential earnings are substantial.

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Teachable's affiliate program is a great fit for bloggers and content creators who target other freelancers and content creators on a budget. Teachable subscriptions start at free, making it an excellent choice for those just starting out.

If you're looking for a platform that's heavily endorsed by industry experts, Teach:able is a great option. Pat Flynn from Smart Passive Income is a big fan of Teach:able, which speaks volumes about its quality and effectiveness.

Here are some key features of Teach:able's affiliate program:

  • Commission: Up to 30% lifetime recurring
  • Plans range from $29 to $499 per month
  • Potential earnings: up to $150 per sale

Overall, Teach:able is a solid choice for anyone looking to create and sell online courses. With its powerful features and lucrative affiliate program, it's definitely worth considering.

Promotion and Marketing

Promotion and Marketing is a crucial step in making your online course affiliate program a success. You can use social media platforms like LinkedIn to send personalized messages to potential affiliates and avoid flooding other people's profiles with links.

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On LinkedIn, you can use the InMail feature to send messages to people outside your network, making it easier to connect with potential affiliates. Facebook has several affiliate groups you could join to promote your courses and attract affiliates.

Partnering with bloggers is another effective way to promote your affiliate program. You can reach out to bloggers in your niche and ask if they'd be interested in promoting your course in exchange for a commission. Ben Aston, a course creator, has successfully driven revenue by partnering with affiliate bloggers.

You can also promote your affiliate program on your blog by sharing your content with a call to action to join your affiliate program. This will help you reach a wider audience and attract potential affiliates.

Communicate Well

Communicating with your affiliates is a crucial step in promoting your online courses. Train them on key aspects of promoting your courses, including what they can and can’t say about your brand.

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Letting affiliates take a recent course for free is a great way to ensure they are best equipped to promote your courses authentically. This helps them understand your brand and courses better.

Regularly updating affiliates on any changes to your course or affiliate program is essential. Give them creative assets to help with their content marketing, including banners, images, videos, and templates.

Use a streaming video recorder to assist you in generating videos or clips concerning your course upgrades and changes. This will help keep your affiliates informed and up-to-date.

Having reliable communication channels for affiliates to contact you is vital. This could be through phone, email, or a feedback form, or even an affiliate-only online group.

Methods to Promote

To promote your online learning affiliate program, consider using social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook. You can use LinkedIn's InMail feature to send personalized messages to people outside your network.

Your job is not done after you have set up your online course affiliate program, you also need to promote it. This can be done through various methods, including social media and blogging.

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Using social media to promote your affiliate program is simple, quick, and budget-friendly. You can join Facebook groups related to your niche to reach a wider audience.

Blogging is another effective way to promote your affiliate program. You can repurpose your content on your blog or YouTube channel and share it with your audience with a call to action to join your affiliate program.

Every seller out there would like to build their brand image and a loyal customer base, and affiliate marketing can help with that. Even if you don’t track a single sale, affiliates will sing your praises and build your brand.

To give you an inspiration that affiliate marketing works, you can look at examples of brands that have been successful at promoting their courses through affiliate marketing.

Build Industry Partnerships

Building industry partnerships can be a game-changer for your online courses affiliate program. By partnering with review websites, you can put your affiliate program in front of thousands of affiliates who are ready to promote your courses.

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To find review websites with good authority in your niche, rank them on the first page of Google for multiple keywords related to your online courses.

Reach out to these websites with a simple message explaining who you are and what you want. Carefully and briefly explain the unique value proposition of your affiliate program, and invite them to watch one of your courses for free.

You can offer special affiliate links with discounts as special perks for being partners. This can be expanded to other marketing channels like social media influencers and YouTubers.

Here are the key steps to building industry partnerships:

  • Find review websites with good authority in your niche
  • Reach out to them with a simple message
  • Explain the unique value proposition of your affiliate program
  • Invite them to watch one of your courses for free
  • Offer special affiliate links with discounts
  • Expand to other marketing channels like social media influencers and YouTubers

Revenue Models and Tracking

When setting up an online course affiliate program, it's essential to have a solid revenue model in place. This will help you track your sales and make informed decisions about your program.

Using affiliate software is key for tracking your affiliate sales and making informed decisions based on the collected data. It allows you to track affiliate sales and helps you compensate them automatically upon a sale.

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Having full control over your affiliate data is crucial for making adjustments to your program as needed. This includes being able to check if your affiliate program meets the goals you set, and then refining your program accordingly.

With affiliate software, you also have complete freedom to customize and run your affiliate program the way you want. This means you can tailor your program to fit your specific needs and goals.

One of the benefits of using affiliate software is that it costs much less than signing up for an affiliate network. This is because you won't have to pay the network a cut of your sales.

Here are some benefits of using affiliate software:

  • Tracks affiliate sales and compensates affiliates automatically upon a sale
  • Gives you full control over your affiliate data
  • Allows for complete customization and running of your affiliate program
  • Costs less than signing up for an affiliate network

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the highest paying affiliate program?

Smartproxy offers one of the highest-paying affiliate programs, with up to 50% commissions, potentially earning up to $2,500 per referral. Discover how to maximize your earnings through this lucrative affiliate program.

Is Coursera affiliate worth it?

Joining Coursera's affiliate program can be a lucrative opportunity, offering commissions of 15-45% on eligible purchases, with potential bonuses for high performance

What are the highest paying affiliate programs?

The highest paying affiliate programs include Wishup ($500 per sale), SEMrush ($200 commissions), and Coursera (up to 45% commission), offering lucrative opportunities for affiliates. These programs provide substantial earnings potential, making them worth exploring further.

How much does Udemy pay affiliates?

Udemy pays affiliates a 20% commission on each course sale made through their affiliate link within 7 days. Learn more about becoming a Udemy Affiliate and earning passive income.

Rosemary Boyer

Writer

Rosemary Boyer is a skilled writer with a passion for crafting engaging and informative content. With a focus on technical and educational topics, she has established herself as a reliable voice in the industry. Her writing has been featured in a variety of publications, covering subjects such as CSS Precedence, where she breaks down complex concepts into clear and concise language.

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