Affiliate marketing is a powerful tool and one of the most popular ways to generate passive income. The affiliate marketing industry is expected to grow to $27.78 billion by 2027. But what if you could earn commissions month after month from just one successful referral? That’s where recurring affiliate programs come into the picture. These programs allow you to generate ongoing income as long as your referred customers remain subscribed. I’ll run you through the best recurring affiliate programs in 2024 and how you can benefit from them.
What Are Recurring Affiliate Programs?
Recurring affiliate programs offer commissions regularly, usually monthly, to promote products or services that have recurring payments. Unlike traditional one-time commission programs, these allow you to earn money repeatedly from a single referral.
If you promote a subscription-based product or service, you’ll earn commissions as long as the customer keeps paying.
Why Choose Recurring Affiliate Programs?
- Steady Passive Income: Once you establish a base of recurring customers, you’ll see consistent earnings each month.
- Long-term earnings: As long as your referrals continue using the product, you’ll keep earning.
Recurring affiliate commissions are very valuable to affiliate marketers, especially if you are focused on long-term value rather than quick payouts.
What are the Best Recurring Affiliate Programs ?
Best Recurring Affiliate Programs for Digital Tools and Services
Here’s a breakdown of some of the best affiliate programs with recurring commissions in the digital tools space.
1. Teachable
- What it is: An online course creation platform.
- Commission structure: 30% recurring commissions.
- Teachable is best for: Online educators and bloggers promoting courses.
- Why it’s great: With the rise in online education, promoting Teachable can be profitable.
- Cookie duration: 30 days
- URL: Teachable affiliate program
2. ClickFunnels
- What it is: It is a funnel-building tool. It helps businesses automate their sales process to guide potential buyers smoothly from their interest in a product to its purchase.
- Commission rates: Up to 40% recurring commissions.
- ClickFunnels is best for: Digital marketers who help clients expand businesses online.
- What’s special: High retention rates make this an affiliate favourite.
- Cookie duration: 45 days
- URL: ClickFunnels affiliate program
Best Recurring Affiliate Programs for SEO and Marketing Tools
These programs are perfect for bloggers, digital marketers, and content creators who rely on SEO and marketing automation tools.
3. AWeber
- What it is: An easy-to-use email marketing platform with automation features for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
- Commission rates: 30-50% recurring commission.
- AWeber is best for: Bloggers, marketers, and small business owners focused on building email lists.
- Why it’s great: AWeber’s long-standing reputation and customer retention rates make it a solid choice for affiliates.
- Cookie duration: 90 days
- URL: Aweber affiliate marketing program
4. SEMrush
- What it is: A leading SEO tool used for keyword research, competitor analysis, and site audits.
- Commission rates: 40% recurring commissions.
- SEMrush is ideal for: Bloggers, digital marketers, and SEO specialists.
- Why it works: Has high customer retention.
- Cookie duration: 120 days
- URL: SEMrush affiliate program
5. GetResponse
- What it is: An email marketing and automation platform.
- Commission structure: 33%- 50% recurring commission.
- Best for: Digital marketers and bloggers who rely on email marketing.
- Why promote it: It has flexible features and great customer support, making it a tool that customers stick with for years.
- Cookie duration: 120 days
- URL: GetResponse affiliate program
Best Recurring Affiliate Programs for Hosting and Web Services
Web hosting services are essential for anyone running a website, which is why these programs tend to offer high customer retention and long-term payouts.
6. Kinsta
- What it is: A premium managed WordPress hosting service.
- Commission rates: 10% recurring monthly commission.
- Kinsta is best for: Bloggers, agencies, and businesses with WordPress websites.
- Why promote it: Kinsta’s top-tier service keeps clients happy and loyal, providing you with a steady monthly income.
- Cookie duration: 60 days
- URL: Kinsta affiliate program
7. WP Engine
- What it is: A popular WordPress hosting platform.
- Commission structure: Earn 35% on initial sales, plus recurring payments on renewals.
- WP Engine is best for: Web developers, agencies, and bloggers.
- Why it stands out: With strong customer satisfaction, WP Engine helps affiliates enjoy continuous earnings.
- Cookie duration: 180 days
- URL: WP engine affiliate program
8. Cloudways
- What it is: A cloud hosting service offering scalable solutions.
- Commission rates: Flexible, with options for recurring commissions.
- Cloudways is ideal for: Developers and agencies managing multiple client websites.
- Why it works: Its flexibility makes Cloudways a go-to for professionals.
- Cookie duration: 90 days
- URL: Cloudways affiliate program
How to Maximize Your Earnings with Recurring Affiliate Programs
Here’s how to make the most out of these recurring affiliate programs:
- Promote valuable products: Choose products that offer long-term value to users. The longer your referral continues to use the product, the longer you will earn commissions.
- Content is king: First, create content which offers good value to your readers. They can be in the form of blog posts, landing pages or videos which target their needs. Then introduce these recurring commission products as solutions. Give honest, detailed and in-depth reviews.
- SEO matters: Optimize your content for digital marketing. Do some keyword research and target long-tail keywords using SEO tools. You will get most of your traffic from search engines, so this step is important.
- Build your email list: Use email marketing to promote programs regularly. Many bloggers recommend growing an email list right from the start.
Send out well-crafted newsletters with affiliate links to your subscribers. Kit (previously ConvertKit) allows you to send out newsletters to your first 10,000 subscribers for free.
- Use social media: Promote your affiliate links on social platforms. Engage with your community and establish authority around the products you promote. Pinterest is a truly amazing platform to promote your affiliate links using pins and boards.
How to Choose the Right Recurring Affiliate Program
When selecting a recurring affiliate program, consider:
- The product itself: Will your audience find it useful? Would you buy it yourself? Only recommend those products that you trust.
- Audience needs: Make sure the product aligns with your niche and audience’s pain points. This is the main thing you must be focussing on since helping out and connecting with your audience should be a priority.
- Commission rates: Evaluate the payout structure. Check out the price of the product and the commission rates. Some programs have an affiliate commissions calculator. Type in the number of referrals you think you’ll make a month and get an estimated revenue figure.
- Retention rates: High retention means longer payouts. So do your research. Check reviews or ask the company about customer retention. Find out what people have to say about that product and decide whether it is the best fit for your audience.
These are some of the best recurring affiliate programs in 2024. Carefully choose those programs which you trust and which align with your audience’s needs. So start promoting the right programs, and watch your passive income grow steadily over time.