The affiliate management job market is hotter than pizza right out of the oven. Ironically, making pizzas is where many affiliate managers get their start; that is where I gained some great skills I still use today as an affiliate manager. Affiliate marketing jobs are plentiful right now and there has never been a better time to get started in this career field.
Just check out Indeed.com list of affiliate marketing positions available in May 2022:
That is over 11,000 jobs related to affiliates! The field is growing rapidly and there are many remote opportunities available, but where should you start looking? And how can you make sure you land the job of your dreams?
In this post, we'll explore those questions and more. So keep reading to learn everything you need to know about finding and landing an affiliate marketing job.
*FTC Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. The recommendations below are based on my first-hand experiences and I earn a small commission at no cost to you. You can read my full affiliate disclosure in my privacy policy.
What are Affiliate Marketing Jobs?
Affiliate marketing jobs are positions in which you market and promote products or services for a company. Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards an affiliate for each customer brought to the company by the affiliate's own marketing efforts.
This remote career path is one of the easiest to get into with little to no experience. Having experience in digital marketing and a bachelor's degree is usually required.
7 Types of Affiliate Marketing Jobs.
There are many different types of affiliate marketing manager positions available. here are opportunities as a people manager, in paid media, publications, and sales. The list below starts with entry-level positions and works up to more senior roles.
Marketing Associate.
A marketing associate is an entry-level position on the affiliate marketing team that is responsible for the administration of an affiliate program. There are several other titles like coordinator, representative, or specialist, but they essentially mean the same thing…you are going to be doing grunt work.
This is a good thing though! Coordinators are getting the opportunity to develop skills to someday manage a program on their own. They are responsible for recruiting new affiliates, monitoring affiliate activity, and providing support to affiliates. The best way to get your feet wet in this industry is to work closely with a mentor that can teach you how to maximize your efforts.
If you want to expedite this process, check out my affiliate manager training course.
There are 3 big types of companies hiring for this type of role:
- Affiliate network.
- Marketing agency.
- Brands.
Affiliate Manager.
After gaining a few years of experience as a marketing associate, an affiliate manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of an affiliate program. They are responsible for recruiting new affiliates, monitoring affiliate activity, and providing support to affiliates.
The role of the affiliate manager is full of intangible tasks like collaborating with other marketing teams on promotions, assessing analytics, developing landing pages, and creating email campaigns. They also work closely with accounting to ensure that affiliates are paid on time.
This is a people-management job, so excellent communication skills are a must and work well on a team. An affiliate manager should also be detail-oriented and organized. Check out a more detailed list of what an affiliate manager does.
Affiliate Marketer.
An affiliate marketer is someone who promotes products or services on behalf of a company. This is performance-based marketing in which a business rewards a partner for each customer brought to the company by the affiliate's own marketing efforts. They come in a variety of types:
- Content – Publications, Bloggers, Listicles, & Email
- Influencers – Evangelists, Vloggers, Podcasts & Social
- Strategic Partners – PPC gurus, Customers, Comparison Shopping Engines
- Loyalty, Toolbars, & Coupon
If you have any digital marketing experience, you can try your hand at living the dream as an affiliate marketer. If you go this route though, be prepared to invest in a mentor and go all in. Here is a list of affiliate marketing courses that I trust.
The remote job life is not for everyone; it takes discipline and patience. 95%+ people fail as an affiliate marketers once they recognize how hard it is to make a living doing it. However, those that fail in this endeavor have a solid skillset that can be leveraged to earn an online marketing role in digital marketing.
Major Publications.
This role may be the pinnacle in the affiliate world. When you work for a big publication like Cnet.com, all the brands are begging you to promote their product on a commission basis. Account managers have to make tough decisions on who earns their way to the top of listicles.
Entry-level positions are available here, but having some general knowledge of how affiliate marketing works is pretty necessary. This is the perfect role for an aspiring affiliate marketer to see how content is created in mass.
Coupon and Loyalty Sites.
These are sites like RetailMeNot.com, Rakuten (formerly Ebates), and Swagbucks. They offer coupons and cashback on online purchases from a wide variety of retailers.
The people that work here are responsible for maintaining relationships with the brands, finding new offers, testing codes, writing descriptions, and analyzing data.
Publisher Development.
A publisher development specialist is responsible for developing relationships with new publishers and maintaining relationships with existing publishers. Publisher development specialists are usually employed by an affiliate network that is recruiting thousands of partners and is always looking for new content.
Business Development.
New business development teams are creating innovative ways for lead generation. BizDev managers are responsible for developing relationships with new advertisers and maintaining relationships with existing advertisers.
Business development managers are usually employed by many affiliate networks that offer space on their websites to advertise products or services.
How to Find Affiliate Marketing Jobs.
The best way to find affiliate marketing jobs is to start with your network. Ask your friends, family, and colleagues if they know of any openings. You can also check out job boards and online job listings.
When on the hunt for a new role, you'll want to get the latest job alert so you can be an early resume on the doorstep of a recruiter. Create job alert searches on sites like:
- Indeed.com
- Glassdoor.com
- LinkedIn.com
- Ziprecruiter.com
Make sure to set the job alerts to positions you are qualified for and would be actually interested in.
PerformanceMarketingJobs.com helps employers connect with experienced industry candidates. Industry veteran Mike Carney is working closely with young professionals and seasoned vets to them find the perfect remote job in referral marketing.
Finally, don’t forget to check out the company websites. Many times, companies will post open positions on their website before anywhere else.
The Benefits of Affiliate Marketing Jobs.
There are many benefits to having a job in affiliate marketing. Some of the benefits include:
- The ability to work from anywhere in the world.
- A wide variety of companies to choose from.
- Commission-based pay structure.
- Performance-based bonuses.
- Flexible schedule.
The best way to get experience is to start small and work your way up. You can start by working with smaller companies and then move on to bigger companies once you have more experience.
Tips for Landing a Role.
Now that you know where to find affiliate marketing jobs and what the benefits are, here are a few tips on how to land one.
Get an Internship with Acadium.
Acadium is an online marketing internship platform that helps you get real experience with marketing roles. Affiliate managers use this platform to get the help they need.
During your internship, you'll be working with a mentor to learn everything from campaign management to affiliate marketing strategy.
This is the absolute best way to gain experience. My friend Hong Nga Nguyen started as an intern on my WP Engine team in 2015 and quickly turned it into a full-time job after proving her worth. Six years later she is a senior partner manager with a 6-figure salary!
Utilize your network.
Ask your friends, family, and colleagues if they know anything about the industry. Tighten up your Linkedin profile ASAP and then connect with me.
Apply to companies directly.
Check out job boards and online job listings. When on the hunt for a new role, you'll want to get the latest job alert so you can be an early resume on the doorstep of a recruiter.
Get experience by working with smaller companies.
You can start by working with smaller companies and then move on to bigger companies once you have more experience. Work for cheap or even free until you gain the necessary experience to move beyond.
Research the industry.
There are plenty of industry opportunities to learn more about the industry, including this performance marketing glossary from thePMA.org.
Use freelance sites.
If you're having trouble breaking into the affiliate marketing field, consider using freelance sites to get your foot in the door. Once you have some experience, you can then start applying to companies directly. Some of the best sites to use are:
- Upwork.com
- Fiverr.com
- PeoplePerHour.com
Wrap it up, Dustin.
Affiliate marketing is a great way to make money online. There are many benefits to having a job in affiliate marketing, including the ability to work from anywhere in the world and a wide variety of companies to choose from. If you're looking for a new job, be sure to check out job boards and online job listings.
Lastly, get certified with PerformanceMarketingManager.com and I will help you land the job you are looking for.
