Rakuten Affiliates is one of the largest and most popular affiliate marketing networks, making it a great option for beginners to monetize their website.
Our SideHustle Inc in-depth guide will teach you how to use Rakuten to start earning affiliate commissions from leading brands like Nike, Macy’s, Walmart, Sephora and more.
What is Rakuten?
Formerly known as LinkShare, Rakuten Affiliates connects affiliate marketers with thousands of large and reputable advertisers across various industries.
When you join the Rakuten network as an affiliate, you can promote those brands’ products and services on your website using your unique Rakuten affiliate links. If any of your site visitors click your Rakuten link and complete a purchase or other conversion event, you earn a commission.
Rakuten handles all the tracking, reporting, and commission payments so you can focus on content creation and promotion.
Why Promote with Rakuten Affiliate Links?
Here are some of the main benefits of the Rakuten affiliate program:
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Huge brand name advertisers – Promote products from leading stores that people know and trust.
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High commission rates – Rakuten advertisers offer competitive commission rates, averaging 8% per sale.
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Real-time reporting – Track your clicks, impressions, sales and earnings 24/7.
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On-time payments – Get your commissions reliably paid out each month.
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Dedicated support – Get help from Rakuten’s affiliate management team.
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Robust promo tools – Access banners, text links, product feeds, APIs and more.
How to Sign Up as a Rakuten Affiliate
Ready to join Rakuten? Follow these steps:
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Go to Rakuten Marketing Affiliates and click “Become an Affiliate” to begin the signup process.
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Provide some basic personal info and agree to the terms of service.
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Submit your website and choose account type. The free option works great for most beginners.
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Wait 1-2 business days for Rakuten to review and approve your application.
Once approved, you’ll gain access to your Rakuten Affiliate dashboard and can start searching for brands and products to promote.
How to Find and Choose Rakuten Advertisers
The Rakuten Affiliates program grants you access to over 2500 merchants across categories like:
- Apparel and accessories
- Beauty
- Electronics
- Home and garden
- Health and wellness
- Finance and insurance
- Travel
- And many more
Log into your Rakuten dashboard and browse the advertiser listings under “Deals” to explore options.
Consider promoting brands and products that align with your website’s niche and target audience. Check each advertiser’s commission rates to identify lucrative opportunities.
For example, if you have a fashion blog, applying to promote the Nike, Coach, and Under Armour stores could make sense.
How to Generate Rakuten Affiliate Links
Once you’ve chosen the Rakuten advertisers to work with, it’s time to start generating affiliate links to those brands.
Here are the steps to create your first links:
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From your Rakuten dashboard, click “Links & Tools” and select “Links”.
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Search for the advertiser program you want or browse categories.
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Select a link type – Text Link, Image/Banner, Deep Link or Free Generic.
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Customize display options if desired and click “Get Link Code”.
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Copy the generated affiliate link code and paste it on your website wherever you want it displayed.
Repeat this process to create links for all the brands you want to promote.
Best Practices for Promoting Rakuten Affiliate Links
To maximize your Rakuten commissions, follow these affiliate link best practices:
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Place links prominently in blog posts, reviews, resource pages, etc.
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Use Rakuten link images/banners in sidebars, article footers or site headers.
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Ensure links are relevant to surrounding content.
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Disclose that links are Rakuten affiliate links so readers understand.
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Use Rakuten deep links to direct visitors to specific products you recommend.
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Promote links across social media, email newsletters, paid ads and more.
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Use Rakuten link shortener or cloaking tools if desired.
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Test different link types, placements and promo methods to see what converts best.
Tracking Your Rakuten Affiliate Link Performance
Log into your Rakuten dashboard frequently to analyze your affiliate link results under “Reports”.
Key metrics to monitor include:
- Clicks – How often your links get clicked
- Impressions – How many times links are shown
- CTR – Click-through-rate
- Sales – How many purchases from your links
- Commissions – Total affiliate earnings
Review top performing advertisers, placements and promotional tactics. Look for trends and opportunities for improvement.
Why Rakuten is a Top Affiliate Network for Beginners
In summary, Rakuten is a prime affiliate network to leverage due to:
- Massive brand name recognition and appeal
- Generous commission rates
- Advanced tracking and reporting
- On-time monthly payments
- Available promotional tools and support
The Rakuten platform makes it easy for beginners to get started and start seeing affiliate income.
So sign up for a free account, browse the product listings, generate some links, and integrate Rakuten into your monetization strategy today!
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