Gaming is no longer just for short-term entertainment. It has grown into an industry worth billions of dollars. There are professional gamers who make millions each year by playing their favorite games.
With the ever-growing rise of gaming culture comes the opportunity to market new and innovative products. You too can hop on this bandwagon by using gaming affiliate programs. Stay tuned to dig in further!
What Is a Gaming Affiliate Program?
An affiliate program is a form of referral marketing where you promote third-party products on your platforms in return for a commission. This serves as an ideal passive source of income. You just need to sow the seeds, water the plant, and then reap the benefits.
A major chunk of your hard work is put into the initial stages of the affiliate business. Here are the steps you would need to take to set up your affiliate marketing program:
Choose a Gaming Affiliate Program
This is the first and trickiest part of starting your affiliate journey. There are hundreds of affiliate programs to choose from, each dealing in a different niche, with different commission rates and cookie periods.
We’ve assorted a list of the most rewarding gaming affiliate programs to choose from (we’ll dive into those later in this post).
Placing Affiliate Links on Your Website
Once you’ve successfully enrolled in an affiliate program, the next step is to place the product links on your websites or blogs. Whenever a visitor clicks on these links and completes a purchase, you’ll earn a commission.
Therefore, your focus should be on increasing your website traffic and ultimately your conversion rates. You should be on the lookout to grab the attention of larger gamer audiences.
You can adopt methods such as SEO optimization and generating backlinks. You can also seek the professional help of experts to help your website rank on search engines.
READ MORE: How to Write Content for Affiliate Marketing: The Complete Guide
Reap Your Commissions
Once you’ve set up your website with the help of various affiliate marketing materials, you’re all set to reap the commissions. Most affiliate programs allow you to track your earnings and enable multiple modes of withdrawals.
You’ll only be able to withdraw when you hit the minimum payout amount. However, that shouldn’t be a steep task, given your conversation rates will hover anywhere around 2-3%.
Why Choose the Gaming Niche
When it comes to products, there are hundreds of niches, such as furniture, clothing, electronics, travel, and more. Choosing among them can be a tedious task. However, certain factors weigh in the favor of the gaming niche when it comes to affiliate marketing.
READ MORE: How to Choose a Niche for Affiliate Marketing: Our Step-By-Step Guide for Success
Huge Market
Gaming is now among the top 5 industries around the world. There are millions of gamers making their living out of digital games, and thousands of businesses serving their ever-growing demand.
With technology on the rise, this market is all set to expand to an unimaginable extent in the coming decades. With the gaming niche, your customer base is one of the largest in the world.
Premium Product Costs
There are several sub-niches within the gaming industry, such as GPUs, keyboards, headphones, gaming PCs, gaming chairs, gaming controllers, and other gaming equipment. Some companies make millions each year by dealing in just one of these products.
Considering the premium nature of gaming products, the average product cost is generally around $200 or more. Even a decent pair of headphones could cost $200. When the product cost is high, you’ll always earn a decent commission – even with low rates.
How to Choose the Right Gaming Affiliate Program
There are a plethora of gaming brands that have their own affiliate programs. However, there are a variety of factors that you’ll have to consider before choosing an affiliate partner.
You must decide on the sub-niche you want to deal in, such as digital games, console games, casual games, or other gaming items, such as accessories, controllers, gaming backpacks, chairs, and so on.
You should also consider the market value of the brand whose products you want to promote. Products of a well-reputed and famous brand will be easier to sell compared to new and upcoming brands.
The rate of commission offered is also an important factor. However, this should be seen in conjunction with the average price of the product. A low rate for products that are highly priced is equivalent to a high commission rate on cheap products.
Finally, you should also consider factors such as the cookie period, frequency of payouts, modes of payment, and other such determinants.
Top 21 Gaming Affiliate Programs
Here’s a list of the top 21 gaming affiliate programs that you can choose from. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages. You’ll have to weigh each program against your requirements and choose the one that best suits your needs.
1. Nvidia Affiliate Program
Nvidia is a name that needs no introduction when it comes to the gaming industry. It’s a go-to option for many hardcore gamers when it comes to quality Graphics Processing Units, which are at the heart of the gaming structure. Nvidia deals in a product that’s vital, and at the same time is a well-renowned brand – and this adds up well for affiliate marketers.
Nvidia has an affiliate program that’s free to join. While the commission rate of 2% might not sound like much to some, bear in mind the market share that the company enjoys. With trustworthy products, you won’t have to put in much effort promoting them. Simply place the affiliate links on your blog or website and work to increase your traffic.
With a cookie duration of 45 days, your visitors will have plenty of time to make up their minds. Also, everything from order, shipment, and billing are handled by Nvidia itself, so you won’t have to worry about logistics.
2. Final Mouse Affiliate Program
What gamers always look for is a good mouse for gaming, and that’s what this company solely focuses on – quality gaming mouses. This might not sound like a big deal to some, but all the gamers out there know the benefit of a compatible mouse.
Final Mouse is a premium brand that manufactures limited edition mouse devices, available only for a limited period. This is what adds to the brand value of their business, and affiliate marketers can take advantage of this value.
Much like Nvidia, Final Mouse also deals in a niche product that pretty much sells itself. It reduces the efforts you’d need to put in to sell the product as an affiliate marketer.
With its affiliate program, you can expect a commission of 25% per sale. This, combined with the 30-day cookie duration, makes this affiliate program a lucrative option. The affiliate program is managed by Refersion Marketplace, so you’ll need to sign up with them to be able to sell Final Mouse products.
3. Modded Zone Gaming Affiliate Program
This is yet another company that deals in a different niche within the gaming industry. As a hardcore gamer, it’s not easy to find the right controller. There are hundreds of options out there, and choosing one that fits your needs can be a tedious job.
Modded Zone provides gaming controller modification services to gamers, giving gamers the ideal controller that they’re looking for. They provide rapid-fire installations and a wide range of other add-ons. They also have a range of gaming chairs to choose from.
The Modded Zone Affiliate Program provides an ideal balance between commission rates and cookie-period. The commission rate of 10% coupled with a cookie duration of 90 days makes it a very balanced choice for marketers. The average value of sales on the platform is $150.
Therefore, you can make $15 for every completed sale. Your visitors would also have 90 days from the first click to finish a purchase. This gives you ample room for generating affiliate income.
4. Bose Affiliate Program
Another accessory that a hardcore gamer is always on the lookout for is some quality gaming headphones, and what better brand than Bose to bet your money on? With their quality products such as noise-canceling headphones and speakers, they’ve captured a sizable portion of the market.
Although the affiliate commission rate ranges from 2 to 3%, the average value of products makes up for it. On a $300 product sale, you can earn a commission of $6-$9. Bose’s brand name helps affiliate marketers execute more sales than some high-paying affiliate programs, thus making up for it in absolute terms. Bose’s affiliate program is managed by CJ Affiliate, which in itself is a trusted name in the affiliate arena.
A cookie duration of 30 days complements the kind of products offered, and with decent traffic and average conversion rates, you could be making a considerable amount of money in a few months.
5. Acer
