5 Affiliate Platforms Every Beginner Needs to Know About
If you’ve started looking into affiliate marketing, you’ve probably noticed there is no shortage of platforms telling you they’re the one you need. It gets overwhelming fast, especially when half of them want you to have ten thousand followers before you can even apply.
The good news is that affiliate marketing doesn’t require a huge following to get started. It requires the right platforms for where you are right now. Some networks are built for beginners with zero traffic. Others are worth working toward once you have a bit of content live. Here are five affiliate platforms worth knowing about, what each one actually does, and how to get started with them.
What to Look for as a Beginner
Before jumping in, it helps to know what actually makes a platform beginner friendly. A few things to look at:
- Do you need an existing audience or website to apply
- How long until you get approved
- Is there a minimum payout threshold
- Does it work across multiple platforms (blog, Pinterest, TikTok, Instagram) or just one
Keep these in mind as you read through the list, because the right starting point depends on where you’re creating content right now.
1. Amazon Associates and the Amazon Influencer Program
Amazon is usually the first affiliate program people hear about, and for good reason. It’s free, it’s instantly recognizable, and the product catalog is basically endless. Whatever niche you’re in, Amazon has something you can recommend.
There are two paths here. Amazon Associates is the standard affiliate program. You apply, get approved, and start generating individual product links to share on your blog, Pinterest, or social platforms. The Amazon Influencer Program is a step further. If you’re approved, you get your own shoppable storefront and can create videos that show up directly on Amazon product pages, which can earn a higher commission than a standard link.
Why it’s good for beginners: You don’t need existing traffic to apply, and the brand recognition means people trust clicking your links. It’s also a natural first program because nearly every niche can tie back to at least a few Amazon products.
Features: A storefront for organizing your recommended products, shoppable video placement through the Influencer Program, and access to millions of products across every category.
How to qualify: Apply through the Amazon Associates program with your website or social media handle. You’ll need to generate three qualifying sales within 180 days of approval to keep your account active. If you don’t hit that number, Amazon closes the account, but you’re welcome to reapply once you have a stronger content plan in place. The Influencer Program requires a separate application where Amazon reviews your social presence before granting storefront access.
2. Mavely
Mavely is built specifically for what they call the everyday influencer, meaning you don’t need to be a major creator to join. Instead of applying to individual brands one at a time, Mavely gives you access to over a thousand brand partnerships through a single dashboard.
The standout feature is MyShop, a free customizable storefront where you organize your affiliate links into pages and posts. Think of it as your own shoppable landing page that lives in your Instagram or TikTok bio, so your followers have one place to browse everything you recommend.
Why it’s good for beginners: There’s no follower minimum to join, and the browser extension lets you generate an affiliate link for almost any product on a partner retailer’s site with one click. You’re not stuck applying to dozens of separate brand programs to build a variety of recommendations.
Features: MyShop pages and posts (up to 25 pages), a browser extension for instant link generation, a monthly bonus program on top of standard commissions, a referral commission if you bring other creators onto the platform, and payouts twice a month.
How to qualify: Sign up through the Mavely app or joinmavely.com. Once your account is created, set up your MyShop with a profile photo, shop name, and bio, then start adding posts and organizing them into pages.
3. Benable
Benable takes a different approach than a traditional affiliate program. Instead of applying to brands, you build curated lists of products, places, or recommendations you genuinely love, and the platform automatically attaches affiliate links to anything from a partner brand, including Amazon.
Because Benable is invite-only, you’ll need an invite code or link to join, but once you’re in, there’s no follower count required and no per-brand application process.
Why it’s good for beginners: This might be the lowest barrier to entry on this list. You don’t need a blog, a following, or any existing content. You create a list, share the link, and start earning if someone purchases through it. Benable also has its own internal discovery feed, so your lists can get found by people browsing the app itself, not just people who already follow you somewhere else.
Features: Automatic affiliate link generation as you add items to a list, access to tens of thousands of brand partners, a shareable link for every list, a keyboard tool that lets you drop links into any app without leaving your conversation, and opportunities for brand collaborations as your account grows.
How to qualify: Request or use an invite code to create your account, then build your first list around a specific, focused topic (a list of “budget kitchen finds under fifty dollars” performs better than something vague like “stuff I like”). Share the list link anywhere you’d normally share a recommendation.
4. TikTok Shop Affiliate Program
If you’re creating content on TikTok, the built-in affiliate program is worth setting up. Instead of sending people off the app to shop, TikTok Shop lets you tag products directly in your videos and livestreams, and viewers can check out without ever leaving TikTok.
Why it’s good for beginners: The follower requirement is relatively low compared to other creator monetization programs, and TikTok’s algorithm tends to favor shoppable content, giving it a bit of an organic reach boost. You’re also not relying on people clicking away from the app to make a purchase, which tends to convert better than an outbound link.
Features: A Product Marketplace where you browse available items by category and commission rate, a showcase tab on your profile for your favorite products, the ability to request free samples from brands, and livestream selling.
How to qualify: You’ll need a Creator account and at least 1,000 followers to apply. Accounts under 5,000 followers typically start in a 30-day Creator Pilot Program with some posting limits (a handful of shoppable videos per day and livestreams per week). After 30 days, if you’ve stayed in good standing, you graduate to full access. You’ll also need to complete TikTok’s identity verification before you can withdraw any commissions.
RELATED POST: How I Got Approved for TikTok Shop Affiliate (Fast)
5. ShopMy
ShopMy is a creator storefront and affiliate platform that has become especially popular with beauty, fashion, and lifestyle creators, but it works well for almost any niche. Instead of applying to dozens of individual brand programs, you apply once to ShopMy itself, and once approved, you can link products from tens of thousands of retailers.
The feature that sets it apart is open linking. You can generate a trackable link to almost any product, even from a brand that doesn’t have a formal partnership with ShopMy, so your storefront doesn’t end up with gaps where your favorite products should be.
Why it’s good for beginners: ShopMy doesn’t hide behind a strict follower wall. The platform mentions accounts typically activate around 1,000 followers, but plenty of smaller creators get approved under that number. What tends to matter more is whether your content shows a clear niche and shows you actually using or wearing the products you talk about, not your follower count alone. It also doesn’t require a blog or website to join, which makes it a solid fit if you’re building your presence on Pinterest, Instagram, or TikTok first.
Features: A curated storefront you organize into collections, open linking to almost any retailer, automatic Amazon deep-linking, a built-in gifting and brand collaboration dashboard, and payouts weekly via PayPal or Stripe (most affiliate platforms make you wait a full month or longer).
Caveats worth knowing: Approval isn’t guaranteed. The most common reasons creators get turned down are an inconsistent niche, links without any real product use shown, or no visible affiliate disclosures. If you’re denied, you can reapply after about 90 days, so it’s not a one-shot chance. Also keep in mind that since ShopMy aggregates other retailers’ affiliate programs, the actual commission rate and cookie duration depend on each individual retailer, not ShopMy itself, so rates will vary from brand to brand inside your dashboard.
How to qualify: Sign up at shopmy.us and fill out your profile with your niche, platforms, and audience details. Applying through another creator’s referral link can sometimes move you out of the general queue faster. Once approved, set up your storefront with a profile photo, bio, and a few organized collections before you start sharing your link.
Which One Should You Start With
If you’re brand new, start with Amazon Associates and Benable. Neither requires an existing audience, and you can be set up with both in under an hour. Add Mavely once you want a centralized storefront to organize everything in one place. If you’re actively posting on TikTok, get the TikTok Shop application in as soon as you hit 1,000 followers, since that clock only starts once you apply. Apply to ShopMy once you have a handful of posts up showing a clear niche, since approval leans on seeing what you actually post, not just a follower count.
You don’t need to be on all five at once. In fact, I would advise against that. Instead, pick one or two that match where you’re already creating content, get comfortable with how affiliate links work, and add more as you go.
Affiliate Marketing FAQs
Do I need a big following to start affiliate marketing?
No. Benable and Mavely both have no follower minimum, and Amazon Associates doesn’t require an audience to apply either. TikTok Shop and Impact are the two on this list where having some content or followers first genuinely helps.
Can I use more than one of these platforms at the same time?
Yes, and most creators end up doing exactly that. There’s nothing that stops you from having Amazon links in a blog post, a Benable list linked in your Pinterest bio, and a TikTok Shop showcase running at the same time.
Which platform pays the highest commission?
It depends on the product and the brand, not just the platform. A single retailer can pay a completely different commission rate through ShopMy than it does through Mavely, since both platforms pull rates from the individual retailer’s own program. It’s worth comparing rates for the specific products you want to recommend rather than assuming one platform is always better.
Do I need a blog to do affiliate marketing?
No. Several platforms on this list, including Benable, ShopMy, and TikTok Shop, are built specifically for creators who don’t have a website. A blog helps long term because it gives your content a permanent home that keeps working for you, but it’s not a requirement to start.
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend platforms and tools I’ve actually used or researched thoroughly.
