When you’re looking at different options for marketing, one of the possibilities you might consider is using an affiliate marketing platform. Affiliate marketing generally does not cost the product developer anything upfront. Payments are generally made through a percentage of the actual sales made. Here are some of the top platforms that you might consider.

Link Share

Link Share is one of the largest affiliate networks out there. Currently, it has more than 10 million partnerships, and it gained the top spot in the 2012 Blue Book of Top 20 Affiliate Networks. It allows you to develop your own criteria for affiliate marketers and even ad campaign strategies. This way you can control more of the final product than you otherwise could.

Share a Sale

Another excellent affiliate network is the Share a Sale affiliate network. Pro Blogger lists it as one of the top affiliate networks, particularly for those who are just getting started. You don’t have as many options for customization and you will have to wait anywhere between 14 and 60 days to get paid because of the return policies. The return policy does make it more likely that customers will buy through the affiliate links, though, because they feel assured that they can return the products if they don’t meet their standards. You can also put down particular requirements that you would like to have met, such as requiring individual mobile points of sale or uniform landing pages.

Commission Junction

One of the better known affiliate networks is the Commission Junction. It has millions of connections and plenty of opportunities for marketers. The added benefit is the fact that it’s well known among affiliate marketers, giving you access to a wider potential market. The downside is that you will have to make sure that you develop a persuasive case as to why they should represent your product or service. Providing hard data is also important for standing out from the crowd. However, Commission Junction also attracts some of the better marketing affiliates, meaning you have a greater chance to get top notch marketers on your team.

Clickbank

Clickbank only works for digital and virtual products, but it is very well known. It also offers some of the most competitive rates. You have the greatest control here over how much you pay your affiliate marketers, and you also have access to a number of marketing tools. Even if your eCommerce store sells primarily goods rather than digital products, you might consider developing an eBook or two to sell through Clickbank affiliates to increase awareness of your brand. You can advertise your other products in the eBook.

The various affiliate marketing programs allow you to reach a wide range of marketers who can then help you reach more customers. Each different platform and program offers various perks. You can choose any, from Clickbank to Commission Junction to Share a Deal. In fact, you can also choose to set your products up on multiple platforms if you are willing to put in the initial work.