This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click and buy, I may receive a small commission (at zero cost to you). Please see my full disclosure policy for details.

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You’ve got your blog and love writing. But now is the time to start making money.

One of the methods you can explore is affiliate marketing.

You know about the Amazon affiliate program, but what about the other companies you want to promote?  How do you get approved for them and find and create the links that work?

One way to do that is by using Skimlinks.

What is affiliate marketing?

If you are new to the world of blogging,  you may not yet know much about affiliate marketing. In short, affiliate marketing is where a company provides you with a unique link you place on your site. When someone clicks on that link and purchases or signs up, you make money.

Yes, it really is that simple.

Ensure every article you write makes money!

You need to know what to do to get your site ready to do affiliate marketing and then make sure every post is written to get more clicks and conversions!

How do you get started?

The first step is to learn all you can about affiliate marketing. It is more than getting a link or a banner and putting it on your site. You need to invest your time in learning how to be an effective affiliate marketer.

Then, it is about finding the right partners.  Amazon Associates is the most popular program that bloggers use.

However, you don’t want to use only one partner.  That makes no sense at all. It would be best if you diversified your affiliate income by promoting multiple partners.

But when you are a brand new blogger, you may not get approved by the partners you want to promote. That is where Skimlinks comes in.

 

What are Skimlinks?

Skimlinks is a network that works with countless affiliate programs. They are a third-party app that can get approved to promote partners. They, in turn, share a portion of the commission with you for promoting them.

 

How does Skimlinks work?

Step one is to sign up with Skimlinks for free.  Then write your blog post as usual.

When you find a product or partner you want to promote, you log in and see if they are partners. If so, and they pay you a commission, you can turn that link into a trackable one. You will add it to your site.

 

How much money can you earn?

The rate varies based on each partner, so it is different. You will need to look at each to see how much they pay.

Skimlinks Review

Before you rush and get signed up, it is essential to know the program’s good and bad. Let’s face it, nothing is perfect, and you need to sign up knowing what to expect.

Pros

After having used their program for years, I have found the good things about the application.

Access to more partners

For the most part, finding affiliate partners is relatively simple.  However, there are some programs you can’t find – or do not get access to. Skimlinks can.

They are an extensive network to get approval to promote affiliates where the programs are private, hidden, or invitation-only.

Affiliate links for partners who said no

It happens. You apply to a partner, and they turn you down. It could be that your site is too new, they don’t think you are a fit, or you don’t have enough content.

Skimlinks allows you to promote any partner they have on their site. If you can find their links – you can promote and make money.

Easy to use

Signing up takes a few minutes. And then, finding your partners to promote is just as easy.  If you can click, you can use the application.

Cons

There are a few things that are not good about this application. That does not mean I don’t recommend it. It merely means you need to know about them before you sign up.

You make less on commissions

Skimlinks is a third-party program. That means they are in this to make money as well. Therefore, they get a cut of the payout rate.

For example, a program may pay 5% to all its affiliate partners. If you sign up directly, you get the full 5%.  However, if you sign up through Skimlinks, they may take 1 – 2%, leaving you earning as little as 3% instead.

The plugin can turn a site spammy

Skimlinks is mostly about their plugin. It will turn random links into affiliate links on your site, and you may not want that. I go into this in detail below, so you get a little more understanding.

Not all programs are available

Just like you, Skimlinks has to get approval from partners. Therefore, the one you want may not be available through their program either.

 

Can a new blogger use it?

Of course! In fact, it is recommended as when you first start; you don’t have a lot of traffic. That means some partners may not approve your site.

Using Skimlinks allows you to get the affiliate links you want on your site, even if the partner says no!!

 

Is Skimlinks good for bloggers?

I recommend using them only if you can’t get approval from the partners you want to promote. You don’t need to use them. However, it is nice to get paid at least something, rather than nothing, when sharing links.

 

Can’t I skip the other programs and use this one instead?

You can, but I would not recommend that. The reason is you aren’t going to make as much. Skimlinks takes a cut of each commission, so you pay them a portion of what you could earn.

For example, let’s say Target pays 3% if you work with them directly. That is what you would earn. However, if you partner with Skimlinks, they may have a 50/50 split, so you make 1.5%, and they make the same. You get paid less than if you were a direct partner.

Take the time to find the partners you want to promote on your site. Skimlinks is an option but should not be the replacement.

 

The one thing you should not do

If you decided to sign up with Skimlinks, do not install their plugin. You don’t need it to be successful. And you don’t want it.

Why?

The plugin will look for random words and add affiliate links to partners you may not want to promote. It can make a simple post look like an ad with many links.

You need to be in control of where the links are placed and to whom you link. Always.

 

How to use Skimlinks.

It is very easy to use the platform. To start, visit Skimlinks and create an account (for free). They will ask you for your necessary details to get started.

You will provide your name, domain, and other details, as requested. Do not leave anything blank. (Note: they will ask for the company, but you can use your name here if you do not yet have one).

Once you get your activation email in your inbox and click, you are in!

 

How to find merchants program to promote

The smart and simple way to use Skimlinks is to find the partners you want to promote, but you aren’t yet approved to promote through other partners.

You can make a link to any product, add it to your site, and earn commissions. To find the partners, click on Merchants from the top menu.

 

You will see a table and filter spaces show. You can scroll the list to find partners or type the company’s name in the search box. Let’s say I want to find Home Depot.

 

They will show on the list, and you will find the commission rate listed at the end. It may say “up to %” as some products pay different rates, so they can’t provide the exact commissionable rate, or it could be that they are accessing the program through various programs, and they may not all offer the same payout.

Once you know the affiliate is Skimlinks, it is time to create your link.

 

 

How to make a deep link through Skimlinks

You will find the product or page you want to promote for the affiliate. Copy that full link from your browser.

Let’s say I want to promote a saw I found on HomeDepot’s website. I would copy the full link from my browser window:

Now, go to Skimlinks and click on Toolbox from the main menu.

Paste the link you copied above into the “Paste a URL to turn into an affiliate link.” Once you do that, your affiliate link is created. Click the Copy full link and paste that into your site as you would any other link!

Ensure every article you write makes money!

You need to know what to do to get your site ready to do affiliate marketing and then make sure every post is written to get more clicks and conversions!

Final Thoughts

Skimlinks is a great alternative, but I would never, ever recommend using one single partner. You will do better if you can sign-up and join partners directly. Invest in your affiliate marketing education and learn how you can find the partners you WANT to promote.

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Tracie Fobes started her first blog in 2009 & sold it for over 6-figures 10 years later! Now, she's on a mission to show others how to make a steady income from blogging too.

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3 Comments

  1. RAB NAWAZ says:

    Thanks, Tracie Fobes for an informative Skimlinks review. I got much guidance as you briefed.

    Reply

  2. Thank you Tracie – sounds like a good option for a new blogger 🙂

    Reply
    1. Tracie Fobes says:

      It absolutely is! I used it for years and slowly got approval through programs directly but at least I made something until that happened.

      Reply