Boost Your Earning Potential: Top 10 Affiliate Marketing Programmes in Malaysia
Affiliate marketing has become a popular way for individuals and businesses to generate passive income by promoting products and services online. It can also be a full-time career for those willing to invest time and effort. As brands focus more on affiliate marketing, the opportunities are also flourishing. This was proven by how affiliate marketing spending in the United States increased from US$5.4 billion in 2017 to US$8.2 billion in 2022.
The Rise of Affiliate Marketing
A Google Trends search shows that between 2018 and 2023, interest in affiliate marketing rose by as much as 300% globally. But what does it entail, and why is it increasing in popularity?
In simple terms, affiliate marketing is an online referral programme where individuals (affiliates) take on and promote products or services owned by an advertiser, typically a brand, retailer, or merchant. Whenever a successful sale is made through this referral, the brand owners will provide a commission. It is a type of performance-based marketing used by brands to minimise unnecessary spending in their marketing budget. With affiliate marketing, the brand’s cost can be reduced, and a part of the revenue is passed down to the marketer.
Affiliates can use various marketing tools, such as websites, blogs, social media, and email campaigns, to reach their target audience and drive traffic to the merchant's website or online store. In Malaysia, the growth of e-commerce and social media platforms has created numerous opportunities for affiliate marketers to reach their target audience and earn commissions.
How to Start Earning with Affiliate Marketing
Becoming an affiliate is a fairly simple process. First, you find an affiliate programme or network you are interested in. Look at the programme overview, including the type of products or services, payment methods, and commissions they offer. If it appeals to you, sign up, and upon acceptance confirmation, you can start creating content with the programme's custom links. Those links track when one of your users makes a purchase, and you’ll earn a small commission. The network or company will then send you a payment when you reach the minimum payment level.
Although almost anyone can participate in affiliate marketing, there are a few educational foundations that can help propel you to success. These include:
- Marketing knowledge: Having a strong foundation in marketing principles, such as target audience identification, market segmentation, and consumer behaviour, is essential for success in affiliate marketing.
- Digital marketing skills: To drive traffic to referral links, proficiency in digital marketing techniques is necessary, such as search engine optimisation (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and social media marketing.
- Content creation: Effective content, including engaging blog posts, eye-catching visuals, and informative videos, is crucial to attract and retain an audience.
Acquiring and honing these skills can provide a competitive advantage. Therefore, investing time and effort into developing at least some of these skills can increase conversion rates.
To start off, find an affiliate programme or network that you are interested in. Look at the programme overview, including the type of products or services, payment methods, and commissions they offer.
10 Affiliate Marketing Programmes in Malaysia You Can Join
There are various affiliate programmes and networks available for you to choose from. Depending on the programme you join, you have the opportunity to earn anywhere from RM1,000 up to even RM50,000.
Below is our round-up of great choices for affiliate marketing in Malaysia, compiled from the lists here, here, and here.
Exabytes
Commission Rate: Up to RM350 per sale
How to Join: Sign up on their website (www.exabytes.my/partners/affiliate)
Exabytes is Malaysia's leading web hosting provider, offering various hosting solutions and domain registration services.
Watsons
Commission Rate: Around 2.1%
How to Join: Sign up through various affiliate networks
Watsons, a popular health and beauty retailer in Malaysia, offers an affiliate programme through a few affiliate networks such as Involve Asia (https://involve.asia/blog/watsons-affiliate-program/).
Shopee
Commission Rate: 4%-10%
How to Join: Sign up through their website (https://affiliate.shopee.com/)
Shopee, one of the largest e-commerce platforms in Malaysia, allows affiliates to earn up to 10% commission on sales generated from their referral links.
Involve Asia
Commission Rate: Varies by merchant
How to Join: Sign up on their website (https://app.involve.asia/signup)
Involve Asia is an affiliate marketing platform connecting affiliates with merchants, including Lazada, Zalora, and more. Commission rates vary by merchant, and affiliates can earn money by promoting multiple brands.
Zalora
Commission Rate: Up to 6%
How to Join: Sign up through Involve Asia, Optimise Media, or Accesstrade
Zalora, a leading fashion e-commerce platform in Malaysia, offers their affiliate programme through different networks. Affiliates can earn 6% commission for new customers and 4% for returning customers.
Lazada
Commission Rate: Up to 80% based on products
How to Join: Sign up through their website (https://www.lazada.com.my/affiliate/)
Lazada, one of the largest e-commerce platforms in Malaysia, offers a high conversion rate and competitive commission structure.
Sephora
Commission Rate: Up to 5.6%
How to Join: Sign up to various affiliate networks
Offering many different brands under it, this beauty retailer provides a wide variety of product options for affiliates to promote.
Nike
Commission Rate: Up to 8.5%
How to Join: Sign up through various affiliate networks
With its highly popular products, signing up to Nike’s affiliate programme can turn profitable as the conversion rate can be higher.
Klook Travel
Commission Rate: Up to 5%
How to Join: Sign up through their website (https://affiliate.klook.com )
Klook is a growing travel booking site that offers an affiliate programme with different travel partners. They also provide marketing materials for affiliates to create content.
JD Sports
Commission Rate: Up to 4.9%
How to Join: Sign up through various affiliate networks
JD Sports is a sports lifestyle brand that offers products by other well-known brands. This can produce higher conversion rates.
Get the Skills You Need for Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing presents a financially rewarding prospect to generate passive income. Having a comprehensive understanding of affiliate marketing, building a strong educational foundation, and implementing effective strategies can help maximise your earnings in this area.
If this sounds like a good way to boost your income, you’ll be glad to know that Sunway University Online’s Master of Marketing equips students with the skills and knowledge that form a solid educational foundation to serve you well as an affiliate.
To learn more about this results-oriented 100% online programme, schedule a call with our Education Counsellors today.
