How to Get Started With CJ (Commission Junction) Affiliate Program

If you’re looking for ways to make some serious money with your website or blog, then I’m glad you’ve come to the right place.

We all dream of generating income while we sleep, but we get stuck at how.

The same happened to me a few years ago until I discovered the CJ affiliate program by Commission Junction, now known as Conversant. Let’s just say I got lucky.

The idea behind an affiliate program is to help you earn a commission when you promote other people’s products and the consumers end up buying it. This is often done through an affiliate network. And it’s not a secret that Commission Junction (CJ) is one of the 10 best affiliate networking platforms.

That’s why I’m here to share my detailed guide with you on how to set up your account at CJ to help you earn money. But before we get into that, let’s talk a little about how CJ affiliate program works. So are you ready?

CJ Affiliate Program Model

You must know affiliate marketing is the only channel that reaches and attracts consumers worldwide, as well as influences their purchase decisions.

However, there are four parties involved: the advertiser, the publisher, the network, and the consumer.

The Merchant

As CJ calls it the advertiser, a merchant is someone who has something to sell. Be it a product, a service, or experience, they pay a commission to the affiliate for every sales conversion.

It can be both a big company or a solo entrepreneur.

Today, CJ boasts more than 3000 advertisers on its site. And you’ll be delighted to find big names like Apple, Boden, TurboTax, Home Depot and more associated with it.

So if you have a product to sell or a service to offer and are willing to pay a commission to affiliates for promoting your product on their websites or blogs, identify yourself as a merchant.

The Publisher

This party is also known as an affiliate. Just like the merchant, an affiliate can also be a big company or a single individual promoting affiliate products through a wide range of distribution models, such as social media, websites, email, search, mobile apps, offline marketing and more.

They try to attract and influence potential customers by showing them the value of the advertiser’s product so that they convert.

So if you’re a publisher, you recommend the product to your visitor. If you convince them, then they click on the shared link and are directed to the merchant’s website. And if the customer buys, you get paid. Simple, isn’t it?

The Consumer or the Customer

Let me put it this way. If there are no customers, then there’s no revenue to be shared.

Without sales, the merchants will have no commission to hand out to you (the affiliate).

Moreover, consumers are not limited to one particular channel. At the same time, the affiliates can choose to market on whichever channel they deem fit.

Now, it’s not necessary that the consumers always know if they’re a part of affiliate marketing. It entirely depends on the affiliates. Some choose to remain transparent about it, while others let the tracking system work in the background.

The Network

A network works as an intermediary between the merchant and the affiliate.

CJ, which acts as an affiliate network, helps find and cultivate a partnership between the advertiser and the publisher without the distraction and overhead of a direct relationship.

Not only that, but it also offers excellent data insight, reporting feature, and regular interval payouts.

I don’t think you want to let this opportunity go. That’s why I’ll guide you through the four basic steps to help you set up your account with CJ affiliate program.

And in case you’re wondering, the good news is that it’s free. Yes, you’ve heard it right!

How to Become a CJ Affiliate in 4 Steps

Rest assured, using CJ network is simple.

Step 1: Free Publisher Sign-up

The first step involves opening up the CJ home page. Then click on the sign-up button, which is present under the publisher category on the right.

Start by choosing your preferred language, and then enter the required details — your name and email ID. After registering your email ID, you’ll get a confirmation email.

Step 2: Complete Your Application to Get Fast Approval for Affiliate Programs

After you’ve confirmed your email ID, the next step is to complete your application to join the CJ network.

You need to select your currency and your country. Then fill up other contact information, details about your website, and study the publisher service agreement. If you agree with their terms and policies, click on the ‘Accept Terms’ button.

Within 30 minutes of receiving your application, CJ will send you an email with a message of acceptance and your login details.

Step 3: Log in to Your CJ Publisher Account

To log in to your account, go to the homepage again and click on the ‘Login’ button in the top right corner.

Once you sign in, you’ll see your dashboard and can then explore all its features. The very first thing you need to do is enter your tax information under the ‘Account’ tab.

After you complete it, we proceed to the next step.

Step 4: Explore and Apply for an Affiliate Program

Now that you’re all set with your account information, it’s time to explore some products.

You can either go by choosing the advertisers from the list or by select the product categories.

Once you apply, you can get your affiliate links. When you click on the ‘Link Type’, you’ll have various options to choose from. But let me tell you, these will only become available after your application has been approved.

Conclusion:

I’d say the biggest advantage of using CJ affiliate program is that you get a lot of flexibility and huge variety of options to choose from when it comes to your advertisers and products. Well, it’s free to sign up too.

Also, it gives you a detailed report of your affiliate earnings. It even shows your current balance and pending commissions.

Now, as I’ve said earlier, there are two ways to be a part of affiliate marketing. But know that the steps for becoming a merchant are also fairly simple.

So feel free to go and apply for any of the programs CJ offers.

And if you still face any sort of difficulties, don’t hesitate to contact me. I’ll be happy to help!