If you're already recommending products to your audience, you're doing most of the work. The missing piece is the affiliate link — and the programs that generate them are all free to join.
This guide covers the four major affiliate programs that content creators use most, what makes each one worth joining, and how to centralize everything in a single storefront so your followers always know where to find your picks.
Amazon Associates
Amazon Associates is the most recognized affiliate program in the world. Commissions vary widely by category — electronics sit around 3–4%, while beauty and health products can reach 8–10%. The strength here is trust: most audiences are already comfortable buying from Amazon, which translates into higher conversion rates.
How to get started:
- Go to affiliate-program.amazon.com and create your account.
- Enter the URLs for your channels — social profiles, a blog, or a YouTube channel all count.
- Once approved, use the SiteStripe toolbar (a browser overlay that appears on any Amazon product page) to generate your affiliate link instantly.
One important note: Amazon requires at least 3 qualifying sales within 180 days of approval, or they'll close your account. Focus on products you've actually used and can genuinely speak to — that authenticity drives far better conversion than link-dumping.
Shopee Affiliate Program
Shopee has grown into a dominant e-commerce platform across Southeast Asia and Latin America, known for aggressive discounts and a young, mobile-first user base. If your audience skews toward fashion, home goods, or affordable gadgets, Shopee is worth prioritizing.
How to get started:
- Sign up at the Shopee Affiliate portal for your region.
- Submit your social channels and follower counts.
- After approval, generate product links directly from the affiliate dashboard.
Shopee runs frequent mega-sales — 9.9, 10.10, 11.11, 12.12 — where affiliate commissions spike significantly. Planning content around these dates can multiply your earnings without extra effort.
AliExpress Affiliate Program
AliExpress is the go-to for imported products at lower price points: niche gadgets, phone accessories, beauty tools, and items that simply aren't available locally at competitive prices.
How to get started:
- Register at portals.aliexpress.com.
- Access is typically immediate — no lengthy approval process.
- Use the link generator in the portal or the browser extension to create affiliate links for any product.
Commissions range from 3–9% depending on the seller and category. The main caveat is shipping time — be upfront with your audience about longer delivery windows to avoid disappointing them.
Mercado Livre (for LATAM-focused creators)
If your audience is in Brazil or Spanish-speaking Latin America, Mercado Livre / Mercado Libre is essential. It's the largest e-commerce platform in the region, with pricing that often undercuts international options.
The program runs through the Awin affiliate network. Create an account on Awin, find the Mercado Livre program, and apply. Once approved, you generate deep links to any product page directly through Awin's dashboard.
The problem with links scattered everywhere
Here's what typically happens once creators join multiple affiliate programs: they have links in Instagram captions that expire, links buried in YouTube descriptions nobody scrolls to, and DMs full of "where did you buy that?" questions they answer individually.
It's inefficient — and it means your audience has no single place to find your recommendations reliably.
Bringing it all together with a Zelect storefront
Zelect lets you build a branded storefront — something like zelect.io/yourname — where you organize affiliate links from any platform into clean, themed pages.
A few examples of how creators use it:
- A Skincare Favorites page combining Amazon and Shopee links
- A Tech I Actually Use page with AliExpress gadgets and Amazon electronics
- A monthly Best Finds page updated with new deals as they come up
You don't need to code anything. Zelect offers three visual themes (Bold, Classic, Minimal) that you configure through a simple interface. What's especially useful for organic reach: every storefront page is statically generated and indexed by Google, so your product pages can show up in search results without any extra SEO work on your part.
Getting set up
- Create your free account at app.zelect.io.
- Choose a theme that fits your brand.
- Add products by pasting affiliate links — from Amazon, Shopee, AliExpress, Mercado Livre, or anywhere else.
- Organize them into pages or collections by theme, category, or season.
- Drop the storefront link in every bio across your channels.
From that point on, whenever someone asks "where can I get that?", the answer is always the same link.
Which program should you start with?
It depends on your niche, but here's a general guide:
- Beauty and skincare: Amazon for commissions and brand trust; Shopee for price-sensitive audiences.
- Tech and gadgets: AliExpress for niche or budget items; Amazon for fast shipping and reliability.
- Fashion and accessories: Shopee and Mercado Livre tend to have the most competitive pricing.
- Books: Amazon is still the strongest option here — good selection, reliable commissions.
- General recommendations: be registered everywhere, then always link to whichever platform has the best price at the time.
The ideal setup is having all four programs active so you always have options. Different products perform better on different platforms — flexibility is an advantage.
You already do the hard part: building an audience and earning their trust. Adding affiliate links and organizing them in a proper storefront is the infrastructure that turns those recommendations into recurring income. Start with the signups, generate your first links, and put them somewhere permanent — your Zelect storefront is the right place for that.