Target Affiliate Program Review (Is It Worth Promoting?)
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Are you considering the Target affiliate program as a welcome addition to your affiliate marketing portfolio? If you are, stick around because I'm about to share with you everything you need to know about the program.
When writing the Target affiliate program review, I researched and checked the main features and benefits, so it should help you decide whether Target is right for you to partner up with as an affiliate.
Here's a selection of the things we'll cover:
- How the affiliate marketing program works.
- Target's affiliate commission structure.
- What the main benefits of joining the program are, and how to get accepted?
- Essential things you need to be aware of as an affiliate.
- How to make money as a Target affiliate partner.
- Whether it's worth promoting.
No stone is left unturned, so without any further ado, let's jump into it.
Contents
- What Is Target? (Profile & Background)
- Target Company Profile:
- How Does The Target Affiliate Program Work?
- What Products Can You Promote With Target?
- Can Anyone Be A Target Affiliate?
- Target Affiliate Commission Structure
- Main Benefits Of The Target Affiliate Program
- Negatives Of The Target Affiliate Program
- How To Make Money With The Target Affiliate Program
- Target Alternatives
- How Do You Become A Target Partner?
- Final Thoughts About The Target Affiliate Program
What Is Target? (Profile & Background)
Target is a popular store that rivals Amazon and Walmart. It stocks numerous products and has been serving communities in the US for many years.
First launched in 1902 under the name Goodfellow Dry Goods, it quickly became known as a discount store and opened its first official named Target store in Roseville, Minnesota, in 1962
Target went on to first open an online website in 1999 and launched its affiliate program a short time later.
Target Company Profile:
- CEO:Â Brian Cornell
- URL: https://www.target.com/
- Formed: 1902
- Address: Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Phone Number: 612-304-6073
- Industry: Retail
- Target Revenue: Over $90 billion in revenue for 2020 (no details for 2020)
- Employers: Over 350k
- Stores: 1926 in America
- Affiliate Partner Program: Yes (though the Impact Radius affiliate platform)
How Does The Target Affiliate Program Work?
The Target affiliate program works by you referring customers to their website. Then, when that customer purchases a product or multiple products, you will earn a commission of up to 8%.
To refer customers, you receive a unique affiliate link to use, which will track the traffic and sales you send to the website. The affiliate links are available inside your affiliate account, alongside tracking stats and marketing material.
What Products Can You Promote With Target?
Think of Target like Amazon but without the unknown brands. Amazon has a significant focus on FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) which means sellers can purchase products from China and brand them as their own. This is why you see lots of different brands on Amazon.
With Target, the brands on sale are household names that you are likely aware of due to advertisements on various media platforms.
You can buy almost anything on Target store, such as:
- Clothing
- Home decor
- Furniture
- Outdoor & garden
- Sports
- Electronics
- Beauty
- Groceries
- Party supplies
- Health products
- Baby
- Plus more
Can Anyone Be A Target Affiliate?
As long as you have a website or blog appropriate for family viewing, you can and should get accepted for the Target affiliate program.
The bulk of your traffic should be from US visitors, and you will need to make sure that you have relevant legal policies and decent content on your website.
Target Affiliate Commission Structure
The Target affiliate program commission rates vary depending on which product you promote and how many units you sell.
For example, if you sold one product in the Home & Outdoor Living section, you would earn 5% of the sale. However, if you sell over ten of these products in a month, you get 6% of the deal. In turn, this keeps rising until you reach 8%.
The chart above explains the payout commission of Target's affiliate program in more detail. As you can see, some categories pay less than others. For example, the health and beauty category only pays 1%, while apparel pays 5%.
Another critical aspect of the commission payments that you need to be aware of is that some categories pay 0%.
Yes, you can sell some items, and they will pay you nothing for your efforts. What makes it worse is that other affiliate programs like Amazon will pay you for promoting most of them.
The products that currently pay zero percent commissions on Target's affiliate program are:
- Pet products
- Groceries
- Toys
- Sporting equipment
- Books
- Game consoles
It's advisable to check with Target before targeting any products to make sure you get paid because items could be added or taken off the above list at any time.
Main Benefits Of The Target Affiliate Program
Let's take a closer look at some of the main benefits of promoting the Target affiliate program.
Fewer Political Restrictions
Unlike Amazon, Target hasn't got as many restrictions on states using the website. The benefit of this is that you can feel safe knowing that you can pretty much promote to any audience in America.
Well-known Brand Name Products
As mentioned above, Target sells brands that most people have come to recognize and trust. Therefore, if you partner with them as an affiliate, you will be promoting products that your readers trust. This means you are likely to find them easier to sell.
Boosted Affiliate Commission
Target will boost your affiliate commission when you sell over a set amount of products. (The maximum is still 8%, mind you.)
The payments typically start to rise (boosted) once you sell over ten products in a month and continue to grow until you sell over 10k products per month.
Marketing Material
With the Target affiliate marketing program, you will have access to tracking stats and be able to see how many clicks and commissions you have earned over a set period. In addition to this, you also have access to various banners to place on your website.
There are also plenty of seasonal banners available for Target affiliates to target specific times of the year, such as Valentine's Day, Christmas Day, etc.
Fast Delivery For Your Customer Referrals
Like Amazon, Target offers fast delivery for certain products purchased on the website. In addition, you can get same-day delivery for some items, but be sure to check that you get a commission before targeting them.
Good TrackingÂ
Impact Radius runs the Target affiliate program through its trusted platform. You don't need to worry about poor tracking of your links from your niche affiliate website, and you should receive your commissions without any hiccups.
Impact Radius has a good reputation, and many top brands and businesses use them to run their affiliate programs.
Affiliate Manager
Once you become an affiliate for Target, you'll receive access to an affiliate manager. The affiliate manager will support you and answer any questions or concerns regarding the program.
Fast Affiliate Approval
Typically, once you have applied for the program, you will be accepted as a Target affiliate marketer within a few days. However, if you haven't received a reply within two weeks, contact them.
7-Day Cookie Length
You get a 7-day cookie length when you send a referral to the website. If your referral purchases within seven days of visiting the Target website, you'll get paid.
Compare this to Amazon, and it's not that bad. Amazon typically offers a 24-hour cookie length (unless you use third-party software to extend to 90 days), so seven days isn't that bad.
Negatives Of The Target Affiliate Program
Like most affiliate programs, it's not all good, and there are some downfalls to the Target partners program. Let's take a look at them.
Only Available For Those In United States
Although you can join the affiliate program from outside the US, your traffic will have to be from America to receive a commission. Therefore, those outside the US are better off looking elsewhere for affiliate marketing programs unless you have a large following of US visitors.
Lots Of Actual Brick and Mortar Stores Could Reduce Online Shopping For Some Items
Target has 1,924 actual stores in the United States of America. Having so many stores means that the shop is within easy walking or driving distance for many people. The knock-on effect is that a percentage of Target customers will choose to go to the store over ordering online.
Not Great For Those In Certain Niche Markets
If you have a website in specific niche markets, you're better off using another program, mainly due to the low commissions.
For example, a website featuring beauty products will only get a 1% commission; you would be more profitable elsewhere such as with the Ulta affiliate program.
How To Make Money With The Target Affiliate Program
The best way to make money on the Target affiliate program is to build a niche website and write product reviews for specific items on Target.
Choose a niche in one category that pays at least 5% from the start (not health & beauty) and build a website providing product reviews, comparisons, and related informational articles.
Learn how to write product reviews and read up on performing good keyword research. Doing this will help you build a website capable of getting organic traffic.
If you already have a website with decent traffic numbers, you could sign up for the affiliate program and add your affiliate links where appropriate.
It's all about patience, creating quality content, getting backlinks, and having solid SEO tactics.
Target Alternatives
You may want to use a different affiliate program than Target for various reasons. Here's a list of alternatives to consider:
- Walmart affiliate program
- Costco
- Amazon Associate
- eBay
Depending on your niche and location, some of the above may be worth considering. Take a look at each one and determine if it's better for the niche market you're targeting and if you will receive higher commission.
How Do You Become A Target Partner?
To become an affiliate for Target, you'll need to join the Target partner program. The program is free to join, and all you need to do is enter your details and wait for acceptance.
You will have to tell them which promotional methods you intend to use and advise them on your web presence, so be sure to answer these questions correctly to avoid any delay in getting accepted.
Final Thoughts About The Target Affiliate Program
The Target affiliate program is a good affiliate program suitable for those with a website in a select couple of markets.
If you're targeting a niche in the following topics:
- Apparel & Accessories
- Home & Outdoor Living
I would say becoming an affiliate for Target is a wise decision. On the other hand, if you're in other niche markets, you should probably look at alternatives like Amazon Associates, Costco, or Walmart.
With a 7-day cookie length and an EPC (learn more about what epc stands for and ways to increase it) of between twelve and thirteen dollars, the chance to make some decent money through the Target affiliate program is quite good.
Just remember to pick your products wisely and write quality and helpful content.
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