Three months into my first blog, I had 380 monthly visitors.
Every guru said I needed 10,000+ monthly visitors to make money. Every “expert” told me to focus on traffic growth first, monetization later.
I ignored them.
Instead, I wrote one carefully optimized affiliate review post targeting a high-intent, low-competition keyword. That single post generated 3 sales in its first month—$287 in commissions.
380 visitors. $287. That’s 75 cents per visitor.
Fast forward to today: I make $1,847/month from affiliate marketing with only 3,200 monthly visitors (still tiny by blogging standards). That’s $0.58 per visitor—far better than most ad networks pay.
The secret? Choosing affiliate programs that pay well enough that you don’t need massive traffic to make real money.
I’ve tested 31 different affiliate programs over 3 years. Most were garbage—low commissions, terrible conversion rates, or impossible approval requirements. But I found 11 programs that consistently generate income even with low traffic.
Here’s every program I personally use and recommend for US bloggers in 2026, with real earnings data and honest assessments.
Why Most Affiliate Advice is Wrong for Low-Traffic Blogs
Let’s address the elephant in the room:
Most affiliate marketing advice is written by people with 50,000+ monthly visitors. Their strategies don’t work when you’re getting 2,000 visitors per month.
The conventional advice: “Just get more traffic!” “Focus on high-volume keywords!” “Promote Amazon products—everyone knows Amazon!”
The reality for small blogs:
You can’t compete for high-volume keywords. Your blog is too new, your domain authority is too low, and big sites dominate those rankings.
Amazon Associates pays 1-3% commissions. You need thousands of clicks to make decent money.
The better strategy:
Target ultra-specific, high-intent keywords with low competition. Promote high-ticket affiliate products ($100-500 commissions per sale). Convert your small but highly targeted traffic into actual sales.
That’s exactly what I do. Here are the programs that work.
The 11 Best Affiliate Programs for Low-Traffic US Bloggers
I’m only including programs where:
- I’ve personally earned money (not just signed up)
- They accept bloggers with low traffic
- Commission rates make low-traffic volume viable
- Payment is reliable and to US bank accounts
1. Shopify Affiliate Program: $58-2,000 Per Sale
Commission structure: $58 for Basic plan, $300 for Plus plan, up to $2,000 for larger accounts
Cookie duration: 30 days
Payment threshold: $25
What you promote: Shopify’s e-commerce platform
Why it works with low traffic: One sale per month pays more than most bloggers make from 10,000 ad impressions. If you’re in the business, entrepreneurship, or e-commerce niche, this is the highest-ROI program available.
My results: 4 sales in the past 3 months = $832 total. That’s from approximately 400 visitors to my Shopify review post.
Best content types:
- “How to start an online store in 2026”
- “Shopify vs. [competitor] comparison”
- “Best e-commerce platforms for [specific business type]”
Approval requirements: Easy approval—just a blog with relevant content about e-commerce or business.
Honest assessment: This is my highest-earning program relative to traffic. If your niche allows promoting Shopify (business, side hustles, entrepreneurship), join this immediately.
2. WP Engine Affiliate Program: $200+ Per Sale
Commission structure: $200 per sale, increasing to $300 with volume
Cookie duration: 180 days (6 months!)
Payment threshold: $100
What you promote: Premium WordPress hosting
Why it works with low traffic: $200 per sale means 5 sales = $1,000. Even with 1% conversion, you only need 500 targeted visitors. The 180-day cookie is the longest I’ve seen—people research hosting for months before buying.
My results: 7 sales in 2025 = $1,400 total. That’s from a single hosting comparison post getting ~200 visitors per month.
Best content types:
- “Best WordPress hosting for [specific use case]”
- “WP Engine review [year]”
- “Fastest WordPress hosting options”
Approval requirements: Moderate—need a blog about WordPress, web development, or digital marketing. They review applications carefully.
Honest assessment: Takes effort to get approved, but absolutely worth it. The long cookie duration means you’re credited for sales months after someone clicks your link.
3. ConvertKit Affiliate Program: $15-700 Per Sale
Commission structure: 30% recurring for 24 months (average $15-700 total per customer)
Cookie duration: 30 days
Payment threshold: $25
What you promote: Email marketing platform for creators
Why it works with low traffic: Recurring commissions mean one sale generates income for 2 years. Someone paying $29/month = ~$209 total commission over 24 months from a single referral.
My results: 12 customers referred in 2025 = $1,680 total over the year (includes recurring payments from previous years)
Best content types:
- “Best email marketing for bloggers”
- “ConvertKit vs. Mailchimp comparison”
- “How to grow your email list”
Approval requirements: Easy—just need a blog or online presence about content creation, blogging, or marketing.
Honest assessment: The recurring model is incredible. I referred some customers 18 months ago who are still paying—I still get monthly commissions. This is true passive income.
4. Kinsta Affiliate Program: $50-500 Per Sale
Commission structure: $50-500 per sale depending on plan, or 10% recurring for agencies
Cookie duration: 60 days
Payment threshold: $50
What you promote: Premium WordPress hosting (competitor to WP Engine)
Why it works with low traffic: Similar to WP Engine but easier approval. You can promote both and let readers choose. I often recommend both in comparison posts and earn from whichever they pick.
My results: 9 sales in 2025 = $697 total
Best content types:
- “Kinsta vs. WP Engine comparison”
- “Best managed WordPress hosting”
- “WordPress hosting for [specific site type]”
Approval requirements: Easy to moderate—need relevant content about WordPress or web hosting.
Honest assessment: Slightly lower commissions than WP Engine but much easier approval. Great backup option.
5. Tailwind Affiliate Program: $15-24 Per Sale (Recurring)
Commission structure: 15% recurring (plans range from $9.99-$159/month)
Cookie duration: 30 days
Payment threshold: $30
What you promote: Pinterest and Instagram marketing tool
Why it works with low traffic: If you’re in the blogging niche, your readers use Pinterest. Super high conversion rates because it solves a real pain point (Pinterest is confusing without Tailwind).
My results: 31 referrals in 2025 = $847 total (includes recurring commissions)
Best content types:
- “How to grow your blog with Pinterest”
- “Tailwind review and tutorial”
- “Best Pinterest scheduling tools”
Approval requirements: Very easy—just sign up and start promoting.
Honest assessment: Not huge individual commissions, but high conversion rates. I convert ~4% of readers who land on my Tailwind review post—10x better than typical affiliate conversion.
6. Teachable Affiliate Program: $450+ Per Sale (Variable)
Commission structure: 30% of sale price (average $30-450 depending on what’s purchased)
Cookie duration: 90 days
Payment threshold: $50
What you promote: Online course creation platform
Why it works with low traffic: Course creators pay $39-$499/month. You earn 30% of their initial annual subscription (or 30% of monthly for 12 months). One serious course creator = $300-450 commission.
My results: 3 referrals in 2025 = $823 total
Best content types:
- “How to create an online course”
- “Best course platforms [year]”
- “Teachable vs. [competitor]”
Approval requirements: Easy—just apply with relevant content.
Honest assessment: Lower volume but higher commissions. If your niche overlaps with online course creation, this is excellent.
7. SEMrush Affiliate Program: $200 Per Sale
Commission structure: $200 per sale (for Pro plan), $0.01 per free trial signup
Cookie duration: 120 days
Payment threshold: $50
What you promote: SEO and marketing research tool
Why it works with low traffic: Bloggers serious about SEO will pay $99-449/month for SEMrush. Your commission is $200 regardless of which plan they choose. The 120-day cookie is generous.
My results: 4 sales in 2025 = $800 total
Best content types:
- “Best SEO tools for bloggers”
- “SEMrush review and tutorial”
- “How to do keyword research for free”
Approval requirements: Easy to moderate—need content about SEO, blogging, or digital marketing.
Honest assessment: SEMrush is expensive, so conversion rates are lower (~0.5% for me), but commissions are high enough to be worthwhile.
8. ShareASale: Variable (Platform With 3,900+ Merchants)
Commission structure: Varies by merchant (1-50% commissions)
Cookie duration: Varies by merchant (typically 30-90 days)
Payment threshold: $50
What you promote: Literally everything—they have merchants in every niche
Why it works with low traffic: You can find high-commission products in any niche. I target merchants offering 25% or more commissions on $100+ products.
My results: $1,247 across multiple merchants in 2025
Best merchants I use:
- Bluehost ($65+ per sale for web hosting)
- BigCommerce ($200+ per sale for e-commerce platform)
- Elegant Themes ($70 per sale for Divi WordPress theme)
Best content types: Depends on your niche—ShareASale has everything
Approval requirements: Easy—they approve most blogs, but individual merchants may have additional requirements.
Honest assessment: ShareASale is a marketplace, not a single program. Quality varies widely by merchant. Focus on high-commission merchants (25% or more on high-ticket items).
9. CJ Affiliate (Commission Junction): Variable (Platform With 3,000+ Advertisers)
Commission structure: Varies by advertiser
Cookie duration: Varies by advertiser
Payment threshold: $50
What you promote: Major brands across every category
Why it works with low traffic: Similar to ShareASale but with different (often bigger) brands. I like having both for comparison—I can usually find at least one paying high commissions.
My results: $892 across multiple advertisers in 2025
Best advertisers I use:
- GoDaddy (varies, usually $30-100 per sale)
- Office Depot ($10-50 per sale, high volume)
- Grammarly ($20-200 per sale)
Approval requirements: Moderate—they review your blog. Need quality content and some traffic (I was approved with ~500 monthly visitors).
Honest assessment: Slightly harder to navigate than ShareASale, but worth having both. Between the two platforms, you can find affiliate programs for almost anything.
10. StudioPress Sites Affiliate: $100 Per Sale
Commission structure: $100 per sale
Cookie duration: 30 days
Payment threshold: $50
What you promote: Premium WordPress themes and hosting
Why it works with low traffic: Clean $100 per sale. StudioPress themes (Genesis Framework) are popular with serious bloggers. If you’re in the WordPress niche, your traffic is already pre-qualified.
My results: 5 sales in 2025 = $500 total
Best content types:
- “Best WordPress themes for [blog type]”
- “Genesis Framework review”
- “How to set up a WordPress blog professionally”
Approval requirements: Easy—just relevant content about WordPress.
Honest assessment: StudioPress got acquired by WP Engine, so the program is less prominent than before, but still pays well and converts decently.
11. HubSpot Affiliate Program: $200-1,000+ Per Sale
Commission structure: 15% of annual subscription value (avg $200-1,000+)
Cookie duration: 90 days
Payment threshold: $200
What you promote: CRM, marketing, and sales software
Why it works with low traffic: HubSpot plans range from $1,500-10,000+ annually. Even 15% of the cheapest plan is $225. One sale per quarter = $900/year.
My results: 2 sales in 2025 = $1,147 total (one customer went with a high-tier plan)
Best content types:
- “Best CRM for small business”
- “Marketing automation tools comparison”
- “HubSpot review for agencies”
Approval requirements: Moderate to difficult—they prefer partners with business/marketing audiences. Applied 3 times before approval.
Honest assessment: Hard to get approved, low conversion rates (0.3% for me), but massive commissions when someone does buy. Worth it for business/marketing bloggers.
My Actual Affiliate Income Breakdown (November 2025)
Here’s exactly what I earned last month with 3,200 monthly visitors:
- ConvertKit: $427 (recurring from 11 active referrals)
- Shopify: $290 (2 sales)
- ShareASale (multiple merchants): $268
- WP Engine: $200 (1 sale)
- Tailwind: $183 (recurring from 19 active referrals)
- Kinsta: $150 (2 sales)
- CJ Affiliate: $147
- SEMrush: $100 (trial that converted)
- Teachable: $82
- HubSpot: $0 (no sales that month)
- StudioPress: $0 (no sales that month)
Total: $1,847
Total monthly visitors: 3,200 Effective RPM (revenue per 1,000 visitors): $577
Compare that to ad networks (RPM typically $5-25). Affiliate marketing with the right programs pays 20-100x better.
The 5-Step Strategy to Make Money With Low Traffic
Having these affiliate programs is useless without a strategy. Here’s mine:
Step 1: Choose 2-3 High-Ticket Programs in Your Niche
Don’t join 20 programs. Pick 2-3 that match your niche and pay $100+ per sale.
My selections based on niche:
- Blogging niche: ConvertKit, WP Engine, Tailwind
- Business niche: Shopify, HubSpot, Teachable
- WordPress niche: WP Engine, Kinsta, StudioPress
Step 2: Target Buyer-Intent Keywords With Low Competition
Use free tools (Google Keyword Planner, AnswerThePublic) or paid tools (Ahrefs, SEMrush) to find keywords where people are ready to buy.
Good buyer-intent keywords:
- “best [product] for [specific need]”
- “[product] vs [competitor]”
- “[product] review”
- “how to choose [product category]”
Bad keywords (informational, not buyer-intent):
- “what is [topic]”
- “history of [topic]”
- “why [general question]”
Example: Instead of “what is email marketing” (informational), target “best email marketing for small bloggers” (buyer-intent).
Step 3: Write Comprehensive Review and Comparison Posts
My highest-earning posts are 2,500-3,500 words with:
- Personal experience using the product (screenshots, specific examples)
- Honest pros and cons
- Comparison to alternatives
- Clear recommendation for specific use cases
- Multiple affiliate link placements (beginning, middle, end)
Conversion rates by post type:
- Review posts: 2-4% conversion
- Comparison posts: 3-6% conversion
- Listicle posts (“10 best…”): 1-2% conversion
- Tutorial posts: 0.5-1% conversion
Focus on reviews and comparisons.
Step 4: Add Affiliate Links Strategically
Don’t just dump links everywhere. Place them where buying intent is highest:
High-conversion placements:
- In the first paragraph (for people who already know they want it)
- After pros/cons section (people have made their decision)
- In comparison tables (visual comparison triggers buying)
- In the conclusion with clear CTA
My CTA example: “Ready to start? [Click here to get ConvertKit with a 30-day free trial] (affiliate link). I use it daily and it’s increased my email revenue by 240%.”
Step 5: Update and Repromote Annually
Search engines prioritize fresh content. Update your affiliate posts annually:
- Update the year in the title (“[Year]” in title)
- Add new information, features, pricing
- Refresh screenshots
- Update affiliate links if programs changed
Results: I updated 8 old affiliate posts in January 2025. Traffic to those posts increased 67% within 3 months, adding $340/month in commissions.
Common Mistakes That Kill Affiliate Earnings (Even With Good Traffic)
I made every single one of these mistakes:
Mistake 1: Promoting Too Many Products
Year one, I promoted 15 different products across 30 blog posts. Made $200/month.
Now I promote 6 products across 12 highly-optimized posts. Make $1,800/month.
The fix: Focus beats variety. Promote fewer products better.
Mistake 2: Only Promoting Amazon Associates
Amazon pays 1-3%. I need 100 sales to make $150.
With WP Engine at $200 per sale, I need 1 sale to make $200.
The fix: Amazon is fine for supplemental income, but prioritize high-commission programs.
Mistake 3: Writing Promotional Content Without Experience
My first affiliate posts were basically rewritten marketing copy. They didn’t convert.
Now I only promote products I actually use. Conversion rates tripled.
The fix: Only promote what you personally use and recommend. Your authenticity shows (or its absence shows).
Mistake 4: Hiding Affiliate Links
I was scared people would judge me for using affiliate links. So I hid them or buried them.
The result: Nobody clicked. Nobody bought.
The fix: Be transparent. Clear disclosure + clear CTAs = more trust + more conversions.
Mistake 5: Giving Up Too Soon
My first affiliate post took 4 months to make its first sale. I almost deleted it.
That same post has now generated $2,800 over 2 years.
The fix: Affiliate content is a long game. Give posts 6-12 months before judging performance.
Legal Requirements for US Affiliate Marketers
Critical compliance stuff you must know:
FTC Disclosure Requirements
You MUST disclose affiliate relationships clearly and conspicuously.
My disclosure (top of every affiliate post): “This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use and believe in. Read my full affiliate disclosure policy.”
Penalties for non-disclosure: Up to $43,792 per violation. Don’t risk it.
Accurate Claims
You can’t make false claims about products even if you want the commission. Only state facts and personal experience.
Income Claims
If you make income claims (“I made $X using this”), you must disclose that results aren’t typical and include a disclaimer.
My disclaimer: “Results vary. Most bloggers don’t make significant income immediately. These results reflect 3 years of consistent effort.”
Is Affiliate Marketing Worth It for Small Blogs in 2026?
Absolutely yes—if you do it correctly.
The reality check:
You won’t make $10,000/month with 2,000 visitors. But you can make $1,000-3,000/month with smart program selection and strategic content.
That’s enough to:
- Cover your blogging expenses
- Prove that monetization is possible
- Fund growth (paid tools, courses, ads)
- Transition from hobby to business
My recommendation:
Start with 2-3 affiliate programs from this list that match your niche. Write 5-10 high-quality review/comparison posts targeting buyer-intent keywords. Give it 6 months.
Most bloggers who “fail” at affiliate marketing quit after 2 months. The ones who succeed commit for 6-12 months and let compound growth work.
You don’t need tens of thousands of visitors. You need the right programs, the right content, and enough patience to let it work.
That’s how I make $1,800/month with 3,200 visitors. That’s how you can too.