Yesterday I did a review of the Aliexpress affiliate program.
Today, I decided to stay in the same lane and do another review on Alibaba – the sister company that focuses more on the wholesale side of things.
So in this Alibaba affiliate program review, I’m going to see if there are any major differences between the two, if the earning potential is any better, and how would you actually go about promoting the program.
Let’s take a closer look and find out.
What Can You Promote As An Alibaba Affiliate?
One positive aspect of being an Alibaba affiliate is that you have access to a massive selection of products.
While Aliexpress is primarily focused on consumer goods, Alibaba provides products and services primarily for businesses at wholesale prices.
You can promote anything from electronics and clothing to home goods and beauty products. And some business-related categories include industrial machinery, metal & alloys, and more.
In short, you have a lot of flexibility in what you can promote.
What you should know is that since Alibaba caters more to businesses, most if not all products have a minimum order quantity (MOQ). With some products, this can be as high as 10, so it may not be viable to promote some Alibaba products directly to consumers.
Regardless, there are a handful of items with a MOQ of just one.
How Much Does The Alibaba Affiliate Program Pay?
So, how much can you earn with the Alibaba Affiliate Program?
As an affiliate, you will earn a commission of 7% on every sale you generate through your unique referral link. And if you drive large volumes of sales, you can get your commission rates increased. The more you sell, the more you earn.
The 7% commission rates are okay-ish for physical products if you compare them to Amazon Associates where you get an average of 3-4% rates.
What’s also going to bump up your commissions are the minimum order quantities. With some products, the MOQ can be quite high so there is potential for decent commissions.
A funny and rather extreme example would be the “Modular Houses” that cost $77,500 each and the minimum order quantity for these is ten ($775,000). With 7% commissions, your cut would be $54,250 per sale.
Now, is that realistic? For sure, if you took it seriously.
Just be aware that no one is going to impulse buy a damn modular house. You’d have to have experience in the construction/real estate field, have proper systems in place, and close this magnitude of sales with phone calls.
But nothing stops you from promoting something a little easier, like clothing for example.
When it comes to cookie duration, Alibaba tracks valid purchases for up to 15 days. It’s not bad, but not the best either.
How Do You Get Paid As An Alibaba Affiliate?
It’s important to know how you’ll get paid for your hard work.
Alibaba pays its affiliates through international wire transfers, so make sure your bank supports this. You can withdraw your commission between the 25th and 30th day of each month, as long as your commission balance is at least US $16. If your balance is less than that, it will be rolled over to the next month.
It’s important to note that there is a US $15 processing fee for each withdrawal, so make sure you’re withdrawing enough to make it worth it. With these things in mind, you’ll be well on your way to earning commissions as an Alibaba affiliate.
How To Promote The Alibaba Affiliate Program
The way to make this work is through content creation on a platform you enjoy.
This could be anything from product reviews to blog posts to videos about the benefits of using Alibaba.
Another vertical would be to provide eCommerce store owners with a list of hot products they could sell in their stores. Then you would refer them to the products using your affiliate links.
Below are some platforms you could use to do this:
Website
One of the best ways to promote the Alibaba affiliate program is by adding banners and links to your website.
Writing product reviews and adding affiliate links to the content is a proven method of converting people into customers.
People who are searching for product reviews are likely already planning to make a purchase. If you can provide them with answers to their questions about a product and convince them that it’s the right choice for them, you can not only help them make an educated purchase decision but also earn a commission.
All you need to do is share your opinion on the product and provide the reader with all the necessary information. As long as you can do that, the rest should follow naturally.
If you don’t have your own website yet, you can get one up and running rather quickly behind the link.
Social Media
Social media is also a powerful tool to promote the Alibaba affiliate program.
You can create posts and stories to showcase the products and services available on Alibaba.
You could do this with text content or short-form video content using platforms like Youtube shorts, TikTok, IG & Facebook reels.
YouTube
If you have a YouTube channel, you can create videos to promote the Alibaba affiliate program.
You can review products, showcase their features, and provide tutorials. Make sure to include your affiliate links in the video description and encourage your viewers to click on them.
Who Can Join The Alibaba Affiliate Program?
So, who can join the Alibaba Affiliate Program? Well, almost anyone.
As long as you’re over the age of 18 and have a bank account, you can join the program.
But who should join the program?
If you’re a blogger, digital agency, or freelancer who deals with B2B audiences, then this could be a worthwhile opportunity for you to earn extra income.
The program is especially beneficial for those who have a strong following in the business and eCommerce niches. If you have an audience that is interested in sourcing products from China or is looking for products at competitive prices, then this is a good fit for you.
How To Get Started With The Alibaba Affiliate Program
If you want to become an Alibaba affiliate, you need to register an affiliate account here.
Scroll to the bottom and hit “Register”. Then fill out the application and you’re good to go.
Should You Become An Alibaba Affiliate?
Promoting Alibaba can be a profitable venture for you, but if you’re starting from scratch, you should know that it takes a lot of work to get established.
Despite its challenges, becoming an Alibaba affiliate can be a viable and rewarding option for those who have the right skills and resources.
The highlights of promoting Alibaba are the somewhat decent commission rates of 7% and how products have minimum order quantities. This helps you earn higher commissions, but also means you’ll have to find a way to promote to resellers (which Alibaba is aimed at).
You’ll also find ridiculously high-priced industrial products on Alibaba which could fetch you massive commissions if you know what you’re doing.
But that’s about it.
Thanks for reading my Alibaba affiliate program review. If I forgot something, you can ask away in the comments section.
And if you want to learn affiliate marketing properly, I have a free video course for you here.
