Affiliate marketing offers huge potential, but especially with regards to earning high-ticket commissions, it could mean hundreds and even thousands of dollars for every sale. But how do you make those big earnings a reality?
Having spent over a decade in the affiliate space and successfully selling an affiliate site for six figures, I know what works—and what doesn’t. This guide will walk you through the must-knows within high-ticket affiliate marketing, including some of the top programs, strategies, and tips to find success.
What is High-Ticket Affiliate Marketing?
High-ticket affiliate marketing involves promoting products or services that offer considerable payouts. In general, everything above $100 per sale qualifies as “high ticket,” with some programs offering commissions in the five-figure range.
This approach enables marketers to earn substantial revenue with fewer sales compared to traditional affiliate marketing. However, these high payouts are usually accompanied by lower conversion rates, which makes building trust and targeting paramount.
High-ticket products and services usually involve:
- Online courses and memberships
- Insurance policies
- Loans and financial services
- Software and SaaS platforms
- Machinery and electronics
- Luxury goods like jewelry or private jets
How Much Can You Earn Through High-Ticket Affiliate Marketing?
Income in affiliate marketing varies widely, ranging from a few dollars to millions of dollars per month. While the majority of affiliate marketers earn less than $10,000 annually, top marketers are earning six-figure incomes. In fact, according to research by Influencer Marketing Hub:
- Approximately 3.78% of affiliate marketers make more than $150,000 annually.
- Another 7.94% earn between $100,000 and $150,000 each year.
From personal experience, I’ve consistently made over six figures per year through high-ticket affiliate sales, and I’ve seen others do the same.
Let’s explore some programs that offer lucrative earning potential.
15 High-Ticket Affiliate Marketing Programs
Here’s a list of notable high-ticket affiliate programs you can join today:
Authority Hacker
- Commission: $1,979 per sale
- Features: Lifetime commissions on future purchases, 60-day cookie duration
Kinsta
- Commission: Up to $500 per referral, 10% recurring monthly revenue
- Features: Comprehensive affiliate academy, 60-day cookie duration
Shopify
Commission: ~$150 per referral for Shopify plans or POS Pro
Features: Creative assets and a personal performance dashboard
Thinkific
- Commission: $1,700 per referral annually, 30% lifetime recurring revenue
- Features: 90-day cookie duration
Empire Flippers
- Commission: 20% on transactions
- Features: No earning cap, 2-year cookie duration
Flippa
- Commission: 20% of the platform’s fees
- Features: 120 days of Cookie duration
Bluehost
- Commission: $100 max per sale
- Features: Easy to use, 90 days of Cookie duration
Villiers Jets
- Commission: Thousands per booking flight, 30% profit share
- Features: 365-day cookie duration
WP Engine
- Commission: $200/ per sale or 100% of the first-month payment
- Features: 180-day cookie duration
Teachable
- Commission: 30% recurring revenue
- Features: Monetize online courses and memberships
Monday.com
- Commission: 100% of first-year sales per referral
- Features: 90-day cookie duration, tiered incentive model
HubSpot
- Commission: 30% recurring revenue for one year
- Features: Marketing and sales automation tools
WPX Hosting
- Commission: Up to $20,000 per month
- Features: 60-day cookie duration
FreshBooks
- Commission: Up to $200 per paid subscriber
- Features: Cloud-based accounting software, 120-day cookie duration
Superside
- Commission: $5,000 for closed annual deals
- Features: Subscription-based design services
Seven Essential Tips to Starting High-Ticket Affiliate Marketing
Following are some strategies that can help succeed in this competitive space:
Find the Right Affiliate Program
Start by searching high-ticket affiliate programs on networks like AvantLink or Impact Radius, or reach out to brands you trust directly. Tools such as Ahrefs’ Web Explorer help you identify niche-specific programs by filtering pages that contain terms like “affiliate program.
Often, the highest-paying opportunities come from direct brand partnerships. If you know any product or service that resonates with you, call them to talk about a collaboration.
Build Trust and Authority
To be able to promote high-ticket items, you need to build trust with your audience. Here’s how to establish credibility:
- Transparency: Clearly disclose affiliate relationships. Honesty builds trust and aligns with legal requirements.
- Authenticity: Be transparent with the strengths and weaknesses of a product, even when dealing with high-ticket programs.
- Personal Branding: Add an About page that describes your qualifications and experiences using the products being promoted.
Adding videos or personal photos will also humanize the brand to make it relatable and trustworthy.
Focus on E-E-A-T
Google loves websites that have much better Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust. Quality backlinks and domain authority showcased will improve your search rankings and drive organic traffic. Consider the following strategies for building backlinks:
- Guest blogging
- Resource page link building
- HARO outreach
Leverage Video Content
Video content presents a more powerful means of connecting with an audience and demonstrating hands-on product use. Platforms like YouTube allow you to demonstrate thought leadership and own multiple spots on the SERP with video and blog content.
Example: Hobotech’s exhaustive, honest reviews of high-ticket solar power stations earn the trust of online buyers and commissions.
Target All Stages of the Funnel
Rather than focusing solely on high-intent keywords, develop content that speaks to users throughout different stages of their journey. Examples could include:
- Awareness: Product category explanations or common problems.
- Consideration: Product versus product, or in-depth product reviews.
- Decision: How to guides for completing purchases or using certain products.
Early capture of prospects helps in securing potential customers by walking them through the buying process and mostly outcompeting competitors in high-intent keywords.
Early capture of prospects helps in securing potential customers by walking them through the buying process and mostly outcompeting competitors in high-intent keywords.
Only Promote Quality Products
Your reputation relies on promoting products that actually bring value. Refrain from promoting mediocre products for temporary benefits because it will lower your reputation and credibility over time.
Be Transparent about Suitability
Sometimes, a product isn’t the right fit for a particular audience. Recommending against buying, when warranted, can build long-term trust that will actually lead to more conversions among suitable prospects.
Conclusion
High-ticket affiliate marketing indeed holds much promise if one is willing to invest in the creation of trust and strategic content. Paying attention to valueacist products, targeting different stages of the funnel, and using video to connect with your audience will unlock consistent high-value commissions for you.
Success in this space isn’t just about selling—it’s about fostering trust and delivering authentic value to your audience. With these principles, you’re well on your way to earning big in affiliate marketing.