- YouTube’s affiliate marketing program faces challenges attracting creators.
- Limited eligibility requirements hinder smaller creators’ participation.
- Creators hesitate to rely solely on YouTube, fearing the risks of platform dependence.
YouTube’s recently launched affiliate marketing program, which pays creators commissions for sales driven through clickable affiliate links, is facing competition from established platforms like Amazon, MagicLinks, and LTK.
Many creators have long-standing relationships with these platforms, making it difficult for YouTube to attract them to its new program.
Limited eligibility requirements
Some creators have found that YouTube’s affiliate program lacks products in their niche, such as personal finance, leading them to continue using specialized affiliate programs offered by financial institutions.
Additionally, the program’s eligibility requirements, which include having more than 15,000 subscribers and being part of the YouTube Partner Program, have prevented smaller creators from participating.
Concerns over platform dependence
Despite offering commission rates between 1% and 20%, comparable to other programs, some creators are hesitant to rely solely on YouTube for their affiliate income.
They fear that tying all their revenue to a single platform could be risky, as their ability to earn from the program would be affected if their channel were demonetized. To mitigate this risk, creators are diversifying their affiliate marketing efforts across multiple platforms to find the best rates and maintain a stable income stream.
YouTube’s success in the social shopping space may depend on its ability to address these concerns and convince more creators that its affiliate program can provide additional value beyond what they already receive from other platforms.
