Target is massive.
And so too is their online presence – so it’s no wonder you are considering joining their affiliate program
Today, we’ll review how the Target Affiliate Program works, the pros and cons of it and, as a whole, inform you of everything to do with it from commission structure to cookie rates. And whether it is worth joining?
What Is The Target Affiliate Program?
Before we get onto the Target Affiliate Program, what actually is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing is where if one of your audience click your unique link and buy the company’s product, you will earn a certain pre-decided percentage of the sale – called a commission.
Say for example you recommend your audience by a $50 watch through your link and the commission rate is 30% – you will have earned $15.
Many companies have an affiliate program and Target, a very large American retailer with a huge online and global presence, are no exception.
They sell a whole variety of products from furniture to toys which is an appealing point as it covers many niches for Affiliate Marketers.
Its program can be compared to Amazon Associates, with both offering low commissions but across all their products – and both are well-know brands which can be sold easily.
Features of The Target Affiliate Program
So what is the Target Affiliate program actually like?
What Can You Sell?
Good question – as mentioned before Target generally offers home good / general products. They are known for:
- Clothing
- Household Goods
- Patio and Outdoors furniture
- Electronic and Entertainment
- And much more
You can see a list of their top categories here:
But what is important to remember is that only some of these categories offer affiliate commissions.
Commission Structure
Similarly, to Amazon Associates, commission rates are divided by category, yet the more monthly net orders you refer, the higher the commissions go.
There are 4 categories for affiliates: Apparel & Accessories and Home & Outdoors both offer the best commission rates starting from 5% and going up to 8% having referred over 10,001 sales per month.
Baby Gear & Furniture’s top band is 5% whilst Health & Beauty stays very low at 1%
Further bonuses can be offered for people starting a baby, college or wedding registry, or signing up for a REDcard (from $4 to $8).
In comparison with other retailers:
Target: 1% to 8%
Walmart: 1% – 4%
Amazon Associates: 1% -8%
Cookie Rate
The cookie rate is for how long you will be given credit for the purchase after they have clicked your link. For example, if a company offered a 30-day cookie rate, if someone clicked today, but only bought something in 4 weeks time, you will still receive the commission.
Target in particular has a 7-day cookie rate, which is pretty high for the industry, and compared to competitors.
Pros
A Large Range of Products: most niches can find something to advertise from Target’s large range
7-Day Tracking with Bonus: the program offers a 7-day tracking cookie on all links, much better than Amazon’s 24 hours. Even more so, you’ll receive commissions from any products bought by the customer during those 7-days.
Trusted brand: you can only be as good as the product, and with Target being a well-known and trusted brand, you can rely on your audience buying and helping your conversion rates.
Good Advertising Options: Target’s program offers product widgets, banners and other creative material for Affiliates (in fact over 150 banners). They are also constantly updated – therefore it can be much easier to promote their products.
Dedicated Affiliate Management Team: you can rely on a prompt response from Target’s dedicated Affiliate team so don’t feel afraid to ask.
Cons
Commission Rate is pretty low: for the industry the rates are arguably average, yet for some of the categories like Health & Beauty’s dismal 1% it might take a while to earn anything.
Lower conversion rate compared to Amazon: in terms of online commerce, Amazon dominates the market and therefore you will probably see less sales with Target, a more traditional retailer.
Focused on US Market: Since Target is a US store, your content must be directed to a US audience to produce any form of conversions (although your website can be based anywhere)
Would I recommend the Target Affiliate Program?
I would recommend them if:
Your audience is from mainly the USA.
You refer a high volume of sales (upward of 10,000 a month).
Your niche fits in with the better categories: apparel, accessories, outdoors or baby.
However, maybe not if:
You only refer a small volume per month.
Your niche doesn’t fit in the higher paying ones.
Your audience isn’t based in USA.
How to Sign Up for the Program?
It’s very easy!
Just head over to the Target Affiliate Program page and register to become an affiliate
Ideally, you’ll need a working website to promote their products.
How to Promote Target?
Blog
My favourite method for promoting Target would be through product reviews for specific items on your blog.
For example, if your website is in the Outdoor Garden niche, perhaps offer a review on their different lawnmowers, or different hedge cutters.
Make sure to offer information which would answer their queries and to give an honest opinion rather than being too much like an advertiser, or seem false in your verdicts.
The review would allow you to rank highly for people looking up ‘lawn mowers reviews’, which therefore offers you a good conversion rate if they click through and like your content.
Consider joining various affiliate programs in the niche, such as the Walmart one, and offer products in your review from many different companies, so you seem to have a well-rounded and unbiased article
The cookie rate of 7-days offers this flexibility and eases the worry of lost sales (unlike Amazon which is something to consider).
Social Media
You could also consider promoting Target on social media yet this would be harder to do.
Target, unlike say the fashion industry, have far less eye-catching and visually appealing products meaning it would be far harder to sell through images on a platform such as Instagram.
That is why I personally would stick to making articles and blog posts as the best way to promote the Target Affiliate Program
Summary : is the Target Affiliate Program worth joining?
I overall would recommend the Target Affiliate Program as long as you fulfil the criteria above.
They offer decent commission rates, and a solid cookie rate – and as a large, well-known brand, are sure to offer good conversion rates.
It’s also important however to consider the alternatives like Amazon and Walmart. For some categories they have differing commission rates so it’s important to consider that first and what works for your audience.
Hope this helped.
Talk Soon, The E-Commerce Entrepreneur
