Commission Junction 101: Beginner's Review Guide To CJ Affiliate

CJ Affiliate is one of the largest affiliate networks in the world. You can find a variety of merchant partners to promote, such as Lowe’s, GoPro, Overstock, and Travelocity.

The network also works with smaller brands in a wide range of industries.

The CJ Affiliate by Conversant home office address:

530 East Montecito St
Santa Barbara, CA 93103

The CJ Affiliate by Conversant telephone number: 800-761-1072

Top Benefits of Commission Junction

There are several benefits of using CJ Affiliate to market products and service links online.

Three of the top benefits:

Huge range of advertiser programs: Commission Junction has thousands of programs from leading brands worldwide. You shouldn’t have trouble finding the perfect fit(s) for your niche.

Robust tracking and reporting tools: The CJ Affiliate platform offers advanced tracking and reporting features that let you monitor your campaigns in real-time. This helps you optimize your results quickly and easily.

Time-saving integration options: You can easily integrate CJ Affiliate with your website or online store, using a variety of integration methods. It saves you time and makes it easy to get started.

For example, you can integrate CJ with:

WooCommerce
Shopify
Magento
Shoplazza

Best Features of CJ Affiliate

Consider these three best features of CJ Affiliate:

Deep Link Generator.: Use this to automatically create trackable affiliate links from existing URLs. Drag the deep-link tool to grab links that make sure you’re paid from any page on the website for advertisers you promote.

Fraud Detection: CJ uses top-notch technology to make sure you get paid for the hard work you put. Promote merchants with confidence.

Education: You’ll get educational newsletters that show you best practices to help you set up and run profitable campaigns. Use this expert advice to improve your click performance, track your sales, and increase your affiliate income.

What Is Affiliate Marketing?

Before getting you started with Commission Junction, it’s worth reviewing the basics of the affiliate marketing business model.

In a nutshell, affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing system in which businesses pay commission to third-party publishers (affiliates) for generating sales or leads.

The commissions are typically paid on a cost-per-action (CPA) basis, but they can also be paid on a cost-per-click (CPC) or cost-per-impression (CPI) basis.

As an affiliate marketer, you can find the affiliate program offered by a specific product you want to promote.

Or, you can use an affiliate network like Commission Junction and review advertisers (some of the world’s largest brands) looking for affiliates to pay money to as they promote each company.

How Does Commission Junction Work as an Affiliate Network?

Commission Junction works by connecting advertisers’ pay-for-performance programs with CJ affiliates willing to promote their products or services.

Advertisers create campaigns and set commission rates. As a Commission Junction affiliate, you’ll sign up to promote the offers.

You then share links to the advertiser’s products or services on your blog or social media channels.

When a visitor clicks on one of your affiliate links and makes a purchase, the advertiser pays the commission to Commission Junction.

CJ then passes on a portion of the network earnings to you, the affiliate.

As a CJ affiliate, you’ll see your earning add up inside your CJ network account before getting payouts to your bank account.

Difference Between an Affiliate Program & Affiliate Network

An affiliate program is run by the merchant, while affiliate networks like CJ Affiliate by Conversant or ShareASale offer a range of merchants in one place.

Affiliate networks also have more sophisticated tracking and reporting tools than most merchants do on their own.

Many affiliate networks typically offer dedicated account management, which can be helpful for a Commission Junction affiliate starting their marketing journey.

–> RELATED READING: Affiliate Marketing for Beginners

Commission Junction is a quality place to start as an affiliate because it gives you plenty of advertisers to select from, tracking and reporting tools, and software integration options.

Commission Junction (CJ Affiliate) Pros and Cons

As with all things, advantages and disadvantages exist when discussing organizations like CJ Affiliate by Conversant.

Commission Junction Pros

Easy To Use: CJ is easy to navigate. You can find success using the network even if you have limited internet skills.

Variety of Offers: There are thousands of offers available through CJ. You’re not locked into promoting one product, service, or industry.

Global Brands: Advertisers on Commission Junction come from all over the world. You’ll find some of the most recognizable websites and companies that your prospects already trust.

Simple Payment Methods: As a Commission Junction affiliate, you can choose to get paid via Payoneer, check, or direct deposit.

Commission Junction Cons

Slow Payment: Commission Junction sometimes takes a while to process payments, so you may not see the fruits of your labor right away (although this is common when using either an affiliate program or network).

Lack of Customer Service: CJ doesn’t offer customer service beyond what’s available through their extensive knowledge base and FAQs section. However, you can get “influencer” status the more sales you make and get more hand’s on assistance as your income level improves.

How Does CJ Affiliate by Conversant Work?

Now that you know what Commission Junction is and what it has to offer, let’s take a look at how to use it to make money as a Commission Junction affiliate.

First:

Ya gotta sign up…

How to Sign Up For a CJ Affiliate Account

1. Find & Click the Signup Button

To sign up for an account with CJ Affiliate, visit their website and click on the “Get Started” button from the homepage:

Alternatively, you can click on the “Get Started” button at the top right of the page:

Lastly, you an click on the “Login” button at the top right (shown in the above image), and then click on “Sign up here”:

On the next page, click on the “Sign Up” button under the “Publishers & Influencers” section:

2. Fill Out the “Become a CJ Publisher” Form:

Fill out this form and click on “Verify Email” button:

Form to fill out to become a Commission Junction affiliate and verify email address

After clicking the “Verify Email” button, you’ll see this:

CJ notice that says you need to confirm your email address

Go to your email and click the “Create My CJ Publisher Account” that confirms your actual email address:

Email message that Commission Junction sends to confirm new accounts

3. Agree to CJ’s Terms

On the next page, you’ll see the terms to agree to when becoming a CJ affiliate:

Click the “Continue To Account” button after you’ve read and agreed to the Publisher Service Agreement, Software Policy, and Privacy Policy.

4. Complete the Onboarding Checklist

On the next page, CJ will ask you to login and then you’ll see an Onboarding Checklist to complete:

Follow the Commission Junction onboarding checklist to activate your account.

The checklist includes:

User profile (name, email, phone, etc)
Network profile (description of your business)
Promotional properties (website, email list, social channels, etc)
Company details (mailing addresses, tax info, etc)
Payment info (banking info to get paid)

When you’re done filling out your information and activate your account, you’ll see this message:

Message that shows after activating a new CJ account

Click “Got It” to go to your main Dashboard:

5. Start Promoting Advertisers To Make Money

Once you’ve registered, you can browse through CJ’s extensive list of advertisers and find one that best suits your interests and business model.

You’ll see instructions inside your account:

CJ instructions to promote as an affiliate

When you find an advertiser that interests you, click on their name to learn more about their program. You’ll be able to review the commission structure, terms, and conditions of the program before you apply.

If everything looks good and you decide to join the program, simply click on the “Apply to Program” button.

Once you’ve been approved as a Commission Junction affiliate, you can start promoting the advertiser’s links to products or services on your website or blog.

Be sure to use CJ-provided tracking links, as these will help you keep track of your sales and commissions.

Pay-For-Performance Programs Offered by Commission Junction

The Commission Junction site offers plenty of opportunities for affiliate marketers to make money online marketing as publishers.

Here’s a quick list of all the choices you have after you join CJ Affiliate as a Commission Junction affiliate.

Adidas
American Golf
Avis
Best Western Hotels
British Airways
Buy Cosmetics
Carnival Cruises
DirecTV
eHealth Insurance
Expedia.co.uk
Good Sam Club
Hot Topic
Kaspersky Anti-virus
Kodak
Monster.com
Music Today
My Jewelry Box
The New York Times
Priceline
Puritan’s Pride
Quickbooks
Rubbermaid
Skype
Sony
Starbucks
Tommy Hilfiger
Wall Street Journal
The Wine Society

(NOTE: Merchants come and go on Commission Junction. If you find that any of the above websites no longer exist on the affiliate network, look for a good replacement to join inside your work as a publisher)

CJ Affiliate Reviews FAQ

Let’s review a few additional questions you may have about Commission Junction before you join at their site.

How do you get paid from Commission Junction?

Commission Junction affiliates are paid via Payoneer, check, or direct deposit. You’ll need to provide your banking information when you sign up for an account with CJ so they can send your payments directly to your bank account.

How often do I get paid from Commission Junction?

Commission Junction usually processes payments within 30 days of the end of the month in which the sale occurred. However, this can vary depending on the advertiser you’re working with and the type of program you’re promoting.

How much does Commission Junction cost?

It’s free to join Commission Junction as either an affiliate or a merchant. However, there are some fees associated with running a campaign on the network. For example, advertisers are charged a commission fee based on the sales generated by their CJ-affiliated partners.

What brands are on Commission Junction?

There are thousands of brands on Commission Junction, ranging from small businesses to large corporations.

What does CJ stand for?

CJ is short for Commission Junction Affiliate by Conversant, which is the name of the company that acquired Commission Junction in 2014.

What’s the difference between Commission Junction and other affiliate networks?

Commission Junction is one of the oldest and largest affiliate networks, with over 20,000 merchants and affiliates on their network. They offer a wide variety of programs in a variety of industries, making it one of the most comprehensive affiliate networks available.

Does Commission Junction have an affiliate program?

Yes, Commission Junction does have an affiliate program. You can find more information on their website.

What is CJ Affiliate publisher?

A Commission Junction publisher is an affiliate who promotes the products and services of Commission Junction advertisers on their website or blog. As a publisher, you’ll earn commissions on sales generated by your links.

How much do CJ affiliates make?

Commission Junction affiliates can earn up to 20% commission on sales, depending on the program they’re promoting.

Can I trust CJ Affiliate?

Commission Junction is a well-established company with over 20 years of experience in the affiliate marketing industry. They’re one of the most reputable networks available, and their platform is trusted by both merchants and affiliates.

Final Thoughts on Commission Junction

Commission Junction is a great way for affiliates to make money online. With a wide variety of programs and brands to choose from, you can find a program that fits your niche and start earning commission on sales.

The key to winning when marketing products offered by Commission Junction is to select a niche that you know something about.

Work on generating traffic to your blog and then select the programs to promote. Most affiliates select products first.

However, you should see which pages rank on your site first.

Then, select the appropriate Commission Junction link to promote. That way, you’ll get traffic over to the link that will earn you an income. It avoids wasting time filling up links on pages that Google isn’t sending traffic to.

Commission Junction 101: Beginner’s Review Guide To CJ Affiliate