Business owners and marketers are eager to take full advantage of the opportunities the metaverse has to offer, and affiliate marketing is the modern solution that proves to be effective in achieving such a goal. But not every affiliate marketing program can be efficiently utilized in the metaverse, so here are some examples that might actually be worth your time and money.
What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is one of the leading marketing strategies today, as it uses the help of a person called an “affiliate” to market the product by recommending it to others. In return, the affiliate earns a percentage from each sale of the product, otherwise known as a commission.
With the growing influence of social media, affiliate marketing has become a viable option for both marketers and affiliates to earn more. Tiktok, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and even personal blogs are the most commonly used platforms to facilitate affiliate marketing, and the user-recommendation strategy has grown to be effective in marketing a product across varying platforms other than an online store.
Affiliate marketing in the metaverse
While affiliate marketing in the general picture is an efficient way to endorse a product, doing it in the metaverse is something that has yet to be explored. However, this does not mean that affiliate marketing in the metaverse is a hopeless case, as both the metaverse and affiliate marketing are filled with potential individually, and together, they might possibly be the future of marketing.
The good thing about promoting in the metaverse using affiliate marketing is that it still keeps the same premise in the conventional manner of the strategy. An affiliate working in the metaverse can either move about in a virtual world where other consumers interact, or be in another VR social media platform to recommend a product to their followers.
Probably the most notable difference when marketing as an affiliate in the metaverse is the way an affiliate is paid. Here, there are different options—the usual dollar or currency, through a digital asset such as crypto, or through a built-in or native currency that the platform you are partnering with uses.
Examples of affiliate marketing programs in the metaverse
With the basics of affiliate marketing and its ways in the metaverse already tackled, it’s now time to get to know some good examples of affiliate marketing programs you can look into for inspiration. If you are planning on setting up one for yourself, or if you are an affiliate who wants to continuously earn through affiliate marketing, don’t miss out on what’s coming.
1. Binance affiliate program
If you are a crypto enthusiast and are into crypto apps, chances are you have already heard of Binance, the leading crypto exchange platform in the world since 2018. What you have probably missed out on is that they have an especially rewarding affiliate program that you can apply for to earn money.
Binance promises its affiliates to earn as much as half of every successful signup they make through the referral link, much higher than most affiliate programs in the metaverse today. As such, there are stringent qualifications one must meet to qualify. Here is a breakdown of the requirements:
In general, an affiliate can earn 41% worth of commission for every successful signup done on a spot trading. Once the count exceeds 500, the percentage of commission is increased to 50%. With these rates and effective marketing, both Binance and an affiliate can mutually gain influence and sustain profits.
While this is more of a crypto affiliate program than a metaverse affiliate program, you should consider that Binance allows you to trade NFTs which are the foundations of the metaverse, as well as all other cryptos and metaverse-native tokens and currencies. So, by promoting these types of assets and Binance in general, you are, in fact, promoting the metaverse.
2. Aftermath Islands referral program
Aftermath Islands is a “blockchain-based virtual reality interactive platform” that allows users to purchase, trade, as well as develop virtual lands and other properties as non-fungible tokens or NFTs. They are best known for their themed islands where users can interact and communicate.
Like many affiliate programs, the Aftermath Islands Referral Program gives an affiliate a commission as a percentage of every sale. It is both an affiliate and referral program as the condition requires you to be a user of the program itself to qualify.
When qualified, an affiliate can earn either through Aftermath Island’s own currency which they call points, or through the usual channels such as Paypal in regular fiat currency. It’s worth noting though that for this payment method, the waiting time is 60 days before the payout can be made.
Quick Fact: The Aftermath Islands Referral Program has a tier system of bronze, silver, and gold status, and an affiliate can earn 10%, 15%, and 20% commission on every sale respectively. Additionally, commissions will be cut down by half if you choose to redeem them for cash, and you need to meet a certain amount of sales to be able to jump from one tier to another ($1,000 worth of sales to move from bronze to silver, and $5,000 to be a gold status affiliate).
3. Second Life affiliate program
If you are looking to study an affiliate program that has been in the metaverse for quite some time, the Second Life affiliate program is the best choice. While it has received a surge of new users in the last year, Second Life is actually one of the first metaverses to ever exist.
Second Life’s affiliate program works like any other previously discussed programs, and it’s even easier for an affiliate to start earning as they can still get a commission for every successful sign-up with their 7-day free trial.
For the moment, though, Second Life’s affiliate program seems to be paused indefinitely since April 1st of this year. There’s still no news as to when the program will resume, but many have raised speculations that this is due to the fact that Second Life’s affiliate program works with Commission Junction, a platform specialising in affiliate marketing but that has since garnered only negative reviews.
4. Autodesk affiliate program
Virtual reality is a major component of the metaverse, and 3D design, animation, and rendering software are its lifeblood. Autodesk, the world’s leading design software company for architecture, construction, and entertainment industries, has played a big part in the establishment of augmented realities to help the metaverse come about.
While they have certainly taken the lead in their respective industry for design, Autodesk still aims to expand their network of influence through their own affiliate program, especially because most of their services are paid. To be able to qualify for the program, you just have to apply with CJ affiliate to get started.
As stated, the requirements to be an Autodesk affiliate are much easier to comply with if you plan on applying, and here are the benefits one can enjoy if they do get accepted into the program:
- 9% commission on all successful products sold
- Cookie duration of 60 days
- Full product data feed available
- Affiliate Newsletter updates on new promotions, product releases, and more
- Ability to promote products across geographies
- Dedicated Affiliate Manager to assist you
Autodesk also has a recommendation for newbie affiliate marketers on which products they can start endorsing on their respective platforms, among them being Autocad, Autocad LT, 3DS Max, Fusion 360, Inventor Lt, Maya, Maya LT, Revit, and Autocad Revit LT Suite.
5. VR Sync affiliate program
VR Sync is a synchronization software that gives its users the ability to experience a synchronised 360 video playback across an unlimited number of Virtual Reality devices. From the name itself and the nature of the service they offer, VR Sync is closely related to the front end that powers the metaverse.
VR Sync’s affiliate program promises its successful applicants a commission rate of 30% for every successful conversion, hardware, and shipping excluded. Additionally, they also pay via bank transfer at the end of every month, and all you need to do to get started is to fill up the application form which you can find on their official website.
Another good thing about VR Sync’s affiliate program is they also offer cookies that last for 60 days, similar to that of Autodesk’s affiliate program. This is not something you commonly expect to see in many affiliate programs, as most only last for a maximum of 30 days.
Quick Fact: VR Sync’s services have been supported by companies like Ford and Nikon, as well as the organisation of the United Nations. Their affordable rates and free trials, coupled with the already broad influence they have, make it easy for affiliates to land conversions. Additionally, they also offer guides for interested applicants to watch and learn from before getting started.
6. Ledger Wallet affiliate program
Another option for an affiliate program within the metaverse is Ledger’s own affiliate program. Ledger is one of the leading platforms used by cryptocurrency users to buy, secure, exchange, and grow their digital assets without having to worry so much about security risks.
Becoming a Ledger affiliate is very easy, as you only need to complete the application form and confirm your identity to be qualified as a marketer. After that, you will be given access to a dashboard where you’ll find your affiliate link to share on your chosen platform (or platforms).
The affiliate program pays in Bitcoin, though, which can either be a dealbreaker or a deal maker to some applicants depending on their mastery of the digital asset. Benefits included in this program are the real-time reports that they provide under your account, a dedicated support channel for affiliate marketers, and promotional assets that can help affiliates secure a conversion effectively.
With over 20,000 current members and a guaranteed influence on 4 million users in the crypto space, Ledger’s affiliate program proves to be an ideal option for those who wish to venture into the industry of affiliate marketing.
Quick Fact: The Ledger’s affiliate program is open to anyone who has a voice and advocates for the security and self-custody of digital assets. Bloggers, YouTubers, Instagram influencers, and even Crypto companies can enjoy the benefits of being an affiliate of Ledger’s program.
The metaverse has certainly upped its potential in hosting a wide variety of processes, and for marketers and business owners, it has also taken the form of an effective affiliate marketing platform. Despite being relatively new in this initiative, it does not necessarily mean that the metaverse has limited options in hosting equally effective affiliate marketing programs.
While some companies will find more revenue by launching targeted promotional campaigns like offering discounts for seniors, the six previously discussed examples of affiliate programs are relevant for a much wider base of businesses. These metaverse affiliate programs are proof of the potential of this new frontier for modern marketing strategies that would otherwise be limited to Web 2.0.
It is still worth keeping in mind, though, that no matter how famous the product you will be marketing is, or no matter how competitive the commission rates and other benefits may be, the conversion will still depend on how well you advertise the product and effectively use the affiliate links provided to turn a reader into a subscriber.
