Back to Basics: What is Pay Per Sale Affiliate Marketing?

When thinking about joining an affiliate program to monetize a blog or website, one of the first decisions you have to make is how you wish to work. There are a whole range of program styles. Pay per lead, pay per sign up, pay per click, and pay per sale, among others. And they all have their advantages. But pay per sale affiliate marketing is one of the most popular models. So, what does it actually mean? And why would you want to do it?

What Do You Need to Know About Pay Per Sale Affiliate Marketing?

What is a pay per sale affiliate program?

Pay per sale (also known as PPS) is one of the core payment models used by affiliate programs. The affiliate – the person doing the marketing on behalf of the program – is paid a pre-agreed commission for any customer referral that results in a sale. The form the commission takes varies according to the affiliate network you are working with. While some offer a percentage of the final value of the sale. Others offer a flat fee regardless of sale value. Either way, it can be a great option for monetizing your content.

Who does pay per sale marketing work best for?

Pay per sale is a great option for authority bloggers and websites. When your site is full of expert content it’s easy to become known as an authority in your field. This means that people are far more likely to listen to your advice and follow your recommendations. And if you have a strong follower base, then you have a lot of potential to benefit from PPS.  

However, that’s not to say that new affiliates can’t enjoy the rewards of PPS. If you put in the effort to create strong content, work on your technical SEO, and identify the best traffic sources for your audience, you should achieve good results.

What are the benefits of the pay per sale model?

The main reason why affiliate partnership program members often favor the PPS model is that returns are high. While most pay per click (PPC) models offer tiny rewards – as low as $0.01 per click. The top affiliate programs with a PPS model can deliver money worth having.

Are there any drawbacks to the pay per sale model?

Let’s be honest for a moment. It is much harder to persuade someone to buy something than it is to get them to look at something. Meaning that PPS affiliate models can be more work. You have to know your audience inside out. And you have to know the product/service even better. Then you have to sell it – but straight forward selling can be detrimental. You need to find ways to show off the unique selling points of your affiliate product. Without going in for the hard sell. And that can be a difficult balance to strike. However, you get rewarded for the effort you put in. Which means that once you find your groove, your remuneration potential is limitless.

Your affiliate marketing success is really down to you. And how much effort you put into it. You can work with the best affiliate program in the world, and still struggle to profit. And that can be down to a number of factors. You may not have conducted enough research. Your content or SEO may be lacking. Or you might have chosen the wrong payment model. Pay per sale isn’t right for every affiliate. But if you are willing to put in the time and effort to get it right, the rewards can be enormous.