ConvertKit Affiliate Program: How to Make Money With It
Imagine earning 30% recurring commissions for an entire year from a single referral. That’s the reality with the ConvertKit affiliate program. Email marketing tools are hot right now, and ConvertKit’s creator-focused platform makes it easier than ever to turn your audience into consistent affiliate income.
Quick Program Stats
💰 Commission: 30% recurring for 12 months
🍪 Cookie Duration: 90 days
💳 Payment Terms: Monthly via PayPal on the 2nd
🎯 Platform: LinkMink
⏱️ Minimum Payout: No minimum specified
🌍 Geographic Availability: Global (PayPal required)
Why the ConvertKit Affiliate Program Is Worth Your Time
Most affiliate programs give you a one-time commission and call it a day. ConvertKit flips that script by paying you 30% of every payment your referral makes for their first year as a customer. If someone signs up for ConvertKit’s $29/month Creator plan through your link, you’re looking at $104.40 over that year from one person. Get ten people signed up at that tier? That’s over a thousand dollars in recurring income.
The math gets even better when you realize that creators who need email marketing tools typically stick around. They’re building businesses, not just testing software. Your referrals aren’t likely to churn after a month, which means your commissions keep rolling in month after month.
ConvertKit positions itself as the email marketing platform built specifically for creators, bloggers, and online entrepreneurs. This focused positioning makes your job easier because you’re not trying to convince corporate marketing teams or enterprise clients. You’re talking to individuals who are building personal brands and need simple, effective tools.
What Makes ConvertKit Different From Other Email Tools
ConvertKit isn’t competing with Mailchimp or Constant Contact for small business owners. They’re going after content creators, course creators, podcasters, and bloggers who want to monetize their audience. The platform includes landing page builders, email automation, and commerce features that let creators sell digital products directly.
This creator focus means your target audience is already thinking about making money online. They understand investment in tools that help them grow. You’re not explaining why they need email marketing, you’re showing them why ConvertKit is the right choice for their specific needs.
The platform starts with a free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers, which gives potential referrals a no-risk way to test the waters. Once they experience the platform and their list grows, upgrading becomes a natural next step. That free-to-paid journey works in your favor as an affiliate.
Step-by-Step Strategy to Start Earning Commissions
Getting Approved and Set Up
Head to the ConvertKit affiliate program page and submit your application through LinkMink. The approval process is straightforward if you have any kind of online presence. They’re looking for people who already create content or have an audience, even if it’s small.
Once approved, you’ll get your unique affiliate links through the LinkMink dashboard. Take ten minutes to familiarize yourself with the dashboard. You can create custom links for different campaigns, track your clicks and conversions, and see your earnings in real-time.
Set up your PayPal account in LinkMink to ensure you get paid. ConvertKit processes payments on the second of each month for the previous month’s earnings. No minimum payout threshold means your first commission gets sent regardless of amount.
Understanding Who Actually Buys ConvertKit
Your ideal referrals are creators in the early to mid-stages of building their online business. Someone just starting a blog might be on the free plan, but they’re primed to upgrade within months as their list grows. Established creators switching from other platforms are gold because they convert quickly and typically choose higher-tier plans.
Think about creators who offer lead magnets, run challenges, sell courses, or send regular newsletters. These are people who understand email marketing matters but don’t want to become email marketing experts. They want something that works without requiring a degree in marketing automation.
Course creators are particularly valuable referrals. They need sophisticated automation to deliver their content and nurture students through their programs. ConvertKit’s visual automation builder appeals to this group because it’s powerful but approachable.
Traffic Generation Tactics That Actually Work
Content Marketing and SEO
Create comparison content that positions ConvertKit against alternatives. Articles like “ConvertKit vs Mailchimp for Bloggers” or “Best Email Marketing for Course Creators” naturally attract people already in buying mode. These comparison pieces rank well and pre-sell the reader before they ever click your affiliate link.
Tutorial content performs exceptionally well. Walk readers through building their first email sequence in ConvertKit, or show them how to create a landing page that converts. Include your affiliate link naturally by suggesting they sign up for the free plan to follow along.
Case studies and income reports that mention your email marketing tool work subtly but effectively. When you share how you made money online and mention ConvertKit as part of your stack, curious readers click through to learn more.
YouTube and Video Content
Screen recordings showing ConvertKit’s interface help potential users visualize themselves using the platform. Create videos on email sequence strategy, landing page optimization, or audience growth tactics using ConvertKit as your example platform.
YouTube’s algorithm loves tutorial content, and “how to use ConvertKit” searches bring in viewers with high intent. These aren’t casual browsers, these are people actively researching the platform before committing.
Pin your affiliate link in the video description with a clear call to action. Something like “Try ConvertKit free for your first 1,000 subscribers” gives viewers a reason to click immediately.
Email Marketing to Your Own List
This might feel meta, but promoting an email marketing tool to your email list makes perfect sense. Your subscribers already trust you enough to open your emails. When you recommend ConvertKit, they listen.
Create a value-driven sequence that educates subscribers about email marketing best practices while naturally positioning ConvertKit as the tool you use and recommend. Share your actual results, show screenshots of your campaigns, and explain why you chose ConvertKit over alternatives.
Limited-time bonuses can boost conversions. Partner with other creators to offer exclusive resources for people who sign up through your link. ConvertKit allows this kind of promotion, making it easier to stand out from other affiliates.
Real-World Implementation Examples
Let’s say you run a blog about starting a podcast. Your audience needs email marketing to build a listener community beyond the podcast directories. Create a guide on building an email list as a podcaster, walking readers through the strategy from choosing a lead magnet to setting up their first welcome sequence.
Throughout the guide, use ConvertKit as your example platform. Show screenshots of creating a landing page for a podcast freebie, setting up a welcome email that thanks new subscribers and delivers the promised resource, and automating follow-up emails that build the relationship.
Your affiliate link appears naturally when you suggest readers start their own implementation. You’ve already shown them how it works, removing the friction of figuring it out themselves. They click through ready to sign up because you’ve done the educational heavy lifting.
Another angle works if you’re in the course creation space. Write about launching a profitable online course and include email marketing as a critical piece of the launch strategy. Detail the email sequences successful course creators use, from pre-launch hype to post-purchase onboarding.
Position ConvertKit as the tool that handles this automation without overwhelming new course creators. Compare it briefly to more complex platforms like ActiveCampaign or Infusionsoft, pointing out how ConvertKit delivers power without the steep learning curve.
Challenges You’ll Actually Face
The creator space is crowded with affiliate marketers promoting email marketing tools. Standing out requires more than slapping your affiliate link in a generic review post. You need to provide genuine value through detailed tutorials, honest comparisons, and personal experience.
ConvertKit’s pricing increases with subscriber count, which means some referrals will outgrow their budget and churn before your 12-month commission period ends. You’ll see some attrition, but the 90-day cookie and recurring model still make this more profitable than one-time commission programs.
The free plan doesn’t earn you commissions. Someone can sign up through your link and use ConvertKit indefinitely without upgrading, earning you nothing. Your content needs to target people who are ready to grow beyond the free tier or showcase features that require paid plans.
LinkMink as the affiliate platform adds an extra step compared to in-house affiliate programs. The dashboard works fine, but you’re dealing with a third-party system that occasionally has tracking quirks. Keep detailed records of your promotional efforts in case you need to troubleshooting conversion tracking.
Who This Isn’t For
If your audience consists of corporate marketing teams or enterprise-level businesses, ConvertKit isn’t the right fit. They’ll need more robust platforms with advanced features and dedicated support beyond what ConvertKit offers.
Bargain hunters looking for the cheapest email marketing solution won’t convert well either. ConvertKit positions itself as premium, and while the value justifies the price, people focused solely on cost will choose cheaper alternatives.
Affiliates who only promote through paid ads might struggle with ConvertKit’s economics. The platform’s pricing structure and your commission rate mean you need strong conversion rates to make paid traffic profitable. Organic strategies work better for most affiliates with this program.
Maximizing Your Long-Term Earnings
Focus on creating evergreen content that continues attracting potential referrals months and years after publication. A comprehensive guide ranking for “email marketing for bloggers” keeps sending qualified traffic long after you hit publish.
Build relationships with up-and-coming creators in your niche. As they grow their audience, they’ll need better email marketing tools. Being the trusted source who helped them early means they’ll click your link when they’re ready to upgrade their systems.
Cross-promote with other affiliates in complementary niches. Someone promoting website builders or course platforms has an audience that overlaps perfectly with email marketing tool buyers. Strategic partnerships expand your reach without direct competition.
Track which content pieces drive the most conversions and double down on those formats. If YouTube tutorials convert better than blog posts for you, make more videos. If comparison content outperforms tutorials, write more comparison pieces. Let the data guide your content strategy.
The Bottom Line on ConvertKit Affiliate Income
A year of recurring commissions changes the affiliate game completely. Instead of constantly hunting for new sales to maintain income, you’re building a base of recurring revenue that grows with each new referral. Ten active referrals at moderate plan levels can easily generate four figures monthly.
The creator economy continues expanding, which means more people need email marketing tools. ConvertKit’s positioning as the creator-focused platform puts you in front of an audience that’s primed to buy. They’re not questioning whether they need email marketing, they’re deciding which platform to use.
Success comes down to consistently creating valuable content that naturally positions ConvertKit as the solution. Skip the hard sell and focus on education. Show people how to succeed with email marketing while using ConvertKit as your example platform. The commissions follow when you provide genuine value first.
Ready to Start Earning with ConvertKit?
The ConvertKit affiliate program offers one of the best commission structures in the email marketing space. With 90-day cookies and 12 months of recurring payments, you’re building real passive income with each referral. Sign up today and start turning your content into consistent commissions.
