North Skull Affiliate Program: How To Make Money With It
Looking to tap into the luxury jewelry market without holding inventory? The North Skull affiliate program offers content creators up to 6% commissions on premium skull-themed jewelry that’s been turning heads since 2009. Here’s everything you need to know about promoting this London-based brand and actually making money doing it.
Quick Stats:
💰 Commission: 6% new customers, 2% returning (content affiliates)
🍪 Cookie Duration: 30 days
💳 Payment Terms: Monthly/bi-monthly via Awin
🎯 Network: Awin
💍 Products: Men’s & women’s jewelry, rings, necklaces, bracelets
⏱️ Founded: 2009
Join the North Skull Affiliate Program →
What Makes North Skull Worth Your Time
Let’s talk numbers first. A 6% commission on jewelry that ranges from $80 to $500+ means you’re looking at $4.80 to $30 per sale. Not life-changing on a single transaction, but here’s where it gets interesting.
The luxury jewelry niche has an average conversion rate around 2-3% when traffic is properly targeted. If you’re driving 1,000 visitors monthly to your content with an average order value of $150, that’s 20-30 sales at $9 each. That’s $180-$270 monthly from one affiliate program.
The real opportunity? North Skull occupies a specific micro-niche: edgy, contemporary jewelry with skull motifs for men. Most jewelry affiliate programs focus on traditional designs or women’s jewelry. This positioning means less competition for your content and a passionate, underserved audience.
Plus, they’ve been around since 2009. That’s not some dropshipping store that’ll vanish next month. They’ve built real brand equity, which translates to better conversion rates when you send traffic their way.
Understanding the Commission Structure
Here’s how North Skull breaks down their affiliate tiers, and why it matters for your strategy.
Content Affiliates (that’s probably you): 6% on new customers, 2% on existing customers. This is the sweet spot if you’re running a blog, YouTube channel, or Instagram focused on men’s fashion, alternative style, or gift guides.
Voucher Affiliates: 3% new, 1% existing. Lower rates because coupon sites typically steal commissions from organic traffic that would’ve converted anyway.
Standard Affiliates: 5% new, 1% existing. Everything else falls here.
The two-tier system (new vs existing customers) is actually smart for you. It incentivizes bringing fresh buyers to North Skull rather than just recycling their existing customer base. Your fresh, targeted traffic is more valuable.
The 30-day cookie window is industry standard. Not amazing, not terrible. It means if someone clicks your link today but doesn’t buy until Day 29, you still get paid. After Day 30, you’re out of luck.
Step-by-Step: Getting Started With North Skull
Getting Approved on Awin
North Skull runs through Awin, one of the major affiliate networks. If you’re already on Awin, you can apply directly. If not, you’ll need to create an Awin publisher account first.
The approval process is straightforward. Have a live website with actual content related to fashion, jewelry, gifts, or men’s lifestyle. A social media presence helps but isn’t mandatory. They’re looking for real traffic sources, not spam sites. Approval typically takes 2-5 business days.
Pro tip: Mention specific content ideas in your application. “I plan to create a men’s jewelry gift guide for the holidays” sounds way better than “I want to promote your products.”
Finding Your Angle
North Skull’s aesthetic isn’t for everyone, and that’s exactly why it works. Their designs appeal to guys who want jewelry but hate the typical “bro” style or overly traditional looks. Think: musicians, creative professionals, guys in their 20s-40s who lean alternative or modern minimalist.
Your content angles should tap into this. Gift guides for men who hate typical gifts. Style guides for minimalist accessories. Alternative wedding ring roundups. You’re not competing with mainstream jewelry content because you’re targeting a different buyer psyche entirely.
Traffic Strategies That Actually Work
SEO: The Long Game That Pays Off
This is where North Skull shines for patient marketers. The keywords aren’t brutally competitive like “men’s jewelry” but they’re specific enough to convert.
Target phrases like “skull rings for men,” “gothic jewelry for men,” “alternative men’s accessories,” or “edgy minimalist jewelry.” These have decent search volume (500-2,000 monthly searches) without the competition of broader terms.
Create comprehensive buying guides: “17 Best Skull Rings for Men [2025 Guide]” with North Skull featured prominently alongside 3-4 alternatives. Compare designs, prices, and quality. Be honest about where North Skull excels (design, quality materials) and where they don’t (price point is higher than fast fashion alternatives).
Build topical authority. Don’t just write one article and hope. Create 5-10 pieces around men’s alternative jewelry, style guides, and gift recommendations. Google rewards sites that comprehensively cover a topic.
Pinterest: The Underrated Jewelry Traffic Source
Everyone sleeps on Pinterest for men’s products, which is exactly why it works. Yes, Pinterest skews female, but there’s a massive “gifts for him” search behavior happening constantly.
Create pins for: “Unique Gifts for Him,” “Alternative Men’s Jewelry,” “Gothic Accessories,” “Minimalist Men’s Rings.” Link to your blog posts that feature North Skull.
The key is creating pins that don’t look like ads. Lifestyle shots, flat lays, gift guide graphics. Pinterest rewards fresh content, so create 5-10 pins per blog post using different images and titles.
Instagram: Building a Micro-Niche Presence
If you’re willing to show your face or curate content, Instagram can work. The strategy isn’t posting product photos and hoping for sales. It’s building genuine content around alternative men’s style.
Post outfit inspiration using North Skull pieces. Show how to style skull rings with different looks. Create carousel posts: “5 Jewelry Rules Every Guy Should Break.” Feature North Skull as one example among others. Your bio link goes to your blog where the affiliate links live.
Engagement matters more than follower count. A thousand genuine followers in the alternative men’s fashion niche beats 10,000 random followers.
What Nobody Tells You About Promoting Jewelry
The Seasonality Factor
Jewelry affiliate commissions spike hard during Q4. November through December can generate 40-50% of your annual jewelry affiliate revenue. Valentine’s Day is another bump, followed by Father’s Day.
Plan your content calendar backward from these dates. Publish your gift guides in October, not December. Pinterest pins need 45-60 days to gain traction. SEO content needs 3-6 months.
The Return Rate Reality
Jewelry has higher return rates than most products, around 15-20%. Some networks claw back commissions on returns. Awin’s policy varies by merchant. Check North Skull’s specific terms, but budget mentally for 10-15% of your commissions potentially disappearing due to returns.
Photography Matters Ridiculously
Jewelry is visual. Your content needs great images. Since you can’t use stock photos effectively (they look generic), screenshot North Skull’s actual product pages. Their photography is professional enough to use in your content. Always include proper attribution and only use images in the context of reviews/recommendations (fair use).
Better yet: if you’re serious about this niche, buy a few pieces and photograph them yourself. The content performs dramatically better when readers can see real-world styling.
Realistic Earnings Timeline
Let’s set actual expectations because most affiliate content oversells this.
Months 1-3: You’re building. Publishing content, waiting for Google to index and rank your pages, growing social presence. Revenue: $0-50/month. This is normal. Don’t quit.
Months 4-6: Your content starts ranking. You’re getting 200-500 visitors monthly to your North Skull content. Revenue: $50-200/month. Not impressive yet, but you’re seeing traction.
Months 7-12: Compounding kicks in. Multiple articles ranking, Pinterest pins driving traffic, maybe some social following. 1,000-2,000 monthly visitors to your jewelry content. Revenue: $200-500/month from North Skull alone.
Year 2+: If you’ve built real topical authority and stayed consistent, you’re looking at 5,000+ monthly visitors and $500-1,500/month just from this one affiliate program. Add in other jewelry programs and you’ve got a real income stream.
These numbers assume you’re creating quality content consistently, not just throwing up three articles and hoping for magic.
Who Should Skip This Program
Being honest: North Skull isn’t for everyone.
Skip it if you’re targeting older demographics (55+) or ultra-conservative audiences. The skull motif and modern aesthetic doesn’t resonate there.
Skip it if you need quick money. Jewelry affiliates work best as a long-term SEO play. If you need commissions this month, focus on higher-ticket affiliate programs or products with shorter sales cycles.
Skip it if you hate creating visual content. Jewelry requires good images, styling shots, and visual presentation. If you’re purely a writer who hates dealing with images, this niche will frustrate you.
Alternatives Worth Considering
If North Skull’s commissions feel too low or the niche too specific, consider these alternatives:
Blue Nile: Higher commissions (up to 7%), broader jewelry selection, but way more competition.
Etsy Affiliates (through Awin): 4% on everything, massive variety, but lower average order values.
James Allen: 5-7% commissions on engagement rings and fine jewelry, higher price points mean bigger per-sale commissions.
The smart move isn’t choosing one. Feature North Skull for alternative men’s jewelry content, Blue Nile for traditional engagement ring content, Etsy for unique/custom pieces. Diversify your jewelry affiliate portfolio.
The Bottom Line
The North Skull affiliate program works if you’re playing the long game with content focused on alternative men’s style. The 6% commission won’t make you rich on day one, but it’s legitimate money from a legitimate brand in an underserved niche.
Start with one comprehensive blog post. See if the audience responds. If you get traction, double down with more content around men’s jewelry, alternative accessories, and gift guides.
The jewelry niche rewards patience and quality. Create helpful content, target the right micro-niche keywords, and let compounding traffic work its magic.