Now I know there really is an affiliate marketing program for everything. Halloween costumes, travel, dog training, wine, and now movies. There is an affiliate marketing program for each of these, and everything in between.
The Motion Picture Association of America said in its 2013 Theatrical Market Statistics report that the US/Canada Box Office earned USD $10.9 billion, with 227.8 million people going to the movies at least once last year. Meanwhile, Nielsen.com reports that online purchase of DVDs and video games is up 13% this year. Clearly, the movie niche is a thriving, with a large target market.
Keywords in Film
I've decided to use AffiloTools this time to give this post a "breath of fresh air," if you will. AffiloTools is like Traffic Travis, only it's web-based and competition is displayed in percentages. The lower the percentage, the less competition.
Now, the keywords you'll target in the movie niche would depend on what movie or movie-related product you'll be promoting. If you're going to recommend movies through movie reviews, then you need to target keywords like "movie review" and movie title + "review" keywords, like "iron man 3 review." Keywords like these tend to have good monthly search views and low competition.
If you're going to recommend or promote foreign or independent films, those are the keywords to target. Always check out Ubersuggest.org too so you can see more variations of your target keyword.
Movie Affiliate Programs
I always check the Clickbank Marketplace first before looking for affiliate programs elsewhere. While they do have affiliate programs for movies, they are mostly movie downloads.
Film Movement
Film Movement offers a subscription-based service giving members access to critically-acclaimed independent and foreign films. Local and foreign independent films often have to take a backseat to blockbusters, mostly because they lack the funds to market themselves. Film Movement helps these movies reach their target audience.
The affiliate program is through Commission Junction. Affiliate get a 10 percent commission for each referral.
Docurama
Docurama is a DVD label that brings high-quality documentaries to the mainstream market. The online store carries some of the best documentary titles. The site manages its own affiliate network and offers affiliates 10 percent per referral.
Warner Bros. Online Store
Warner Bros. is a large American film, music and television producer. The online site, WBShop.com, sells copies of movies released by Warner Bros and its subsidiaries. It also offers collectibles, accessories and clothing.
You can earn up to 7 percent commission on ALL sales, so this is not limited to just DVDs. The affiliate program is run through Commission Junction.
iTunes
I've featured iTunes before as part of the music affiliate programs post. iTunes mainly offers music downloads, but users can also download movies to their mobile devices and computers.
You need to sign up as an affiliate through Apple's own Affiliate Helpdesk. The site doesn't mention the exact commission you will earn, but it does say that you will receive commission for all sales made through your affiliate links within 24 hours of the purchase.
Fandango
Fandango sells movie tickets online. The site also offers gift cards, and provides movie-goers with previews, reviews and insider news on the movie industry. Their service is limited to the US only.
The affiliate program is through Commission Junction. You earn USD $0.10 for every ticket purchased though your Fandango affiliate link, while each gift card order gets you USD $2.
You can also go to Amazon.com and recommend DVDs or Blu-rays of your favorite movies. Offervault has some movie-related offers too so you might want to check these out.
Movie Affiliate Programs: Blockbuster or Lackluster?
The movie industry is clearly an income-generating industry. If you have a movie review site, or a blog that focuses on a specific movie genre, then you can definitely monetize it with any of the above movie affiliate programs.
Some of the affiliate programs I've covered may require a threshold of traffic on your site before you can get accepted as an affiliate, so I really can't recommend these to those just starting out. But don't let that get in your way if this niche is something you're really interested in. You can always get in touch with the affiliate manager for the product you want to promote and let them know you really want to join and promote their service.
The commissions aren't really all that exciting, and it can get quite competitive too with the keywords you can target. Still, if this is one of your interests or passions, then you go ahead and try. At the very least, you will earn enough to get tickets for your next movie date.
That ends this week's Niche of the Week. I hope you enjoyed it, and please do share! I love to hear from you so please leave your comments!
Need extra lessons on keyword research? AffiloBlueprint can help!
Roberto Esposito • 10 years ago
I went to College for acting an know many film addicts. Can you suggest how I can approach someone to create a partnership where I use their name to publish movie reviews for my site? What type of commission split is adequate in this case? I am really intrigued about this, because I left college to pursue wealth, and my passion has always been artistic. I feel this is a great way to blend the 2.
I look forward to hearing from you.
-Roberto
Melissa Johnson • 10 years ago
There are a lot of ways to bring someone on board. The easiest way is simply to reach out and ask. If you're going after an established person in the niche, I suggest you treat it like you were approaching an investor -- Be able to explain who you are, what you can offer, etc. Try to anticipate the questions they might ask and have the data handy.
Depending on what arrangements you create, you might not have to split commissions, though it's certainly generous of you. You could simply hire a freelancer or someone else to do the writing and pay them outright, per piece. If you do split commissions, you need to make sure that the final cut is still profitable for you, between time and overhead costs....
Michelle Griswald • 7 years ago