Are you looking for a way to monetize your website or blog? If so, you may have come across the affiliate network Commission Junction (CJ.com, or CJ Affiliate). It’s a well-established network that many affiliate marketers are willing to join to find out what’s on offer. But is CJ.com worth joining? The answer is not so straightforward. Why should you join CJ when you can find many other affiliate networks out there? Let’s find out.
What is CJ.com?
CJ Affiliate is one of the largest affiliate networks. An affiliate network is essentially a middleman service between advertisers (retailers, brands) and publishers (affiliates).
Advertisers sign up with CJ to have their products/services promoted on affiliates’ websites. In turn, publishers sign up with CJ to find advertisers to promote on their websites. When a publisher promotes a campaign and someone clicks on their affiliate link, the advertiser pays the publisher a commission.
CJ makes it easy for advertisers and publishers to find each other and start working together. It also provides tools and resources that help both parties optimize their campaigns and maximize their earnings.
CJ has been around since 1998 and is one of the most well-known affiliate networks. It is said to have more than 14 billion customers a year, 157 million annual transactions, and raises revenue of some $16 billion. It offers a wide variety of advertisers in many different niches. CJ is especially popular with bloggers and content creators because of the large number of registered advertisers. As of 2022,
Why Should You Join CJ.com?
You shouldn’t. Unless you know exactly which advertiser (brand) you want to promote and you are confident to earn commissions regularly by promoting their products. The reason is, if you don’t earn anything and don’t log in for a while, your CJ account will be inactive. If you don’t earn a commission every month, CJ will deduct an administration fee from your earnings. This is something that other affiliate networks don’t do. That’s why CJ should only be considered if you feel it’s absolutely necessary.
Why Would My Account Be Inactive?
Your CJ account may become inactive because your sales activity has fallen below the minimum requirement and you haven’t logged in for 90 days or more. CJ requires affiliates to generate at least $100 in commissions per month to maintain an active account. CJ sometimes emails you to warn you, but not every time. That’s why it’s not worth joining CJ unless you are confident that you can make constant affiliate sales.
Is CJ Trying To Reduce The Number Of Publishers?
The number of affiliate marketers is ever-increasing. One of the common mistakes that newbie affiliates make is that they sign up with as many affiliate programs and networks “just in case” because they don’t know which products to promote yet. As a result, they end up neglecting most of the networks and never come back again. This is a huge waste of server space for any affiliate network.
CJ is a legitimate, established affiliate network and it’s only fair it tries to reduce the number of registered publishers with no activity.
How To Reactive Your CJ Account
If you've been inactive in your CJ affiliate account for more than 90 days, you'll need to reactivate it before you can start navigating the network again. Here's a quick guide on how to do that.
- Log in to your CJ account.
- You’ll see a message that prompts you to reactivate your account.
- You’ll be required to click the boxes to agree to their terms.
- One of them is to read their terms of service. You will need to click the link to open the CJ Affiliate Publisher Service Agreement page.
- Once you’ve opened (and read) the agreement page, you are allowed to click the “Reactivate Account” button.
- Your account will be immediately reactivated.
Once your account is reactivated, you'll be able to start promoting campaigns again.
You May Lose All Your Commissions
CJ’s minimum payment threshold is $50 for direct deposit or $100 for a check. If you have earned some affiliate commission but less than the threshold, beware. You should make sure that you are earning some more so that you can withdraw it. If your CJ account balance is below the threshold and you leave it dormant for a while, the dormant account fee of $10 will be deducted every month from your balance, until your balance becomes zero. Once it becomes zero, no fees will be assessed. So at least you won’t have to pay back CJ any money.
Slow Loading Dashboard
Unfortunately, CJ's dashboard has always been notoriously slow to load. Each time you click a menu or link, you will have to wait for 20 seconds or longer. So you nee to be patient.
What Are The Alternatives To CJ?
There are many affiliate marketing networks out there, and not all of them are created equal. If you're looking for an alternative to CJ.com, here are a few options to consider:
- Awin - Awin is a global affiliate network with a focus on performance marketing. They have a wide range of merchant programs available in a variety of different niches. And, they offer a suite of tools to help affiliates optimize their campaigns.
- ShareASale - ShareASale is another large affiliate network with a wide range of merchant programs available. They also have a good reputation for customer service and Payments on Time (POT).
- Rakuten Affiliate Network - Rakuten Advertising has been around for less than a decade but is already making a big impact with its wide selection of merchant programs and a strong emphasis on customer service.
- Impact.com - Impact is an affiliate network that specializes in performance marketing. They offer a wide range of merchant programs in a variety of different niches. And, they have a suite of tools to help affiliates optimize their campaigns.
- Flex Offers - FlexOffers is an affiliate network that offers a wide range of flexible options for both advertisers and affiliates. They have a wide range of merchant programs available in a variety of different niches. And, they offer both CPA and CPL commission structures.
- AvantLink - AvantLink is an affiliate network that specializes in outdoor and sporting goods merchant programs. They have a wide range of merchant programs available in a variety of different niches. And, they offer a suite of tools to help affiliates optimize their campaigns.
CJ Affiliate Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Is CJ Affiliate Worth Joining? Conclusion
CJ offers a wide variety of products and services to promote, and they have a solid reputation in the industry. But your account will be deactivated if you don’t log in and make any commission, and $10 monthly dormant fee will be deducted from your earnings. It’s a very reliable affiliate network but I can only recommend it if you have a particular advertiser you want to promote and are determined to make regular sales.
How To Find The Best Affiliate Network For You
Ultimately, the best affiliate network for you is the one that will provide you with the most opportunities to generate sales. Here are a few things to consider when choosing an affiliate network:
The types of products or services offered:
If you are promoting physical goods, be sure to choose an affiliate network that specializes in this type of thing. Conversely, if you are promoting digital products or services, look for an affiliate network that has a good reputation for this.
The size of the network:
The larger the network, the more potential customers you'll have access to. However, a smaller network can sometimes be more targeted and therefore more effective.
The commission structure:
Some affiliate networks offer higher commissions than others. Be sure to find an affiliate network with a favorable commission structure, but based on the type of product being sold.
The payment schedule:
Some affiliate networks pay out more frequently than others. If you need regular income from your affiliate marketing efforts, be sure to choose an affiliate network that pays out on a schedule that works for you.
The support offered:
Some affiliate networks offer more support than others. If you are new to affiliate marketing, or if you need help with promoting your products or services, look for an affiliate network that offers good customer support.
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I agree with you. I made sales with CJ but because I didn’t follow up the following months I lost it all. I don’t recommend CJ. Shareasale is much better with better customer service and easier dashboard.