77.8 million…
…that’s the number of projected international car sales for 2017.
Companies like Toyota boast revenues of $254 billion worldwide in 2016.
What’s the point of this?
Just to reinforce how big the auto industry is – and the fact it’s growing. An industry so large that even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of affiliate sales can make you incredible returns.
You’ve got those that want an everyday car to get to and from work. You’ve got the enthusiasts that are dropping a million+ on a single car. Then, you’ve got all the industries grouped in with automotive from repairs and auto discount stores to car mods and entertainment.
There are hundreds of sub-niches within this industry; even more, once you sub the sub-niche!
Where to even begin?!
Here are a few automotive affiliate programs that caught our eye that is sure to get things rolling for those affiliates taking this industry for a ride.
The Best Automotive Affiliate Programs
Despite the tough barrier of the auto industry — we believe we’ve found a good mix of automotive programs that you and your audience will love — see what they’ve got!
Edmunds
Edmunds: one of the leading, trusted names in buying new and used cars.
Edmunds provides a platform for interested buyers to find the best pricing on vehicles. It offers leasing guides and payment calculators to help users understand what they’re purchasing besides what’s displayed on the sticker price.
Users can do side-by-side comparisons of vehicles to help with their purchase.
Nearly every type of make and model is represented on the site. There is extensive content covering research topics and news. They share reviews, road tests, and a “true cost to own” overview.
Edmunds details:
- Custom commission terms
- 30-day referral period
- Banner, widgets, and text links
- Performance reports
- Full-time affiliate manager
Sign up: Edmunds affiliate program
Overall, Edmunds is the best choice when partnering with a program that does car sales. We hear the industry is ultra-tough so it’s good having a recognized, leading brand on your side. It’s a great match for sites focused on auto enthusiasts, car information, and financial advice.
LeaseTrader
LeaseTrader is sure to be an interesting affiliate promotion for your automotive site.
The basic premise is this: it works as a middle-man to help people offload their leases.
The site/platform lets users post their vehicle and negotiate a lease transfer anywhere in the world. Interested buyers can search the site for many vehicles makes and models.
It’s a way to get out of a lease without the harsh penalties.
Documents are sent to the parties, an agreement is made, docs signed, and the swap takes place.
LeaseTrader details:
- 30% commission
- Real-time reporting
- Thousands of makes and models
- High network payouts
Sign up: LeaseTrader affiliate program
Overall, this would provide an interesting promotion that could have your community members trading with one another (and signing up to the platform).
Total Car Diagnostics
Total Car Diagnostics is a shoe-in for any automotive website focused on repairs, modifications, and general maintenance.
The site offers scanning tools to better understand the performance of the vehicle; they provide detailed reports about what the data means and how it’s used to improve aspects of the car like horsepower, emissions, bottlenecks, and more.
They also offer key transponder programmers so people can make copies of their keys versus high prices found at authorized dealers – coincidentally, this becomes a biz op as well!
TCD details:
- 10% commissions
- Hyper-specific niche
- Payment via PayPal
- Easy acceptance
Sign up: Total Car Diagnostics affiliate program
Overall, these scanners and tools are a must-have item for those working on vehicles; the extensive understanding of what’s going on under the hood gives exact action steps to improve efficiency and performance – it’s a dream come true for auto enthusiasts.
Automotive Affiliate Program Runner-Ups
Those weren’t the only ones making our list — we’ve got plenty of others that should add some mileage to your affiliate marketing…
Uber
It’s not quite the automotive niche but then it is. Uber has a decent little affiliate program that’ll pay if you refer others to sign up and drive for their service. You get a cut of the revenue so if you can recruit a flee then a healthy recurring income will be coming your way. It’s a decent promo to fit the industry considering it’s getting paid to do what readers love: driving.
$50 (upon background check approval) – 180-day period – creatives – via Uber Driver US program
CarLashes
Call it stupid or whatever you will… people seem to love putting eyelashes on their cars. And wouldn’t you know? There’s an affiliate program for one of the larger stores that provide these goofy things.
5% commission — $100 min payout – monthly payments – CarLashes program
A-1 Auto Transport
A-1 Auto Transport does exactly what the brand name implies – they get a car from point A to point B. When we’re talking high-priced, collector cars… this matters. Sellers & dealers don’t want their vehicles dinged in the process nor do they want to risk it on the road. This is a great business to promote if you niche focuses on the custom, auction, and collector side of the industry.
Pay per lead – real-time tracking software – high conversions – monthly payouts – A-1 aff. program
AutoEverything
AutoEverything isn’t just a high-performance parts store. They also provide tools and accessories from leading brands like WeatherTech, Powerstop, and CoverKing. This would be the affiliate program to get with when talking small interior and exterior mods – ones everyone can do like swapping car mats or adding a new truck bed cover. They’ve got plenty of products and documentation that visitors will love.
2% commission — $200+ avg order – 24-hour cookie – 2MM products – data feed – AE aff. program
Parts Geek
Yeah, we have other auto part affiliate programs (see below) but Parts Geek is the game changer. The site is ugly but the simple design lets visitors search through 10 million+ parts to find some of the lowest prices on the Web. It’s way easier to use than most other auto sites.
Commission on signup – banners & text links – email & newsletters – You can see it here
Generic Automotive Affiliate Programs
BuyAutoParts.com is a great, general affiliate program you can join to monetize your efforts in the automotive industry.
Most people doing online searches for auto are seeking free advice. They’re bound to find it because mechanics and auto enthusiasts love discussing vehicles – they have no problems sharing everything they know to others.
Promoting auto parts is then the way to go.
You could use this free line to push premium offers through the affiliate program. It’s the classic freemium model so many have built their affiliate business from; it works so no reason to reinvent the wheel on this one.
Here’s what you can expect with it:
- .5-8% commissions
- 7-day cookie
- 200,000 products
Otherwise, you could always use a retailer like AutoZone or Advanced Auto Parts!
The site does have a buyer’s guide and blog which would be a fantastic source of inspiration for how you’ll structure blog posts. Look at their social feeds to see how they’re using them, too. This program is dead-simple to integrate – you shouldn’t have trouble coming up with tons of ideas considering their massive catalog of products.
Makin’ Money in the Fast Lane
A great automotive affiliate business is going to be difficult if you’re not a car and truck person. The people that are passionate about vehicles know their stuff. Yet, that doesn’t stop you from carving out your niche in the smaller areas like car gadgets, consumer tips, and ride sharing.
Looking for more automotive affiliate programs?
Visit our Cars & Trucks affiliate directory!
