April 8, 2024
Affiliate Disclosure: We may earn a commission if you buy something through the links on this page (at no extra cost).
Content monetization is a business and revenue stream for many entrepreneurs and digital nomads. The category includes vlogging, blogging, selling books and courses, and more. Creating and monetizing video content correlates highly with YouTube. YouTubers upload their videos to generate revenue from ads. They can also make money through affiliate marketing, merchandise, product sponsorships, endorsement deals, etc.
It’s highly competitive on YouTube, and the competition will only increase. However, it’s not too late to start a YouTube channel because billions of people use it. First, with so many users, there’s always a chance enough individuals will subscribe to a new channel. Secondly, many creators make four, five, and six figures monthly.
On the other hand, YouTube algorithm updates and impulsive management decisions create an unpredictable, unfair, and untransparent environment. When problems arise, YouTube’s lack of accountability and humanoid interaction worsens. Therefore, it makes sense to tread cautiously on YouTube and diversify revenue streams due to the possibility of demonetization.
For all that YouTube is and isn’t, it’s still a viable method to monetize content. To support your goals and help you thrive/survive, TubeBuddy offers a robust app for planning, strategizing, and growing a channel. Its free browser extension on Chrome, Firefox, and Opera features many tools for productivity, keyword research, tags, bulk processing, analytics, and more. In addition, its web app provides dashboards and charts for various video and channel metrics. Many features are free to access, while others are available on paid plans. In addition, TubeBuddy is a YouTube-certified app.
Company Profile
- Founded by Phil Starkovich, Jim Starkovich, Eric Hogan, and Chuck Starkovich in 2014
- Headquarters: San Diego, California
- Employees: 10 to 20
- 1,000,000+ users through the Chrome Web Store
- Chrome Web Store app rating: 4.6 out of 5
Plans and Pricing
TubeBuddy offers a free browser extension, and paying customers can access premium features. Discounts are available for annual billing. TubeBuddy’s plans include the following:
| TubeBuddy Plans | Monthly Billing | Annual Billing (20% Off) | Features |
| Free | $0 | $0 | 17 |
| Pro | $4.50 | $43.20 ($3.60/mo) | 36 |
| Legend | $28.99 | $278.28 ($23.19/mo) | 60+ |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | n/a | 60+ |
TubeBuddy Affiliate Program
TubeBuddy has an affiliate program. It’s self-hosted and uses in-house affiliate marketing software. Here’s a snapshot.
- Cost per action (CPA): Cost per sale
- Commission rate: Up to 30%
- Commission type: Recurring
- Cookie duration: Lifetime
- Payout threshold: $0 or $10
- Payment options: PayPal
- Affiliate software/network: In-house
Program Eligibility
TubeBuddy doesn’t have eligibility requirements. Instead, its program is open to bloggers, YouTubers, social media marketers, content creators, and deal/coupon sites.
How to Sign Up or Apply
Here are the steps to sign up for TubeBuddy’s affiliate program:
- Visit the TubeBuddy affiliate program page.
- Click on the “Sign Up” button or login.
- Go to the Affiliate Center and Dashboard to get started.
- Read and agree to the terms and conditions.
Program Benefits
TubeBuddy pays a high commission rate, and marketers can earn up to a 30% recurring commission.
The commission payout threshold is low. TubeBuddy issues payments when commissions exceed $10 and $0 for “Super Affiliates.” Payouts are sent to the affiliate’s PayPal account.
Affiliates get a lifetime cookie. One of my biggest criticisms of some programs is their short cookie/conversion windows. TubeBuddy’s referral period exceeds the 30-day industry standard and is one of a few programs that offer a cookie that doesn’t expire. That allows for mutually beneficial outcomes.
Deep linking isn’t available, but it’s how an affiliate creates a link to a specific page on the merchant’s site. Instead of using a standard homepage affiliate link, you can link to a product, page, or article related to your content to increase relevance and conversion rates. For instance, you can deep-link to their pricing page by adding your affiliate code to the URL like this: https://www.tubebuddy.com/pricing?a=07nbz
Affiliates can easily track their results and earnings. TubeBuddy offers a robust affiliate marketing solution to monitor activities, including clicks, impressions, sales, and commissions.
TubeBuddy is a pioneer and top-rated social media company. It’s also the #1 YouTube tool for thousands of YouTubers. With over 100 features and a constant flow of innovative functions, it’s a SaaS company that never sleeps. Explore TubeBuddy’s YouTube channel for tips, updates, and insights on how to succeed.
Affiliates can get a free Star or Legend license by referring enough people, even if those referrals don’t convert.
TubeBuddy has only a handful of legit competitors, such as VidIQ. Because customers’ choices are limited, its monopolistic status can lead to above-average conversion rates. VidIQ also has a good affiliate program, but it pays less.
Program Drawbacks
Commission rates have fallen. While 30% is a reasonable commission rate, it’s lower than the 50% TubeBuddy previously offered. Unfortunately, a 40% commission cut doesn’t give me confidence that things are moving in the right direction for affiliates (however, TubeBuddy gets to keep more of the pie).
An affiliate sign-up page outlines the program and how it works, but TubeBuddy misses the mark. Hopefully, they’ll update their sign-up page to include more details.
A full-time affiliate marketing manager may not exist. However, TubeBuddy provides a video tour of the affiliate dashboard, a beginner’s handbook, and a support forum.
TubeBuddy focuses on the past, not the present or future. They recently launched TubeBuddy Unversity, which offers courses on YouTube success and affiliate marketing. However, instead of attracting current and influential YouTubers, they opted for creators of yesteryear. Again, their decision-making since being acquired makes me scratch my head.
More great reads:
- 47 High-Paying Affiliate Programs
- 27 Pay Per Lead Affiliate Programs
- 24 High-Ticket Affiliate Programs
- 42 Best Recurring Affiliate Programs
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Can you make $1,000 a month as a TubeBuddy affiliate? You can and more. TubeBuddy offers a high commission rate, support, and perks. Those benefits align with its top-rated YouTube tool for growing a channel.
Where should TubeBuddy rank in your marketing activities? It should be a mid-priority. YouTube is a high-traffic site where thousands of creators go to monetize their videos. YouTube’s Studio application is terrific but lacks in many areas, such as keyword research, competitor insights, and bulk processing. Those are the problems third-party apps like TubeBuddy seek to address.
TubeBuddy’s mission is to “make you and the rest of the YouTube Community happier and more productive.” It also wants to “build tools to make it easier” to succeed on YouTube. Most TubeBuddy users will tell you the company is fulfilling those objectives.
I recommend joining TubeBuddy’s affiliate program because it has excellent potential, and I’ve made money.
