Hulu is one of the most popular live-streaming platforms on the internet. The company has almost 40 million paid subscribers as of the time of writing. One of the ways that Hulu has achieved this growth is through its affiliate program.
Hulu’s affiliate program is similar to many other affiliate opportunities. It involves advertising the company’s subscriptions on your website. You get a referral code and whenever someone uses that code, you get paid.
If you’re able to drive a lot of conversions for Hulu, you could make quite a bit through its affiliate program. However, it can sometimes be challenging to get started with these programs. That’s why we put together the following guide.
Keep reading to learn everything that you need to know about Hulu’s affiliate program. We’ll tell you how to get started so that you can begin making passive income with your existing web traffic.
Commission Rates and Rules
Commission Rate
The commission rate for the Hulu affiliate program is pretty straightforward. You get paid when someone clicks on your affiliate link and signs up for Hulu. However, you won’t get paid unless the person ends up continuing their free trial.
For example, someone can click the link on your website to visit Hulu and sign up for a free 7-day trial. Once that trial ends, they’ll have the option of canceling their service or paying for a plan. If the person pays for a plan, then you will get paid.
The rates can be as high as 70% of the customer’s purchase. But this generally translates to about $6. This bottom line is that you get $6 every time someone pays Hulu after getting a free trial through your link.
Rules
The rules for Hulu’s affiliate program are a bit unclear. The company doesn’t really advertise this program. Therefore, it’s difficult to find a complete list of the rules anywhere online.
That being said, there are some pretty standard rules for affiliate marketing that you should expect to have to follow. For example, you likely won’t be able to be an affiliate for one of Hulu’s competitors.
Some companies also restrict the types of content you can have on your website. For instance, you may need to keep your website family-friendly to remain qualified. However, it’s impossible to say exactly what that might mean for you since Hulu doesn’t publish its affiliate program rules.
Tools and Support
Affiliate programs can sometimes be complicated to manage. That’s especially true if you’re participating in multiple programs at the same time. However, Hulu offers a few features that will help you with this.
When you sign up for the Hulu Affiliate program, you’ll get access to the company’s affiliate support team. You can ask them questions whenever you have them. Having this type of support can make it much easier to manage your work with Hulu.
Additionally, the Hulu affiliate program includes a tracking dashboard. This is where you’ll see information about how effective your Hulu promos have been for you.
For example, you can use the tracking dashboard to see which of your pages are driving the most traffic.
Having access to this type of data can help you optimize the amount that you make from Hulu’s affiliate program. That’s because you can use it to make changes to your ad placements so that they perform optimally.
How Do You Join?
We found that becoming a Hulu affiliate is a bit of a complex process. But don’t worry. We’re here to walk you through it. Below, you’ll find a step-by-step review of what we did to get started with the Hulu Affiliate program.
Step 1
First, you need to know that Hulu partners with Commission Junction for its affiliate program. That means you need to go through Commission Junction to get started with the program.
You’ll begin by navigating to the Commission Junction application page for the Hulu Plus affiliate program. Here, you’ll see a quick overview of the program’s terms and conditions.
The page will also tell you what the current affiliate rate is. Keep in mind, this rate can vary from month to month so you may want to bookmark this page.
Step 2
The next step is pretty straightforward. You just follow the on-screen instructions to begin the application process. The application will have you select your language, country, and currency. Then you’ll press “next” to move onto the next stage of the process.
Step 3
At this point, you’re going to want to read through the documents you’re given. There should be two, one called Special Terms and Conditions and the other called Service Agreement. These documents will contain a lot of useful information about the affiliate program and your place in it.
Once you’ve read through the documents, you’re ready to move forward. You can do that by clicking the “accept” button at the end of each agreement. This indicates that you read the terms, understand them, and accept their conditions.
Step 4
Next, you’ll be presented with more documents for your consideration. You should see the Commission Junction Code of Conduct and Privacy Policy. Once again, you’ll want to read through these to see what they say.
After you’ve done that, you can click “accept” on the indicated boxes. This will show that you understand the terms and are willing to comply with them. At this stage of the process, you’ll also need to check a box stating you’re old enough for the program.
Step 5
Now you’re ready to start inputting some information about your website. The form will ask you for the name of your website, its URL, and a description of what it is. You will also be asked to provide an approximation of your average monthly visitors.
There are a few other pieces of information to fill in at this stage of the process as well. Just follow the instructions that you see on the screen to complete them. It’s worth noting, you will also need to say whether your website is managed independently or by another company.
Step 6
Next, you’ll be asked to prove that you’re a human and not a machine. This is pretty straightforward. You’ll just need to enter a CAPTCHA code into the designated area. It’s the same process that you’ve likely done a thousand times before.
Step 7
This is the very last phase of the application process. You’ll click on the “Accept Terms” button to turn in your completed application. Once you do that, it will go to Commission Junction for review.
We learned that Commission Junction considers a variety of factors while reviewing your application. For example, they will care what your website does and who visits it. But the biggest question they will have is how many people visit your site.
If your average monthly visitor number is quite large, you’re likely to be approved for the program. However, you could still be approved for the program with a lower visitor amount. Websites that operate in unique niches are especially likely to be approved.
Step 8
If Commission Junction likes your application, then you will be approved for the Hulu affiliate program. There are a few things that you’ll need to do to get started after this.
First, you’ll have to download the affiliate graphics or ad text that Commission Junction sends you. Then, you’re going to add these to your website in the designated locations.
Your ads will offer visitors a one-week free trial of Hulu Plus. They will contain your personal referral ID so that you get credit whenever a conversion occurs.
And that’s it! You’ve officially completed the Hulu affiliate program’s sign-up process. You’re ready to start earning money.
Advantages And Disadvantages
Pros
- Get paid as high as 70% per conversion
- Helpful reporting dashboard
- Access to Hulu’s affiliate support team
Cons
- Limited information available online about Hulu’s requirements for its affiliate program
- The company doesn’t provide any information about what it takes to qualify
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get started with Hulu’s affiliate program?
Getting started with Hulu’s affiliate program requires applying through Commission Junction. This is the company that handles Hulu’s affiliate program.
You will need to fill out the information requested in the application and agree to terms to begin. The company will then let you know if you’ve been approved or not.
Who can join Hulu’s affiliate program?
Unfortunately, there isn’t much information about this available online. It’s likely that you need to have a decent amount of web traffic to qualify. It’s also likely that your website needs to be at least somewhat family-friendly. However, more specific qualification information is not provided by Hulu.
How much can I make with Hulu’s affiliate program?
You can make up to 70% of each conversion that you deliver for Hulu. That usually translates to about $6 per person. Your web traffic and your ability to convert website visitors will determine your overall income. Generally, the more web traffic and conversions you can deliver, the more you can make.
What’s included with Hulu’s affiliate program?
Hulu includes access to its affiliate support team with its program. If you’re approved for it, you’ll also get a useful reporting dashboard. You can use this to optimize the performance of your affiliate ads for the company.