Impact Affiliate Platform Review: Everything You Need to Know

With a gazillion affiliate platforms available, choosing the right one can be a daunting task. Among these platforms, the Impact affiliate platform has established itself as a leading choice.

I’ve been using Impact to support clients and as a publisher myself since 2018.

In my experience, the platform has evolved so much over the years from the detailed reports and precise commission options. It has made all the difference in managing and optimizing affiliate programs.

This review has been a long time in the works, so I’m excited to share my experience and perspective on the platform.

So, if you’re in the market for affiliate software that truly stands out, read on to discover why Impact may be the perfect fit for your needs.

What is the Impact Affiliate Platform and How Does it Work?

Impact Radius was founded in 2008 by a team of Internet marketing and technology experts who previously founded Commission Junction, Savings.com, and Leadpoint.

Located in sunny Santa Barbara, California, they set out with a clear vision: to transform the way companies handle media, tracking, and data.

They wanted a suite of business products that would empower companies and affiliates to effectively manage their affiliate programs across all marketing channels in one place.

Here’s a view of their website from May 2011, you can see they pushed the affiliate performance piece across channels message loud.

In 2018, Impact Radius became simply “Impact,” expanding its horizons and shaking up affiliate marketing with its cutting-edge platform and acquiring companies along the way.

They have support from private equity groups W Capital and venture capital from Providence Equity & Qatar Investment Authority.

Since I’ve been in this affiliate game for a while, it was hard for me to drop the Radius when the company rebranded but I can now confidently call it Impact.

How Does the Impact Affiliate Software Work?

My answer depends on which side of the affiliate marketing world you live in. Maybe it’s both if you are like me.

Either way, it serves as a multi-faceted hub where advertisers can connect with relevant influencers, editorial sites, and large-scale media companies to promote their products or services.

On the flip side, it offers publishers a vast array of affiliate programs to join, allowing them to monetize their content efficiently.

The platform wields mighty tracking technology, keeping a watchful eye on every transaction.

This data-driven approach gives marketers the power to make savvy decisions, optimize strategies, and unlock revenue potential.

How Do I Get an Affiliate Tracking Link in Impact?

To start earning money, you need affiliate tracking links in your digital real estate.

It’s one of the most popular and common questions that Impact gets. That’s why it ranks in their help center.

For affiliates, you can create one in your account dashboard or use a deep link affiliate plug-in extension.

On the other hand, advertisers must create an ad in their Impact dashboard first. They can then generate tracking links from there and distribute them to their publishers.

How to Get Started with Impact?

Impact makes it easy to get started with their affiliate network.

First, you must sign up for an Impact account either as a brand, publisher, or agency.

For affiliates, it’s as easy as filling out an online form with some contact details and agreement to their terms. You’ll verify your email address and website (if applicable).

Once the registration process is complete and your account is approved by Impact staff, you can start using their platform right away.

Meanwhile, businesses have to submit more details like company name and website URL.

You’ll likely have to sit through a free demo so you can get product pricing.

What Makes Impact Different?

I have been asked this question many times in my affiliate career.

What sets it apart from other programs is its advanced tech. It’s been one of the highest-rated in the industry for many years.

The engineering team can handle even more intricate tracking needs. I’ve been on customer support calls with solution architects, and you can tell they genuinely want to help.

These developers are constantly fine-tuning existing offerings and innovating new areas.

The reporting is one of my favorite features. You can easily generate custom reports and drill down into granular performance data.

On the brand side, there are over a hundred reports you can pin to your UI, save or schedule to be sent to your email. Reports range from finance to operations.

Looking at just performance, you can view over twenty-five different options.

What are the Pros and Cons of using the Impact Affiliate Platform?

As with any affiliate marketing network, there are advantages and disadvantages to using Impact.

Pro

• Highly rated amongst the industry by brands, agencies and affiliates

• Robust tracking capabilities & comprehensive reporting system

• More investment into the tech with regular product releases

• Automation options — you can set up rules or automated campaigns to boost your affiliate marketing performance

• Comprehensive knowledge base on their site for self-help support

• Dedicated courses for brands and affiliates with PXA academy

Cons

• The entry-level offering is not always the greatest for small businesses

• May require a steep learning curve to become familiar with their platform

• May be slower to get a response back from Customer Service due to the ticket system

• Fees off placement bonuses to publishers

H2: What Brands Can You Promote with Impact?

Impact is one of the highest-rated affiliate networks in the world. They connect brands to over 35,000 marketing partners and generate more than $3 billion in sales each year for their clients.

The platform offers a wide range of lifestyle products and services including fashion apparel, health & wellness, home goods, food & beverages, travel & leisure, electronics, gaming, and more.

Some of the major brands you can promote with Impact include Adidas, Big Commerce, Target, Kohl’s, Walmart, Lenovo, Macy’s and many others.

When I managed Sears’s affiliate program, we started noticing larger companies in the retail space migrate to Impact.

It was a big deal because migrations are not easy by any means.

H3: What Brands are the Highest Paying?

When it comes to commission structure in affiliate campaigns, there are a lot of models and ways to pay an affiliate partner.

In my opinion, there are mainly three types: fixed-rate commissions, percentage-based commissions, and performance-based bonuses.

Impact offers all these commission structures to its affiliates.

Which model and brand will garner the highest return? That depends on lots of factors. However, you should look at four main areas in an affiliate program.

So, if you want to increase your payments from brands, make sure to join programs that have longer cookie durations, along with higher rates and AOV.

Payment Process and Schedule for the Impact Affiliate Platform?

Once you reach a minimum balance amount, you have the option to withdraw your account balance from impact.com and transfer it to your bank account or PayPal.

To withdraw your account balance, impact.com requires a minimum balance of $10 USD (or the approximate equivalent in your local currency).

However, you can update your withdrawal to something higher like $50.

Once you have completed the necessary steps, impact.com will initiate a payment to your account. You will receive an email notification confirming that your account balance is available for withdrawal.

The payment process is hassle-free, secure, and simple for an affiliate partner.

Impact also offers different schedules for payments to their affiliates depending on the country of residence. For example, in the United States, affiliates receive weekly payments while those in other countries usually receive biweekly payments.

On the brand side, the program manager sets those terms & conditions.

Typically, the company is aligned with whatever the finance team’s schedule is.

Most will have an action locking period of 30 days and then pay their partners 15-30 days after that.

Overall, it’s around 45-60 days to pay your media partners. Always check your terms and conditions to verify your payment schedule.

Comparison to Other Affiliate Networks

When looking to join or use an affiliate network, there are a lot of things to consider. Below are just a few names that come to mind when I’m thinking of Impact’s friendly competitors.

CJ Affiliate

CJ has been around forever within the industry. They’ve built a solid name behind customer service and support the publisher side of things. However, their data overall lags in comparison to the Impact affiliate network.

Their UI and API can have difficulty connecting, and their Affiliate Insights is not that user-friendly.

Awin

On the other hand, Awin is a more complex platform. They handle larger, global programs so if you’re a smaller business this may be out of your reach.

Their pricing could also be a factor for smaller businesses, as they do not offer the same low-cost setup fees found in Impact’s program.

ShareASale

ShareASale is similar to CJ, offering good customer service and support. They have some great insights but may not offer as much in terms of technical capabilities. This reflects customer feedback from the time they were acquired by Awin.

Rakuten Advertising

Rakuten is a great platform for mid-sized and larger organizations, as they can easily scale programs. Their analytics are user friendly and their infrastructure can handle large data sets without issue.

The downside is that there can be significant delays in payments, making it difficult to build relationships with partners when you’re not offering them timely payments

Overall, it’s important to know what you’re looking for in an affiliate network before deciding which one is best for your program. It’s essential to do research and see which features each offer that best meet your needs.

Final Thoughts on Impact Affiliate Platform Review

When it comes to affiliate marketing, Impact is one of the leading platforms on the market.

I’ve used the platform for many years now, and truly believe it’s moving affiliate marketing into the future. Impact uses innovative technology to make the entire process easier while offering users great insights and analytics.