About Skillshare

Skillshare is an online learning community based in the United States that operates under a subscription model. Members pay a monthly or annual fee for unlimited access to a vast catalog of educational video classes.

The courses are typically unaccredited and focus on creative and practical skills such as illustration, design, photography, video, freelancing, business, and more. Skillshare emphasizes hands-on learning and community interaction, often including project components, teacher feedback, and a collaborative learning environment.

The platform is open, meaning anyone can become an instructor and publish a course.

Skillshare Affiliate Program Overview

The Skillshare affiliate program allows individuals and businesses to earn a commission by promoting Skillshare memberships (usually a free trial or paid subscription) to their audience. Affiliates are provided with unique tracking links to monitor their referrals.

Attribute Details
Industry Online Learning / Education / E-Learning
Product Type Subscription Service (Digital Service)
Affiliate Program Type Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) / Cost Per Sale (CPS)

Skillshare Affiliate Program Offers

The program provides affiliates with the necessary tools and guidelines to effectively promote the platform. The cookie duration ensures affiliates are credited for referrals who sign up within a specific timeframe.

Promotional Material/Factor Details
Promotional Materials Unique tracking links, custom banners, text links, exclusive offers, and sometimes promo codes.
Affiliate Cookie Duration 30 days
Accepted Traffic Sources Blogs, websites, Facebook groups, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, email newsletters, and other demonstrated channels aligned with the Skillshare brand.
Accepted Countries Generally Worldwide (Global affiliates accepted).
Explicit Content Must align with Skillshare’s brand; generally not accepted for promotion. Affiliates must comply with the program’s terms and conditions.
Religious or Political Content Must align with Skillshare’s brand; generally not accepted for promotion. Affiliates must comply with the program’s terms and conditions.

Skillshare Affiliate Commissions & Payments

Skillshare offers a competitive commission for new customer sign-ups. Payouts are handled monthly through the affiliate management platform they use.

Payment/Commission Factor Details
MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) No. It is a single-tier commission structure; affiliates earn commission only on the sales they directly generate.
Commission Rate Varies, but commonly cited as 40% of the revenue for each new paid membership or a fixed rate (e.g., up to $67 per new customer or $7 per free trial sign-up, depending on the promotion and network).
Commission Structure Fixed commission or a percentage commission, typically Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) for new customer sign-ups.
Payout Frequency Monthly (usually 30 days after the end of the month in which the commission was locked).
Payout Methods PayPal, ACH (Direct Deposit), Check, Wire Transfer (methods may vary depending on the affiliate network used).
Minimum Payout Varies, often $10 or $100 depending on the affiliate network used (e.g., Impact often has a lower threshold like $10).

Suitable Affiliates for Skillshare Affiliate

The Skillshare affiliate program is highly suitable for content creators and online educators whose audience is interested in creative, professional, and practical skill development.

  • Bloggers: Highly suitable, especially those who write about design, creative skills, freelance work, technology, or personal development.
  • TikTokers: Highly suitable, particularly those who share short-form content on creative tutorials, ‘day in the life’ as a creative, or quick tips related to Skillshare’s course topics.
  • KOC (Key Opinion Consumers) / KOL (Key Opinion Leaders) / Influencers: Highly suitable, especially micro- and macro-influencers on platforms like Instagram and YouTube focused on creative niches (e.g., illustration, photography, video editing, graphic design).
  • YouTubers: Highly suitable, especially those who create video tutorials, reviews of online courses, ‘how-to’ content, or vlogs about creative careers and skill development.
  • Video editors: Suitable, as they can promote courses on advanced video editing, motion graphics, and filmmaking to their audience looking to improve their skills.
  • Livestreamers: Suitable, if their streams involve creative activities (e.g., drawing, design work, coding) and they can naturally integrate a Skillshare promotion.

Skillshare Affiliate Software

Skillshare primarily uses third-party affiliate network software to manage its program.

  • Affiliate Management Software: Impact (also known as Impact Radius) is a primary platform Skillshare uses to manage its affiliate program, including tracking, reporting, and payouts. The program may also be available on other networks like FlexOffers or ShareASale. They do not use in-house software exclusively.

3 Alternatives for Skillshare Affiliate Program

Here are three popular alternatives in the e-learning/online course space and a comparison table.

  1. Udemy: An online course marketplace where instructors can create and sell courses on almost any topic. It is characterized by its massive library, pay-per-course model (though they offer a business subscription), and frequent deep discounts.
  2. Teachable: A platform designed for individuals to create and sell their own online courses and coaching services, allowing them to build an independent online school. Its affiliate program often focuses on recruiting new course creators to the platform.
  3. MasterClass: Offers high-production-value video courses taught by world-renowned experts and celebrities across various fields. It operates on an annual subscription model for unlimited access.

Comparison Table

Comparison Factor Skillshare Udemy Teachable MasterClass
Average Bill Annual/Monthly Subscription Fee Course Purchase Price (Varies) Monthly/Annual Subscription Fee (for creators) Annual Subscription Fee
Entry Fees Free to Join Free to Join Free to Join Free to Join
Withdrawal Threshold Varies, often $10 – $100 (depending on network) Varies, often $10 – $100 (depending on network) Varies (often low, set by creator/network) Varies (often low, set by network)
Payment Frequency Monthly Varies (often monthly or based on network) Varies (often monthly) Monthly
Commission Varies, up to 40% of revenue or fixed CPA ($7 – $67) Varies, often 20% of sale (can be higher for publisher sales) Varies, often 30% recurring (for creator plan) 25% of sale
Conversion New Free Trial or Paid Membership Sign-up New Course Purchase New Course Creator Sign-up or Course Purchase New Subscription Sign-up
Cookie Duration 30 days As low as 7 days Often 90 days 30 days
Marketing Materials Banners, Links, Promo Codes Links, Banners, Product Feeds Links, Banners, Custom Assets Banners, Links, High-Quality Visuals