Shutterstock stands out as a leading global source for stock photos, videos, music, and design assets, catering to a wide audience. Its impressive affiliate program enables publishers to earn commissions by promoting Shutterstock’s extensive collection of stock media.
In this article, we’ll give details of the Shutterstock affiliate program, helping you decide if it’s worth joining. Let’s dive into it!
Overview of Shutterstock
Shutterstock, started in 2003, is a top global source for stock photos, videos, music, and editing tools. The company’s vast media library and flexible licensing help people quickly find and download quality content for their projects.
They have a huge collection of over 250 million royalty-free images, adding over 200,000 daily. There are also 14 million stock videos, including 2 million in 4K. They offer music tracks of various moods and genres, making it a one-stop shop.
What is the Shutterstock Affiliate Program?
The Shutterstock affiliate program lets you earn money by promoting Shutterstock’s images, footage, and music.
You can join the program for free through Impact Radius. Once approved, you’ll get a unique affiliate link from the Impact affiliate dashboard. Shutterstock also provides tools like the API, customizable Affiliate Widget, banners in different sizes and languages, text links, and a search box for promotion.
This program is great for bloggers, influencers, and content creators in creative, design, photography, or music niches. It’s also great for marketing agencies and graphic designers focusing on stock media and software.
Shutterstock Affiliate Program: Commissions and Payment Details
The Shutterstock affiliate program allows you to earn a 10-30% share of the sales when new customers buy Shutterstock’s images, footage, or music, and subscribe to other paid plans.
Here’s the detailed commission rates of the Shutterstock affiliate program:
- PremiumBeat New Customer Purchase: 30%/order sale amount
- Shutterstock New Customer Subscription – Image: 20%/ order sale amount
- Shutterstock New Customer Purchase – Music: 10%-20%/order sale amount (10% for items in the Offset Assets category)
- Shutterstock New Customer Purchase – Image: 10%-20%/order sale amount (10% for items in the Offset Assets category)
- Shutterstock New Customer Purchase – Footage: 10%-20%/order sale amount
For new customers who make an Image, Footage, or Music purchase, you get a 10% revenue share on the net sales amount if their items are in the Offset Assets category.
For all other items, you’ll get 20% of their order sale amount. The maximum $300 payout per order applies to all types of subscriptions and purchases.
Shutterstock credits the last affiliate link clicked by the customer before buying. Currently, the program offers a 30-day cookie duration.
Impact pays your commissions once a month through e-transfer or PayPal. However, your account balance must reach $10 before you can withdraw your money.
What are the Benefits and Drawbacks of the Shutterstock Affiliate Program?
Here are the advantages and disadvantages of the Shutterstock affiliate program:
| Pros | Cons |
| Generous commissions (up to 30% rev-share) | Highly competitive niche |
| 30-day cookie window | Restrictions on trademark usage |
| Dedicated in-house affiliate managers | $10 minimum threshold |
| Full range of advertising tools | |
| Exclusive coupon codes and promotional offers | |
| Powerful reporting tools and real-time analytics |
Shutterstock’s affiliate program comes with several advantages. Firstly, the program offers generous commissions, allowing affiliates to earn up to a 30% revenue share. The 30-day cookie window gives you a month for potential customers to make a purchase after clicking your link.
Also, the program gives various tools for diverse promotions, including Shutterstock API, a customizable widget, banners,… Additionally, special coupon codes and promotional offers make it easier for affiliates to attract customers.
However, there are limitations to consider. The field is tough because many affiliates promote Shutterstock, making it hard for newbies to stand out. Also, there are rules about using trademarks and bidding on brand terms. These rules limit how you can promote the products.
Shutterstock Affiliate Program Sign Up: Step-by-step Guide
Here is a step-by-step guide to joining the Shutterstock affiliate program in 5 simple steps:
Step 1: Visit the Shutterstock affiliate page
Go to the Shutterstock affiliate program page at https://www.shutterstock.com/explore/affiliates to learn about the program details and requirements.
Step 2: Click “Join Now”
Click the “Join Now” button to start your Shutterstock affiliate application through the Impact network.
Step 3: Fill out the application
Provide your personal info, company info, promotional methods, and media properties to complete the application form.
Step 4: Get approved
Impact will review your application to ensure you meet their partner guidelines. You’ll receive a response with your status within a week.
Step 5: Shutterstock affiliate program login
Once approved, you can log in to the Impact affiliate dashboard. Here, you can find your affiliate links and creatives to promote Shutterstock subscriptions.
How to Boost Your Income with the Shutterstock Affiliate Program
To maximize your commissions with Shutterstock’s affiliate program, there are several effective strategies you can employ.
First, you can partner with Shutterstock contributors to make compelling content together. By featuring their work, not only do you provide your audience with top-notch material, but you also enhance your affiliate earnings through this dynamic collaboration.
Another impactful strategy is to utilize comparison posts to catch customers’ interest. Highlighting Shutterstock’s strengths and unique features, compared to its competitors, can influence your audiences’ purchasing decisions.
You can also use social media to expand your reach further and drive affiliate conversions. In particular, you can showcase trending images, contributor success stories, or run exclusive promotions to keep your audience interested. That way, you can encourage them to click your link to explore and purchase Shutterstock plans.
Finally, using emails is a reliable way to keep your audience informed and interested. In particular, you can try promoting Shutterstock’s new stuff, features, and special deals in your email. This can inspire your audience to explore and make purchases using your affiliate links.
Is the Shutterstock Affiliate Program Worth It?
Joining the Shutterstock affiliate program can indeed be a worthwhile venture, especially if you are in the business of promoting stock photography, footage, and music.
The program boasts several advantages that can contribute to a lucrative affiliate experience. Some of them include high commission (up to 30% revenue share), a 30-day cookie duration, dedicated support, a full range of advertising tools, and exclusive offers.
However, it’s essential to be aware of some limitations, such as high competition, limitations on trademark usage, and a $10 minimum threshold.
While it’s challenging, if you use the program’s strengths and handle its limits, you can get the most out of this affiliate chance.
FAQs
Who should join the Shutterstock Affiliate program?
The Shutterstock affiliate program is ideal for anyone creating content or owning a website in creative fields like stock media, video, and graphics.
Is there a fee to join the Shutterstock Affiliate program?
No, there is no fee to join the Shutterstock affiliate program.
Are there any minimum requirements to become a Shutterstock affiliate?
Shutterstock does have an application process and vets potential affiliates. Your website or audience should align with creative content and stock media topics.
Can the Shutterstock program be combined with other affiliate programs?
Yes, you can run the Shutterstock affiliate program alongside other content and creative-focused affiliate programs.
What are the best Shutterstock affiliate program alternatives?
Some top alternatives are Getty Images, Adobe Stock, Pond5, Storyblocks, AudioJungle, Envato Elements, and Mixkit affiliate programs.
