Rakuten Advertising: How It Works, Features, Affiliate Marketing and Benefits

In today’s world, digital marketing has become one of the most effective means that allow companies to interact with their customers. Irrespective of whether it’s search advertising, social media marketing, affiliate marketing, or even programmatic advertising, today’s firms use a variety of mediums for reaching out to their customers.

One of the most prominent firms operating in this sector is Rakuten Advertising.

Rakuten Advertising is a global firm that provides performance-based advertising and marketing solutions to advertisers, publishers, affiliates, and audiences. According to the firm, its offerings include performance-based advertising in affiliate marketing, influencer marketing, paid media, search, social, and programmatic advertising.

For many marketers, Rakuten Advertising is mainly associated with its affiliate network.

The current article aims to give information about Rakuten Advertising, the functioning of its affiliate network, the ways in which publishers get paid, the advantages for advertisers of using this platform, and the policies that need to be considered.

What Is Rakuten Advertising?

Rakuten Advertising is the name of the company providing advertising services along with performance marketing.

Specifically, Rakuten Advertising focuses on helping brands connect with consumers by means of digital advertising and partnership marketing.

According to the company’s latest information, Rakuten Advertising is working in the following segments:

• Affiliate Marketing
• Influencer Marketing
• Paid Search
• Paid Social
• Programmatic Advertising
• Digital Media
• Connected TV Advertising

Rakuten Advertising calls its mission to help brands engage with their clients, from the initial contact to final conversion or sales.

One of the strengths of Rakuten Advertising in the sphere of performance marketing is that it enables advertisers to track measurable conversions in:

• Sales
• Leads
• Clicks
• Conversions
• Customer acquisition

Is Rakuten Advertising the Same as Rakuten Marketing?

In February 2020, Rakuten said that Rakuten Marketing would be renamed to Rakuten Advertising. The change in the brand entailed the unification of the company’s affiliate program, advertising technologies, consumer insights, and access to advertising inventories within the Rakuten ecosystem.

Therefore, if you search for older terms:

• Rakuten Marketing
• Rakuten Affiliate Network
• Rakuten LinkShare

you may come across mentions related to Rakuten Advertising.

How does Rakuten Advertising Work?

It helps match companies interested in promoting goods and services with publishers who can present them to potential customers.

There are usually four players in affiliate marketing:

1. The advertiser
2. The publisher or affiliate
3. The customer
4. The affiliate network

Rakuten Advertising works as the affiliate network and platform, helping connect them.

Its solutions help track clicks and conversions so that publishers earn commissions based on qualified actions made through their links.

A Simple Example

Consider an online clothing store signing up with Rakuten Advertising.

Now let’s take a fashion blogger who signs up for the network as a publisher.

It could be done this way:

1. The clothing store establishes its affiliate program.
2. The fashion blogger applies to become a member of the program.
3. The clothing store accepts the fashion blogger into the program.
4. The fashion blogger inserts affiliate product links into an article.
5. One of the readers clicks on the link.
6. The reader buys a product.
7. The transaction gets tracked by Rakuten Advertising.
8. The fashion blogger earns a commission for the sale under certain conditions.

That’s how affiliate marketing works.

Rakuten Advertising for Publishers

A publisher is a person or organization that promotes advertisers through its digital properties.

Rakuten’s current publisher agreement says eligible publishers can include individuals or legal entities, although individuals must be 18 years or older. Publishers receive access to the network platform and may enter into partnerships with advertisers.

Publishers may use:

• Websites
• Apps
• Social media accounts
• Content platforms
• Other eligible digital properties

to promote advertisers.

How Publishers Make Money

Publishers generally earn commissions when consumers complete actions attributed to their tracked affiliate links.

A qualifying action may include:

• A purchase
• A lead
• A subscription
• Another advertiser-defined conversion

The advertiser determines the commission structure and program rules.

For example, one advertiser might pay:

• 5% of each sale

while another might offer:

• A flat amount per lead
• Different rates for different products
• Bonus commissions
• Performance incentives

Exact commissions vary by advertiser.

Rakuten Tracking Links

Affiliate links are important because they allow the network to identify which publisher referred a customer.

Rakuten’s agreement defines a qualifying link as an authorized tracked link that allows the network or advertiser to monitor relevant activity generated through that link.

If a publisher uses an untracked link, a sale may not be attributed correctly.

This is why publishers need to follow the platform’s tracking requirements carefully.

Rakuten Advertising for Advertisers

Advertisers utilize the services of Rakuten Advertising for creating and managing partnerships with publishers.

For instance, the brand can use the network to:

• Find affiliates
• Creating commissions
• Measuring conversions
• Performance analysis
• Go after new customers
• Manage publisher partnerships

As stated on the website of Rakuten Advertising, their network allows the use of technologies, data, and account management skills to enable advertisers to contact their potential customers and manage their affiliate program.

Types of Publishers at Rakuten Advertising

In general, affiliate networks usually offer a wide variety of different kinds of publishers.

Content Publishers

It is:

• Blogs
• Magazines
• Reviews
• Product Guides

The publisher can mention something like:

The Best Running Shoes for Beginners

and use affiliate links to participating retailers.

How to Join Rakuten Advertising as a Publisher

The specific interface might vary; however, there are some common steps involved.

Step 1: Set Up Your Account

First, publishers apply for access to the Rakuten Advertising network.

Eligibility criteria apply.

Currently, according to Rakuten’s terms of membership, all individual participants should be at least 18 years old.

Step 2: Add Your Website or Other Digital Property

You will probably need to provide information regarding your:

• Website
• App
• Social account
• Audience
• Promotion methods

Accurate information is necessary.

Step 3: Join Advertiser Programs

Membership in the network does not guarantee that the publishers can join all advertiser programs available.

Generally, publishers join particular advertiser programs.

Advertisers can evaluate applications and make decisions about acceptance of applications.

Step 4: Get Affiliate Links

After being accepted, publishers are able to use authorized tracked links or other advertisements.

Step 5: Promote Products

The promotion of products through channels that are eligible according to advertisers can be performed by publishers.

Step 6: Track Your Performance

The reporting features offered by Rakuten Advertising can be used by publishers to track their performance and activity.

Benefits of Rakuten Advertising for Publishers

There are a number of potential advantages that could be attractive for publishers.

Access to Advertisers

It becomes simpler for publishers to access brands and get into their affiliate programs through the use of affiliate networks.

Performance-Based Compensation

The possibility to earn money for the content publishers create.

Tracking and Reporting

Attribution and reporting services are provided by the network for the participating programs.

No Inventory Required

Publishers sell goods without having to manufacture, stock, or deliver anything.

International Reach

Rakuten Advertising owns a worldwide affiliate network and has foreign offices and advertisers.

Benefits for Advertisers

Advertisers might benefit from affiliate marketing campaigns as well.

Performance-Based Fees

In most cases, advertisers compensate their affiliates for reaching certain performance criteria.

This might make affiliate marketing campaigns more measurable than impression-based ones.

Acquisition of New Customers

Through publishers, advertisers might be able to target people they cannot reach directly.

Wide Variety of Affiliate Types

Advertisers can partner with:

• Bloggers
• Loyalty Programs
• Influencers
• Comparison Websites
• Editorial Publishers

Measurable Results

Affiliate links provide the ability to measure sales and other conversions performed by campaigns or affiliates.

Is Rakuten Advertising Legit?

Yes. Rakuten Advertising is a well-known performance marketing company linked to Rakuten.

It has been involved in affiliate and digital marketing for many years, as its recent documents claim more than 25 years of experience in the field.

Nevertheless, users need to make sure that they are working with valid Rakuten Advertising websites and communication.

Beware of any individuals who present themselves as representing Rakuten and ask for:

• Password
• Unusual payments
• Verification codes
• Banking details via strange messages

Always confirm any account-related requests via reliable sources of Rakuten Advertising.

Rakuten Advertising Best Practices for Publishers

If you wish to have good results, try to create valuable content instead of inserting many affiliate links.

Choose Relevant Advertisers

Select advertisers that can interest your audience.

For instance, a fitness website will probably have better performance with:

• Fitness gear
• Sports apparel
• Nutrition goods

rather than with products that are not related at all.

Create Valuable Content

Quality affiliate content may include:

• Product review
• Comparison
• Buying guide
• Tutorials
• Deals
• How-to guides

And so on.

The main idea should be to help the user make a decision.

Performance Tracking

Find out which pages and links work for you.

It may assist you in figuring out:

• The best converting products
• Successful advertisers
• Efficient content types

Relationship Disclosure

• Do not forget about disclosing your affiliation.
• Do Not Lie
• Do not lie to get clicks.

It is essential for the long-term success of an affiliate because of trust with the audience.

Final Words

Rakuten Advertising is not just a regular affiliate link program. This is a performance marketing company that brings together advertisers, publishers, influencers, and audiences worldwide.

Affiliate Marketing is one of the key services provided by Rakuten Advertising. This network enables brands to create programs and hire publishers, and publishers to promote selected products and get commissions from their sales.

Along with affiliate marketing, Rakuten Advertising provides numerous other marketing solutions such as paid search, social advertising, programmatic campaigns, influencer marketing, digital media, and connected TV.