Hi there, fans of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw 🙂 The last Harry Potter movie was some 8 years ago and it does feel like the fun is all over. Well, how do you like it if I say you could turn your special wizard characters into some extra money?
I am talking about becoming an affiliate with Harry Potter merchandise stores. In this online business model, you earn sales commissions whenever an online customer is referred to buy products or services from these sites. Cool, right?
What you need first is to set up a WordPress blog and then fill it up with some interesting articles about the stuff you like. Here are 8 fun affiliate programs to help you get started AND I am sure you can relate to each and every one of them. Now, let the magic begins.
#1 – Harry Potter Shop
This is the official Harry Potter online store that sells various merchandise, ranging from books to blankets. All the stuff you saw in the movies and wish you could own (a magic wand, anyone?) can be found here.
What I like about the shop is that there are plenty of customer reviews offering different product insights for potential buyers. What’s more, whenever someone signs up for their newsletter, they will get 15% off on their first order of $25 or more so this will encourage more buying to take place.
If you are searching for wizardry gift ideas, home decoration or costumes for Holloween parties, you may want to start with this site. There are a lot of fun products to share like the heat transforming mug that cost about $25 and a stunning looking chest set priced at a whopping $350!
The Harry Potter Shop affiliate program is available through Conversant (formerly known as Commission Junction) under the Warner Bros Online Shop merchant.
- Commission = 7% per sale
- Cookie Duration = 45 days
The good news is when you are approved, you also get the opportunity to promote other sites such as WB Shop (more movie-related merchandise), The Hobbit Shop (great for Lord of the Rings’ fans) and Shop DC Entertainment (find all your superheroes here).
#2 – Amazon
Inside Amazon’s huge marketplace, you can also find numerous Harry Potter merchandise – some are original stuff while some are less genuine. It’s a good outlet to start with if you are planning to cross-promote products from other departments. However, do expect a lower commission rate as an Amazon Associate.
What I like about Amazon however is the Audible program. Each book has a free audio sample and I must say, it’s quite thrilling listening to Harry Potter’s stories that way instead of the conventional reading. These audiobooks are rare to find – even my Scribd app doesn’t have them.
When you join as an Amazon Associate, you are qualified to promote audiobooks as well so don’t forget to grab the opportunity to boost your readership.
- Commissions for products = 4% to 8% per sale
- Commissions for Audible = $5 in referral fee
- Cookie Duration = 24 hours
#3 – Target Supermarket
In case you don’t know, Target has a huge selection under their ‘Character Shop’ and Harry Potter is one of them. The stuff you get here is mostly for kids and young adults and less of collectible items.
The good thing about Target is that they allow pick up from stores – an advantage if you live nearby an outlet – and the product pages also contain a handful of customer reviews that reflects on the overall value.
In terms of the affiliate program, the commissions are more or less the same as Amazon, but they do have a longer cookie period. You need to sign up directly to get into the program.
- Commission = 5% to 8%
- Cookie Duration = 7 days
#4 – Lego
Lego is never short of new collections and Harry Potter has got to be one of the best on the rack (after Star Wars of course). Yes, these can be found inside Amazon and Target, but shopping through the Lego official store actually offers a refreshing experience.
One can get more product information such as the play experience, level of difficulty and most importantly, the value for money. Besides knowing that the stuff is original, you also benefit from free shipping services, VIP rewards and support for ordering missing pieces.
If you are interested to incorporate some play into your Harry Potter blog, the Lego affiliate program can be applied through the Rakuten Linkshare network.
- Commission = 3% per sale
- Cookie Duration = 7 days
#5 – Etsy
Moving onto the creativity side of things, we have Etsy, a marketplace that offers handcrafted items from all over the world. Believe it or not, a quick search reveals over 80K listings for Harry Potter inspired merchandise alone! That goes to show there are just as many fanatic sellers as the fan themselves.
One can find plenty of whimsical items here like cake topper sets, magical make-up brushes and also potion stickers. It’s a cool place to search for something extraordinary and also to support local artists who are selling their work online.
The Etsy affiliate program is available through AWIN. Just take note that a (refundable) $5 fee is required when registering with the network.
- Commission = 4% to 5% per sale
- Cookie Duration = 30 days
#6 – Zazzle
Another platform that taps on creativity is called Zazzle. This place allows you to customize personal merchandise to your liking. You can select any type of online design and match it to an item of your choice like a T-shirt, a bag or a phone case using their in-house software.
After receiving the order, the Zazzle team will print the items and deliver them to you. This site is especially great for making one of a kind Harry Potter products as gifts or to satisfy your wizardry collection. The platform constantly has discounts and promotions so find out these offers and let your audience know about them.
Zazzle’s affiliate program offers plenty of banners and link building through the ShareASale network.
- Commission = 15% per sale + volume bonus (up to 17%)
- Cookie Duration = 45 days
#7 – Gamefly
Yup, there are also Harry Potter game consoles if you are into Xbox, Play Station, and Wii. Out of the 16 games that are available, 8 of them seem to have good ratings from most reviewers.
- LEGO Harry Potter Years 1-4
- Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7
- Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets
- Book Of Spells
- Book Of Potions
- Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban
- Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire
- Harry Potter Quidditch World Cup
Buying games individually from Amazon is possible, but if you are a frequent gamer, it is more cost-effective to subscribe to gaming networks like GameFly. The service lets you access some of the top Harry Potter games, other game consoles as well as movies at a fraction of the price you pay for a single game.
The Gamefly affiliate program is available through Conversant and it pays in a couple of commissions.
- Commission = Earn $15 to $20 for every new subscriber and 8% to 10% per game sales.
- Cookie duration = 30 days
#8 – Undercover Tourist
Ever wondered what it’s like to walk the halls of Hogwarts? Apparently, you can at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park inside Hollywood’s Universal Studios. This is the place to be for fans and thrill-seekers with all the roller coaster rides and architects resembling the movie sets.
Undercover Tourist is a genuine ticketing platform that lets you plan trips and buy discounted tickets to some of the top attractions in Orlando (find Harry Potter here), Los Angelas (find Disneyland here), and San Diego (find Legoland here). They also provide hotel bookings and car rental services.
The company has been operating since 2000 and its affiliate program can be applied through Conversant.
- Commissions = $1 per ticket sales, 1% on car rentals and 1% on hotels.
- Cookie duration = 30 days
Have You Found Your Magic Yet?
The Harry Potter saga truly captivates people of all ages and I think much of its success is attributed to our belief in the world of magic. Thanks to the internet, the magic continues to live in the things that we use regularly and the places we choose to spend our free time.
These Harry Potter merchandise stores have opened doors of wonders not only from the entertainment point of view but also the possibility of making money from one of the most celebrated characters on the planet.
The best part is, there’s no need to own a franchise – you can do just the same through an affiliate business model. If any of these programs sound exciting, I say grab the opportunity and see where the magic can take you.
Before going any further, please check out my recommended training program to learn more about building a solid online foundation for your business moving forward. If you have any thoughts or questions, I look forward to hearing about them in the comment down below.
I am amazed at all the Harry Potter merchandise out there! Can’t believe it’s been so long since the last film. I guess it makes sense because my kids were all young when we would go see the movies. Boy, I feel old! I really never thought about giving this niche a try until reading your article.
A lot of these affiliate programs have long cookie duration. And to think that you can be affiliated with a theme park at Universal Studios – how cool is that?! You have given me something to think about. Great information.
It’s fun to see the possibilities you can have with a targeted niche like this. Definitely possible to make some magic happen with those affiliate programs. Maybe make some magic and produce some money? 🙂
That is a great niche idea. Harry Potter is timeless. Everyone misses it and still reads the books. I never thought there will be so many sources for affiliate merchants – especially with Target. It actually opens my mind up to other areas as well. Thanks for all the information.
Hi Paula, many popular stores that we see around the neighborhood actually have affiliate programs besides Amazon. Here’s a list of 8 giant stores that may interest you.
Just finished reading your article and I’m amazed by all the different options available to all the Harry Potter fans out there. I like the fact that along with the percentage of commissions earned from each site as an affiliate, you added how long the cookies last!
Has it really been eight years since the last Harry Potter movie? Now I’m really feeling old 🙂
Harry Potter would definitely be a great niche to choose for an online affiliate business. Actually, there are a ton of options to consider as you pointed out. Anyone considering being an online entrepreneur have so many choices and the best part is having several places to seek products as you have shown with the Harry Potter niche. Great food for thought!
How fast time flies! I have a huge love for the series – the stories are fun, imaginative and keep you on the edge of your seat!
You really hit the nail on the head talking about setting up your blog with something you love, like Harry Potter, or whatever else you’re into. If you’re into it, you can bet there are thousands of other people who are also into it. If you become an authority in your niche, all those people will visit your site and buy your products.
Boy wouldn’t my wife love this – the amount of Harry Potter re-runs she has watched over and over. Certainly doesn’t feel like it was 8 years since the last film, that is for sure.
Amazon has a boundless number of items, outfits, and memorabilia from the trilogy. But it’s also interesting that places like Target and Etsy have nifty options for the fans as well. I didn’t know that.
This is a very good affiliate marketing niche to dive into. Seeing that Harry Potter is a very popular story figure that almost everyone has watched or read, they’ll be able to relate to the product and services rendered. Giant retailers like Amazon will have a ton of products to keep you busy and converting sales during gift-giving seasons so it’s definitely worth getting into.