Hello there Sea Changers. Let’s start today with a question… who doesn’t like a good barbecue? Not only are they one of the most versatile cooking methods out there, but also, in my humble manly opinion, one of the most delicious. Now, as affiliate marketers, I see this as also being a versatile option to build a niche around, incorporate into another outdoor niche – such as camping – or as a cross sell for any food related sites to allow for product purchase to go with recipes etc. So let’s have a look through my 10 BBQ and smoker affiliate programs to cook up this year.

Now as usual, as I run through them I am keeping in mind that there are quite a few sub niches within the world of cooking, camping, outdoors or even home renovation with a large variation of affiliate programs to choose from. So how have I picked my best 10? Well… I really just wanted to give you a good cross section of what is out there so I did some searching around and checked a few out and chose them by looking at:

• What they offer
• Commission rates
• Payment terms
• Cookie duration
• Application processes
• Affiliate/Marketing materials provided

Before we start however, let’s have a look at what I mean by the term BBQ and Smoker and how it can be incorporated within an affiliate marketing website…

BBQs and Smokers

I guess the thing to keep in mind here is that in different places, the term barbecue means different things. What we call a BBQ here in Australia is what is known as a flat top grill in the U.S. where BBQ is a term used predominately for smoked meats.

Basically, for the purposes of this post I am really looking at anything to do with outdoor cooking including:

• Barbecues
• Grills
• Smokers
• Combination
• Gas top cookers
• Charcoal cookers
• Rubs, sauces etc.
• And so on

So essentially if you discussing anything to do with the use of some sort of outdoor based implement to cook meats, vegetables or anything else you fancy, then the items listed in the programs below may be of assistance to your site.

What can affiliate marketers promote?

There are essentially no real barriers to what affiliate marketers can promote when it comes to a BBQ Blog site. There are however some things to be aware of as you run your eye over affiliate program possibilities that may suit your site. These are:

1. Know your audience, some readers know exactly what they want whilst others are newbies. Choose your affiliate sites accordingly.
2. Proud home cooks will not take risks with the quality of cooking products that they use – so make sure the products you are promoting are of good standard to provide the best culinary results.
3. Seasoned cooks and professional barbecue’ers will want clear, precise information with features and benefits highlighted.

That said, outdoor cooking supplies is something with a great online purchase presence and people will spend money on them without the need to view them first. So f it can make their lives easier and as long as you are solving problems, then you are on the right track. And to give you a boost, let’s have a look at 10 programs that I have found below:

1.  BBQ Authority

Let’s start with BBQ Authority, a site that encompasses a massive range of BBQ and outdoor cooking related products. This is a great site for any outdoor cooking niche with its massive range of big brand cookers and accessories.

Their entire range is too large to list here but does include:

• Grills and smokers
• Outdoor kitchens
• Outdoor pizza ovens
• Accessories
• Gift sets
• Rubs, sauces and injections

As I have said, this is a great site to link to if your niche is generalized as there is certainly enough there to keep your readers occupied for years. And even if you are working in a narrower field (such as a particular type of BBQing), there is opportunity there for a little cross selling into other equipment that your readers may need as well. And with their big brand inventory, you may be able to sway some of those nervous buyers to purchase from you online rather than heading out locally.

Commission Rate: 5%

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: Not Stated

Application required?: Yes – You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.

Marketing material provided: Ready-to-use banners, text links

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2. BBQGuys.com

BBQGuys.com is another popular all encompassing site that incorporates big brands and many products for any type of outdoor cooking need. The pride themselves on being “dedicated to being your go-to resource for all things barbecue” incorporating reviews and how videos throughout the site.

As you can see above, their range is massive and with its incorporation of cooking support, advice and videos, there is certainly enough there to keep any type of affiliate site in this general niche very busy. They also offer all of the big brands allowing for great review and comparison posts.

Commission Rate: 6%

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: 30 day

Application required?: Yes – BBQGuys.com’s affiliate program is managed by CJ Affiliates. You will be required to apply for an account and then for the BBQGuys affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.

Marketing material provided: Text links and banners, regular coupons and offers, BYOL (Build Your Own Links), Product data feed.

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3. Outdoor Cooking

If your outdoor cooking site merges a little with the camping side of things, then Outdoor Cooking might be a good one for you.

Their focus is on portable cooking which is why I mentioned the camping niches as well. Their range of products includes

• Smokers and grills
• Stoves and ovens
• Cast Iron camp oven etc.
• Backyard and patio
• Accessories

Like many other sites, they incorporate a large array of blog type posts with information, education, how to’s and expert tips to allow you, and your readers to get the best out of their purchases.

Commission Rate: 5 – 8%

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: Not stated

Application required?: Yes – Outdoor Cooking’s affiliate program is managed by CJ Affiliates. You will be required to apply for an account and then for the Outdoor Cooking affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.

Marketing material provided: Text links and banners, product feed

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4. Pit Barrel Cooker Co.

Pit Barrel Cooker Co. is a smaller site that sells one product – a pit barrel cooker. It is effectively a 30 gallon steel drum that has been converted into a portable, yet sturdy smoker and char griller.

With your purchase you get:

• 1 30 Gallon Steel Drum
• 8 Stainless Steel Hooks
• 2 Steel Hanging Rods
• 1 Charcoal Basket
• 1 Standard Grill Grate
• 1 Wooden Hook Remover
• 1 Three-point Barrel stand
• 1 5oz. All-Purpose Pit Rub
• 1 5oz. Beef & Game Pit Rub

Now, from an affiliate marketing point of view, this site is obviously limited by its solo product. However, it is a little different to all of the other products out there so can make a big difference to a smoking or outdoor cooking based niche site due to its authenticity. There is also a large range of accessories, rubs and other cool man-stuff making it a good site to pitch for those father’s day or holiday gift idea posts.

Commission Rate: 10%

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: 120 days

Application required?: Yes – Pit Barrel Cooker Co.’s affiliate program is managed by Share-A-Sale. You will be required to apply for an account and then for the Pit Barrel Cooker Co. affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.

Marketing material provided: Ad banners, text links

Note: The Pit Barrel Cooker Co. affiliate program is one of the few around that actually allows affiliates to purchase via their own affiliate links. They do this as they “wouldn’t want an affiliate to promote something they wouldn’t be willing to purchase themselves.”

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5. Kettle Pizza

For those of you looking to add some accessories and cross selling opportunities to your BBQ site, you could definitely check out Kettle Pizza.

Again, they don’t have a large range of products but what they do sell is metal inserts that turn both charcoal kettle grills and standard gas BBQs into a pizza oven. As with the Pit Barrel Cooker Co. site above, this is a great site to incorporate into gift ideas posts as well as posts on setting up your outdoor entertainment area on a budget. They also incorporate a nice range of pizza recipes and demonstration videos that can assist you with post ideas.

Commission Rate: 5%

Payment Terms: Monthly.

Cookie Duration: 90 Days.

Application required?: Yes – Kettle Pizza’s affiliate program is managed by Share-A-Sale. You will be required to apply for an account and then for the Kettle Pizza affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.

Note: These products are mainly sold via Amazon so it may work to refer your readers directly to your own Amazon links as an alternative to above.

Marketing material provided: Text links and banners

6. Smokenator

Smokenator works under the same guise at Kettle Pizza above except instead of converting a standard charcoal or gas grill into a pizza oven, it turns it into a slow cooking smoker.

The advantages here mirror those of Kettle Pizza above so I will not repeat it all here however as above, there is also a good range of information and videos on the site to assist with the use of the product.

Commission Rate: 5%

Payment Terms: Monthly.

Cookie Duration: 90 days

Application required?: Yes – Smokenator’s affiliate program is managed by Share-A-Sale. You will be required to apply for an account, set up your network and then for the Smokenator affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.

Note: These products are mainly sold via Amazon so it may work to refer your readers directly to your own Amazon links as an alternative to above.

Marketing material provided: Product data feed, text links and banner ads.

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7. Camp Chef

Camp Chef, as the name suggests, is all about the camp kitchen. And whilst I have included it here within the barbecue niche there are definite options here for the campers – especially those who camp/RV long term and hence not worried abut traveling light.

Their full range of products includes:

• Flat top grills/barbecues
• Camp stoves
• Stove accessories
• Grills and smokers
• Portable and cast iron ovens
• Fire Pits

To assist with the promotion of these products and to assist with ideas and other information for your site, there is also access to video recipes and cooking demonstrations as well as a great blog covering everything from recipe ideas to ‘how to’s’ for their products,

Commission Rate: 10%

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: 30 Days.

Application required?: Yes – Camp Chef’s affiliate program is managed by Rakuten. You will be required to apply for an account and then for the Camp Chef affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.

Marketing material provided: Banners, Ads, Text Links, RSS Feeds

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8. Grill Masters Club

In most niches that I check out, there is a site that deals with subscription boxes of some sort. In the BBQ and Smoker niche, it is the Grill Masters Club.

Grill Masters Club is a subscription based service that, from an affiliate marketing point of view provides ample gift and product opportunities for the avid and hobbyist BBQer alike – or simply to provide a way to keep their smoking supplies topped up. There is also a large range of apparel and other gift like accessories. As well as the products shown above, subscribers also get access to

• Monthly recipes
• Exclusive educational videos
• Big item giveaways
• Discounts of online shop items
• Access to an exclusive FaceBook community

This is a great cross sell site for any Outdoor cooking, RV or long term camper/traveler site and there is also the ability to purchase items individually allowing for gift related posts as well.

Commission Rate: 10% – on first sale only

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: 7 Days.

Application required?: Yes – Grill Masters Club’s affiliate program is managed by Share-A-Sale. You will be required to apply for an account, set up your network and then for the Grill Masters Club affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.

Marketing material provided: Banners, Text Links, Affiliate discounts

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9. Hey Grill Hey

Hey Grill Hey is another small niche related site to do with all things cooking and eating BBQ. In the main, this site is an educational one with a mountain for videos, recipes and information on BBQ and grill cooking.

From an affiliate marketing point of view, the sales options come from two main areas:

1. Their online shop containing a large range of sauces, rubs and spices that complement the recipes demonstrated on the site
2. A yearly subscription option where subscribers get:

• Exclusive meat master class videos + workbooks
• Ad-free recipes
• Monthly giveaways
• Group discounts
• Private FaceBook group access
• Free access to e-books
• Industry professional interviews

This is great opportunity to provide recipe and educational options to those who may have purchased larger ticket items from your site such as the actual BBQs, smokers or grills.

Commission Rate: 50%

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: 6 Months

Application required?: Yes, Hey Grill Hey’s affiliate program is managed by EJUNKIE. You will be required to apply for an account then for the Hey Grill Hey affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.

Marketing material provided: Banners, Ads and copy, Text Links,

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10. BBQFans.com

Ok, I admit it, I included this one simply because I thought it was cool! BBQFans.com is all about BBQ gifts and paraphernalia. I mean, who wouldn’t want a personal branding iron so that you can leave your mark on every streak that you cook for your friends.

Other products in their range include:

• Cutting Boards
• BBQ Gift Baskets
• BBQ Tool Sets
• Home Bar Supplies
• Apparel
• Drinks tumblers

This is a silly site, but an awesome one for affiliates who want to have some fun with their posts when they promote anything to do with men, cooking and gifts.

Commission Rate:

• 6% Commission
• 10% Commission on 12 – 24 sales per month
• 12% Commission on 25+ sales per month

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: 30 days

Application required?: Yes, BBQFans.com’s affiliate program is managed by Share-A-Sale. You will be required to apply for an account then for the BBQFans.com affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.

Marketing material provided: Banners, Text Links

Amazon associates

Alternatively, should you wish to set up your site up with a range from a few different brands or companies on the same site then you can do so via Amazon. Amazon provides access to a good range of products covering all aspects of BBQ and outdoor cooking and has a fairly good affiliate program as well. So if you wish, join the Amazon Associates program, locate the relevant barbecue related products within Amazon itself and you can post links on your own site as per below:

Amazon’s commission rates are nowhere near as high as some of the programs listed above (4 – 7%) however some prefer this avenue due to the sheer amount of traffic and trustworthiness that comes with a company site of this size.

FAQ

How to find your own affiliate programs

As stated earlier, by outlining the sites above I have really just tried to give you a good cross section of the types of programs that are out there by listing the really good ones in each ‘category’. That does not mean that you cannot find affiliate programs that better suit what it is that you are trying to do within this space – especially as I could never even begin to cover every smoking, grilling or barbecuing requirement or sub niche in the one post. Luckily for us, there is a simple way to find these programs online.

All you need to do is enter “affiliate: niche type” into your search engine (substituting ‘niche type‘ for whatever product it is that you are choosing to sell).

We can even dig a little deeper with a more specific sub niche related search:

There are outdoor cooking related affiliate programs for everything else that we have listed at the top of this page as well – you will just need to have a look around until you find one or two that suit your site. Once you have completed your searches, you can look through and find programs that:

• Relate to your niche/problems that you are solving.
• Have quality products – your brand can be severely damaged if you promote poor quality products.
• Have solid payment and customer service arrangement.
• Pay decent commissions.
• Have good testimonials covering commission payouts and quality of product.

In most cases, you will need to apply for the program before you are allowed to promote their products – don’t take this step lightly or you will be rejected. Affiliate programs will generally want to know:

• Your website name.
• Traffic levels.
• Why you want to join – (so I can make money by selling your BBQ tools is unfortunately not generally a good enough answer).
• How you plan to promote their products.

Conclusion

So… There are 10 BBQ and Smoker affiliate programs to cook up this year. I hope it has been helpful for you as you commence your own outdoor cooking based affiliate marketing business and as usual, please do not hesitate to comment below if you have any questions, need some advice or have any experiences to share. Oh, and especially comment if you have any experience with these, or any other programs as well.

Do you want further assistance with any of the above or need help to build your own outdoor cooking based website?

Are you looking for a comprehensive training platform that can give you step by step training, 24/7 support, tools to develop and host your very own outdoor cooking based website, ongoing assistance with SEO and social media and access to some of the best affiliate marketing minds on the planet, then click on the following link to read more about Wealthy Affiliate.

Until next time

Have fun

Paul

Note: If you make a purchase from this page, there is a very good chance that I make a commission from it – these commissions do not increase your sale price. This may include sales made via Wealthy Affiliate or Share-A-Sale.