Martech Record wants to bring transparency to the affiliate marketing industry by publishing data through reports, surveys, and buyer’s guides.

The latest guide, released this week, aggregates feedback about platforms and programs in North America from dozens of managers and publishers with experience in affiliate platforms and networks.

The report provides insights into partner marketing platforms and networks that primarily function in the affiliate marketing space in North America.

As search, social, and Amazon become more expensive to operate on, the barriers to creating and scaling partnerships are shrinking and the applications are increasing.

The guide — which is intended to give marketers another channel to reach consumers — helps marketers through the process of thinking through a business case that should clearly communicate costs and revenue assumptions, and map revenue and cost assumptions to the company’s key performance indicators.

Think about defining and sizing the target audience, percentage of target that will convert, and define the number of units that each target must buy and at what price.

The Martech Record 2020 North America Market Presence Index is a measurement of buyer intent and preference, compiled from a survey of 75 affiliate industry experts who serve on an advisory panel. The survey is focused on 22 questions, with three related to awareness, consideration, and preference.

Here are the top 10 affiliate networks. Impact scored 27%; CJ Affiliate, 12%; Partnerize, 10%; Rakuten, 9%; Awin, 8%; ShareASale, 8%; Pepperjam, 8%; AvantLink, 4%; Tune, 4%; and Webgains, 3%.

The results were tabulated with greatest weight given to preference, followed next by consideration. The Top Market Presence results are as follows.

When it came to ease of use, Impact and ShareASale rated highest, followed by Awin, CJ Affiliate. Pepperjam followed, along with Rakuten, Avantlink, and Partnerize.   

Overall the top publisher platform and network went to CJ Affiliate, followed by Rakuten, and Impact. In that order.

The top three companies ranking highest for tracking, reporting, and payment technology were Impact ranked No. 1, Partnerize ranked No. 2, and CJ Affiliate ranked No. 3.

Top honors for recruitment and managed services team went to Rakuten, and CJ Affiliate.

ShareASale took the top honors for the top entry level platform, reflecting excellence in the combination of answers to questions related to product preference, price, and value.