NordVPN Affiliate Program Spotlight

When the leader in online security, NordVPN, won the CJU19 Advertiser of the Year Award—an award presented to the CJ advertiser that experienced the highest YOY growth in the entire CJ network for a given period—we were impressed by their exceptional YOY growth for 2019 compared to 2018: a whopping 116% increase in transactions! 

Since then, the NordVPN affiliate program has only grown more—so far this year, Q1 2021 vs Q1 2020 has seen transaction growth of 19%. In 2020, NordVPN saw big success from all publisher business models with the largest percentage of growth (38%) coming from content publishers.

If you’re looking for a new partner to promote, NordVPN is a solid brand with a stellar affiliate program. And VPNs and online security products actually have more broad appeal than you’d expect—they’re a perfect fit for content sites that cover tech, travel, home décor, family life, security, and more. We sat down with Daniel Markuson, Digital Privacy Expert at NordVPN to hear more about their brand and how publishers can best position their products.

Daniel Markuson, Digital Privacy Expert, NordVPN

CJ: Tell us more about NordVPN and Nord Security.

NordVPN: What first started as a standalone product, NordVPN, grew to be the market-leading brand for VPNs. As our team began working on new products like NordVPN Teams, NordPass, and NordLocker, we felt that we needed a larger umbrella brand—this is why Nord Security was introduced. It’s an independent, global, security, and privacy-focused brand with offices and operations in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, the United States, Lithuania, Germany, Switzerland, Panama, and other countries. Nord Security is deemed to become a platform for all-around cyber-security solutions to flourish while sharing the same brand values.

CJ: What does a VPN do?

NordVPN: VPNs are a great tool that allows you to access the internet safely and securely. It encrypts your sensitive data before it even leaves your device and connects to the web. This means that no one can see your traffic—neither snoopers nor your Internet Service Provider. If you use a VPN, your traffic will be encrypted, keeping your transactions safe and secure from prying eyes. Some VPN providers, like NordVPN, also have strict no-logs policies, meaning that your data, online activity, and browsing history are safe. So sensitive items like your banking information will never be monitored or saved and will never be shared with third parties.

CJ: Why are VPNs important and how are they beneficial to everyday consumers?

NordVPN: People are more vulnerable to cyber threats than they think. A VPN provides an extra layer of security that’s indispensable when on public Wi-Fi, browsing websites without HTTPS, or using unsecure apps. Beyond this, a VPN helps you to keep your online activities secure and private by encrypting your connection and hiding your IP address. It also allows you to securely access your content wherever you are and protects you from ISP throttling.

2020 brought us three unpleasant C’s: cybercrime, censorship, and COVID. The global pandemic sparked a wave of cybercrime, with criminals exploiting new security risks created by working from home. Nord Security responded with the Stay safe campaign by providing six months of free NordVPN, NordPass, and NordLocker to nonprofits, creators, and educators suffering from the pandemic.

CJ: You mentioned that VPNs are especially helpful for the times we’re currently living in. Can you tell us more about why a VPN is essential when working from home?

NordVPN: A VPN could be useful at home if your internet is provided by someone you don’t entirely trust, like a landlord, friend, or neighbor. Remember—if someone has access to your router, they can snoop on the unencrypted parts of your internet activity. A VPN encrypts your data at all times, keeping you secure no matter how you’re connected. Even if you have control of your router, there are still risks. An ISP could track what you do online, selling your data without your consent, and your home Wi-Fi can sometimes be hacked from outside the house. Most routers use WPA2 encryption, but, if you forget to update your hardware, it could develop some serious security weaknesses.

CJ: What are some other reasons why a publishers’ audience may be interested in a VPN?

NordVPN: Password protection is a big one. A VPN routes your internet traffic through a VPN tunnel–an encrypted connection between your device and the destination on the web. Not only does a VPN tunnel encrypt your data, but it also hides your IP address and location. Like an armored van, it takes you from point A to point B in total secret, shielding you from any dangers that lurk outside.

We also recommend VPNs for protecting families, to shop for cheaper flight tickets (there may be price discrimination based on your region), and gain access to special or international sporting events.

CJ: Now that you’ve got publishers convinced, tell us a bit more about your affiliate program!

NordVPN: NordVPN's commission rate starts at 40% CPA, we have a cookie lifetime of 30 days, and an extremely high conversion rate—our trusted brand and effective promotional material means the traffic you send to NordVPN will convert! Advertising material is available in the CJ Account Manager with strong offers to share among your users.

Interested in adding a new partner to your advertiser lineup? Apply to join the NordVPN affiliate program today! 

About NordVPN

NordVPN is the world’s most advanced VPN service provider used by over 14 million internet users worldwide. NordVPN provides double VPN encryption, malware blocking, and Onion Over VPN. The product is very user-friendly, offers one of the best prices on the market, has over 5,000 servers in 60 countries worldwide, and is P2P-friendly. One of the key features of NordVPN is the zero-log policy. For more information, visit nordvpn.com.