Affiliate marketing lets you make money online with zero to little start-up costs and put in less effort than you would for a traditional 9-5 job. But how do you start affiliate marketing, and what should you do to become a successful affiliate marketer? Find out now.
If you’ve been here before, you know that I love exploring ways to make money online. One of the tried and tested methods you can start with right now is affiliate marketing. It’s one of my favorite ways to make money online, in addition to display advertising through my blog.
If you think of it, affiliate marketing businesses are everywhere on the internet. You see people promoting affiliate products or services on their Instagram accounts, YouTube channels, and websites.
These people are affiliate marketers. The goal is to get your audience to take action on your content, whether to convince them to purchase, sign up for a webinar, book a hotel, or download a specific app. The more people you get to perform that specific action, the more money you make.
In this post, I will walk you through important things you need to know about this business model and start affiliate marketing on the right foot. So, are you ready to become an affiliate marketer? Keep reading!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links! I may earn from qualifying purchases at NO extra cost to you.
What is an affiliate marketing business?
Table of Contents
First things first: What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is a business model where you promote products and/or services and earn money through purchases from your affiliate link.
Affiliate marketers collaborate with brands or join affiliate networks to promote products on various platforms.
The role of the affiliate network is similar to that of a middleman. It gives you access to tons of affiliate products to promote, and it'll also keep track of successful purchases. Some of the best examples of affiliate networks are ShareASale, Amazon Affiliate Program, Impact, and FlexOffers.
Affiliate marketing is about telling others, "Hey, I've found this product, and it's really amazing! I bet you'll love it too! Here's the link to buy it." If you convince people to purchase through your link, you make money through affiliate sales, and you'll generate passive affiliate income from that same link as long as you're bringing in more sales.
How does affiliate marketing work?
Affiliate marketing works this way: companies need someone to promote their products and services, so they partner with affiliate marketers to do this.
You'll often find bloggers and social media influencers promoting affiliate products on social media platforms and their websites.
Since affiliate marketers have established trust and credibility with their target audience, they're in the best position to promote products that they believe are useful and helpful.
So, they create content, whether a blog post, a YouTube video, or Instagram or Facebook content about the specific product. They put the affiliate link within that post, redirecting their audience to the page where they can purchase the product.
Examples of How I Use Affiliate Marketing on My Blog
Here’s an example of how I use affiliate marketing here on This Mama Blogs.
Since I’ve been able to turn this blog you’re reading now into a six-figure business, I created a free blogging guide to help my readers start a blog of their own. I also partnered with HostGator, the hosting company I used for my blog when I first started.
I loved HostGator, and I believe it’s an awesome, cheap hosting provider for new bloggers. So, I recommended it and put my affiliate link within the said post.
If a reader purchased a HostGator product or service through that link, I earn a commission from HostGator. It’s that simple.
Now, you might be wondering whether you also need to personally use every product or service to promote as an affiliate marketer. The answer is NO. While it’s best to promote products you’ve used and loved, you don’t always need to try every product or service to starting promoting.
I don’t buy every product or service that I recommend but I always make sure that I only promote the most relevant and useful to my audience, and the best in the market.
For example, I recommend the Bookkeepers Launch course here for those who want to learn how to become a bookkeeper. I didn’t buy the course because I didn’t need it, but I researched it and loved the reviews. And I believe that it’s one of the best resources out there for bookkeeping.
To promote it, I created a post about bookkeeping as a business option for stay-at-home moms and I’ve made thousands of dollars since in commission through affiliate marketing with this one product alone!
This is just from one of my affiliate companies.
I've partnered with a lot of companies and networks--some pay just a few dollars per sale while others pay more than $100.
How Affiliate Marketers and Companies Monitor Sales?
You might be wondering how to monitor your sales made through those affiliate links. Well, your affiliate companies or networks use a tracking system that track your performance and sales. So don't worry, even while you're sleeping, your sales and clicks are tracked!
For example, this affiliate network below tracked my clicks, payouts, sales and even conversation rate.
Most affiliate programs and networks even provide robust analytics dashboards where you can track various metrics such as clicks, conversions, sales, and earnings.
You can use these metrics for A/B testing your approaches when it comes to content format, calls-to-action or placement of links.
Why I Love Affiliate Marketing
There are many reasons why I love affiliate marketing and below are some of them:
- Low Risk
You don't need to create your own products or handle customer service, reducing upfront costs and risks. Unlike traditional marketing, you don't even need to have inventory of the product/s you are promoting, so there is zero or less upfront capital.
- Less Interaction with Customers
What I hate about traditional marketing is the need to speak to your target customers either personally, by phone or through text message.
You most likely need to repeat your sales pitches from one person to another to make consistent sales. Then, your job does not end with presenting your product or service to your customer. Sometimes, you still need to do some work to ensure the sale was made under your name to earn a commission.
It's not only time-consuming, it's just too overwhelming for introverts like me.
With affiliate marketing, you don't need to have a personal interaction with your customers. There is no need to sell your soul to make money! You just need to create a relevant, helpful content on your channels or pages. If your audiences are convinced to purchase your affiliate product through your post, you make money--even without having to speak to them.
- Passive Income
This is probably my favorite. Even my oldest posts, written years ago, on this blog still make me money until today!
Once set up, your affiliate links can generate passive income as long as they continue to drive sales or referrals. Your affiliate content can also make money even while you're sleeping.
- Scalability
With the internet, you can scale your earnings by reaching a larger audience or promoting multiple products across different niches. You have a global reach and many methods to reach more people.
How To Get Started with Affiliate Marketing
So, you want to make money through an affiliate marketing business but don't know where to start?
Let me break down the process so you can start your affiliate business soon!
1. Find your niche
For me, the most crucial step to running a successful affiliate marketing business is finding your niche. You don't want to promote products just because they are trendy or popular, but because you love them, know them well, and believe they can help others like you.
And when you've found that particular segment you are most passionate about and interested in and has market demand, you've found your niche!
So, instead of just talking about cooking in general, you want to narrow down the topic to grilling because it's a more specific cooking method that you really love and enjoy. So, you blog about grilling, post about it on social media platforms, and even create content for your YouTube channel.
Along the way, you mention affiliate products related to grilling, such as grills and smokers, grilling accessories and wood chips, grilling cookbooks, sauces and marinades, and barbecue sauces and spices. You are diving deep into the grilling niche and focusing on it.
That way, you can connect to your target audience -- people like you who love grilling, and the affiliate content you make can help solve their problems or enhance their grilling experience.
When picking an affiliate niche, I suggest to look into the following:
- Your interest and passion: You must be passionate about your niche. People can sense if you're insincere about your content, which can turn them off.
- Market demand: Other people must actively look into your niche, preferably throughout the year. You can use search engines like Google, Pinterest or specialized tools to determine the demand for that niche.
- Competition: Assessing competition is another crucial part of creating an effective affiliate strategy. Beginner affiliate marketers may find navigating niches with tight competition tough, so make sure your strategy will set you apart.
- Research affiliate programs: Find out which affiliate program or network to join that offers products within your target niche.
Choosing the right niche allows you to start affiliate marketing on the right foot. You know what you like, what your target audience likes, the products are available, and people are spending money on them. There is no one-size-fits-all affiliate niche, so consider your interests, audience needs, and long-term goals.
2. Pick the right platform
You do need a platform to host your affiliate content. It could be an affiliate site, a YouTube channel, a blog, or social media channels. The platform you choose also determines the amount of affiliate marketing efforts you need to put in, so it's wise to think about how you can stay committed to your chosen platform for the long term.
Affiliate site or blog
Many affiliate marketers start with a blog or an affiliate website. A blog helps you generate passive income, some of which could be your affiliate revenue. With a blog, you share high-quality content with your audience and then embed the affiliate link within your content.
What I love about blogging is that I don't need to show my face on the internet, and I don't need to talk. A blog can also be monetized in many ways. Aside from affiliate marketing, I also earn between $5000 and $13,000 per month from display advertising through my blog.
When posting on your blog or affiliate website, remember that the goal is to help your target audience. You can post a few affiliate links there, but overall, it should be relatable, helpful, and valuable content. Being honest, transparent, and genuine is the best way to build trust and credibility with your audience.
If you want to go for this route but you have no idea how to get started, I have a detailed blogging guide to help you.
YouTube Channel
Running a YouTube channel is also a brilliant platform for your affiliate business. With a video format, you can showcase affiliate products and services. You can make several types of affiliate content on YouTube, from unboxing videos, product features, product comparisons, and tutorials.
The downside of hosting your affiliate content on YouTube is that it can be much more work than blogging. You'll have to brainstorm topics, film the content, and edit. In many cases, you'll also need to have the affiliate products physically. On top of that, you need to take care of the backend of things, such as doing YouTube SEO.
However, like with a blog, your YouTube videos can also make money from ads.
Social media
You don't really need an affiliate website to become an affiliate marketer. You can start affiliate marketing on social media instead, which is how many affiliate marketers have succeeded.
Many brands use influencer and affiliate marketing strategies to promote their product and drive more sales. Influencers usually use social media such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, where they link to their affiliate partners. You also don't need tons of social media following to get into influencer marketing. Many brands tap micro-influencers because they have a smaller yet more engaged following.
3. Choose your affiliate network or program
There are so many affiliate programs to choose from, but you'll ultimately want to pick an affiliate marketing network that matches your long-term goal.
But wait, what's an affiliate network?
To achieve affiliate marketing success, you must first know two critical figures: brand owners and affiliate networks.
Affiliate marketing works by giving you incentives for promoting products and services by brand owners. But if you don't usually approach a brand owner and say you want to become an affiliate marketer for them, you go instead to the affiliate network, the middleman.
Affiliate networks work as a bridge between brands and affiliate marketers. Brands go to affiliate networks to list their products and services, while marketers sign up for an affiliate network and choose the products they want to promote.
Choosing the right affiliate networks helps you create the right affiliate marketing strategy is essential for your business success.
So, how do new affiliate marketers choose the right affiliate marketing program? Here are the most important things to consider.
Commission structure
This refers to how much you get paid for every successful sale made through your affiliate link. Some affiliate marketing networks provide a flat fee, while others may give you performance-based incentives.
Reputation and credibility
Check out the network's reputation and ensure they have a good track record. This is one of the essential affiliate marketing tips that any marketer needs to remember.
Products/services offered
After identifying your niche, you should choose an affiliate program that offers products and services within your niche and connects you with your target audience. The most successful affiliate marketers focus on their niches to better serve their audience with the best and most effective solutions.
Excellent tracking and reporting
Your affiliate marketing network must have excellent tracking and reporting to implement affiliate marketing effectively. This helps you monitor the effectiveness of your affiliate marketing campaign, allowing you to implement changes as necessary. You can only generate affiliate revenue if you know that your affiliate strategies are performing well.
Cookie duration
Cookie duration tracks a potential buyer's actions with your affiliate link for a given period of time. The cookie attaches to their browser for the set duration and credits you with affiliate revenue if the buyer purchases within the cookie duration. Some affiliate programs have a cookie duration as short as 24 hours, while others go as long as 30 days. Generally, the longer the cookie duration, the more chances of making affiliate sales.
Best affiliate networks to join
Here are the best affiliate marketing networks to consider for making passive income.
- Amazon Associates
As a trusted brand, Amazon is a great affiliate marketing network to join. Beginner affiliate marketers find it easier to promote products on Amazon because of the company's already-established brand and massive audience reach.
Plus, you can find products to promote on Amazon for almost any niche. For example, if you love camping, you can promote tents, camping clothes, tools, and accessories. Amazon has various styles and designs for any season if you're into fashion.
Another good thing to note about Amazon is that it offers up to 20% of affiliate marketing commission, depending on the product category. Cookie duration is typically 24 hours but is extendable up to 90 days.
Apply to become an affiliate of Amazon here.
- ShareASale
ShareASale is another reputable company to consider if you want to profit from affiliate marketing content. ShareASale has been around for over two decades and is one of the most established networks in the affiliate marketing industry. With over 4,000 merchant partners, affiliate marketers will not have difficulty finding the right products to promote within their chosen niches.
- Awin
You can also sign up for Awin, one of the best networks for beginner affiliate marketers. Awin partners with thousands of merchants, and there are diverse products you can choose to promote. You can make money through cost per lead, cost per sale, or cost per action, with a commission potential between 10% and 50%. You can promote affiliate links on your blog or website, or you may choose to use other platforms, such as Pinterest, Instagram, or YouTube.
- Impact
Impact is an affiliate marketing company founded by another big network: Commission Junction or CJ. While it's a relative newcomer compared to other well-established networks, Impact is also a good choice as an affiliate program.
Impact makes it easy to market affiliate products thanks to its robust selection of merchants, including household names like Adidas, Lenovo, HSBC, Levi's, and L'Oreal. Impact also has impressive tracking and reporting tools to help you implement and gauge your marketing efforts and improve your affiliate promotion strategies.
- FlexOffers
If you're looking for a simple and straightforward affiliate network, you should look into FlexOffers. With thousands of affiliate partners and literally millions of products to promote, you can quickly start your affiliate marketing job with FlexOffers.
Affiliate commission can vary depending on the merchant (around 5% to 10%), and payments are processed after 60 days. While it is not among the high-paying affiliate programs, FlexOffers is among the most reputable networks most affiliate marketers trust.
- ClickBank
ClickBank is essentially one of the "oldest" affiliate networks, which was founded in 1998. From its humble beginnings, ClickBank became a massive network worth billions in the affiliate marketing industry. It is also one of the most trusted by so many affiliate marketers.
As an affiliate marketer, you'll be spoilt for choice with literally hundreds of thousands of products to promote. Plus, ClickBank allows you to join the platform with minimal requirements; you don't need vendor approval and can generate and share affiliate links immediately. Also, some products earn you up to 75% commission, which is higher than other affiliate networks offer.
4. Join a company's affiliate campaigns
While you can always join several affiliate networks, you can cast a wider net and potentially make more money by directly signing up as an affiliate marketer to a company. You might be surprised, but many companies have their own affiliate marketing programs, such as SEMRush, REI, Shopify, and so much more.
With that said, it may take some research to find companies offering their own affiliate marketing programs and, at the same time, fall within your niche. For example, if you are into digital marketing, you can sign up as an affiliate for Canva, Grammarly, and Adobe. REI focuses more on physical outdoor products (camping, hiking, and traveling).
Read the fine print before applying directly as an affiliate marketer. It's also good to have your numbers ready, such as your blog traffic and social media following, to show these companies that you have the potential to influence your audience.
Once approved, you should be able to start promoting products. Unlike affiliate networks that act as middlemen, working directly with a company helps you forge a more "personal" connection with the brand and puts you in a good position to earn higher commissions.
5. Create high-quality content for your affiliate campaigns
For me, this is the most important step. If you ask successful affiliates their secret to success, they'd probably say high-quality affiliate content in unison. You might be in the right niche that pays well, but if your content isn't helpful enough, you'll likely not make a good, consistent income from affiliate marketing.
You're not here merely to promote products aimlessly. You want to provide valuable content to convince your target audience that the products you're promoting can meet their needs and solve their problems. And they trust you enough to purchase through your affiliate link.
You should know your niche and define your target audience to create successful affiliate content. Understand their pain points and buyer persona. Creating different types of content is essential to see what works best with your audience. Some examples of affiliate content you can create are tutorials, blog posts like this one, product reviews, roundups, podcasts, and social media content.
6. Generate and increase traffic to your affiliate marketing platform
Now that you have produced your affiliate content, your next task would be to generate traffic to your site, channel or page. Content marketing is an essential part of your overall affiliate marketing strategy. It does not only help you drive more traffic to your website and convert visitors into paying customers.
Other strategies to help you generate and increase traffic to your affiliate site:
- Email marketing: Create and send newsletters containing valuable content around your niche. These newsletters may also include recommended affiliate products. The goal here is to build a more personal relationship with your audience so that you can "directly message" them straight to their inboxes. From here, you can bring your audience to your affiliate landing pages.
- Social media marketing: Another excellent strategy to generate traffic to your affiliate website is to use social media to your advantage. Social media is an excellent source of organic traffic, and each has advantages. Pinterest and Instagram, for example, are best for visuals, while Twitter and Facebook are great for community-building, updates, and promotions. Make sure to use the best platform for your niche and audience. I use Pinterest and it's an amazing traffic source!
- Paid ads: If you have the money to spend, consider running ads to reach your target audience. Two of the best platforms for running ads are Facebook and Google. With Google Ads, you use targeted keywords relevant to your niche and audience, while Facebook Ads lets you campaigns based on target location, demographics, interests, and other factors.
7. Track your affiliate marketing performance
I'll be honest, I rarely track and analyze much my affiliate marketing performance because I put more effort into driving traffic to my blog. However, I believe that tracking and analyzing your affiliate performance is crucial to hone your methods further and achieve the best results.
But apart from that, I think it's also important to track your affiliate strategies yourself. Which methods work? Do you make more sales using email marketing or social media marketing? Should you use tables and infographics? Where should you place your call-to-action buttons? Should you use tables and infographics? Where should you place your call-to-action buttons? Should you use longer or shorter content?
You can use several tools to gather essential data, such as Google Analytics, which tracks traffic sources, audience behavior, and conversion rates.
Once you've gathered significant insights, you can conduct A/B testing. This means you can experiment with your techniques and see which gives you the best result.
As you go through these tests, you can refine your strategies and methods and use those that truly work for you!
Affiliate marketing mistakes to avoid
We've covered what to do to start affiliate marketing, but what about "what not to do?" In this part of this affiliate marketing guide, I will show you the top affiliate marketing mistakes to avoid.
- Picking the wrong niche. You might be tempted to choose a popular or trending niche, but you shouldn't. You will only lose interest down the road, and that's one way to set yourself up for failure. Instead, focus on a niche you love and are passionate about, one that you want to keep learning about as time passes.
- You are hard-selling. Sure, the goal is to make money by selling affiliate products, but your audience quickly turns away when they see that you just want to sell instead of help. You must want to help genuinely; that sincerity should reflect on your content. Focus on providing high-quality, helpful, and relevant content that helps them address their problems.
- Quantity over quality. You might be tempted to promote too many products from so many merchants in your attempt to make money with affiliate marketing. But this strategy will only sub-par content quality, and you might get burnt out in the long run. Always think of your audience first and what they need, and focus on a few good quality products instead of trying to promote too many at once.
- Relying on only one affiliate program. The best way to increase your earning potential in affiliate marketing is to spread your eggs in different baskets. Thankfully, you can sign up with more than one affiliate programs or networks! Sign up for a couple of different affiliate networks; just make sure they offer products serving your niche and audience.
Key Takeaways
Affiliate marketing can be a lucrative source of income if you know what you're doing. It requires zero to little up-front costs, is relatively low-risk, and is excellent for beginners.
Some people may think that affiliate marketing is as easy as promoting links, but the truth is that there's a lot of work that goes into affiliate marketing. The good news is that anyone can learn affiliate marketing! There are plenty of resources online that can help you.
Once you know how it works and study the best strategies, you'll find that this business model can be very rewarding. It is an excellent side hustle for anyone who wants to earn extra income without a 9-5 job and even for stay-at-home parents who want to be more present for their kids while making money.
It's working well for me -- I know it could be the same for you, too!
