Before knowing what is Affiliate Marketing, know that Affiliate Marketing can be done has a side hustle on your free time, first know clearly about it.
What is Affiliate Marketing and how to start Affiliate Marketing by your own.
I just want to tell that, If you do it right, affiliate marketing can make you money while you’re on the beach, in the mountains, or even taking a nap.
Forbes announced Affiliate marketer as one of the top 3 highest paying remote jobs in 2023, & again in 2024, & you’re still sleeping on this opportunity?
According to Statista, business spending on affiliate marketing hit $8.2 billion in the U.S in 2022 and Influencer Marketing Hub estimates that the industry will continue to grow to $15.7 billion by 2024..
In this article, I’m going to teach you How to start Affiliate Marketing with (almost) no money.
I’ll share how I did it and what you can do to get started today.
How does Affiliate Marketing work?
Affiliate Marketing is a way to earn money by promoting products or services created by others.
You receive a commission each time someone makes a purchase through the affiliate link you share.
Let’s break it down with an example:
Imagine you create a blog post or a YouTube video discussing the top vacuum cleaners for tackling pet hair.
If someone clicks on the affiliate link you provide and buys a recommended product, you earn a percentage of that sale.
What makes Affiliate marketing appealing is its low overhead.
Unlike traditional businesses, you don’t have to deal with manufacturing, shipping, or customer service.
Your job is to showcase awesome products and get paid for it. It’s a straightforward way to generate income while promoting products you genuinely like.
Get clear picture about how to create a blog and promote your affiliate links which can be done in few easy steps, read this article.
Can you really start affiliate marketing with “no” money?
Getting into affiliate marketing without spending money might seem challenging, but there’s a way to kickstart it.
Initially, you can share your affiliate link with friends and family.
However, this approach has limitations, and it’s not a scalable method for significant earnings unless you’re consistently expanding your network.
For more substantial success, many thriving affiliate marketers take a different route.
They establish a presence on the web through a website and social media channels to drive traffic to their affiliate links.
Although social media accounts are free, creating and maintaining a website does involve some costs.
To start, you’ll need to invest in a domain name and website hosting.
Typically, a domain sets you back about $3–$7 for the first year, and hosting starts at $2.75 per month (when paid annually, totaling $33).
Hence, you should be prepared with at least $36 to get started, as of the time this post was published.
It’s an investment that opens the door to greater opportunities in the world of affiliate marketing.
How to start affiliate marketing with almost no money.
If you have the $36 and are interested in exploring this business model, I’ve outlined five straightforward steps to help you begin your journey into affiliate marketing.
Below 5 Steps helps you clearly.
- Find a niche OR a good affiliate program
- Relay on one traffic channel
- Create killer content
- Promote like crazy
- Scale it up
1. Find a niche OR a good Affiliate program
Choosing the right niche is crucial in affiliate marketing—it’s the foundation of your content and promotions.
Your niche could be anything you’re passionate about, whether it’s a hobby, interest, or lifestyle. Selecting the right niche is challenging, but it’s vital for long-term success.
You have two main approaches to finding your niche.
First, you can choose something you’re already interested in.
Alternatively, you can explore high-quality affiliate programs and base your niche on them.
This decision is crucial because it sets the stage for the content you’ll create for years.
When looking for affiliate programs, it’s often a trade-off between good products with low commissions or subpar products with high commissions.
However, occasionally, you may discover a top-notch product with a generous commission rate, making it a potential focal point for your niche.
While Amazon’s affiliate program is common, making significant profits typically requires substantial traffic and sales.
Exploring other affiliate programs might be more lucrative. Building direct relationships with brands often leads to the best partnerships and private deals.
You can also use Google to search for “[your niche] affiliate programs” or explore affiliate marketing platforms like AvantLink, impact.com, ShareASale, and more.
2. Relay on One Traffic Channel
One of the common pitfalls for beginners, and a mistake I’ve made myself, is spreading efforts across multiple traffic channels simultaneously.
It’s easy to create accounts on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest, while managing a blog—all at once.
However, mastering each of these channels takes significant time and effort, often resembling a full-time job.
Instead, choose one or two main traffic sources—my favorites are YouTube and Google because they can bring recurring organic traffic—and get really good at them.
While having accounts on various channels is possible, it’s essential to concentrate the majority of your content creation and attention on one channel, using others to complement and support it.
Organic traffic from search engines, such as Google, is a valuable method for achieving passive affiliate revenue.
While mastering SEO and reaching page #1 takes time, the long-term benefits include consistent traffic every time someone searches and finds your content.
YouTube operates similarly as a search engine, providing another avenue for recurring visitors without the constant need for creating and promoting new content.
The choice of the traffic channel depends on personal preference and the niche you’re in, as some niches are more competitive in search engines than others.
For instance, our tool estimates that achieving a top 10 ranking for a specific keyword may require backlinks from around 45 websites.
It’s worth noting that certain niches can be highly competitive, with big brands as competitors.
Therefore, strategic channel selection and a focused approach can significantly contribute to your success.
3. Create killer content
Absolutely, regardless of the platform you choose, the key to success is great content.
Your content needs to be so compelling, interesting, and engaging that people not only want to consume it but also share it with others.
Whether it’s videos, pictures, or blog posts, the only way to stand out in a saturated market is to ensure your content is truly outstanding.
The definition of great content can vary depending on the niche and platform. It’s not necessarily about having the best cameras or the most visually appealing website.
Instead, focus on creating content that excels at one of two things: entertaining or informing.
Being able to both entertain and inform your audience is a winning combination for affiliate marketing.
This could involve exceptional storytelling, in-depth research, or presenting information in a compelling way.
However, keep in mind that the approach to capturing traffic from Google is different from platforms like Instagram or TikTok, given the diverse intentions behind user engagement.
Crafting excellent content for Google requires extensive research, including keyword research, analyzing search engine results pages (SERPs), and reviewing videos and forum posts.
After gathering this information, the next step is to present it in a clear, well-written manner that’s optimized for search engines.
The ultimate goal is to create content that surpasses what currently ranks on page #1 for your target keyword.
4. Promote like crazy
Absolutely, when I suggest focusing on one channel for traffic, the emphasis is on creating content specifically for that channel.
However, you can still leverage other channels to amplify and support your primary content.
For instance, if you choose to concentrate on SEO or YouTube, consider sharing your content on platforms like Facebook and Pinterest, even if you don’t have a substantial following.
The idea is not to immerse yourself deeply in these additional channels or spend hours on social media every day but to view them as complementary elements within a broader strategy.
Share your content and move on.
There are several ways to promote your content without spending money, such as:
- Engaging in forums: Participate in discussions related to your niche.
- Building relationships: Connect with others in your niche and related niches.
- Commenting on other content: Engage with videos, blog posts, or social media content in your field.
- Cold email outreach: Reach out to individuals or businesses that might be interested in your content.
These strategies help broaden your reach and establish connections without a significant financial investment.
The key is to find a balance that works for you and aligns with your overall content promotion strategy.
5. Scale it up
Once you’ve identified a successful traffic channel, the next step is to scale up your efforts.
Focus more on the content and promotion methods that yield results and consider phasing out those that don’t.
As your efforts grow, you may explore the possibility of hiring assistance, whether it’s a writer, video editor, or social media manager.
Platforms like UpWork and Fiverr provide opportunities to find skilled individuals at a relatively low cost.
It might require trying out multiple hires to find the right fit, but once you do, they can significantly save you time, justifying the hiring process.
When seeking help, prioritize candidates with good reviews.
However, don’t solely rely on a five-star review average; take the time to read recent reviews to ensure their authenticity and relevance.
Do not start Affiliate Marketing until you understand these 3 things :-
- Contrary to what you think affiliate marketing is not “easy”. The business model IS SIMPLE to understand & it IS easier than other ones online because there’s 0 shipping, inventory, or selling. BUT money is not going to just start flowing into your account. It takes consistency to start making $5k months, but the timeline varies (I made $4k in my 1st month & $5k in my 2nd month).
- You really should know/buy the products you’re promoting. You DON’T have to pay to promote these products, but it’s a good idea to know the product inside & out so you’re familiar with it. You probably wouldn’t recommend products to friends/fam that you’ve never tried, right? So don’t do it to strangers on social media. 🤷🏻♀️
- To make the most money, you need to become a lead generator. Your job is not to sell!!! You generate leads for these businesses, it’s THEIR job to sell. This means you need to know your target audience (WHO wants to buy the products you’re promoting?) & speak to them. Share how this product benefited you. Use storytelling & speak to different pain points.
Final thoughts :-
With enough determination, you can create a business that earns passive revenue while you spend your time on hobbies, relaxing, with family, or doing whatever you want to do.
Also try to build your own website with few easy steps using WordPress and start publishing your Affiliate links, read this article for more information.
