What is Affiliate Marketing? (Simple Guide for Beginners)
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Affiliate Marketing In Plain English
Affiliate marketing involves recommending a product or service online, earning a commission when someone buys through your special link. Think of it like being a digital middleman. You don’t create the product; you just help connect the buyer and seller, and get paid when it works.
For example, if you write a blog post about the best headphones and link to them on Amazon, you’ll get a cut every time someone clicks and buys.
Why Companies Use It
- They only pay when there’s a result (a sale or lead).
- It helps them reach new audiences without spending on ads.
- Affiliates handle the marketing, while companies ship the product.
Why Do People Like It
- You don’t need your own product.
- It can be started on a small budget.
- Works with blogs, YouTube, TikTok, or even email.
- Income potential grows as your audience grows.
How it works (step by step)
How it works (step by step)
- You sign up for an affiliate program (like Amazon Associates or Wealthy Affiliate).
Like Amazon Associates, ClickBank, Awin, Ebay, or Wealthy Affiliate
- You get a special tracking link.
This is also called an Affiliate Link.
- You share the link on your website, video, or social post.
Be sure to follow the platform’s guidelines regarding Affiliate links to avoid a violation of Terms of Service for that platform and the affiliate program.
- Someone clicks your affiliate link and makes a purchase.
After someone clicks and completes a purchase, there is usually a short waiting period before you are paid a commission from the affiliate program.
That’s the whole model is pretty simple.
A quick example
Imagine you love camping. You start a blog where you share tips about tents and gear. You join an affiliate program for outdoor products. When readers click your tent recommendation and buy, you make money. You didn’t create the tent, but you helped the sale happen.
Common questions
Not to start. Even a small group of people can lead to sales if your content is helpful.
Some tools (like websites) cost money, but you can start on a small budget.
It can be, but only after you put in the work. You need to create content first.
You can read this post about Affiliate Marketing being passive and what it takes.
Next steps
Now that you know what affiliate marketing is, the next question is: is it legit? We’ll cover that in Week 2’s post: Is Affiliate Marketing Legit or a Scam?
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