How to Make Money With Affiliate Marketing？

Do you want to make money while you’re asleep? Welcome to the world of affiliate marketing.

If you’ve never heard of affiliate marketing before, congratulations—you’ve come to the right place! In this article, I’ll give you a detailed explanation of affiliate marketing and how you can make money through it.

What is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is a digital marketing strategy where affiliates earn commissions by promoting other people’s products or services. Affiliates include promotional links in their content, and if a sale is made through their unique referral link, they earn a commission.

Affiliate Marketing Meaning

In this context, “affiliate” refers to a partnership. In affiliate marketing, it means the collaboration between advertisers (providers of products or services) and affiliates (promoters or marketers). Advertisers provide the products or services, and affiliates earn commissions by promoting these products or services.

“Marketing” involves a series of activities aimed at promoting and selling products or services. This includes market research, advertising, and sales strategies designed to attract consumers and drive sales.

Combining “affiliate” and “marketing,” affiliate marketing refers to a cooperative marketing model. Specifically, it involves a commission-based partnership where advertisers pay affiliates a commission when they drive sales or traffic through their promotional efforts. Affiliates can promote the advertiser’s products or services on their websites, blogs, or social media to earn commissions.

How Does Affiliate Marketing Work?

First, you need a website or social media account, or you need to find a method to promote products.

Next, you need to apply to become an affiliate member of an affiliate network. Typically, you will be required to provide your website or social media accounts during registration to ensure you can help the network’s advertisers sell their products. Otherwise, your application may be rejected.

Once you have an affiliate account, you can apply for ads based on your industry expertise.

For example, if my blog focuses on teaching beginners how to make money online through websites and blogs, I might apply for ads related to website building in networks like CJ Affiliate. This could include ads from hosting providers like InterServer or Namecheap.

After the advertisers approve your application, you will receive promotional links.

Affiliate marketing differs from display ads like Google AdSense.

You can embed product links into your content as shown in the example below:

In this example, if a user clicks on the Bluehost link and makes a purchase, I will earn a promotional commission. This is the basic operation of affiliate marketing.

Is Affiliate Marketing Legit?

Affiliate marketing is a legitimate way to earn money online, and many affiliates around the world make substantial income through it, with many working full-time in this field.

However, if someone tells you that affiliate marketing can make you rich quickly and easily, they are likely misleading you. Affiliate marketing is not a get-rich-quick scheme; you won’t start making money immediately without putting in effort.

To earn through affiliate marketing, you must actively promote affiliate ads and attract a significant number of users to make purchases so you can earn commissions.

Why Do Some People Remain Skeptical About Affiliate Marketing?

The reason is that there are many affiliate marketing platforms globally, some of which are excellent while others are subpar. Poorly managed platforms often have low commissions, delayed payments, and inadequate support for affiliates. Some may even engage in affiliate marketing fraud.

So, if you decide to start your affiliate marketing journey, it’s crucial to choose reputable and trustworthy programs. Otherwise, you might not see any returns from affiliate marketing.

Is Affiliate Marketing Dead?

You might come across posts on Facebook claiming that the affiliate marketing industry is dying. However, our research shows that 83.1% of respondents are optimistic about the industry’s future, with forecasts predicting a 63% growth in the global affiliate marketing market over the next four years.

So why do some people say affiliate marketing is dead?

I believe the main reason is the increasing number of people entering the field, leading to intense competition. For beginners, making money through affiliate marketing requires learning industry insights and accumulating experience over time. Many beginners lack patience and give up after only a week or a month without seeing immediate results, leading them to claim that affiliate marketing is dead.

In reality, for experienced affiliates, affiliate marketing continues to grow annually. Our survey found that the average income for affiliate marketers exceeds $8,000, and top affiliates can earn over $500,000 per month. This demonstrates that affiliate marketing remains a viable and lucrative opportunity for making money online.

How to Make Money with Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing platforms include numerous advertisers who offer various methods of paying your promotional commissions, such as PPC (Pay Per Click), PPS (Pay Per Sale), and PPL (Pay Per Lead). Let’s take a closer look at these three common methods of commission payment in affiliate marketing.

Pay Per Click (PPC) Affiliate Marketing

In PPC affiliate marketing, advertisers pay commissions based on the number of clicks their ads receive. You place the ad on your website, and for each click, you earn a commission. For example, if the payment per click is $1, and 100 users click the ad on your site in a day, you would earn $100 in click commissions.

Google AdSense is a representative of PPC affiliate marketing. To start earning, you need to apply for a Google AdSense account, obtain ad codes, and place them on your site.

Currently, top global affiliate marketing platforms rarely feature PPC ads.

Pay Per Sale (PPS) Affiliate Marketing

In PPS affiliate marketing, advertisers pay commissions based on the sales made through your referral. This is the most common method of commission payment in affiliate marketing.

For example, take the Nike affiliate program on CJ Affiliate. Nike offers a 1% commission on each sale. If a customer makes a $100 purchase through your unique link, you earn $1 in commission.

Due to Nike’s high brand recognition, their commission rate is relatively low. Typically, for products like sportswear and shoes, the commission ranges from 3% to 10%.

PPS is a popular method for earning through affiliate marketing and is favored by advertisers. To earn commissions, you need to help advertisers sell their products.

Pay Per Lead (PPL) Affiliate Marketing

In PPL affiliate marketing, commissions are based on leads or prospects generated. This method is commonly used in industries like insurance, loans, home improvement, and credit cards.

For example, Aflac, an insurance company, pays $16 for each lead. If a user fills out their personal information through your referral link, you earn $16.

What is EPC in Affiliate Marketing?

In any affiliate platform, you’ll often see an EPC (Earnings Per Click) metric, typically shown as 7-day EPC and 3-month EPC. So, what does EPC represent, and what can we learn from it?

EPC stands for Earnings Per Click and is a key metric used to measure the average earnings per click. It is calculated by dividing the total earnings by the number of clicks.

EPC helps affiliates gauge the effectiveness of a promotional link or ad. A higher EPC indicates better earnings per click, suggesting effective promotion or high conversion rates for the advertiser’s products or services.

EPC data also helps predict potential income. For example, if an ad’s EPC is $1.00 and you receive 1000 clicks daily, you can expect around $1000 in daily revenue.

When choosing ads, consider the EPC value. A higher EPC indicates greater potential earnings from the ad.

Some advertisers may have an EPC of zero, meaning no affiliates are currently promoting their products. Such advertisers are often best avoided, as their products or services may be difficult to sell or they may lack credibility.

Social Media Affiliate Marketing

You can earn money by posting content on social media platforms and including your affiliate links to attract users to buy products or generate leads.

You can create a YouTube channel or post videos on TikTok to engage users and include affiliate links in your video descriptions to earn commissions.

For example, searching for keywords like “Nike” or “Nike Air” on YouTube reveals many videos with affiliate links to Nike products. As shown in the image below, if users click the link and purchase from Nike’s site, the affiliate earns a commission.

For social media marketing, if you want to sell products, create content related to the products. If you prefer not to or cannot make videos, you can use Pinterest or Facebook, where writing articles or taking pictures is simpler and suitable for full-time moms or beginners.

If you don’t have a website for affiliate marketing, social media is an excellent alternative.

Website Affiliate Marketing

Website affiliate marketing involves creating your own website, updating it with articles, and including affiliate product links from affiliate platforms. You earn commissions when users make purchases through these links.

For example, on my Enter Niche blog, I included a Bluehost affiliate link in the article. If you use this link to purchase Bluehost services, you get a 60% discount, and I earn a commission.

To maximize earnings from such articles, focus on Google SEO and share your content on social media platforms like Pinterest to attract more readers and clicks.

I recommend that every affiliate marketing beginner start their own blog or website. Promoting affiliate marketing through a website can provide long-term income, especially if you master Google SEO. Even while you sleep, your blog can continue to generate revenue.

How Much Do Affiliate Marketers Make?

The income of affiliate marketers varies based on several factors:

Niche Market

Some niches have higher commission rates, such as weight loss, insurance, and loans, where you can earn over $100 per sale. Others, like clothing or shoes, may only yield a few dollars per sale. Your chosen niche affects your potential earnings.

Traffic Volume

The more traffic you attract, the more customers who make purchases, leading to higher earnings.

According to our survey, affiliates with over three years of experience generally earn several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars per month, while beginners usually earn a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.

How to Start Affiliate Marketing for Beginners

Identify Products or Services That Suit Your Audience

First, choose a niche market and audience that fit your interests or areas where you have experience. For example, if you are knowledgeable about weight loss and understand various methods and meal plans that work, you might start by focusing on the weight loss niche and teaching others about effective weight loss strategies.

Promote What You Trust

Once you’ve chosen a niche like weight loss, consider which products to promote. Look for weight loss products you trust and have personally used with positive results. Avoid promoting ineffective products just for the sake of making money, as this can damage your credibility with your audience.

Create Engaging and Informative Content

After selecting your affiliate products, create high-quality content around them. Write articles or produce videos that inform your audience about the products and explain why you are promoting them. This helps your audience make informed purchasing decisions.

Utilize Diverse Marketing Channels

Share your affiliate links through various marketing channels, such as email, social media, blog posts, or even paid ads. Choose the best methods to reach and engage your audience effectively.

Once you’ve completed these steps, you’re officially in the affiliate marketing business. Congratulations! Keep producing quality content and engaging with your audience to improve conversion rates.

How to Become an Affiliate Marketer

To become an affiliate marketer, you need a website or a social media account, as this is a requirement for most affiliate platforms. If you don’t have these or don’t know how to promote affiliate links, your application will likely be rejected.

Once you have a website or social media account, choose the affiliate programs you want to join. For product sales, consider popular networks like CJ Affiliate, Rakuten, or Amazon Associates. For digital products, such as eBooks or online courses, you might apply to ClickBank.

Visit their official websites, find the account registration section (usually in the top right corner), and follow the registration steps as required by the affiliate program. After your application is reviewed and approved, congratulations—you’re officially an affiliate marketer.

However, don’t get too excited just yet. Becoming an affiliate marketer is just the first step. You also need to apply for ads on the affiliate platform and wait for approval from advertisers before you can start promoting their product links.

Advertisers typically look at whether your niche aligns with their products. If your chosen niche is weight loss but you apply for gaming ads, the advertiser is unlikely to approve your application because your target audience is interested in weight loss, not gaming.

How to Start Affiliate Marketing with No Money

As a beginner, you can start affiliate marketing without spending any money, unless you want to create a website.

Even if you decide to create a website, the investment cost is relatively low. For more details, you can check out articles on affordable website creation：How Much Does It Cost to Start a Blog?

If you don’t have money but want to start affiliate marketing, you can begin by setting up a social media account. For example, you can create a Pinterest account, consistently post images and text content, and include your affiliate links to start earning—this is all free.

If possible, I strongly recommend starting a blog for your affiliate marketing career. Most marketers attract users to their blogs to promote products, even if they are active on social media platforms like Pinterest or YouTube.

Affiliate Marketing Programs for Beginners

As a beginner in affiliate marketing, it’s best to start with niches that are easier to gain traffic from rather than choosing high-commission programs. High-commission programs often have more experienced marketers, making it challenging for beginners to compete with seasoned experts in those markets.

So, I’ve put together the following table to help beginners get started with affiliate marketing. You can use the information in the table as a reference.

Here are our favorite beginner affiliate programs.

Program	Commission rate	Cookie duration
FanFuel	40% per sale	90 days
ShareASale	Varies	Varies
FlexOffers	Varies	Varies
Market Health	Up to $75 per sale	30 days
Commission Junction	Varies	Varies
Nord VPN	30% – 40%	30 days
ClickBank	Up to 100%	60 days
Bluehost	$65 per sale	120 days
Awin	Varies	Varies
Semrush	$10 per trial/ $200 per sale	120 days
Elementor	50% per sale	30 days
Shopify	100% (first 2 payments)	30 days
Link Connector	Varies	Varies
Fiverr	Up to $150 per sale	30 days
Rakuten Advertising	Varies	Varies
AppSumo	Up to 100%	30 days
Etsy	4% per sale	30 days
Pepperjam	Varies	Varies
Amazon Associates Program	Up to 20%	24 hours
eBay Partner Network	Up to 4% per sale	24 hours

5 Best Affiliate Marketing Websites

CJ Affiliate Marketing

Formerly known as Commission Junction, CJ Affiliate was established in 1998 and is one of the largest affiliate marketing networks globally, handling billions in commissions. It has over 3,000 advertisers, including major brands like Apple, Amazon, Walmart, and eBay, spanning various industries from retail and e-commerce to travel and finance. CJ Affiliate boasts over 200,000 affiliates, with average earnings ranging from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars.

Amazon Affiliate Marketing

As the world’s largest e-commerce platform, Amazon offers a vast array of products suitable for any niche. However, compared to CJ Affiliate, Amazon has lower commission rates. When choosing between CJ Affiliate and Amazon, it’s essential to consider your niche market to make the best decision.

ClickBank Affiliate Marketing

ClickBank focuses on digital products like eBooks and online courses, offering high commission rates, sometimes up to 100%. For beginners in affiliate marketing, ClickBank is a fantastic platform to start with due to its focus on digital products.

Rakuten Affiliate Marketing

Similar to CJ Affiliate, Rakuten is a renowned global affiliate platform with many advertisers and well-known brands. It offers higher commissions than smaller affiliate networks, making it a strong choice for affiliates.

Awin Affiliate Marketing

Awin is a leading affiliate network that provides extensive opportunities and competitive commissions. It features a wide range of advertisers and is well-regarded in the affiliate marketing industry.

5 Best Affiliate Marketing Courses

Affiliate Bootcamp

Created by ClickBank, this course is an excellent starting point for beginners. It covers everything from basics to advanced topics, including various theories, practical cases, and marketing strategies. ClickBank also provides internal marketing tips and user manuals.

The Super Affiliate System

Authored by John Crestani, this course offers comprehensive insights into advertising, website optimization, and more. While it’s detailed and practical, it’s better suited for those with some experience in affiliate marketing rather than complete beginners.

Affiliate Marketing Mastery

Stefan James’s course focuses on building and scaling an affiliate marketing business. It covers market research, business development, and provides community support and additional resources to help students achieve better results.

The ClickBank Success System

Also offered by ClickBank, this course is aimed at helping beginners succeed on the ClickBank platform. While it’s tailored for new users, it’s not ideal for complete novices.

The Ultimate Guide to Affiliate Marketing

Authored by Robby Blanchard, this course provides a comprehensive guide from beginner to advanced levels. It offers practical strategies and techniques to help students succeed, backed by Blanchard’s experience in creating and promoting affiliate marketing projects.

3 Best Affiliate Marketing Forums

AffiliateFix

Launched in 2010, AffiliateFix has extensive resources on affiliate marketing basics and strategies. It offers many free tutorials and guides, with some advanced features requiring a subscription.

Warrior Forum

Founded in 1997, Warrior Forum is a well-known and long-standing platform with a large community of affiliate marketing experts. It covers a range of topics, including SEO, PPC ads, and content marketing, providing valuable resources and interactions for beginners.

Digital Point Forums

Similar to Warrior Forum, Digital Point Forums offers rich content and interactions with experienced marketers. It provides detailed tutorials, user discussions, and updates on the latest industry trends.

Advice for Beginners in Affiliate Marketing

As an experienced affiliate marketer, here are some tips for beginners:

Learn the Basics

Deeply understand affiliate marketing fundamentals, including product selection, market research, and content optimization. Choose a niche that interests you and has potential, and select reputable affiliate programs and products to ensure quality and reasonable commissions.

Research Products and Customers

Understand your products and target audience. Address customer needs and solve problems while promoting products, avoiding tactics that might turn customers away.

Be Patient

Affiliate marketing requires long-term commitment. Initial earnings may be low, but as you gain experience and improve your marketing skills, your income will grow. Generally, affiliates with 3-5 years of experience can earn between $10,000 to $20,000 per month.