Welcome to my ultimate step-by-step affiliate marketing guide that will set you on the right path to success with this business model. š
In this all-inclusive tutorial, I will teach you everything you ever wanted to know about affiliate marketing, including what it is, how it works, how people actually make money from it, and how you, too, can start your very first affiliate marketing website.Ā
Iām really going to go in-depth in affiliate marketing so that I can show you everything that you need to know when it comes to making money online as an affiliate.Ā
Iām confident that by the end of this guide, you will learn the entire concept of affiliate marketing and understand each step that goes into the creation of a $6.000 per month passive income source.Ā
You will get my best pointers, and Iāll actually be providing you with real-life examples that will help you grasp the concept much faster, with ease, and in a more efficient manner. ā
I wonāt try to lure you into this business by providing you with false hope of making a thousand bucks by tomorrow. Instead, Iāll be completely transparent and give you my firsthand experiences as an affiliate.Ā
As you may or may not know, building an online business takes time and effort, and if youāre not ready to invest yourself in both of these areas, then youāre better off skipping this post and continuing with your day to day life.Ā Ā
At the same time – if you think you have what it takes to succeed with affiliate marketing, buckle down because we have a lot to cover. š§ š”
So, are you all set? Cool, letās fire away then. š«
WHAT IS AFFILIATE MARKETING?
Affiliate marketing is the most common way people earn money online, and thereās a good reason for that.
It is a relatively simple yet powerful method of earning, which pays you every time someone clicks on your affiliate link and buys something youāre recommending.
One of the reasons why affiliate marketing is excellent for beginners is the same reason I love it so much ā it has a low start-up cost. š
Many people who want to embark on their online journey believe that to make some good money, then need to invest twice as much at the beginning.
They have been misled, and they are wrong. ā
See, with affiliate marketing, you donāt have to buy products, set up online stores, deal with customer support, refunds, or any of that sort of thing.Ā
You just need to grab your affiliate link, promote it, and cash out every time someone decides to buy something through it.Ā
There are thousands of companies online, and many of them have their very own affiliate marketing programs.Ā
When you sign up to them, they will generate affiliate links for you, which you can later use to promote their products or services in exchange for a commission.Ā
I love affiliate marketing so much because it gives you the freedom and opportunity to promote any product you want. š
All of the big names in the industry, like eBay, Nike, and Amazon (Amazon Associates) have affiliate programs. This means that you can market any product that you find on their site.Ā
It doesnāt matter if itās a $1 E-book or a $799 Vintage 3-Speed Bluetooth Portable Suitcase Record Player that plays a Michael Jackson song every time you sneeze.Ā
If you can find it, you can promote it. As simple as that. āļø
Do you realize how powerful this is? š
You can target any audience by catering specifically to their needs. You can sell wrinkle cream to the elderly or try to convince 12-year olds why they need to save up their allowance for the latest Marvel video game.Ā
HOW DOES AFFILIATE MARKETING WORK?
Affiliate marketing is pretty straightforward.
As mentioned earlier, all you need to do is find and join a suitable affiliate program, grab the link that the company generates for you and use it to promote their product or services.Ā
The affiliate link that the company shares with you is unique, and it only belongs to you. It contains a unique code that will help the company determine where the sale came from.Ā
Once their system recognizes that the sale was generated through your affiliate link, you will get paid a prefixed commission. All of this is done automatically, and you donāt have to worry about any of it.Ā
Affiliate links are very similar to any other links that you see on the web. Still, the only difference is that they contain additional key bits of information, usually your Affiliate ID at the end.Ā
Hereās an example of what your amazon affiliate link would look like:Ā
https://www.amazon.com/?aid=12345Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā 12345 = Your Affiliate IDĀ
But what happens if your referral leaves the store and doesnāt buy the product? Well, this is where the magic happens. 𤩠šŖ
Companies that have affiliate programs are supposed to set an expiry date for your affiliate ID, and they can do that with this special thing that is known as a sticky cookie.
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Youāre probably asking yourself: āWhy is this guy talking about cookies?āĀ šŖ
Just trust me, okay? Iām not a big fan of cookies myself, but I love sticky cookies (and so will you)Ā
So, what is a sticky cookie, and how does it work? š
A sticky cookie is a special line of code that gets stuck on your referralsā browser once he or she clicks on your affiliate link. Once theyāre ācookied,ā the code will then stay on their browser indefinitely or until they manually clear their browsing data. (Which rarely ever happens).
This means that if your referral that left the store comes back after some time and buys the product that you recommended, you will still get a commission for that sale. (Even if it happens 10, 40, 89 days later)
HEREāS AN ACTUAL AFFILIATE MARKETING EXAMPLE
To make everything crystal clear, I will show you what a real-life affiliate marketing example looks like. Just for the sake of it, we will say that youāre someone who has newly installed a pool in his backyards, but the only thing youāre missing is a filter.Ā
When we usually want to buy something, we do a quick search on Google just so we can see what the best, safest, and most affordable product is.Ā
Since youāre the one with the pool, Iām assuming that you will initiate your research by typing something like:Ā
ā¢Ā Whatās the best pool filter?
ā¢Ā How to filter my pool water?Ā
ā¢Ā Cheapest pool chemicalsĀ
ā¢Ā Sand pool filters vs Cartridge filtersĀ
ā¢Ā Do you need chemicals with a sand filter?Ā
ā¢Ā Intex 28635EG Krystal Clear Cartridge Pool Filter ā ReviewĀ
And once you type any of the phrases mentioned above, Google will spit out a list of ten websites that are competing to rank for the keywords phrase youāve just searched for. š
In this case, Google didnāt showcase any Amazon ads for me, but in most cases, it will.Ā
Since weāre only interested in hearing what real people have to say about the product, we will turn a blind eye to the ads and jump straight to the review articles written by actual human beings. (And not algorithms)Ā
The site that ranks on the second spot (PoolCareGuy.com) looks like a trustworthy one, and I would definitely want to hear what this guy has to say in his guide about the best pool filter.Ā
Once you visit his site, you will find valuable and helpful information to determine the best filter for your new backyard pool. Another thing youāll find are affiliate links that point to Amazon.Ā Ā If you happen to click on one of those links and buy the product that the pool guy recommends, you will get a brand new filter for your pool, and he will get a small commission from your sale.Ā
The guy that owns the PoolCareGuy.com site is not a professional. Heās just someone that is interested or knowledgeable on the topic and decided to create a website about it.Ā
Now that website is paying him year-round, and it acts as a source of passive income. People from all around the world visit his site on a day to day basis, and buy the products that heās reccomending.Ā
HOW TO GET STARTED WITH AFFILIATE MARKETINGĀ
There are four key stages when getting started with affiliate marketing:Ā Ā
- Choose a NicheĀ Ā
- Build a WebsiteĀ
- Attract VisitorsĀ
- Make Sales š¤
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1. CHOOSE A NICHEĀ
The first thing youāre supposed to do when starting with affiliate marketing is to choose an interest to build your site around. The topic you choose will be known as your affiliate marketing niche.Ā
You have the freedom to choose any niche you are passionate about. It doesnāt matter if your passion surrounds coffee, baby snacks, soccer drills, or bonsai trees. As long as you can think of it, you can turn it into a thriving affiliate marketing business.Ā
Most beginners fail because they tend to choose niches that are too competitive, like fitness, wealth, health, dating, self-improvement, and so forth.
I guarantee that youāll have better outcomes if you stick with less-competitive and more obscure niches that no one thinks of.Ā
For example, this randomĀ FreshAffirmations.comĀ site makes over a thousand bucks per month, month-in, month-out, on autopilot.
Itās a site in the affirmations niche, which basically is an emotional support or encouragement topic that people read and psyche themselves out.Ā
And believe it or not, it has less than five pages on it. š²
2. BUILD A WEBSITEĀ
The second step is to build a website and fill it up with helpful content. Creating content that tackles a problem will make it easier for you to promote products or services to solve that problem.Ā
Itās possible to earn as an affiliate marketer without a website, but I always advise newcomers to build one.Ā
It will become your most valuable asset with time, and it will set you up for –Ā the snowball effect. (Iāll explain what it is further down this post) ā
I know that building a website may sound tricky to you, but it isnāt. š¤
Please donāt allow this to spook you because building a website is not what it used to be. Nowadays, you can create one in less than five minutes, and Iāll prove it to you.
There are many paid website builders on the market, but since youāre a beginner, I would suggest using a free one instead. My best pick has been, is, and always will be the Site Rubix builder.
You can test it out down below, and see for yourself how much the website building process has been simplified throughout the years.
Youāll should have your website up and running in no time, and you can even send me your homepage link down in the comment section below just so I can give you my feedback, and share a tip or two on how to make it better.
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3. ATTRACT VISITORSĀ
Driving traffic to your site is the most crucial skill you need to master if you want to succeed with affiliate marketing. It would be best if you found a way to place the readersā eyes in front of your affiliate links, or you will find it challenging to earn money.Ā
Luckily for you and me, the internet has more than 5 billion users worldwide, meaning that we comfortably choose which audience with what type of traffic we want to target.Ā
You have two options. Either go with free or paid traffic.Ā
Donāt get me wrong, I think paid traffic has its time and place, but I prefer working with free traffic because it becomes passive.Ā
How would I describe passive? You earn money while you sleep. Literally. š“ šø
And when weāre going at it about free traffic, I need to mention that the way I like to do it is with SEO, which stands for Search Engine Optimization.Ā
It is the practice of building out your site in a way that ensures it appears high in the search results, ideally the first page of Google.Ā
SEO is powerful, and Iāll tell you why.Ā
Remember the snowball effect I mentioned not too while ago? Well, the best way to achieve it is with this exact traffic method.Ā
But what exactly is the snowball effect, and how does it work? Well, the next section will tell you a little bit about it.Ā
AFFILIATE MARKETING IS MIGHTY, AND HEREāS WHYā¦
The snowball effect is a metaphor for something that initially starts small but grows with time. To understand it better, you need to visualize a snowball being dropped from the top of the mountain.Ā
It will start SMALL, but it will GROW with time. š
Itās the same with SEO.Ā
The traffic you get from search engine optimizations is slower and smaller initially, but it starts to build upon itself and becomes passive.Ā SEO is based on creating valuable content for your readers. The more content you post, the more keywords youāre going to rank for, the more traffic youāll see, and the more sales youāre going to get.Ā
Oh, and did I mention it is a steady traffic source when compared to paid?Ā
The graph below shows the rapid traffic growth from an affiliate marketer that implemented this very same traffic method. Actually, why donāt you listen to his advice and hear what he had to say about his journey? He managed to grow his blog into a four-figure passive income source using the knowledge gained inside Wealthy Affiliate.Ā
Iām not sure if youāve heard of it before, but Wealthy Affiliate is a platform designed for affiliate marketers of all levels.Ā
It doesnāt matter if this is your first encounter with affiliate marketing or if you have been racking profits for years now. The community over at Wealthy Affiliate can take you in and excel your affiliate marketing game to the next level.Ā
Itās the exact same platform that equipped me with the much-needed skills and knowledge to be innovative and thrive in this chaotic online world.Ā
They gave me a step-by-step blueprint to follow, and within a year, I was able to build and monetize this same site you are currently on.Ā
They taught me the entire process of planting and maturing a successful affiliate website.Ā
Here I am today, ready to personally mentor you and share my unique experiences and tips, so you too can comfortably establish your own $6000 a month passive income blog.Ā
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Sounds good? Cool, then create your FREE account, and letās kick-start your success.Ā
Same as you, I was once a guy that was wandering from one site to another in search of a legitimate way to earn money from the comfort of my home.
With no options left, I started to think that this might not be for me, and then I came across this platform that changed my life forever. (Like enormously changed my lifeā¦)Ā
They showed and made me understand where I was, but more importantly, where I needed and wanted to be. (Here, today, helping you to do the same)Ā
It was a turning point for me because I finally found the community that can help me earn my freedom by schooling me how to build simple, yet very powerful niche websites that will work for even when Iām fast asleep.Ā
I was persistent, consistent, and worked my ass off. And then it happened ā I made my first sale.Ā
I jumped off my stool and made a scream of joy. At the end (or beginning), my hard work paid off, and for the first time in my life, I felt like I struck gold. ššš
It wasnāt much, but I knew this was the beginning of something big.Ā
My blog kept growing, and then I finally realized that itās time for me to pay respect to the game and help an upcoming struggling affiliate succeed with this business model.Ā
So, my question to you is – are you prepared to undertake this challenge and join me and many like-minded people inside this caring community where I will teach you the ins-and-outs of affiliate marketing?Ā
I’m prepared to personally guide you until you hit the $1000 a month mark, but you have to promise me something first. That you will stick with the training, complete your daily tasks, follow my advice, and most importantly, put in your utmost effort.
If you answered YES, then head over and collect your Wealthy Affiliate Bonuses.Ā
WHAT MAKES WEALTHY AFFILIATE SPECIAL?Ā
Many valuables make this platform shine, but my favorite one is undoubtedly the expert help from the community that I get throughout any time of the day.Ā
Iām not the wisest man that has ever lived, and thatās why I typically reach out to other members to ask for help, even to this day.Ā
I know that it is hard to believe, but Iāve never been mistreated inside WA. Itās one of the most welcoming communities you can be a part of today, and you have my word on that.Ā
Before I joined, I had bought tens of thousands of affiliate marketing courses, and none of them handled my issues as successfully as Wealthy Affiliate has.Ā
Their support is one of a kind, and I can personally vouch for it.Ā Ā
But Wealthy Affiliate is not all about business and growth talk.Ā
Iāve met many people since first joining, and I consider many of them as close friends of mine today.Ā Ā
The community is filled with people from all around the world and from all walks of life. Like you and me, they are also everyday people, but each one has a unique journey. (And so will you)Ā
As a matter of fact, why not have a look at some of them:Ā
- My First $3.75K Month, 2.5 Years Later! (Patience Pays Off)Ā
- My First Affiliate Marketing Commission Happened – $10.43
- My Journey to $1600 Per Month From One WebsiteĀ
The truth is, youāve been searching for a genuine online income opportunity for far too long, and youāve finally found it. All the training and tools you need to succeed as an affiliate marketer are right here at Wealthy Affiliate.Ā
At long last, you can take full control over your life and achieve financial freedom, but only if you take action.Ā
Thatās the greatest challenge upcoming affiliates face nowadays ā taking action.Ā
They are too caught up in their world of hopes and dreams. Being busy contemplating what their lives would look like instead of springing into action and it making it happen.Ā
Iāve been a Wealthy Affiliate premium member for quite some time now, and I have seen it change and improve quite a bit over the years.Ā
Many affiliates that used to earn hundreds are now celebrating their first thousand dollar days, but none of them managed to get there without putting in the work.Ā
Itās far from a get-rich-quick scheme, and if you are not willing to push yourself, it might be best to avoid joining.Ā
Building a real online business is the same as building any other business. It takes time, and it requires you to consume the training one lesson at a time.Ā
Building a strong foundation is the key, and once you invest in yourself and stay consistent, you will succeed. Your pigheadedness will prevail, and you will end up living the life youāve always wanted.Ā
So, you think youāve got what it takes? Great, you can start with lesson number 1.Ā
DO YOU WANT MY ADVICE?Ā
Donāt overthink it.Ā
You can sign up to Wealthy Affiliate without paying a dime, meaning that the risk of you being scammed is nonexistent. Go ahead – create an account, test out the platform, and see if you like it.Ā
The first nine lessons are more than enough to give you a clue what the platform is about and help you decide whether you want to be a part of this community or not.Ā I sincerely hope that my affiliate marketing guide came in useful and set you on the right path.Ā
If you happened to like it, I would highly appreciate it if you can share it on social media or at least recommend it to someone you think might benefit from it.Ā
And if you need any further help, then please do not hesitate to reach out to me by leaving a comment down below. Just like you, Iām a warmhearted person and would love nothing more than to lend a helping hand.Ā
Hey! Iām from Mexico and feel that the way you phrase the business is sincere and transparent; Iām going to start right now, somewhat scared but ready to put in the effort it needs. I hope this gets some results for me.
If you have any tips, Iām genuinely interested.
Hey, Christian.
It’s okay to feel this way. I won’t promise that you’ll succeed, but I promise to give my best to get you on the right track and help you in any way I can.
My wife and I started as Aflac benefits consultants a few years ago. We are doing well but struggling with cold calls. I hate bugging people as much as I hear being bugged. Although we both enjoy seeing people get helped when they need it most.
Iām going to look into it as well, but If anyone has input on if it is illegal to market insurance like this, please let me know.
Thanks for the thorough description looking forward to getting going.
I’m here if you need anything, Loren. Just let me know. š
Hi, Gorjan, are you interested in doing a link exchange?
It could work out good for both of us, I have some content whereby you rank as a keyword of mine, so I wanted to ask you to see if you are interested.
Please get back to me.
Thanks,
Michael V.
Hey, Michael. I would love to collaborate with you. I just e-mailed you, and I hope to hear from you soon.
Hi, Iām new to online marketing and everything. I tried out dropshipping as a test to see where it can go, and it turned out my niche was too competitive.
Could you email me? I have a few questions and would like to chat with you more in-depth about getting started. Iād love to start doing this and making passive income.
Thanks.
Mason
Hey Mason. It’s good to see you on my blog.
I’d be happy to help you out. Wealthy Affiliate is the best place to get started, and its free membership is more than what you need to decide whether this platform is the right one for you.
We can chat once you’re inside, and I’d be happy to help you out with the onboarding process and anything else you need for that matter.
Here’s a link to join!
Thanks for the info. How much are you making in affiliate marketing currently? Can you please share the proof? Otherwise, it sounds great.
Iām an investor, and we have built a portfolio of more than R150 million in 7 years, and we are earning good dividends.
I agree that one must have an income-generating business instead of depending on the dividends but grow the portfolio even bigger.
Smart people start their own businesses and then invest in appreciating assets like stocks and real estate.
Hey, Moses, sorry for the late reply.
I would be happy to share some proof with you. I will e-mail you some screenshots, or if you want, you can quickly sign-up to WA and see all of my earnings there.
Assets have always been a foolproof way of making your money work for you. What we teach at WA is just another form of real estate. (virtual properties is how I like to call them)
Thanks for this case study. I really believe affiliate marketing has the potential of earning a full time income in less than 2 years. Some people make it in under a year which is fantastic. The Good thing is that Affiliate programs are free to join.
Believe it or not, some people even reach the four figure mark in less than a year. And you’re absolutely right, affiliate marketing does have the potential to replace your income in the first two years of starting. (I’m a living proof of that) I’d probably would have made it sooner, but I had to go with %100 free traffic since I wasn’t financially set back then.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment Delyana, I highly appreciate it. š
Awesome guide thanks for sharing! This is one of the rare guides that explain affiliate marketing in a coherent and easy to understand way. Thanks a lot! I’m going to check out your recommendation. I’ve heard plenty of good about Wealthy Affiliate and I understand they are the top platform for learning affiliate marketing. Interested in knowing more! Cheers!
I’m glad you liked it Ivan, and know that I’ll gladly welcome you as the newest edition to our family š
Wow! You really have described affiliate marketing is a way that anyone can understand – thank you.
As Wealthy Affiliate says “Making Money Online Is Not Magic”. The training works and with you as a mentor, I am sure people will do extremely well.
Wishing you continued success!
Louise
Thanks for the kind words Louise, it really means a lot š¤š¤š¤
Love your content G, you really nailed it with this one. I like how youāve put it in a way thatās easy to comprehend, even for a beginner like me.
Iāll make sure to give Wealthy Affiliate a shot and I cannot wait to have a chat with you once I sign up.
I sincerely hope that youāll able to help me out because Iāve had enough with fake gurus…
Hey Ryan, I am delighted to have you as the newest addition to our family. See you on the inside! š