Affiliate marketing is one of my favorite ways to make money online because, over time, it can feel pretty passive. When I started, I didn’t know anything about affiliate marketing or how to earn money online. So, I began researching how to make money with affiliate marketing for beginners and how to find the best affiliate programs for new bloggers.
I won’t say it’s 100% passive since it takes a lot of upfront work, especially when you’re just starting out. Like most passive income ideas, nothing is ever fully “passive.” For many bloggers, affiliate marketing is the main source of income.
To cover the cost of this website and the time I spend writing these posts, sometimes I link to affiliate products. If you choose to buy through these links (at no additional cost to you), thank you so much! It makes it possible for me to keep doing this. Disclaimer
How Affiliate Marketing Works: A Simple Example
With affiliate marketing, it means you are promoting products or services online and earning a commission for every sale made through your unique affiliate link.
Let me give you an example: say you try a new shampoo and your friend notices how shiny your hair looks. You tell her about the shampoo and share your affiliate link. If she buys it, you earn a commission from the sale. The company shares part of the profit with you, usually a percentage.
Turn Your Recommendations into Earnings
Many people already love recommending helpful products to friends and family. With affiliate marketing, you get the chance to earn money each time someone buys through your recommendation.
One of the best parts? You can work from anywhere with an internet connection — all you need is your laptop or computer.
Does affiliate marketing sound like something you’d like? Today, I’m sharing some tips for beginners on how to make money with affiliate marketing and the best programs to get started with.
What is Affiliate Marketing?
What exactly does affiliate marketing mean? Simply put, it’s a way to earn a commission by sharing products or services from other people or companies that you genuinely love and believe in.
The beauty of affiliate marketing is how easy and affordable it is to get started. You don’t have to create your own products or deal with shipping and customer service. It’s like recommending your favorite restaurant to friends, only online, with a little extra magic in the form of a special referral link.
Here’s how it works in a nutshell: when you join an affiliate program, you get a unique link to share with your readers or followers. If someone clicks that link and makes a purchase or signs up, you earn a commission, without your reader paying anything extra. It’s a win-win!
What’s even cooler is that you don’t necessarily need a website to get started. If you’re active on social media platforms like Instagram or YouTube, you can still be a successful affiliate marketer. The key is to have a community or audience that trusts your recommendations.
So, whether you’re new to the online world or looking for a flexible way to make some extra income, affiliate marketing can be a great fit. It’s all about sharing what you love — honestly and authentically — and getting rewarded for it.
Different Types of Affiliate Programs You Should Know About
Affiliate marketing isn’t one-size-fits-all. There are several types of affiliate programs, each with its own way of rewarding you for your efforts.
So, whether you want to earn a little here and there or build a full-time income, understanding these types will help you pick the right programs for you.
Let me break down the most common ones, so you know what to expect.
Types of affiliate marketing programs:
One-Tier Programs
This is the classic setup. You share your special affiliate link, and whenever someone buys through it, you earn a commission. Simple and straightforward.
Two-Tier Programs
Here, you get a little bonus for bringing other affiliates on board. When they make sales, you earn a cut too. It’s like building your own little team.
Tiered Commissions
The more you sell, the better your commission rate gets. So as you grow, your rewards grow with you. Nice incentive, right?
Recurring Commissions
This one’s great for subscription services. If someone signs up through your link, you keep earning a commission every month (or billing cycle) they stay subscribed. For example, I use Tailwind for scheduling social posts, and if you join via my link, I get a small cut each month you stick with it.
Pay Per Lead (PPL)
Sometimes, you don’t need a sale to earn a commission. If your referral submits their contact info or signs up for a free trial, you get paid. It’s a win-win.
Sitewide Commissions
Some programs reward you for anything a customer buys after clicking your link, not just the product you promoted. Amazon’s affiliate program works like this, which is pretty cool.
Understanding these models can help you choose the right program based on your audience, goals, and content strategy.
How to Make Money with Affiliate Marketing
I get it, affiliate marketing can seem a bit confusing at first. But don’t worry, it’s actually much simpler than it sounds once you break it down step by step. Let me walk you through exactly how you can start making money with affiliate marketing—no jargon, just the basics.
Step 1: You share an affiliate link on your website, blog, Instagram, or wherever you connect with your audience.
Step 2: Someone clicks on your link and gets directed to the company’s website or product page.
Step 3: That person decides to buy something they like from the site.
Step 4: You earn a commission—usually a percentage of that sale, as a thank you for recommending the product.
It’s pretty straightforward, right? You’re basically just sharing products or services you love with your friends, followers, or readers—and getting paid when they decide to buy. No complicated setup, no need to create your own products. Just share, recommend, and earn.
How Affiliate Marketing Works Best
From my own experience, the key to successful affiliate marketing is being 100% honest and genuine with your recommendations. People can tell when you’re just dropping affiliate links everywhere, and honestly, that kind of spammy approach won’t get you very far—or make much money.
What I love about affiliate marketing on my blog is that I get to share products I truly believe in and think will actually help my readers. If I’m already using something and loving it, why not tell my audience about it? It feels natural, and it benefits both sides. You help your readers discover something useful, and you get rewarded for it. That’s a win-win in my book!
Can You Make Money with Affiliate Marketing Without a Website?
The short answer: yes! As long as you have some online platform—like social media, YouTube, forums, email lists, or even an e-book—you can make money with affiliate marketing.
But here’s the thing: if you’re serious about making a good income, having your own blog is by far the best way to go. Why? A blog lets you build trust, engage with your audience, and provide valuable content that helps solve their problems.
Some reasons why a blog works best for affiliate marketing:
It’s your own space where you control the content and the audience.
People who find you through Google are often actively searching for solutions, so they’re more likely to click your affiliate links.
You can create helpful, free content that builds trust and makes promoting products feel natural.
Unlike social media, where algorithms change and limit your reach, a blog gives you stability and ownership.
Many affiliate programs actually require a website and will review it before accepting you.
Plus, if you grow your blog into a money-making asset, you could even sell it one day — that’s another way to earn!
If you’re ready to start your own blog, I’ve put together an easy, step-by-step guide that shows you how to get started and build a profitable blog quickly.
Starting Small, Earning Smart: Affiliate Marketing Tips for Beginners
You don’t need a massive audience or a perfectly polished blog to get started with affiliate marketing. Even if you’re just starting out, you can begin earning.
Yes, traffic helps—but don’t let that hold you back. You definitely don’t need 50,000 monthly page views to make your first sale. What you do need is a platform: whether that’s your blog, newsletter, or social media. Once you’ve got that, it’s time to put affiliate marketing into motion.
Here’s what to focus on:
→ Build trust with your audience
→ Share helpful, relevant recommendations
→ Keep showing up consistently
With time, your efforts can start to pay off—sometimes in small wins at first, but those can grow quickly. Just keep going!
How to Make Money with Affiliate Marketing (Even If You’re Just Starting Out)
When you read all of this, affiliate marketing sounds great, right? But where do you even begin?
Let’s break it down step by step—because yes, you can make money with affiliate marketing, even as a total beginner.
Start by learning the program.
Before you start sharing links, take a little time to get to know the affiliate program you’re joining. Each one works a bit differently—some pay monthly, some after you hit a threshold, some offer bonuses. Make sure you know how and when you’ll get paid.
Choose products you love.
This part is important: don’t just promote something because it pays well. Pick products you’ve actually used or brands you truly believe in. That’s how you keep your recommendations real—and your audience’s trust intact.
Make sure it fits your niche.
Let’s say you blog about affordable fashion for moms. Then it wouldn’t really make sense to suddenly promote high-end designer bags, right? Your audience comes to you for budget-friendly style, so try to keep your affiliate picks aligned with that. When your content and links feel natural and relevant, people are more likely to click and buy.
Do a quick Google check.
Wondering if your favorite brand has an affiliate program? Just Google it! For example: “Old Navy affiliate program.” Most big brands have one, and you’ll usually find all the sign-up info on their website.
And finally… be patient.
Affiliate marketing isn’t a get-rich-quick thing (if only!). It takes time to build trust, grow your audience, and learn what works. But once you do, affiliate marketing can become a really fun and rewarding way to earn money, simply by sharing things you already love.
How Much Can You Really Make with Affiliate Marketing?
The truth is: it really depends. Some people make $0 a month, while others earn $10,000 a month or more. That’s both the beauty and the challenge of affiliate marketing—it can go either way!
Your income depends on a few key things: what kinds of products you promote, how well they fit your audience, how engaged your audience is, and how consistent and strategic you are with your efforts.
If your audience doesn’t really connect with your content or trust your recommendations, it’s going to be hard to earn anything. But when people know, like, and trust you? That’s when affiliate marketing starts to really work.
There are plenty of people who barely earn anything because they don’t put in the effort or don’t have a clear strategy. And then there are others who’ve turned affiliate marketing into a full-time income stream.
I remember when I just started—my earnings were exactly zero. Not because affiliate marketing doesn’t work, but because I had no idea what I was doing! I was just throwing links into blog posts and hoping for the best.
Eventually, I took a beginner-friendly affiliate marketing course (this is a module in the Ultimate Branding Course), learned the basics, and finally started seeing some income from my blog. And let me tell you—it’s such a great feeling when that first commission comes in!
Is Affiliate Marketing Really Worth It?
Short answer? Yes—absolutely!
Becoming an affiliate can be an amazing way to earn extra income, and for many people, it’s opened the door to more freedom, flexibility, and financial independence. Whether you’re dreaming of becoming a stay-at-home parent or just looking to make some extra money on the side, affiliate marketing might be just the opportunity you’re looking for.
Here’s why I love it—and why it might be worth it for you too:
Low start-up costs – Most affiliate programs are completely free to join. All you really need is a blog or website to start sharing your recommendations. (You can follow my easy step-by-step guide to start your own blog in just a few minutes.)
No product creation needed – You don’t need to create anything yourself. Just promote products you already love from brands you trust.
Work from anywhere – Whether you’re at your kitchen table or traveling abroad, all you need is a laptop and an internet connection.
Earn passive income – It won’t happen overnight, but affiliate marketing has real potential to bring in passive income over time. That means more freedom to work on your own terms.
So if you’re ready to create a little more space and flexibility in your life, affiliate marketing could be the perfect place to start.
So, How Does Affiliate Marketing Actually Work?
Now that you know the earning potential, let’s break down how affiliate marketing really works.
At its core, affiliate marketing is all about recommending products or services you genuinely like—and getting rewarded for it. Businesses give you a special affiliate link, and when someone makes a purchase through that link, you earn a commission. Easy, right?
Think about it this way: have you ever told your friends about a skincare product you love, or sent them a link to that cute dress you just bought? That’s basically affiliate marketing, except you’re not getting paid (yet).
The fun part? Many of your favorite products probably do have affiliate programs. That means you could start earning commissions—sometimes up to 50%—just by sharing links to things you already use and love.
You’ve likely been doing this all along. Now, it’s time to get paid for it.
Your Own Affiliate Link
Alright! Next: the affiliate link itself. Now we’ve got the basics done and you understand the concept of affiliate marketing, I want to show you how affiliate links work and how they get tracked.
When you apply for an affiliate program (which I will talk about in the next section), you’ll get an affiliate link that looks something like this: https://shop.beacons.ai/bossladyingrid/e260f8e6-e63f-4f57-a5b3-5d220dc86a9d (this is a raw affiliate link to an online branding course that I promote on my blog).
The link will differ depending on the affiliate program you applied for, but one thing is certain: it’s long and a bit chaotic. The good news is that these links are tracked and connected to you, so you can get paid for your referral. This means, when someone clicks on your affiliate link, your affiliate ID is stored in what we call a “cookie.” Through cookies, your referrals are tracked when a purchase is made or an action is taken. This is how you get rewarded for sharing the products you love.
The life of your cookie depends on the affiliate program; your affiliate ID stored in the cookie can have a short life or a long life. Technically, the cookies can be stored forever as long as the cookies from the person’s browser are not cleared.
Best affiliate programs to make money
Firstly, think about what products or services you already use and love. As you’re brainstorming products, think about whether they would be a good fit for your audience. Would your audience be interested in this product?
If so, do a quick search on Google to see if this product or service offers an affiliate program. Because sometimes companies have their own affiliate program, this means you’ll join the affiliate program through their website.
When you choose to promote multiple companies, you’re better off using an affiliate marketplace, where most affiliate programs are available. These marketplaces have thousands of merchants to choose from. It’s also more convenient to just go to one website instead of having to log in to multiple websites to track and monitor the affiliate products you choose to promote.
Here is my top 3 of the most popular affiliate marketing companies:
Impact – Airbnb, Getty Images, Constant Contact, Target, Grubhub, Uber, among others.
Amazon Affiliate Marketing – Amazon is one of the most popular online stores. This is a popular affiliate marketing program for beginners.
CJ Affiliate – Overstock, GoPro, Priceline, J. Crew, Office Depot, 24-hour fitness, Lowes, Barnes & Noble, Old Navy, among others.
TIP: Most people who use Amazon Affiliates actually earn a bulk of their income from products that they did not promote directly. Many readers or visitors who click on a blogger’s Amazon affiliate link may end up buying other things, not even related to the product they mentioned in their blogs.
I hope this information helps you to get started with affiliate marketing! Let me know how it goes.
