Affiliate marketing has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, with more and more people looking to make money online with affiliate marketing, but there’s still plenty of confusion around how much money you can actually make through this type of online business. Today we’re going to look at how much money you can make with affiliate marketing, and the best way to go about making this kind of income stream work for you.
What is Affiliate Marketing Exactly?
Affiliate marketing is a way to monetize your website by promoting other companies’ products. This can be done in a few different ways, such as via banner ads, text links, and coupon links (such as those found on CouponSherpa). As an affiliate marketer, you’re paid for every visitor or customer that you bring to one of these companies; but not all affiliate marketers are equal. For example, some are better at driving traffic than others—which could be why some affiliates earn $50 per month while others earn upwards of $50,000 per month. If that sounds appealing to you then check out our comprehensive guide on how to get started in affiliate marketing .
We’ll discuss how to start your own affiliate marketing business, picking products to promote, where to promote them, and more. We’ll also cover how you can track your progress and make adjustments if needed. By no means is affiliate marketing easy; but it is one of the most profitable ways for a new website to generate traffic. And once that’s in place, scaling up becomes easier. From there, it’s just a matter of time before you’re earning six figures or more as an affiliate marketer (assuming you build up a large enough audience).
But let’s start at square one and work our way up. If you’re ready to start your own affiliate marketing business, then let’s get started!
The very first thing you need to do is come up with a domain name (if you don’t already have one). When it comes to picking out a good domain name, it can sometimes be tough coming up with something that really sticks. Luckily, there are plenty of services available online that can help you brainstorm or shorten existing domains for free. Some popular options include: Domainr : This free website helps users search and buy cool domain names directly from their browser.
Once you’ve picked out a domain name, it’s time to set up your hosting. With website hosting, your domain will appear online so visitors can access it. The easiest way to do that is through a company like HostGator or Bluehost; but it’s important to be aware of some hidden costs. With these providers, for example, you typically get one free site—but every extra site comes at an additional cost. If you’re serious about affiliate marketing, then you might want to invest in something like a managed WordPress host instead; but if you’re new to all of this and just want to dip your toes in, go with what’s easiest (and free).
Once you’ve gotten hosting set up, it’s time to start planning your website. When it comes to what your site will look like, there are thousands of options available—and that’s only if you use a free platform. If you want to stand out from other affiliate marketers and create something more professional-looking, then investing in a premium theme or customizing a free one is probably a good idea; but for beginners, just about any WordPress theme will do. It may take some trial and error before you land on something that works for you. Here are some tips for what to look for
Once you’ve got your hosting and domain name picked out, it’s time to start thinking about which products to promote. It’s crucial that you start out by selling things that you genuinely care about—and not just things for easy money. Yes, affiliate marketing is a business, but it should be treated as one long-term investment. If you plan on building a brand around your website and growing your email list over time, then remember that you’ll need to put in at least as much effort as any employee would at an actual job.
What Do You Get Paid as an Affiliate Marketer?
Most affiliate marketers are compensated via a revenue share model, which typically sees them getting paid anywhere from 10% to 50% of sales. However, some advertisers have higher payout rates — often up to 75% — though you’ll usually need to contact a company’s affiliate manager directly to find out what their exact policy is. With traditional network advertising, affiliates were often limited in how much they could earn through commissions. That’s not as much of an issue online since there are many different companies from which you can earn commissions — and if you’ve built up an audience, there’s a good chance that it’ll be easy for you to monetize it without an issue. (You can also check out our tips on earning more money with affiliate marketing.)
There are many different affiliate programs you can choose from, but they all operate in broadly similar ways. First, you’ll need to find a company that has an affiliate program. A good place to start is in your industry, since it can be easier to earn your first commissions from companies you already have relationships with. If there aren’t any existing relationships you have a built-in advantage: just make sure that there’s no conflict of interest (like promoting products from someone who produces competing products). Start by simply reaching out via email or social media and introducing yourself as an affiliate looking for opportunities.
To actually get paid, you’ll need to meet certain thresholds in terms of sales. In some cases, companies may just take a percentage of your earnings; other times, they’ll pay out a set amount for each conversion or sale. These payment thresholds are typically easier to reach when you’re getting a smaller commission rate — 10% or less. (Still, it can be possible to get high rates even if you aren’t meeting specific thresholds.) One of the biggest benefits of affiliate marketing is that there are multiple ways for you to monetize your efforts: Just because one avenue isn’t working as well as you’d hoped doesn’t mean that there aren’t other options available to you.
There are a few different types of affiliate programs, but they tend to work in broadly similar ways. First, you sign up for an account — sometimes referred to as a publisher account. Then, you get your referral links, which look like any other affiliate link and often have tracking IDs that allow publishers (or advertisers) to see what traffic is coming from affiliates. When someone clicks through your link and makes a purchase or signs up for a free trial or subscription, you get paid.
What Will Your Earnings Look Like in the Long Term?
It’s easy to look at affiliate marketing as a short-term thing. Many people use it as a way to earn some extra cash while they figure out their next move. In fact, over 50% of affiliates do just that: drop affiliate marketing once they’ve achieved whatever financial milestone they were going for. The problem is that by treating affiliate marketing as a side hustle instead of a long-term gig, you’re missing out on incredibly valuable resources and opportunities.
Earning potential in affiliate marketing depends a lot on what you want to do. Obviously, there are some pros and cons. For example, if you go into affiliate marketing as a blogger, you’ll have access to audiences with similar interests as your own, but you’ll also have less control over which products and brands they promote than if you were promoting items directly.
Yes, I’m a…: Your income will likely depend on several factors when you get started in affiliate marketing: your niche and expertise, how hard you work at building your following and reputation and how skilled at converting sales page visitors into actual buyers. So, let’s take a look at what each of these can do for your bank account over time.
For example, imagine you’re blogging about skateboarding. If you generate income through affiliate sales, brands will pay you a percentage of your followers’ purchases on their e-commerce site. For example, if one of your readers buys a $100 backpack from an online store that has an affiliate partnership with you, then the company will send a check for $15 to whatever bank account information is listed in your affiliate profile. Likewise, if someone clicks on your referral link and makes a purchase worth $25 or more, then you make $4. Note that commissions differ depending on product type and brand; some companies offer just flat rates while others compensate in tiers or percentages based on volume of sales generated through affiliates’ links.
With affiliate marketing, it’s easier to get started making money online because you don’t need your own product to sell. However, it can be more difficult than other income sources once you get into it since you’re competing against affiliates who are already established in their industries. If you have an existing following and an active personal brand or audience, then there’s no reason not to pursue affiliate marketing right away. If not, then you might want to save it for a later stage when your audience is larger and more active—and when you have a greater knowledge of how different types of products perform best on affiliate websites.
What Are the Best Places to Get Started?
To become an affiliate marketer, you first need to know what your options are. Amazon, Google and eBay are three of the best-known online marketplaces where you can join their affiliate programs and begin earning commissions on sales. The easiest way to do that is by creating a site or landing page for your chosen marketplace and sharing links through social media. It’s also possible to make money from affiliate marketing without ever having a website or product of your own.
Online marketplaces like eBay, Etsy and Amazon make it possible to set up an online shop and sell just about anything you can imagine. If you can source a product that people are willing to buy, there’s almost no limit to what you can do. Of course, it’s not all as easy as setting up a website and waiting for orders to roll in. Be prepared for marketing your products or services, improving your site design over time, keeping an eye on industry trends so you stay competitive, and more. It might seem like there are several steps involved with starting an affiliate marketing business, but learning how to be successful at affiliate will mean time well spent for anyone looking for extra income or additional skills in their job description.
It’s not as much about where you can get started, but what niche you want to get into. Are you familiar with information products and how they work? If so, then it’s possible to create a product of your own and earn commissions on every sale by joining an affiliate program. A popular strategy is creating digital or physical courses that teach other people how to do what you do—like an affiliate marketing guide. There are literally hundreds of different ways to make money through affiliate marketing; you just need to know where your skills fit in and start building from there.
Keep in Mind When Starting Out in Affiliate Marketing
There are a number of things you’ll need to take into consideration before getting started with affiliate marketing, including your budget and how much time you can devote to it. Be sure that you understand what your expectations are for each channel you work in and track them accordingly so that you can adjust your strategy if needed. While building an audience will most likely be faster and easier on some platforms over others, try not to limit yourself in any way or pressure yourself too much. With so many opportunities at your fingertips, it’s okay if there is some trial and error involved in finding out which of these tools works best for you.
If you’re just starting out, reach out to other affiliates for help. There are plenty of online communities that can be a great resource for questions about getting started, and finding a mentor can really be beneficial to your business. Find out how much money other affiliates are making from these networks, as well as how hard they had to work to make it there. In addition, try reaching out on social media if you know any fellow marketers—they may be willing to share their experiences.
If you’re looking to make a quick buck, there are a few ways to get started, but realize that it will likely be more work than you expect. Consider doing some research on blogs and other websites that accept guest posts. Depending on where they’re posted, these posts can drive traffic back to your site in addition to boosting your SEO. It is also possible to do sponsored content for many of these sites by getting paid for each click-through or impression (CPM) of an ad. The pay varies widely depending on how competitive a niche is and how much demand there is for ad space at any given time.
Key Takeaways from this Post
Yes, affiliate marketing can be a profitable endeavor, but that doesn’t mean everyone has what it takes to succeed. It takes time and hard work to build up a reliable income stream. While affiliate marketing can certainly be lucrative (if you work hard at it), you need to pick your niche carefully, or else it may not be worth your while. Finally, don’t expect an overnight success; like any other business venture, affiliate marketing requires planning and execution over time.
At first glance, affiliate marketing may seem like a great opportunity to make money online. This is especially true for those who are relatively new to business and marketing, as it requires little start-up capital or overhead expenses and can provide a solid income stream if you play your cards right. Many people have made great incomes from affiliate marketing programs – but it’s not easy to do so.
The truth is that you’ll need to put in some hard work before you see any significant income from affiliate marketing. This can come in a variety of forms, but most successful affiliates spend time on content creation, social media participation and active advertising of their own products. It takes time to really learn how to be effective at affiliate marketing. If you’re not willing to make that commitment, then it may not be worth your while.
The Benefits of Affiliate Marketing
A lot of people hate affiliate marketing because it’s so confusing. But a lot of people love affiliate marketing because there’s so much money to be made. Whether you can make big money from affiliate marketing depends on how hard you work at it and what kind of strategies you use. Some people are making over $100,000 per month doing it—but only if they’re willing to put in hundreds or thousands of hours and have a very clear plan on how to achieve that success.
The nice thing about affiliate marketing is that you don’t need any special skills to get started. Unlike a traditional job, where you have to be qualified and wait around for an opportunity, anyone can get involved in affiliate marketing just by deciding that they want to do it. This also means that anyone can create an online business and make money from it as long as they put in enough time and effort.
While affiliate marketing can make a lot of money, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s an industry just like any other, and there are no guarantees that you’ll be successful. It takes a lot of effort to get your business going and to find reliable strategies for making money from it. If you don’t follow your plan correctly or if you slack off, then you probably won’t achieve results like those people earning $100,000 per month from affiliate marketing.
If you want to know how much money affiliate marketing is worth for you personally, then make sure to put in at least 100 hours or more into studying about affiliates and creating your website before expecting big results.
