Affiliate Marketing 101

I will attempt to explain at the most basic level exactly what it means to be an affiliate marketer.

Affiliate marketing is basically being a digital matchmaker. No matter what industry a company is, whether you realize it or not, they are likely to have an affiliate program. Some businesses call it a partner program. Same thing. You get paid for promoting products or services these companies have to offer. Think of yourself as that friend who's always recommending great stuff, except now you're getting paid for it. When it comes to ethics and effectiveness alike, it is best to recommend things that you actually know about.

Do not get greedy here. Greed is not sustainable. I urge you to think about your own life and things that you subscribe to. Maybe Netflix? Maybe apps on your phone? If you don't see an affiliate program, reach out to the company and ask if they have one.

For more information and strategies on deciding what niche to focus on, go check out my article on how to decide which niche to choose in your affiliate marketing.

The companies of which you promote will issue you a special link that tells the company where the sign up or sale came from so they know who to pay. Let's talk about those "special links" for a second. They're called affiliate links, and they contain a unique code that tells companies "hey, this sale came from you!" When someone clicks your link and buys something, the company tracks it back to you and pays you a percentage of the sale.

Now, what can you sell? Honestly, almost anything! Here are some popular options:

- Digital products like courses or ebooks (usually high commissions, often 30-75%)

- Physical products through Amazon (smaller commissions, but tons of products)

- Software subscriptions (steady monthly commissions if people stay subscribed)

- Online services like hosting or design tools

Finding these opportunities is easier than you might think. Start with these platforms:

- Amazon Associates (perfect for beginners)

- ClickBank (great for digital products)

- ShareASale (huge variety of companies)

- Individual company programs (like Shopify or Bluehost)

Here's what I wish someone had told me when I started: Pick something you actually use or care about. If you're into photography, promote camera gear. Love cooking? Start with kitchen products. It's so much easier to recommend things you understand and believe in.

The best part? You don't need a huge website or millions of followers to start. You can begin with:

- A simple blog

- A YouTube channel

- Social media accounts

- An email newsletter

Just remember, this isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. It takes time to build trust with your audience and find what works. But once you get the hang of it, it's pretty amazing to earn money while helping people find products they'll actually use.

Start small, be honest with your recommendations, and focus on providing real value. That's the secret sauce to making this work long-term.

Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to be a two headed octopus here. What I mean by that is that you can just do one thing and be very well versed and effective in it. Don't bother trying to promote on every single social site for example. If you're going to use on, figure it out and learn to do it very well. Doing too much is simply dilution and minimizes your effectiveness.

Here at Rockbit Media for example, I do use social to generate some of our leads but our main focus has always been on email marketing. But there's a million and one ways to skin a cat here. I know guys that do seven figures a year that mostly use social. I know other guys who do that volume with email. It's really your preference. We hope you found some value in this article.