Are you interested in getting into affiliate marketing with little or no money? Good news: it's easier than you think. It's not about having a big wallet. All you need is a niche, know-how, and a good network of potential partners—and we at Strackr can help you with these three elements.
Many content creators and publishers realize the power of affiliate marketing. In fact, 84% of online content creators now use affiliate marketing in their videos and blogs. So whether you're a YouTuber, influencer, podcaster, blogger, or any other online publisher looking to make extra money through freelance affiliate marketing jobs, we have everything you need to know about starting affiliate marketing with no money.
In this guide, we will explore what the average affiliate marketing income is and answer common questions like "Is affiliate marketing legit?" The good news is that affiliate marketing doesn't require you to spend a lot of money, but rather to be smart.
So without further ado, let's get started...
What is Affiliate Marketing?
Let's start with the basics: What exactly is affiliate marketing?
In a nutshell, affiliate marketing is a revenue-sharing agreement between a company and a third-party publisher, who promotes and recommends the company's products/services in exchange for a commission on generated sales. It is an advertising model or online sales tactic that benefits both parties. A company gets leads and traffic, while affiliates get paid.
For a concrete example, the e-commerce giant Amazon has a global affiliate program known as Amazon Associates, which offers up to 10% commission every time someone uses your affiliate link to purchase something.
The online learning community Skillshare also runs a well-known affiliate program where affiliates can earn up to 40% commission for each new customer they successfully refer, including free trial sign-ups and paid subscriptions. Not too bad at all!
Different Types of Affiliate Marketing
There are three types of affiliate marketing that you should know about. Here is what each one involves.
Unattached Affiliate Marketing
The affiliate has no obvious connection or attachment to the brand or service they are promoting. The affiliate has no relevant skills, experience, or expertise, which could make them an authority in the sector or an opinion leader. In other words, the affiliate has no duty of recommendation or advice to the customer, hence the name "unattached."
Related Affiliate Marketing
In this case, the affiliate has an online presence relevant to the brand and the industry in which it operates. They may have a blog, podcast, YouTube channel, or relevant Instagram profile. The affiliate typically posts links to products and services related to their niche, but they do not necessarily use them in their daily life.
Involved Affiliate Marketing
As the name suggests, this type of affiliate marketing is based on a deeper connection between the affiliate and the brand they serve. In other words, the affiliate is a typical user of the product and is willing to share their thoughts, opinions, and experiences on the product. Think of involved affiliates as a kind of brand ambassador who is a reliable source of information, as they have prior knowledge of the brand's niche or area of interest.
Why is Affiliate Marketing So Advantageous?
Why is affiliate marketing such an interesting activity, even if you are a beginner looking to get into affiliate marketing with no money? Here are the three main advantages you need to know.
1. Flexibility
Affiliate marketing jobs offer great flexibility—you can choose to work part-time, full-time, or as a freelancer. You are your own boss and set your own goals.
2. Additional Income Stream
According to Glassdoor, the average salary in affiliate marketing is around $66,029. However, it can vary between $35,000 and $124,000. Also, keep in mind that the salary in affiliate marketing varies based on the following factors:
- The brands you partner with.
- The amount of work you put in.
- Your sector or niche (the most lucrative sectors are pharmaceuticals and real estate).
- The type of affiliate marketing you focus on (involved affiliate marketing is generally the best paid due to the amount of work it involves).
Overall, affiliate marketing is considered one of the easiest ways to earn money remotely. Read the official guide on how to make money with affiliate marketing from the comfort of your own home.
3. Build Valuable Partnerships
Networking and establishing new relationships are essential to becoming a good affiliate marketer. Along the way, you will meet other business owners and content creators who can bring you new opportunities. Who knows what doors will open? The best news is that partnerships are of great value and low cost. You don't need a lot of money to get into affiliate marketing; you just need to be willing to create quality sponsored content and be ready to get your name out there.
How to Start Affiliate Marketing with No Money?
You don't need a lot of money, just a well-thought-out plan and a go-getter attitude. Here are our four easy steps to get started with affiliate marketing with no money...
Step 1: Find a Niche
As a content creator, starting out is often the hardest and longest part. It sometimes takes time to perfect your craft and upload content that you are not only proud of but that starts to attract the attention of potential partners. Try to focus on a niche that you are most passionate about, such as health, relationships, food, technology, almost anything!
By choosing what you love most, you will strengthen your credibility as someone who not only creates good content but also knows what they are talking about. Just make sure to stay well-informed about what is happening in the niche you have chosen.
Step 2: Grow Your Audience
Next, you need to build an audience of engaged followers. The best thing you can do to grow your audience is to post regularly on multiple platforms. However, nowadays, there are many other tactics you can try, including:
- Building an email subscriber list.
- Using search engine optimization (SEO) to be more easily found on Google.
- Investing in paid traffic with Google Ads, Facebook Ads, etc. (if you find some money).
Blogging is by far the most cost-effective way to build an affiliate marketing business, especially if you are already a pro at writing quality, Google-friendly SEO blogs. Use your skills to your advantage!
Step 3: Content, Content, Content!
Once you have established your skills as a content creator, start creating! And it's not just about posting regularly; your content must be of high quality, no matter which platform you focus on.
While reader-focused content is ideal for growing an audience, list articles, product reviews, tutorials, and guides are perfect for seamlessly integrating affiliate links. Imagine how many brands you can promote in an article like "The Top 10..." or "20 Products That Help With..." or "Brands That Excel At...".
Once you have written the blogs, that's where we come in to help you. We consider ourselves time savers for affiliate content publishers, especially when you use our Link Builder tool, which allows you to track all your advertising links in one place. Check out our guide on affiliate tools and link building.
Step 4: Leverage Multiple Distribution Channels
Once your content has gained traction, you can start focusing on cross-promoting your affiliate content. Remember, the more people follow and use your affiliate links, the more commissions you receive. So maximize audience engagement as much as possible.
We believe that content creators should spend only 20% of their time creating content and 80% promoting it!
Some affiliate bloggers who start with very little money end up becoming influencers or even celebrities with the right mindset and plan of action. So keep striving and creating outstanding content if you want to build links and advertise to reach the top. This is how your affiliate blogging career could naturally progress if you adopt an adequate strategy:
- Start as a humble blogger and use social media to promote your channel and generate audience engagement.
- Move to SEO blogging as your site starts receiving search traffic.
- Scale up by involving brand partnerships and creating more affiliate links.
- Eventually, create a YouTube channel, which is very lucrative in the world of affiliate marketing but also very costly to manage and administer.
- Finally, achieve influencer/celebrity status and public recognition in your specific niche.
Conclusion
So, is affiliate marketing legitimate enough to earn you money, even if you don't have any to start with? The answer is yes, of course! Starting affiliate marketing with no money takes time and perseverance, so be ready to put in the effort.
We always recommend doing thorough research on affiliate marketing sites to find the types of programs and products that suit you best. In other words, be authentic to yourself and the subject of your content. Just because you may receive a highly lucrative offer doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. It could backfire if your audience sees through your intentions.
If you want to earn more than the average affiliate marketing salary, join Strackr today to start using our unified tools and platform. We help you increase your revenue by understanding the true value of your affiliate data. Don't waste precious time on complicated analytical tasks you don't need to do—we'll do it for you!
Try it free for 30 days. No credit card required.
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