Affiliate Marketing for Beginners: How to Make Your First Affiliate Sale

Introduction

Imagine all you needed to make money online was a website. You don’t have to create your own products or offer a service. Sounds good? Welcome to affiliate marketing. According to Statista, business spending on affiliate marketing hit $8.2 billion in the U.S in 2022, and Influencer Marketing Hub estimates that the industry will continue to grow to $15.7 billion by 2024. Start today, and you’ll be in a prime position to take advantage of that.

What Is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is where you promote another company’s product or service. When someone purchases through your affiliate link, you earn a commission. These commissions are usually a percentage of the sale price or a fixed amount. For example, if someone clicked and bought a product ($15.45 for the hardcover version) through your Amazon affiliate link, you’d earn $0.70.

Why Should You Do Affiliate Marketing?

1. Low-cost and Low-risk: Starting a business can be risky and expensive due to upfront costs. With affiliate marketing, all you need is a website. If it doesn’t work out, you’ve only wasted time and a little bit of money.

2. Easy to Scale: As an affiliate marketer, you can promote products from many different companies and earn commissions from all of them. Unlike a typical salesperson who sells products from only one company, you have the flexibility to diversify.

How Does Affiliate Marketing Work?

1. Join an Affiliate Program: Upon joining, you get a unique tracking link. This allows the merchant to track if you’ve referred customers to them.

2. Cookie Tracking: People who click on your link get a tiny file called a cookie stored on their device. This (usually) holds an expiry date, so you get paid even if they delay buying for a while.

3. Example Scenario: Someone visits your post on the best winter jackets. They click your Amazon affiliate link for one of your recommendations. They close their browser to pick up their kid from school. The next day, they go back to Amazon to check out the product again. They buy the recommended product along with some ski gear. Thanks to the affiliate cookie stored on their device, you earn a commission on both the recommended product and the ski gear.

How Much Money Do Affiliate Marketers Make?

Most affiliate marketers earn less than $10K per year, but roughly one in six (16.87%) make $50K per year or more. Remember, affiliate marketing takes time. Focus first on making your first affiliate sale. As your site grows, set new goals, and continue experimenting. This is how you build up a site that eventually generates a decent income.

Conclusion

Affiliate marketing offers a low-risk, scalable way to earn money online. Don’t expect life-changing income overnight, but with persistence and experimentation, you can build a site that generates a decent income. Got questions? Ping me on Twitter.

FAQs

1. Can I start affiliate marketing without a website? While having a website is beneficial, you can also use social media platforms or YouTube channels to promote affiliate products.

2. How do I find relevant affiliate products for my niche? Research affiliate networks, explore product categories, and choose products aligned with your audience’s interests.

3. Is affiliate marketing suitable for beginners? Absolutely! Many successful affiliates started as beginners. Just focus on learning, experimenting, and adapting as you go.