There are many online businesses that anyone can start and affiliate marketing is probably one of the most beginner-friendly. The question remains, is affiliate marketing worth it for beginners?
In my opinion, the answer is yes. Especially if you get guidance and help through an online affiliate marketing course.
That doesn’t mean that affiliate marketing doesn’t have its issues. However, in comparison to a lot of online business models, it is much easier to get started.
I’ll share below why I think affiliate marketing is worth it for beginners as well as some of the issues you may run into.
Hey there! I’m Eartha and I’ve been an affiliate marketer for quite some time. I’ve been focusing my efforts on high-ticket affiliate marketing and it has been a blast!
I understand the struggles of starting affiliate marketing and I will share some of the things to be aware of as well as the many benefits.
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Affiliate Marketing Worth It for Beginners – Yes or No?
As an affiliate marketer myself and having tried a variety of methods to make an income online, I still say that it is worth doing. As long as you go into it with an understanding of how it works and the amount of effort it takes to make a steady income online.
What is Affiliate Marketing?
A brief definition of affiliate marketing is the recommendation of another company’s products in exchange for a commission when a sale is made.
There are tons of affiliate programs with a variety of products that you can promote. Almost anything you can think of in any niche.
Consider Amazon.com and its affiliate program. There are millions of products on Amazon. That is only one company.
There are major corporations as well as individuals that have affiliate programs. You can promote both digital and physical products.
Some Ways to Do Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is an online business model but it can be done in different ways. You can approach it using paid ads, blogging, creating a sales funnel, email marketing, or a combination of them all.
My favorite method is to create a blog that sends organic targeted traffic to a sales funnel. From there, I do email marketing and nurture my email list.
It is a model that has worked well for me. There is also social media which is effective for generating organic traffic.
How Affiliate Commissions Work and How to Get Paid
All affiliate programs will have different commission rates. You will find commission rates from 3% up to 75% or more.
My favorite products to promote are high-ticket digital products. Most of these offer commission rates of 40% – 50% that often pay out $1,000 per sale depending on the price of the product.
Commissions are often paid out via PayPal. Some affiliate programs may pay by check or direct deposit. Some may even do wire transfers.
Also, keep in mind that many affiliate programs have a hold of 30 – 45 days before commissions are paid. The waiting period is to account for any refunds.
Which Affiliate Marketing Niches Work?
You may be surprised at some of the niches that are making some affiliates a full-time income. Almost all niches can make money if you are creating good content that attracts a target audience.
However, if you are stuck trying to pick a niche that is going to make money, consider the top 3 evergreen niches:
- Health
- Wealth
- Relationships
Many sub-niches fall under each of these main niches. For example, the keto diet would fall under health, investing would fall under wealth, and dating would fall under relationships.
How to Pick a Niche for Affiliate Marketing?
I recommend choosing a niche that you have an interest in. You’ll be creating content for a particular niche and if you don’t like the niche, you’ll want to quit.
For example, I enjoy the make money online niche. I can talk about it all day, every day. Since I have a strong interest in it, I have an easier time helping people within this niche and recommending related products to them.
If you choose a niche that you’ve found has a large enough audience but you may not care for too much, it is still possible to earn income.
You can either outsource the content creation (which can be costly) or use AI. If using AI, it is faster but you’ll still need to check that the content is original. There is software to make using AI easier and to check for plagiarism.
Is Affiliate Marketing Easy?
It is an easy online business to start but it does have its challenges. Many beginners struggle with choosing a niche, choosing an affiliate offer, as well as how to promote an affiliate product.
The main struggle is traffic generation. Without traffic, there is no way to make sales. When you learn how to generate traffic, it comes down to sending that traffic to the offer and eventually making affiliate commissions.
Another challenge with affiliate marketing is the fluctuation in income. Until you can generate a large amount of traffic on a steady basis as well as build a large email list, your income may fluctuate greatly.
What are the Benefits of Affiliate Marketing?
The benefits of affiliate marketing far outweigh the challenges. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits:
No Need to Create a Product
The big benefit of affiliate marketing is being able to leverage other people’s products. The hard work of product creation has been done for you. There is never any inventory to buy or anything you’ll need to ship.
Zero Customer Service
One of my favorite benefits of affiliate marketing is not having to deal with customer service issues. You don’t have to talk to customers nor do you have to deal with refunds, chargebacks, or other issues that come with selling your own product.
Work From Anywhere and at Any Time
You have the freedom to work from anywhere and set your own schedule. That is why many people who love to travel choose affiliate marketing as a way to fund their travels. They can work from anywhere with a WiFi connection.
There is No Limit On How Much You Can Make
How much you make from affiliate marketing is completely up to you and how much effort you put in. I have yet to come across an affiliate program that puts a cap on earnings. Companies that have affiliate programs want you to make a lot of sales. It is a win-win for you and the company.
Choose Any Niche You Want
You can choose any niche you like and you can change niches or work within multiple niches. That is one of the fun things about this industry. You can be as creative as you want as well.
No Prior Experience Necessary
You can be an affiliate with no experience and grow to become a super affiliate if that is your goal. There is a learning curve but learning affiliate marketing is easy. It doesn’t take long to get the hang of things and you may even find that you’re really good at it. The key is to not give up!
The Best Affiliate Programs for Beginners
| Affiliate Program | Star Rating | Why it’s Good |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Associates | 4.5/5 | Amazon Associates is the absolute best affiliate marketing program for beginners. It sells virtually everything, so you’ll be able to promote Amazon products, regardless of your niche. |
| ShareASale | 4.3/5 | ShareASale is another popular network for affiliate partners. It’s easy to use and has a wide variety of products to promote. |
| AvantLink | 4.2/5 | AvantLink is super easy to sign up and get started. It has thousands of other programs, all categorized by niche. |
| eBay Partner Network | 4.1/5 | eBay Partner Network is a great option for beginners because it’s easy to use and has a wide variety of products to promote. It also offers a tiered commission structure. |
| ClickBank | 4.0/5 | ClickBank is a popular affiliate network that offers a wide variety of products to promote. It’s easy to use and has a good reputation in the industry. |
Wrapping Up
I think affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to earn an income online. It is beginner-friendly, low-risk, and low-cost. There is no limit on how much you can make and you can work from almost anywhere. Affiliate marketing is worth it in more ways than one.