How to Start an Affiliate Marketing Business Like a Pro

Ever wondered how people make money online while they sleep? Picture this, if you will: you recommend a product, and someone buys it through your link, then poof! Like magic, you earn a commission without ever having touched inventory or fending off irate customers in support.

And it’s not limited to when you’re snoozing!

Affiliate marketing is a passive income utopia where the business is flexible and scalable, and the money, well, kind of grows on trees. But don’t get too comfortable with those rose-colored glasses.

What do the experts say about learning how to start an affiliate marketing business? Creating a money-making machine like this starts with:

• Strategies for sorting the wheat from the chaff to find a good niche.
• Researching and content planning.
• Getting to know affiliate programs and networks
• And, most importantly, monetizing your online presence.

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Understanding affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is a commission-based online business model where you promote products or services through special links. When someone clicks your affiliate link and makes a purchase, you earn a percentage of the sale. What makes this a big deal is its potential for producing low-cost, passive income.

• Low startup costs – No need to create your own product or deal with shipping.
• Scalability – The more content and traffic you generate, the more you can earn.
• Flexibility – Work from anywhere, anytime, and promote an endless variety of brands, products, and services.
• Passive income potential – With the right strategies, your content can generate revenue long after it’s published.

Finding the right niche for an affiliate marketing business

Before jumping into affiliate programs, you need to find a viable niche that offers both profitability and room for specialization.

What makes a niche profitable?

• Room for specialization – Can you carve out a specific angle within a broad industry?
• High-paying affiliate programs – Amazon’s low commissions aren’t the gold standard anymore. What other programs, networks, or opportunities are out there?
• Competitor analysis – Are smaller sites ranking on page one of Google, or is the space dominated by media giants? It’s going to be tough to catch up and compete with Buzzfeed, for example.
• Strong audience interest – Look at search trends, online discussions, and demand for solutions. Your ability to empathize and observe will serve you well here.
• Monetizable keywords – Focus on topics people search for with the intent to buy. If the idea of researching a bunch of keywords and phrases makes your eyes glaze over, this whole affiliate thing may not be your cup of tea.

Massive media companies like Business Insider and Wirecutter have made it harder for small affiliate sites to compete on broad keywords. Affiliate marketing businesses often niche down to get around this problem. Instead of “best vacuum cleaners,” go for “best vacuums for pet hair under $200.” By focusing on a hyper-specific sub-niche, you increase your chances of ranking and building authority.

Niches to avoid

Some niches are harder to monetize than others. Areas where enthusiastic people publish a lot of free content tend to be the worst offenders. They generate a ton of traffic and interest, but with everything served up for free, there’s not a lot of revenue to go with it.

• Video games – Low commercial intent.
• Gardening – Tons of free content already available.
• DIY crafts – Passion-driven, not profit-driven.

Instead, consider better alternatives that have strong buyer intent:

• Home office equipment – With remote work here to stay, people invest in standing desks, ergonomic chairs, and productivity tools.
• Electric bikes and scooters – A booming industry with high-ticket products and growing consumer demand.
• Smart home devices – Think smart locks, thermostats, security cameras, and automation gadgets. These often come with recurring service fees (long-term source of commissions).
• Software and SaaS – Affiliate programs for website hosting, SEO tools, and automation software can generate recurring commissions.
• Luxury and high-end travel gear – Luggage, noise-canceling headphones, and travel credit cards all have high commissions.
• Outdoor and survival gear – Tactical gear, camping equipment, and emergency preparedness kits cater to enthusiasts willing to spend big.
• Online education and courses – Platforms like Skillshare, MasterClass, and niche coaching programs offer high commissions and recurring revenue potential.
• Baby and parenting products – Parents are always spending, and niches like organic baby gear or smart baby monitors have strong affiliate programs.

Picking a niche that actually makes money

It’s time to take an honest look at the affiliate market, so you’ll need to peek around those rose-colored lenses at this point. Not all niches are your friend. Some will have you grinding for chump change, while others can turn into a six-figure business if you do it right.

The best tools for niche & keyword research

The pros use tools and data to find successful affiliate marketing businesses and reverse engineer what works. By identifying the high buyer-intent keywords, the best affiliate marketers design content for a specific audience at key points in the buying journey.

• Ahrefs / SEMrush – Great for spying on what’s already working. If an affiliate niche is crowded with high-ranking sites, it’s making money. The trick here would be finding your unique angle so you can stand out.
• Google AutoSuggest and low search volume keywords – Some of the best niches don’t even show up in traditional keyword tools. But digital marketing gurus will tell you if real people search, click, and buy, it’s profitable. Even if it looks like a ghost town in Keyword Planner.

How to uncover niches that pay (not just get clicks)

1. Follow the money, not just the traffic – Use tools like Ahrefs to analyze backlinks to known affiliate tracking URLs (Amazon, CJ, ShareASale). If sites in a niche have strong backlinks and rankings, chances are they convert well.
2. Reverse-engineer six-figure affiliate sites – Check out Empire Flippers (a marketplace for selling profitable sites). What niches dominate? These businesses are already making money, so why reinvent the wheel?
3. Google “Affiliate Disclaimer” + [Keyword] – Amazon and most networks require affiliates to disclose relationships. Searching for this uncovers active affiliate sites in your niche—giving you instant competitor insights.
4. Check direct affiliate program payouts – Amazon pays crumbs compared to high-ticket private programs. A smaller niche with $100+ commissions per sale often beats a high-traffic niche with single-digit payouts.

Instead of asking yourself, “Can I rank for this?” it’s more like, “Who’s already spending money here?”

That’s the difference between dabbling in affiliate marketing and learning how to start an affiliate marketing business.

Fueling your affiliate marketing business with the right programs

Finding the right affiliate marketing programs will be your bread and butter. For an affiliate marketing business, profit and viability hinge on understanding commission rates, structures, and cookie durations.

Understanding commission structures

• Flat fee – A one-time payment per sale (e.g., Amazon Associates: 1-10%).
• Recurring – Earn a percentage of ongoing subscriptions (e.g., SaaS tools like ConvertKit: 20-50%).
• High-ticket – Large commissions for expensive products (e.g., travel packages, coaching programs: $100-$1,000 per sale).

Why cookie duration matters

The longer the cookie duration, the more time you have to earn commissions. If someone clicks a link and drags their feet before purchasing, the cookie could expire, and then no cookie for you.

Programs have vast differences in the cookie duration:

• Amazon Associates: 24 hours (Ouch. If the user doesn’t buy within a day, you miss out on the commission, and it wasn’t even all that great to begin with).
• ShareASale: 30-90 days (way better for long-term tracking).
• Bluehost: 60 days (better chance of conversions over time).

Choosing the right affiliate programs is one of the most important decisions in building a profitable affiliate marketing business. A program with low commissions, short cookie durations, or poor conversion rates can limit earnings, even if you manage to make your audience happy and get a ton of conversions.

Affiliate programs can be challenging to get into at first. For example, some may require you to have a certain level of traffic to your affiliate website. That’s usually enough to keep new affiliate marketing businesses out of the running. If the big players turn their noses up at you, there are always perfectly reasonable alternatives like Amazon Associates and Skimlinks. Then you can go back later. You’ll show them!

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Don’t let unfavorable payout terms drag you down

So, you’ve put in the work, gotten people to click your links, and made some sales. Fantastic! But here’s the kicker: when and how are you actually getting paid? It’s not instant gratification with every program, and if you’re not careful, you might find yourself waiting months (or indefinitely) to cash out your commissions.

Keep an eye out for:

• Minimum payout thresholds – Some programs won’t cut you a check until you hit $100-$500 in earnings. If you’re in a high-ticket niche, no problem. But if you’re trickling in Amazon commissions at 3% per sale, you could be in for a wait.
• Payment methods – It’s usually PayPal, bank transfer, wire transfer, or some networks even make direct deposits. Check what’s available (and whether it requires a U.S. bank account).
• Payout frequency – Some programs pay monthly, while others only process payments quarterly (or worse, every 90 days). If cash flow is important, go for programs with regular, reliable payouts.

How different networks handle payouts

Finding affiliate programs that actually make money

Not all affiliate programs are worth your time. Some convert like a dream, while others work at a snail’s pace. Programs with higher commission rates, longer cookie durations, and proven conversion power should be the goal.

As Authority Hacker’s Gael Breton puts it, “Some affiliate programs convert 10X better than others. Always research commission rates, refund policies, and conversion rates before committing.” In other words, don’t just sign up for the first program you find. Go get yourself a program that values your hard work.

Here’s how to spot the winners:

• Affiliate networks – Platforms like CJ Affiliate, ShareASale, and Rakuten give you access to thousands of brands in one place. They make it easy to compare commission rates and find programs that align with your niche.
• Direct brand partnerships – Some companies offer higher commissions when you work with them directly rather than through an affiliate network. Always check if brands have private affiliate programs before settling for marketplace rates.
• Competitor research – Use Ahrefs or SEMrush to analyze the top-ranking affiliate sites in your niche. What products are they promoting? What affiliate networks are they using? If it’s working for them, it can work for you, too.

How to uncover high-paying programs

Have you tried Googling [your niche] + affiliate program? Many of the best programs aren’t even listed on major networks. This simple search can turn up hidden gems with better payouts, longer cookie durations, and lower competition.

What to look for in a high-quality affiliate program

• Strong commission rates—recurring revenue or high-ticket items are ideal.
• Long cookie durations—30+ days give you a better chance of earning commissions (unlike Amazon’s 24-hour window).
• Favorable payout terms—low minimum payout thresholds, reliable payment schedules, and multiple payment options.
• Competitor-tested programs—if others in your niche are making money with it, you probably can, too.
• A diversified approach—don’t rely on just one program. Test multiple to see what converts best.

How to start an affiliate marketing business

You don’t absolutely, 100% need a website to start an affiliate marketing business. However, most online entrepreneurs would give you some serious side-eye if they heard you say that out loud.

These people know it’s your best bet for long-term success. Some affiliates thrive on social media, email marketing, or video content alone. The problem lies with the part where you don’t control these platforms. Algorithms change, accounts get banned, and organic reach can disappear overnight.

A website, though. That belongs to you. No one’s going to pull the rug from under you on this one. As long as you pay your hosting provider.

Why a website is your best long-term asset

• You control the content and monetization. No sudden algorithm updates wiping out your traffic overnight.
• SEO-driven passive income. A well-ranked blog post can generate commissions for years, while a social media post disappears in days.
• More ways to make money. Besides affiliate links, you can earn through display ads, sponsorships, and digital products.

Take a blog post like “Best Laptops for Digital Nomads.” Once it ranks on Google, it keeps working for you, bringing in commissions while you focus on scaling. Compare that to a TikTok post that’s buried in the feed within hours.

Experimenting with different affiliate niches using AI

Want to test niches for your affiliate marketing business without spending weeks setting up new websites? 10Web’s AI Website Builder makes it ridiculously easy to launch a new WordPress site for affiliate marketing in minutes.

• Instantly generate a full WordPress site—no coding needed.
• Optimize speed and performance automatically (faster sites = higher conversions).
• Easily test different affiliate models before fully committing.

Thinking about launching a niche site for drones? Security cameras? Pet health? 10Web lets you set up, test, and refine your approach—fast.

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Other ways to make money without a website

Are you not ready to commit to a website? No problem. Plenty of people build formidable affiliate marketing businesses using social media, email marketing, and video content. The key is knowing how to play to the strengths of these platforms while avoiding their pitfalls.

Social media: fast growth but unpredictable algorithms

Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest are great for quick exposure, but they come with one big catch: you don’t own your audience. If the algorithm decides you’re out, your traffic vanishes. If you tap into the viral nature of these types of platforms, you’re bound to hit paydirt.

• Best for visual niches like fashion, fitness, or home decor.
• Works well for influencers who actively engage with their audience.
• Requires constant posting. If you stop, so does your reach.

YouTube: high engagement, higher effort

YouTube is a goldmine for affiliate marketing, but high-quality content is also time-consuming and costly to produce. If you’re willing and able to put in the work, videos rank on both Google and YouTube, giving them serious potential.

• Perfect for tech reviews, tutorials, and “best of” lists.
• Requires time to script, film, and edit, but videos can drive revenue for years.
• Higher trust factor. Viewers are more likely to buy through someone they see and hear.

Email marketing: the highest-converting channel

An email list is like printing money on demand, but it takes time to build. Unlike social media, email puts you in control of your audience.

• Convert at higher rates than social media.
• No algorithm interference. Your email gets delivered, period.
• Requires strong lead magnets (freebies like ebooks or templates) to grow your list.

Use multiple channels, but make your website the foundation

Affiliate marketing is all about diversification—but skipping a website entirely? That’s a risky game. Use social and video to grow your reach, email to nurture your audience, and a website to keep commissions rolling in for years.

Crafting the right content for every platform

Affiliate marketing isn’t a one-size-fits-all game. What works for a blog won’t necessarily work for a YouTube video, and a TikTok clip won’t have the same impact as an email campaign. The key is matching your content strategy to the platform where your audience hangs out.

Blogging and website content

A website is still the cornerstone of a strong affiliate marketing business. Blog content has long-term value, drives consistent organic traffic, and converts well when structured properly.

Best types of blog content

Adding value and standing out

Spencer Haws didn’t just write a basic product review when he built his site around the keyword “best survival knife.” He made a valuable go-to resource by creating an interactive comparison chart.

Instead of throwing together yet another generic “top 10” list (like most of his competitors), he compiled 50+ survival knives and built a sortable table that let users filter by:

• Price – Budget-friendly vs. premium knives
• Blade material – High-carbon steel vs. stainless
• Blade length – Compact vs. full-sized survival knives
• Customer ratings – What real buyers had to say

This wasn’t just a random list of knives. He created a user-friendly tool that helped visitors make an informed buying decision.

YouTube: high trust, high conversions

If your niche is product-based, video content can be a game-changer. People love seeing products in action before they buy, making YouTube an incredibly powerful platform for affiliate marketing.

Best video types for affiliate marketing

• Product reviews and unboxings – Break down features, pros, and cons while linking to offers in the description.
• How-to and tutorials – Show a product in action, solve a problem, and offer an affiliate solution.
• Comparison and “best of” videos – High-ranking, high-converting content like “Best Laptops for Video Editing (2024).”
• Case studies and personal experience – Real-world examples build trust and establish you as an authority.

For example, a tech YouTuber reviewing laptops can embed affiliate links in the description, earning commissions every time someone clicks.

Social media: fast engagement but less control

Social platforms are great for building awareness but don’t forget about those fair-weather algorithms and the lack of ownership over your published content. Enough boohooing about that, though. These platforms are brimming with affiliate marketing businesses for a reason.

Best social media content types for affiliate marketing businesses

• Instagram and TikTok – Short-form product demos, influencer-style recommendations, and lifestyle integration.
• Pinterest – Evergreen content like infographics, product collages, and step-by-step guides (affiliate links included!).
• Facebook Groups – Niche communities, discussions, and user-generated recommendations.

As an example, a home decor affiliate can create Pinterest pins linking to product roundups, generating passive traffic for years.

Don’t just post some product links and kick back. Instead, create engaging content that naturally leads to sales.

Email is the MVP

Email marketing isn’t flashy, but it’s the most reliable way to generate affiliate sales. Unlike social media, where algorithms decide your reach, email gives you direct access to your audience.

Most affiliate marketers are happy to point out that email is such a valuable sales channel and traffic source because it’s immune to Google updates and social media bans.

Best email content strategies for affiliates

You’ll commonly see some basic email sequences in your own inbox:

1. Welcome email – Deliver a lead magnet (like a free guide) and introduce yourself.
2. Content email – Share high-value blog posts or YouTube videos before promoting offers.
3. Affiliate promotion email – Recommends a product with a personal review and limited-time offer.

You might see a finance blogger send an email titled “The Best Credit Cards for Travel Rewards,” linking to high-commission credit card offers.

No one wants to have an annoying salesperson constantly dogging your steps with pushy sales content. Mix education and information with promotional content for better engagement.

Content strategy by platform

The big brain strategy is to use multiple channels but optimize content specifically for each.

• Blogs – Best for long-term SEO and passive income.
• YouTube – High engagement and trust-building through video.
• Social media – Fast growth, but requires constant updates.
• Email – Highest conversions and full audience control.

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Scaling and monetizing your affiliate marketing business

Once your site is generating traffic, it’s time to optimize, scale, and diversify. More traffic is great, but you’re leaving money on the table if you’re not tracking and improving conversions.

Finding what’s working (and what’s not)

Scaling isn’t just about doing more. It’s about doing more of what actually works. That’s where tracking and analytics are your guide.

Metrics that matter:

• Click-through rate (CTR) – Are people actually clicking your affiliate links?
• Conversion rate – How many clicks turn into actual sales?
• Earnings per click (EPC) – Which programs and strategies bring in the highest returns?
• Revenue per visitor (RPV) – How much is each site visitor worth?
• Bounce rate and time on page – Are people sticking around or leaving too soon?

Best tools for tracking affiliate performance:

• Google Analytics and GA4 – Measures site traffic, user behavior, and conversion goals.
• ThirstyAffiliates or Pretty Links – Helps track which affiliate links are performing best.
• Affiliate network reports – Amazon, ShareASale, CJ Affiliate: These dashboards tell you which products convert.
• UTM parameters and Google Tag Manager – Tracks where your highest-converting traffic is coming from.

Growing traffic, content, and revenue streams

Once you know what’s working, expand and branch out to experiment with other strategies to grow your affiliate marketing business and revenue streams.

• Expand to new keywords and topics – Research long-tail keywords with strong purchase intent.
• Repurpose content – Turn a high-performing blog post into a YouTube video, infographic, or email sequence.
• Diversify affiliate programs – Don’t put your eggs in one basket. If you’re relying on one program, what happens if they decide to lower commissions or increase payout thresholds?
• Invest in paid traffic – Once organic traffic is rolling in, paid ads can amplify your highest-converting pages.
• Outsource and automate – Use AI tools, hire writers or editors, and free yourself up for strategy instead of execution.

Monetizing beyond affiliate commissions

With your affiliate marketing business building momentum, it’s time to stack multiple income streams. You’ve got a lot of interesting, engaging content, right? Not everything needs to be laden with affiliate links to successfully monetize. In fact, some content is better suited to other monetization methods.

Display ads

If you’ve got low-commercial intent pages that get good traffic, running display ads can help bring in a little extra cash flow. Some require a certain amount of visitors to join the network.

Sponsored content and brand deals

Once you have an engaged audience, brands will pay you for exposure.

• Join influencer networks like AspireIQ and Cooperatize.
• Pitch brands directly with a media kit (traffic stats, audience demographics).
• Charge for newsletter placements and featured product spots.

Selling digital products and memberships

Do you have specialized knowledge or experience in a niche? You might be interested in a course designed to help you design a course! Seriously, this is such a popular business model because it often beats affiliate commissions, hands down. Lots of people sell courses or the holy grail of ecommerce: recurring subscriptions and memberships to digital products.

• Ebooks and Mini-Courses – Teach what you know.
• Exclusive Memberships – Offer premium content or coaching.
• Private Communities – Paid access to exclusive forums or mastermind groups.

Jon Dykstra from Fat Stacks Blog sells a $197 SEO course, which generates six figures a year, right alongside his ad-based niche sites.

Learning how to start an affiliate marketing business

Affiliate marketing is one of the lowest-risk, highest-reward online business models, but you have to play it smart. The key is choosing the right niche, joining high-paying affiliate programs, and continuously optimizing your content.

The essential building blocks of affiliate success

• Pick a niche that has real earning potential, not just high traffic.
• Join affiliate programs with high commissions and long cookie durations.
• Build a website as a foundation for your affiliate marketing business.
• Scale through social media, email marketing, and paid ads.
• Expand revenue beyond affiliate links: ads, sponsorships, and digital products.

Not sure where to start?

With 10Web’s AI Website Builder, you can launch a WordPress site in minutes, test multiple affiliate niches, and start optimizing right away. No tech skills? No problem. This AI-powered tool handles design, speed, and performance so you can focus on what matters.

Ready to give it a whack? Pick your niche, create a website for affiliate marketing, and start earning today!

Build Your WordPress Website Today

Seen something you like? With 10Web's AI Builder, you can create a professional WordPress website in minutes. No coding skills required.

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FAQ

Become a 10Web Affiliate

Become a 10Web Affiliate

Get 30% revenue from each new referral for 12 months.

BECOME AN AFFILIATE