Affiliate Marketing Guide: How to Earn Revenue Promoting Products
Affiliate marketing is straightforward: you recommend products, include a special link, and earn a commission when someone buys through your link. The affiliate marketing industry exceeds $17 billion globally, and it’s growing.
Done right, affiliate marketing creates passive income while genuinely helping your audience find useful products. Done wrong, it destroys trust and makes you look like a shill.
This guide covers how to do it right—finding programs, creating effective content, staying compliant with regulations, and building a sustainable affiliate income without sacrificing your credibility.
How Affiliate Marketing Works
The model involves three parties:
- Merchant - The company selling the product
- Affiliate (you) - The person promoting the product
- Customer - The person who buys
You sign up for a merchant’s affiliate program, get a unique tracking link, and share that link in your content. When someone clicks your link and purchases, the merchant tracks that sale back to you and pays a commission.
The flow:
- You create content recommending a product
- Reader clicks your affiliate link
- A cookie tracks that click (usually 24-90 days)
- Reader purchases the product
- Merchant attributes the sale to you
- You receive commission (often 30-60 days later)
Commission Structures
Different programs pay differently:
| Type | How It Works | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of sale | You get X% of purchase price | 30% of $100 = $30 |
| Flat fee per sale | Fixed amount regardless of price | $50 per signup |
| Recurring commission | X% of subscription, ongoing | 20% monthly for 12 months |
| Pay per lead | Payment for signup (not sale) | $5 per email signup |
| Pay per click | Payment for clicks | $0.10 per click (rare) |
Recurring commissions are the most valuable. Refer someone to a $50/month subscription with 30% recurring commission, and you earn $15/month as long as they stay subscribed. Ten referrals become $150/month in ongoing revenue.
Cookie Duration Matters
Cookie duration determines how long after someone clicks your link you get credit for their purchase.
- Amazon: 24 hours (very short)
- Most SaaS: 30-90 days
- Some programs: Lifetime (if they ever buy, you get credit)
Longer cookies are better for affiliates. Someone might click your link, research for two weeks, then buy. A 24-hour cookie means you get nothing. A 90-day cookie means you get paid.
Check cookie duration before joining any program.
Types of Affiliate Marketing
Content-Based Affiliate Marketing
Creating content with embedded affiliate recommendations:
- Blog posts with product recommendations
- Product reviews and comparisons
- Tutorials featuring specific tools
- “Best of” lists and roundups
- Resource pages
This is the most sustainable approach. Content ranks in search engines, brings traffic for years, and builds trust through demonstrated expertise.
Influencer Affiliate Marketing
Leveraging audience on social platforms:
- YouTube product reviews
- Instagram stories and posts
- TikTok recommendations
- Podcast mentions
- Twitter/X threads
Higher trust due to personal connection, but less evergreen than content. Posts disappear from feeds; blog posts keep ranking.
Coupon and Deal Sites
Aggregating discounts and deals:
- Coupon code compilations
- Cash-back programs
- Deal alerts
High volume, low margin. Visitors are price-focused, not loyal. Difficult to build lasting business.
Finding Affiliate Programs
Direct Programs
Many companies run their own affiliate programs. Check the footer of product websites for “Affiliates,” “Partners,” or “Referral Program” links.
Direct programs often offer:
- Higher commission rates (no network middleman)
- Direct relationship with merchant
- Custom deals for high performers
- Better support and resources
Popular direct SaaS affiliate programs:
| Product | Commission | Cookie Duration |
|---|---|---|
| ConvertKit | 30% recurring | 60 days |
| Teachable | 30% recurring | 90 days |
| Webflow | 50% first year | 90 days |
| SEMrush | $200/sale or 40% recurring | 120 days |
| Shopify | $150 average | 30 days |
Affiliate Networks
Networks aggregate thousands of merchants:
| Network | Best For | Notable Merchants |
|---|---|---|
| ShareASale | Variety of products | WPEngine, Grammarly, Tailwind |
| CJ Affiliate | Enterprise brands | GoDaddy, Overstock |
| Impact | SaaS and digital | Canva, Shopify, Notion |
| PartnerStack | B2B SaaS | Monday.com, Webflow |
| Amazon Associates | Physical products | Everything on Amazon |
Networks simplify management (one dashboard for many programs) but take a cut, reducing your effective commission.
Finding Programs for Products You Use
The best affiliate recommendations are products you actually use. For products you already love:
- Search “[product name] affiliate program”
- Check the product’s website footer
- Look for the product on major networks
- Email the company directly if you can’t find a program
Not every product has an affiliate program, but many do—especially SaaS products with high lifetime values.
Choosing What to Promote
The biggest mistake affiliates make is promoting anything that pays well, regardless of audience fit or product quality.
Criteria for Products Worth Promoting
You’ve actually used it. Recommending products you haven’t used is obvious to readers and damages credibility. If you can’t speak from experience, you can’t provide genuine insight.
It’s relevant to your audience. A personal finance blogger promoting web hosting software makes no sense. The product must solve a problem your readers actually have.
It solves a real problem well. Don’t promote mediocre products for high commissions. Your readers trust your recommendations. Betraying that trust for a quick commission destroys long-term value.
The price is fair. Recommending overpriced products makes you complicit in ripping off your readers.
The company is reputable. Check reviews, look for complaints. If customers hate the product, you don’t want your name attached to it.
Red Flags to Avoid
- Products you haven’t used personally
- Products that don’t fit your audience’s needs
- Companies with terrible reviews or reputation
- Products requiring aggressive sales tactics
- Very low commissions (not worth your effort or readers’ attention)
- Programs with unreasonably short cookies
The Trust Calculation
Every affiliate recommendation withdraws from your trust account with readers. Helpful, accurate recommendations build trust. Pushy, irrelevant, or bad recommendations destroy it.
Ask yourself: “Would I recommend this product to a friend who asked, even if there was no commission?”
If the answer is no, don’t promote it.
Creating Affiliate Content
Product Reviews
In-depth reviews of single products. These rank well for “[product] review” searches, which have high buyer intent.
Effective review structure:
- Summary verdict at the top (respect readers’ time)
- Who the product is for (and who it’s not for)
- Detailed feature walkthrough
- Pros AND cons (both are required for credibility)
- Pricing breakdown
- Your personal experience
- Alternatives worth considering
- Final recommendation
Reviews without cons feel like ads. Honest criticism builds trust and makes your praise credible.
Comparison Posts
“[Product A] vs [Product B]” posts capture high-intent search traffic from people actively choosing between options.
Comparison post structure:
- Quick verdict for readers who just want the answer
- Feature-by-feature comparison table
- Use case recommendations (Product A is better for X, Product B is better for Y)
- Pricing comparison
- Your recommendation with reasoning
Be genuinely helpful, not artificially balanced. If one product is clearly better for most use cases, say so.
”Best Of” Lists
“Best [Category] for [Use Case]” posts let you recommend multiple products and capture broader search traffic.
Examples:
- “Best Email Marketing Tools for Small Businesses”
- “Best Project Management Software for Remote Teams”
- “Best Website Builders for Beginners”
Best-of structure:
- Criteria you used for evaluation
- Top pick with reasoning
- Runner-up picks for different needs
- Brief reviews of each option
- Comparison table
- FAQ section
These posts require more work but can generate significant affiliate revenue through multiple product links.
Tutorials and How-To Content
Content that solves a problem using a specific product.
Examples:
- “How to Set Up Email Automation with ConvertKit”
- “Building Your First Website with Webflow”
- “Creating a Sales Funnel with ClickFunnels”
Tutorials demonstrate value by showing the product in action. Readers see what’s possible and want to try it themselves.
Resource Pages
Curated collections of tools you use and recommend.
Examples:
- “Tools I Use to Run This Blog”
- “Recommended Resources for New Founders”
- “My Tech Stack”
Resource pages serve readers looking for comprehensive recommendations and capture multiple affiliate opportunities in one place.
Affiliate Marketing Without a Blog
YouTube
Video reviews and tutorials with affiliate links in descriptions. YouTube’s algorithm can drive significant traffic to well-optimized videos.
Advantages: High trust (viewers see you), visual product demonstrations, YouTube search traffic.
Considerations: More production effort, links less prominent than in blog posts.
Email Newsletters
Recommending products to your email list. Personal endorsement from a trusted sender converts well.
Advantages: Direct relationship, high open rates for established lists, personal touch.
Considerations: Requires an existing audience, easy to overdo and annoy subscribers.
Social Media
Instagram, TikTok, Twitter posts with product recommendations.
Advantages: Reaches existing followers, easy to produce, feels personal.
Considerations: Less evergreen (posts disappear), platform rules on disclosure, limited linking options.
Podcasts
Mentioning products naturally in podcast episodes.
Advantages: Intimate medium, high trust, listeners engaged for long periods.
Considerations: Links require show notes, harder to track attribution.
Disclosure Requirements
In the US, the FTC requires clear disclosure of affiliate relationships. Other countries have similar regulations.
What the Law Requires
- Disclose affiliate relationships clearly
- Disclosure must be conspicuous (not hidden in footer)
- Must appear near the affiliate links
- Language must be understandable to average reader
Disclosure Best Practices
Place disclosures at the beginning of content, before any affiliate links appear. Don’t bury them at the bottom.
Use clear language:
- “This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.”
- “Disclosure: I earn commissions from some links in this article.”
- “This article includes affiliate links, meaning I get a small commission if you purchase.”
Avoid vague language: “This post may contain sponsored content” doesn’t clearly communicate the affiliate relationship.
Why Disclosure Helps You
Beyond legal compliance, disclosure builds trust. Readers appreciate transparency. Hidden affiliate relationships, when discovered, destroy credibility. Open disclosure shows integrity.
Tracking and Optimization
What to Track
- Clicks per link (which content drives traffic?)
- Conversion rate (which content converts?)
- Revenue per piece of content
- Top-performing programs
- Earnings per click (EPC)
Tracking Tools
Affiliate dashboards: Every program provides basic click and conversion data.
Link management:
- ThirstyAffiliates (WordPress plugin)
- Pretty Links (WordPress plugin)
- Geniuslink (cross-platform)
Analytics integration: Set up goals in Google Analytics to track affiliate link clicks as events.
Optimization Strategies
Double down on what works. Identify your highest-converting content and create more like it.
Update underperforming content. If a post gets traffic but no conversions, improve the call-to-action, add more compelling product information, or reconsider the product-audience fit.
Test link placement. Links earlier in content often perform better than links at the end. Test different positions.
Improve content quality. Better content ranks higher, gets more traffic, and converts better. The rising tide lifts all boats.
Scaling Affiliate Revenue
Create More Content
More relevant content means more opportunities for affiliate links. Build a content library targeting buyer-intent keywords:
- “[product] review”
- “[product A] vs [product B]”
- “best [category] for [use case]”
- “how to [goal] with [product]“
Promote Higher-Value Products
Same effort, higher commissions. B2B and SaaS products often pay significantly more than consumer products. Recurring commission products compound over time.
| Product Type | Typical Commission |
|---|---|
| Amazon physical products | 1-10% |
| Consumer software | 10-30% |
| B2B SaaS | 20-50% (often recurring) |
| High-ticket courses | $100-500 per sale |
Negotiate Better Terms
High performers get better rates. Once you’re driving significant sales:
- Ask for increased commission rates
- Request exclusive discount codes for your audience
- Negotiate custom landing pages
- Seek direct relationship with merchant
Build Direct Relationships
Move from network relationships to direct merchant relationships. You get better terms, more support, and first access to promotions.
Common Mistakes
-
Promoting everything that pays - Dilutes trust and confuses your audience about what you actually recommend.
-
Not disclosing - Legal risk and trust destruction when readers discover hidden relationships.
-
Recommending products you haven’t used - Obvious to readers and impossible to speak authentically about.
-
Chasing highest commissions - Relevance and quality matter more than commission percentage.
-
Ignoring SEO - Organic search traffic is sustainable. Paid traffic eats your margins.
-
No email list - Building an owned audience compounds affiliate opportunity over time.
-
Expecting quick results - Affiliate income builds slowly. Content takes time to rank and traffic takes time to convert.
-
Not tracking performance - Without data, you can’t optimize or identify what’s working.
Ethics and Long-Term Thinking
Affiliate marketing has a reputation problem because many practitioners prioritize commissions over readers. Don’t be that person.
The right approach:
- Only recommend products you’d recommend to a friend without commission incentive
- Be honest about limitations and who the product isn’t for
- Provide genuine value beyond just the affiliate link
- Respond to questions and help readers make good decisions
- Update recommendations when products change
Building long-term trust:
- Consistent, helpful content builds audience loyalty
- Honest reviews (including negatives) establish credibility
- Readers remember bad recommendations—one bad recommendation can undo ten good ones
- Your reputation is worth more than any single commission
Getting Started Checklist
Foundation
- Choose your niche and audience
- Build platform (blog, YouTube, newsletter)
- Identify products you already use and love
- Research if those products have affiliate programs
Program Setup
- Apply to relevant affiliate programs
- Set up link tracking and management
- Create disclosure statement
- Add disclosure to your site/content template
Content Creation
- Plan initial content (reviews, comparisons, tutorials)
- Create first piece of affiliate content
- Add resource/tools page to site
- Set up email capture for owned audience
Optimization
- Track clicks and conversions
- Review performance monthly
- Identify top performers and create similar content
- Continuously update and improve existing content
Key Takeaways
Affiliate marketing works when it serves your audience first. The commission is your reward for connecting readers with products that genuinely help them.
Remember:
- Only promote products you’d recommend without the commission
- Disclose relationships clearly and early
- Create genuinely helpful content, not thinly veiled ads
- Track performance and optimize based on data
- Think long-term—your reputation is your most valuable asset
- Recurring commissions and high-value products compound faster
Start with products you already use and love. Write content that helps readers make good decisions. The commissions follow naturally from genuine helpfulness.