How to Start Affiliate Marketing for Beginners
If you’re new to affiliate marketing—or even if you’ve already started and are looking to grow your results—this guide is packed with tips to help you build a sustainable, passive income stream.
Affiliate marketing is one of my favorite ways to earn online. It brings in tens of thousands of dollars per month for us at Primal Video, and the best part is, it can become a source of passive income once it’s set up properly.
Let’s break down what affiliate marketing really is, how it works, and how you can get started today—even with no experience.
What Is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing is when you earn a commission or referral fee by recommending a product or service to others. When someone clicks your unique affiliate link and makes a purchase, you get paid.
It’s a win-win-win:
A win for the customer, because you’re helping them find something valuable.
A win for the company, because they get a qualified lead or sale.
And a win for you, because you earn a commission for connecting the dots.
But here’s the thing: integrity matters. Promoting random products just because they offer high payouts might make you money in the short term, but it won’t build trust—or a long-term business. Always recommend things you genuinely use and believe in, just like you would with a friend or family member.
Where to Start with Affiliate Marketing
The easiest way to begin is by promoting products you already use and love.
Make a list of tools, services, apps, books, and anything else you’re currently using—especially things that help you in your business, hobbies, or everyday life. These are products you can confidently recommend.
Once you have your list, check if they have affiliate programs. Here are a few simple ways to do that:
One of the most common affiliate programs is **Amazon Associates**, which lets you earn from a massive range of physical products. It’s a great starting point for beginners. (We have a detailed tutorial on how to sign up—linked in the description.)
Once you’ve found affiliate programs for the products on your list, apply to join them. Most are straightforward and just require a few basic details.
What If a product doesn’t have an affiliate program?
If something you love doesn’t seem to have a program, don’t give up. Reach out to the company directly. A simple message like this can go a long way:
> “Hi! I love your product and have been using it for a while. I’m planning to create content around it—do you happen to have an affiliate or referral program?”
We’ve done this many times, and in some cases, companies even created a program after seeing our interest and content.
How to Promote Your Affiliate Links the Right Way
Now that you’ve got your affiliate links, it’s time to get traffic to them. But remember—don’t spam! You want to reach the *right* people who are genuinely interested.
Here are some effective ways to promote affiliate links:
1. YouTube
Creating videos around products—such as reviews, tutorials, and comparisons—is a powerful way to drive targeted traffic. People often search for product-related videos before buying, so your content can show up at just the right time.
2. Blog Articles
Write blog posts highlighting your favorite tools, comparisons, or helpful how-to guides. These continue to bring in traffic long after you publish them.
3. Email List
An email list gives you a direct line to your audience. It’s one of the most effective ways to share affiliate products with people who already trust you. Focus on building your list with helpful content, and then introduce affiliate links where they make sense.
4. Social Media
While it can be harder to get consistent affiliate traffic from social platforms, it’s still a great way to raise awareness and build relationships. Use it to tease your content, share behind-the-scenes, or direct followers to your blog or YouTube channel.
Scale Your Affiliate Marketing Over Time
Affiliate income grows with your content and audience. At first, you might see just a few clicks. But as your platform grows, so does your reach—and your earnings.
One tip that’s made a huge difference for us is building strong relationships with the companies we promote. Let them know when you publish a review or include them in your content. Sometimes, this opens the door to:
Early access to new products
Beta testing opportunities
Higher commission rates
Collaborative promotions
Don’t underestimate the power of genuine connections.
Pro Tip: Own Your Links
Here’s something many beginners overlook: affiliate links can change over time.
If you’ve dropped those links all over YouTube, blogs, emails, and sociamedia, updatingng them later can be a nightmare.
Instead, use tools to create redirect links that you control. This way, if a company changes its program or URL, you only need to update the link in one place.
Some great tools for managing affiliate links:
ThirstyAffiliates (for WordPress)
Pretty Links (also WordPress-friendly)
Geniuslink (especially good for Amazon)
Bit.ly or any custom URL shortener
We structure our links like this:
`primalvideo.com/go/productname`
That way, we manage all our affiliate links from one central place.
Final Thoughts
Affiliate marketing is one of the most powerful and scalable ways to build passive income. When you approach it with integrity, recommend products you truly believe in, and create helpful content for your audience, it becomes a win for everyone involved.
Whether you’re just getting started or looking to level up, remember: this is a long game. Keep building your content, your relationships, and your audience—and over time, your results will grow too.
