Affiliate marketing is a legitimate business model. It allows marketers to earn income without needing to create their own physical products. However, some questionable affiliate programs do exist, so it's important to vet companies before promoting them.
Wondering if affiliate marketing is legit or just a scam? As someone who's been in the industry for over five years, I'm here to give you the real scoop.
Affiliate marketing is absolutely a legitimate way to earn an income online. However, it does require dedication and effort to see results.
In this post, I'll clear up misconceptions about affiliate marketing, explain exactly how it works, and share tips to get started the right way.
What is Affiliate Marketing?
First, let's start with the basics. Affiliate marketing is an arrangement where an online publisher called an "affiliate" earns a commission for referring customers to a merchant's products.
The affiliate publishes promotional content like social media posts, videos, or blog articles that contain special affiliate links. When someone clicks on the affiliate link and completes a desired action like making a purchase, the affiliate earns a percentage of the sale as a commission.
This performance-based model benefits both parties. The merchant only pays affiliates after they drive actual results. The affiliate earns income from sales they've generated through their marketing efforts.
Common Affiliate Marketing Commissions
Here are some typical commission structures you may come across:
- Pay Per Sale: Earn a % of the total purchase price
- Pay Per Click: Earn a small fee each time someone clicks your affiliate link
- Pay Per Lead: Earn for generating leads like email signups
Commissions typically range from 1% to over 70%, depending on the merchant, product type, and industry. For example, info products like ebooks often pay over 50%, while physical products may pay 5-10%.
Top Benefits of Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing offers many perks both for online publishers looking to monetize and merchants wanting more sales:
- Low barrier to entry - It's easy for anyone to get started as an affiliate by signing up for programs through networks like ShareASale, Impact, etc. No inventory or upfront investment is needed.
- Passive income potential - Affiliates earn recurring commissions as long as referred users make purchases. Your links can keep generating sales for months or years.
- Be your own boss - Affiliates enjoy flexibility in when and how much they work. It's an ideal option for those wanting location independence.
- Cost-effective for merchants - Paying only for performance means lower risk. Affiliates provide an outsourced sales force to expand reach.
- Wider audience exposure - Affiliates often have very targeted followings that merchants want access to.
- Sales tracking - Detailed reporting shows merchants how each affiliate link performs.
Now that you understand the concept let's dig into the big question...
Is Affiliate Marketing Legit or a Scam?
Affiliate marketing is unquestionably a legitimate online business model. However, some shady players have given it a bad reputation around being a "make money fast" scheme.
Rest assured, countless individuals are making a full-time living through ethical affiliate marketing strategies. With realistic expectations and the right approach, you can too.
According to a Forrester report, 81% of brands use affiliate marketing to help drive sales. And 84% of publishers leverage it for income. The industry is projected to grow to $8 billion by 2024.
Here are just a few examples of affiliate marketers making serious money:
- Michelle Schroeder of MakingSenseOfCents.com makes over $100k per month.
- Spencer Haws of NichePursuits.com earns up to $60k per month from affiliates.
- Pat Flynn of SmartPassiveIncome.com reported over $400k per month.
This income level is not typical, especially when starting out. However, it's possible to reach five and even six figures monthly over time through consistent effort.
While success stories prove affiliate marketing works, you should still be aware of potential scams. Here are some red flags to watch out for:
- Vague claims of huge earnings without proof
- Heavy pressure to buy upsells or training
- Complicated commission structures designed to avoid payout
- Affiliate links that redirect through multiple sites
- Lack of direct contact info beyond a web form
- Overly promotional language with little real info
As long as you thoroughly vet programs and use common sense, plenty of legitimate opportunities exist. Focus on providing genuine value, not hype.
How to Get Started with Affiliate Marketing?
If you want to get into affiliate marketing, follow these steps to set yourself up for success:
- Choose a niche - Pick a niche you're genuinely interested and knowledgeable in. Promote products that align with your existing audience.
- Sign up for programs - Join affiliate networks like ShareASale or find individual programs directly through company sites.
- Create content - Publish blog posts, videos, social media posts, etc. with your affiliate links prominently placed. Focus on providing value.
- Promote systematically: Leverage email, social media, SEO, and more to drive traffic to your content and affiliate links.
- Track performance: Use software to monitor clicks, sales, commissions, etc. Continually optimize what's working.
The keys are pairing complementary offers with high-quality content while monitoring results to improve. Don't try to promote too many different products at once in the beginning.
Mistakes to Avoid as a Beginner Affiliate Marketer
When getting started down the affiliate marketing path, be sure to steer clear of these common mistakes:
- Promoting too many products at once - Stick to just 1-2 complementary offers within your niche at first.
- Choosing competitive niches with high barrier to entry - Consider niche markets with less competition.
- Putting affiliate links everywhere - Place them selectively where relevant vs plastering them all over.
- Creating thin content just to promote offers - Prioritize providing value to readers.
- Not disclosing affiliate relationships - Be upfront about earning commissions to build reader trust.
The most successful affiliates focus on delivering helpful, high-quality content while nurturing an engaged audience and niche. Quick wins through spammy tactics rarely work long-term.
Tips for Affiliate Marketing Success
Here are my top tips to help you build an ethical, sustainable affiliate business:
- Pick a niche you're passionate about so your content stands out
- Be completely transparent about affiliate links to earn reader trust
- Provide a mix of product recommendations and non-commercial content
- Write in-depth, well-researched articles that match the search intent vs thin blogs just to promote
- Use compelling headlines focused on solving reader problems.
- Leverage search data to create content optimized for what people are searching
- Promote affiliate offers that truly match your audience's interests
- Monitor performance metrics regularly and double down on what converts
- Stay patient. It takes time to build domain authority, traffic, and conversions
Is Affiliate Marketing Legit? The Verdict
Affiliate marketing is well worth exploring if you're willing to put in consistent effort over an extended period.
While it's certainly not a get-rich-quick scheme, affiliate marketers who play the long game, providing genuine value to readers, do see great results.
With the ability to be your own boss and earn commissions month after month, affiliate marketing can provide amazing lifestyle freedom.
Just make sure you go in with realistic expectations around the effort required. Maintain an ethical, value-focused approach. Stick closely to your niche.
Affiliate marketing can be extremely rewarding if you have the motivation and are willing to put in the work. The income potential is uncapped.
Thousands have built thriving affiliate businesses. With the right strategy, you can too.
