What is Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a powerful and popular way to generate income online. It allows individuals to promote and sell someone else’s products in exchange for a commission. Think of it like recommending a movie you love to your friends—only this time, each time they watch it, you earn a small commission. That’s the essence of affiliate marketing: sharing products you believe in, and getting paid for helping others discover them.
Key Takeaway:
Affiliate marketing remains one of the most accessible ways to build income online—combining timeless business principles with modern tools. By understanding
- your audience,
- choosing the right products, and
- using strategic content,
You can turn recommendations into revenue and create a lifestyle business that works from anywhere with an internet connection.
Table of Contents
- Key Takeaway:
- How Does Affiliate Marketing Work?
- How Much Money Can You Make with Affiliate Marketing?
- How to Start with Affiliate Marketing
- Affiliate Marketing with Karen Newton International
- Further Reading
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- 1. What is affiliate marketing in simple terms?
- 2. Do I need a website to start affiliate marketing?
- 3. How much can I earn from affiliate marketing?
- 4. Is affiliate marketing passive income?
- 5. What are the best platforms for affiliate marketing?
- 6. Can I promote affiliate links on social media?
- 7. What AI tools can help me succeed in affiliate marketing?
- Join The Online Entrepreneur Membership
How Does Affiliate Marketing Work?
Many well-known companies run affiliate marketing programs. One of the most recognized is Amazon, though in 2020 it significantly reduced commission payouts, causing many marketers to seek alternatives.
Once accepted into a program, affiliates receive a unique tracking link. This link is used in marketing efforts—through blogs, videos, emails, or social media. When someone clicks the link and makes a purchase, the affiliate earns a commission. Often, a cookie (tracking code) remains active for several days or even months, meaning that even if the buyer returns later, the affiliate still earns credit for the referral.
Tracking systems allow affiliates to monitor their clicks, commissions, and payouts, making affiliate marketing a transparent and performance-based income model.
How Much Money Can You Make with Affiliate Marketing?
Earnings vary depending on effort, strategy, and scale. Some people earn a small side income, while others build full-time businesses around affiliate marketing.
According to Affise.com:
- Beginners can earn around $300/day
- Intermediate affiliates can reach $3,000/day
- Top-tier marketers can exceed $10,000/day
Pat Flynn, a globally recognized affiliate marketer, reported over $3.1 million in affiliate income in 2017 alone. Nate O’Brien, who grew his YouTube channel through affiliate promotions, recently shared that he expects to earn $750,000 annually.
Affiliate marketing success depends on your goals, consistency, and willingness to learn and apply effective strategies.
How to Start with Affiliate Marketing
Already active on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or other platforms? You’re halfway there. Affiliate marketing starts by building an audience who trusts your recommendations.
Steps to get started:
- Choose a product or service you believe in
- Sign up for an affiliate marketing program
- Receive your unique tracking link
- Share it with your audience through helpful content
- Earn commission when someone buys through your link
You might be surprised how many tools and platforms you already use offer affiliate marketing programs. For example, Netflix once used affiliate marketing to grow its user base (although it no longer runs a program), and Disney currently pays affiliates for referrals.
The more your audience grows, the more your income potential grows too.
Affiliate Marketing with Karen Newton International
At Karen Newton International, we teach our clients not just how to earn income, but how to build sustainable, multi-stream income models. One of our key focuses is on residual income—getting paid again and again from previous efforts.
As part of our 8 Types of Income Streams training, we’ve launched an affiliate marketing program for our training courses.
If you want to:
- Add a new income stream
- Promote high-value training courses
- Build residual income from your content
Then we invite you to join our affiliate program today.
Join the Karen Newton International Affiliate Hub
Use this guide to revisit your affiliate marketing approach or get started from scratch. Whether you’re new to this strategy or ready to scale, affiliate marketing continues to be one of the most accessible and rewarding ways to build income online.
Further Reading
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What is affiliate marketing in simple terms?
Affiliate marketing is when you promote someone else’s product and earn a commission when someone buys it through your unique link. Think of it as referral-based income.
2. Do I need a website to start affiliate marketing?
No, a website helps, but it’s not essential. You can promote affiliate products through social media, YouTube, email lists, or any platform where you have an engaged audience.
3. How much can I earn from affiliate marketing?
Earnings vary widely. Some affiliates earn a few pounds or dollars a month, while others generate full-time income or even six-figure annual revenue. Your success depends on your niche, strategy, and consistency.
4. Is affiliate marketing passive income?
Yes—and no. The initial setup requires effort, but once your content is live and links are generating traffic, you can earn commissions long after the work is done. This is known as residual or passive income.
5. What are the best platforms for affiliate marketing?
Popular platforms include Amazon Associates, ShareASale, ClickBank, and individual brand programs. At Karen Newton International, we also offer an affiliate program with 50% commission on training courses.
6. Can I promote affiliate links on social media?
Yes. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube allow you to share affiliate links, though some may have rules or require link shorteners or landing pages for tracking.
7. What AI tools can help me succeed in affiliate marketing?
We have a range of customised AI tools to help you start an affiliate marketing business:
- Ani – to find your niche
- Capri – to understand your ideal customer
- Lemara – for lead magnet and email planning
- Safi – to build a sales funnel
These bots are part of the AI Toolkit I use and recommend.
Join The Online Entrepreneur Membership
Discover AI-Powered entrepreneurship and business models for making money online. Learn how to start, grow and scale your business through the Online Entrepreneur Membership.
Karen Newton is a Business and Wealth Strategist, 3x International Bestselling Author, and founder of Karen Newton International. She combines practical experience with AI-Powered Entrepreneurship to help smart entrepreneurs build online income, invest strategically, and create long-term wealth through business growth, investments and joint ventures.
