If you’ve been wondering if affiliate marketing is legit…
This post is for you!
Because in this post, that’s exactly what we’ll look at.
Furthermore:
We’ll look at the pros and cons to see if it’s right for you.
You ready?
Let’s dive in…
Is Affiliate Marketing Legit?
Yes, affiliate marketing is legit.
That’s why companies like Target leverage affiliate marketing:
And they’re not the only big brand to leverage affiliate marketing either.
There are plenty of others including GoPro, Home Depot, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Adidas, Nike and eBay just to name a few.
However:
While affiliate marketing is a legit business model, it is not a get-rich-quick kind of venture.
It requires hard work, time and commitment to see any kind of success.
Just like with any other business model.
How Does Affiliate Marketing Work Exactly?
Affiliate marketing is the process of selling other people’s products, then earning a commission for each sale referred by you.
When you promote products as an affiliate, you’ll be given an affiliate link.
That affiliate link is unique to you, and when people click that link and buy, you’ll be credited for the referral:
At the end of the day, all you’re doing is marketing products that you did not create.
Anytime you refer customers to the creator of that product, you get a commission.
Why Are People Wary Of Affiliate Marketing?
People are wary because unfortunately, there are affiliate marketing scams.
Some of the warning signs of a scam include:
The Promise Of Quick-And-Easy Money
Affiliate marketing is not easy.
Nor can you make money quickly with it.
It takes a lot of hard work, time and commitment.
If anyone tries to tell you otherwise, it’s likely a scam.
Unrealistic Claims
Some scammers will make unrealistic claims.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Pay-To-Join Affiliate Programs
Any affiliate program that requires you to pay before you can join is likely a scam too.
Because almost all (legit) affiliate programs are free to join.
Is Affiliate Marketing Worth It?
Look at sites like NerdWallet:
They make millions of dollars per year recommending affiliate products in the finance niche.
And there’s BestReviews too:
They have an Amazon affiliate website where they review all kinds of products from Amazon.
And just like NerdWallet, they too make a fortune with affiliate marketing.
So yes, affiliate marketing is worth it.
Pros & Cons Of Affiliate Marketing
Pros:
Passive Income
You can eventually get to a point where you’re earning passive income from your affiliate marketing efforts.
This will not happen over night.
But it will happen if you work hard, stay committed, promote high-quality products and help people overcome problems.
Low Start Up Costs
There are very low start up costs involved with affiliate marketing.
The main things you need are a domain and web hosting.
Flexibility
You can work on your affiliate marketing business part time, or full time.
You can do it from the comfort of your home, at Starbucks, or from anywhere in the world.
Scalable
You can scale your affiliate business to be as big as you want.
You can even go so far as to earn 7+ figures per year with your affiliate business.
It’s a highly scalable business model.
Cons:
Steep Learning Curve
There’s a lot to learn in the beginning.
So much so that, for many, it becomes overwhelming.
Very Competitive
Affiliate marketing is competitive.
Because there’s so much competition, it’s hard to “stand out” and generate commissions.
How To Get Started With Affiliate Marketing
There are many different ways to do affiliate marketing.
The best way is to create your own website, then promote affiliate products within blog posts.
Here are the steps to get started…
Step 1: Choose A Niche
A niche will be what your website is about e.g the topics you create content around.
An ideal affiliate niche will check these 4 boxes…
1: You need to be interested in the topics that relate to your niche.
2: It helps if you have basic knowledge of the niche.
3: The niche should be popular.
4: There needs to be products available to promote.
Check out this post which highlights the best affiliate marketing niches.
Step 2: Find Affiliate Programs To Join
There are thousands of affiliate programs online.
Some are crap, some are awesome.
Here are the best affiliate programs for beginners that offer high-quality products.
Step 3: Create Your Website
Your website will be your “place of business” on the internet.
You’ll use your website to create content, and sell affiliate products.
Take a look at this post to learn how to create an affiliate website.
Step 4: Do Keyword Research
Keyword research will give you insights into the different keywords your audience types into Google.
This is important, because the data will show you the types of content you need to create.
This post shows you how to do keyword research for affiliate marketing step-by-step.
Step 5: Create Content
Content is how you’ll attract an audience and promote your affiliate products.
You’ll create content in the form of blog posts.
And in this post, I break down how to write an affiliate blog post your audience will love.
Step 6: Get Traffic With SEO
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.
It’s the art of optimizing your content so Google loves your content, and wants to rank it in the search results.
Check out this post to learn more about SEO for affiliate marketing.
Conclusion: Is Affiliate Marketing Legit?
So, is affiliate marketing actually legit?
Yes it is!
It’s an amazing business model that even big brands implement.
And in my opinion, it’s the best way to start making money online.
Now, over to you…
“Are you now ready to begin your affiliate journey?”
Let me know in the comments down below.
I’d love to hear from you!
