From Zero to Affiliate Hero: Getting Started in Affiliate Marketing

In Affiliate Marketing on

Written by Neda Mijovic

From Zero to Affiliate Hero: Getting Started in Affiliate Marketing

Hello, aspiring affiliate marketers! Since you’re reading this, we assume you’re ready to step up your game in the world of online marketing and start making solid revenue.


First of all, you’re backing the right horse! Affiliate marketing has come a long way since its inception in the 1990s. It has become a multi-billion dollar industry, with thousands of companies offering affiliate programs and millions of affiliates promoting products and services.

And it doesn’t show any signs of stopping. The affiliate marketing industry is projected to hit $12 billion in 2023, so there’s never been a better time to dive in (so far).


Starting off in affiliate marketing can seem daunting, But I assure you that being patient and curious is all you need to get the ball rolling. And we are here to guide you.


Of course, affiliate marketing is a dynamic field, so you need to be ready to follow changes as they appear. Taking care of the following things will help you set a solid base for success:

Choose Your Affiliate Marketing Niche

The first step to success in affiliate marketing is picking a niche that:

  • You’re passionate and knowledgeable about
  • Has great market potential


Choosing a niche that you’re passionate and knowledgeable about is a good approach in affiliate marketing because it allows you to leverage your existing expertise and credibility. By promoting products or services that you genuinely believe in, you can establish yourself as an authority and build trust with your audience. This, in turn, can lead to higher engagement, more clicks, and, ultimately, more conversions and sales.


Selecting a niche that has great market potential ensures there is a significant enough demand for the products or services you’re promoting.


Keep in mind that not all niches will yield the same return on investment (ROI). While some niches may have a high volume of traffic, they may not necessarily translate into high conversions or sales. But they might be less expensive to enter and provide more options for scaling.

On the other hand, smaller niches that have audiences with narrower targeting may result in higher conversion rates and a higher ROI. But this comes with a price – expect higher costs and limited scaling opportunities.


By thoroughly researching and analyzing your niche of interest and its potential ROI before committing to it, you’ll invest your time and resources in a niche that will ultimately generate the best returns for your efforts and maximize your chances of success.

There are many different niches to choose from, including travel, tourism, health and wellness, beauty, fashion, technology, and more. The point is, with so many different options, you’ll quickly find a niche that you can dive into and start promoting products related to it.

Research the Products You Want to Promote

After covering the steps above, it’s time to start exploring the products and services you would like to promote. You should look for products that:

  • Fit your niche
  • Have a solid commission rate 
  • Come from a reputable brand

Give yourself enough time to research the products you’re interested in promoting to understand and promote them better. Reading reviews from customers and other affiliates can help determine if it’s a good fit for you.

Establish a Presence in the Affiliate Marketing World

To effectively promote affiliate products and services and give yourself a stable source of income, you need to establish a strong online presence. This may be the key point of your efforts since your audience will drive sales after all.

The two most straightforward ways to build your audience are by creating a website or social media account.

Create a High-quality Website

Having a website is an essential component of affiliate marketing, as it gives you space to promote your affiliate products and will have a professional appearance to your audience.

There are various website builders and hosting platforms that you can use – choose one that’s simple enough and offers the features you need to get started. A well-designed website can improve your SEO ranking and increase your visibility on the internet.

Once you have your niche and products in mind and have built a website, it’s time to start creating content. This can include blog posts, videos, social media posts, or any other format you find compelling.

The goal is to provide value to your audience while also promoting your affiliate products.

When creating content, focus on delivering valuable information that your audience will find useful and informative.

After you set up all the above, drive additional traffic to your website through search engine optimization (SEO) of your content, social media marketing, or paid advertising.

Find a strategy that works for you and stick with it – the more traffic you drive, the more potential sales you can make.

Leverage Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has gained significant traction in recent years, and affiliate marketing is a natural fit for influencers. With a well-thought-out plan, being (or hiring) an influencer can be a lucrative opportunity for affiliate marketing.

To get started, you need to have profiles on popular social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc.

It’s essential to create a strong personal brand and make an extensive follower base. That’s why you’ll need consistent and engaging content creation, building a following on social media, and collaborating with other influencers and brands.

If you’re an influencer:

Once you have built a solid foundation, include affiliate programs that align with your brand and values. You can also create a dedicated space for your affiliate content, such as a blog or section on your social media profiles.

Include product reviews, comparisons, and other relevant content that provides value to your audience.

Note: Make sure to always disclose your affiliation to your followers to maintain trust with your audience.

If you’re an affiliate looking for one:

You should identify suitable influencers with a trusted audience who can engage with your niche. By partnering with the right influencers, you can expand your reach and tap into new audiences, so it’s important to conduct thorough research and analysis.

Look for influencers who have a genuine interest in your niche and whose followers align with your target audience. You can use online tools to identify influencers and analyze their engagement rates, demographics, and other relevant data to ensure they are a good fit for your affiliate marketing strategy.

By incorporating both website creation and influencer marketing into your affiliate marketing strategy, you’ll be able to reach a wider audience, build a strong online presence, and, ultimately, increase your earnings as an affiliate marketer.

Offline Matters

Establishing a strong online presence is undoubtedly crucial for success in affiliate marketing. However, it’s also important not to overlook the value of offline events. Once you have something to offer to the affiliate world, start attending conferences, meetups, and other events in your niche can help you build relationships. You’ll learn a lot about the latest trends and strategies and get to network with potential partners and customers.

If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of attending offline events in affiliate marketing, check out the biggest upcoming events (and meet us there 😊 ).

Track Everything

Once you have started promoting your affiliate products, it’s essential to monitor and optimize your results. This includes tracking your sales, commission, and conversion rates. Analyzing your data helps you identify areas for improvement and make changes as needed.

Regularly testing and optimizing your affiliate marketing strategy will help you maximize your earnings and reach your full potential as an affiliate marketer.

AI is your friend here – there are many useful tools out there you can use and save time and effort and gain valuable, data-driven insights for your affiliate journey.

Coinis Affiliate programs have an advanced tracking system providing you with instant analytics and detailed stats. This way, you’ll get complete transparency in the process of monitoring your campaigns.

Besides that, there are many advanced affiliate tracking software you can use to save you time monitoring conversion data. When choosing tracking software, consider factors such as
user-friendly interface

  • Flexible subscription plans
  • Integration capabilities
  • Commission management
  • Customer support
  •  Fraud detection

Look for software with an intuitive interface that caters to marketers of all levels, subscription plans that match your goals, preset integrations or customization options, automated sales monitoring, and real-time live customer support. Also, opt for software that detects fraud to protect your affiliate links from bots and suspicious traffic.

Here’s what the Voluum tracker dashboard looks like – it’s less scary than it seems
Source: Mobidea

Overall, regularly testing, analyzing, and optimizing your affiliate marketing strategy, whether manually or through AI optimization tools, is essential for maximizing your earnings and achieving long-term success as an affiliate marketer.

Speaking of AI…

Use AI to Your Advantage

With the AI boom in recent months, affiliates have started using it in their everyday activities, and you can use it to get started.

AI tools can look at market trends, how customers act, and what your competitors are doing to help you identify profitable niches. They can also study product reviews and customer feedback to see which products will sell well.

There are many AI tools out there that will help you create quality content that your audience will like and help you with content-creation strategy.

Besides ChatGPT which can be a precious consultant, here are a few other examples:

DataRobot: An AI-powered platform that can help you analyze large amounts of data to identify profitable niches and products.

Phrasee: An AI-powered tool that can help you create high-quality content across email, push, SMS, social, and web.

IBM Watson: A suite of AI-powered tools that can help you find profitable SEO keywords, analyze customer behavior, and create compelling content.

Adext AI: An AI-powered platform that is useful for optimizing your Google & Facebook Ads

Voluum: a platform where you can connect and analyze multiple ad platform in one place.

Join an Affiliate Program

We’ve been speaking about promoting various products to your audience, so you might be left wondering how exactly to do that. The process is simple. You can join many affiliate programs for free, and you’ll usually have to do it through an affiliate network. Finding an affiliate network is easy. You can use good old Google or look at affiliate-related websites and forums to find the right network for you.

Also, you can check out what Coinis Affiliate Programs look like while you’re here.

An accurate projection of your earnings after listening to our advice 🙂

After you register and fill in the details about your promotional channels, you’ll see a directory of all available affiliate programs.

Once you apply for and get accepted into the program, you’ll receive a unique affiliate link that you can use to promote the products of the brand you chose. Make sure to carefully read the terms and conditions of each affiliate program before joining because some may have specific rules and requirements for affiliates.

Start Earning

In conclusion, affiliate marketing is a lucrative business opportunity for those looking to make a living online. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can start your journey as an affiliate marketer and be on your way to making solid income in this industry.

Regardless of your approach, the key to success in affiliate marketing is to be consistent and credible and offer value to your audience, and the revenue will follow.

So, go ahead, explore the different verticals in affiliate marketing, and find one that fits your interests and skills. The possibilities are endless!

Neda Mijovic

Neda Mijovic

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A passionate marketer with a love for copywriting. Currently on a quest of understanding the affiliate ecosystem in-depth, from both publishers' and advertisers' side.

See all entries by this author