Let’s be honest, everyone wants to make money while they sleep. And in 2025, affiliate marketing makes that dream more realistic than ever. If you’ve been asking yourself how to start affiliate marketing in 2025, this guide is your blueprint.
Most people start affiliate marketing as a side hustle and eventually grow it into a thriving business. The best part? It requires little to no startup capital, just your commitment, consistency, and the right product with an irresistible offer.
Whether you’re a content creator, coach, or complete beginner, we’ll show you how to pick a niche, find the best programs, and build a system that earns money even when you’re offline.
What Is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing model where an individual promotes another person's product or services and earns a commission for each sale made through their unique affiliate link.
How Does Affiliate Marketing Work?
Affiliate marketing operates on a simple but powerful ecosystem. It involves four main players: the merchant, the affiliate, the consumer, and the network. Each plays a key role in turning a simple recommendation into real income.
- The Merchant: The Merchant is the advertiser or brand. This is the person (or entity) that creates and sells a product or service. They use affiliates to push their products to new audiences.
A perfect example includes people like Elizabeth Olowu and The Elevated MC who use Mainstack’s referral program to push their products.
- The Affiliate: The Affiliate is the publisher/promoter. This is the person or business promoting the merchant's products through their unique tracking link. The affiliates earn a commission for each sale, lead, or action generated through their referral. A YouTuber who promotes Mainstack's products in their video description acts as an affiliate.
- The Consumer: Another key player is the consumer who clicks the affiliate link and makes a purchase. They pay the same price, but their purchase helps the affiliate earn a commission. When someone clicks a creator's link in bio and buys through any of their affiliate links, they are the consumer in the chain.
- The Network: Lastly, the network acts as the middleman that connects merchants (the product owners) and affiliates (the promoters). It handles the technical side, that is, tracking clicks, managing payments, and providing unique referral links. Popular affiliate networks include platforms like ShareASale, Impact, and CJ Affiliate, which host thousands of brands and streamline everything in one place.
However, not all companies rely on external networks. Mainstack, for example, runs its own in-house affiliate system. This means affiliates can sign up directly on Mainstack, generate referral links, and track performance from their dashboards. Thus, no third-party platform is needed.
Affiliate marketing has transformed beyond simple website links. Now, affiliates leverage blogs, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and emails to promote products and earn commissions. Bloggers may compare digital tools with affiliate links, YouTubers create product tutorials with links in descriptions, and TikTok creators share engaging product demos. Email marketers also provide personalized recommendations, converting loyal subscribers into repeat customers.
Why Affiliate Marketing Is Still Profitable in 2025
If you're wondering if affiliate marketing is still profitable in 2025, the answer is yes, but it's evolved.
With the rise of the creator and influencer economy, anyone can now make money by promoting products they genuinely believe in. Whether you’re a YouTuber, blogger, or TikTok creator, it’s profitable because it’s built around freedom, creativity, and strategy. Here’s why it works so well:
- You don’t need a big budget to start
There’s no product to make, warehouse to rent, or customer service to manage. All you really need is your platform and an internet connection. That low barrier to entry makes it easy for anyone to start earning quickly. - Your content keeps paying you back
A well-optimized video or blog post can keep earning long after you’ve published it. Once people start discovering it, the commissions can roll in for months or even years without you lifting a finger. - You earn based on results, not hours
Affiliate marketing doesn’t care about your résumé or work schedule. If your content converts, you get paid. That performance-based system means your earning potential grows with your skill. - Some products pay you over and over
The smartest affiliates focus on products that pay recurring commissions like subscription tools or digital services. One referral can turn into a steady stream of income as long as the customer stays subscribed. - You can run it from anywhere
Whether you’re working from your bedroom, a coffee shop, or the beach, affiliate marketing fits around your lifestyle. You can scale it up when you have time, or let it run in the background when you don’t. - People buy from those they trust
The more authentic you are with your recommendations, the more your audience listens. Over time, you build a reputation that turns casual followers into loyal supporters, and loyal supporters into constant buyers. - You get paid to share what you love
At its core, affiliate marketing is about connection. You’re sharing products you already use or believe in. That makes it feel less like selling and more like helping. The income that follows feels organic, not forced.
How to Start Affiliate Marketing in 2025 (Step-by-Step)
Starting affiliate marketing in 2025 is easier than you think. You don’t need a large audience or costly tools—just strategy and consistency. This section covers how to set up your affiliate business, pick the right products, and earn commissions sustainably.
Step 1 : Pick a Niche
Choosing the right niche is key to success in affiliate marketing. It defines your audience, products, and earning potential. The best niche balances demand, relevance, and personal interest.
To pick a niche, start by focusing on topics you care about. Is it tech, lifestyle, beauty, or finance? Choose a product you believe in so your content feels authentic and builds trust. But passion alone isn’t enough. Your niche also needs to be in high demand and solve a real problem.
For example, a niche like “how to become a ghostwriter” works better because it targets people who already know what they want and are actively looking for tools, courses, or platforms to help them get started. On the other hand, a broad topic like “how to make money” might be too vague. It attracts a wide audience but rarely converts because most people are just browsing for ideas, not ready to buy.
The key is to find the sweet spot: something you're interested in, that people are looking for, and that has affiliate programs with good commissions.
Once you’ve defined that, everything else; your content, audience, and income, starts to fall into place.
Step 2 : Research Affiliate Programs
After choosing your niche, the next step is finding the right affiliate programs to join. Not all programs are created equal, so it’s important to look for ones that align with your audience and offer real earning potential. Look for programs with good commissions, reliable tracking, timely payouts, and solid reputations.
Begin by looking at what successful creators in your niche are promoting; this is often an indicator of what works well. Then, compare the program structures. Check for details like:
- Commission rates: What percentage do you earn per sale?
- Cookie duration: How long after someone clicks your link do you still get credit for the purchase?
- Payment terms: Are payouts monthly, weekly, or threshold-based?
- Support and resources: Does the program provide marketing assets, analytics, or help for affiliates?
For beginners, Mainstack offers an easy affiliate setup for creators selling digital products or services. You can generate links, track clicks, and earn up to 30% commission on each sale, which is paid monthly.
Other strong options include Amazon Associates for physical products, ClickBank for digital items, and Impact for big brands and SaaS tools.
Choose programs that align with your content and audience. Promoting products you trust builds credibility and trust drives sales.
Step 3: Create a Platform to Promote Products
After you've chosen your affiliate programs, the next step is to decide where you'll promote them. The best platform is determined by your strengths.
If you enjoy writing and sharing detailed insights, a blog or website is an excellent place to start. For example, successful affiliate marketers, like Wirecutter, use SEO-driven articles to review products, compare tools, and rank on Google for high-converting keywords.
This approach builds long-term visibility and passive traffic.
If you’re more comfortable on camera, YouTube is a great platform. Creators like Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) include affiliate links to products they review. Video content is great because it helps viewers see the product in action before making a decision.
For those who prefer short-form content, TikTok and Instagram are ideal for quick, engaging product demos or tips. Influencers like Erika Kullberg and Kat Norton (Miss Excel) utilize short videos to showcase products while subtly including affiliate links in captions or bios.
And if you already have an email list, newsletters can be an effective channel for affiliate promotions. Creators such as Ali Abdaal and James Clear use email to recommend products, courses, or tools they personally trust, driving high engagement and repeat clicks.
To make managing your links easier, Mainstack offers an all-in-one solution. You can create a personal link-in-bio page or digital storefront that houses all your affiliate links, products, and offers in one place.
Even better, it provides real-time analytics to track clicks and conversions, helping you see which platforms or products perform best.
Learn more: How to start Affiliate marketing on Mainstack
Step 4 : Choose A Products to sell
After choosing your niche and platform, decide which products to promote. The success of your affiliate marketing journey depends on what product you sell and how well it matches your audience’s needs.
Focus on three important factors: price, quality, and reputation. Products with favorable customer feedback and visible demand are more likely to convert. It's not just about making big commissions; it's about promoting something people will actually buy and appreciate you for recommending.
For beginners, avoid promoting too many products at once. Start small with two or three products that fit your niche, then expand as you grow. For example, designers can promote tools like Canva or Adobe Express that solve real problems.
Be authentic. Promote products you use or truly believe in. The most successful affiliates are not pushy salespeople; rather, they are helpful guides who provide real value.
Over time, you can test new offers or bundles, and consider creating your own digital products to scale further.
Step 5 : Create High-Quality Content
The success of affiliate marketing lies in creating content that informs, educates, or solves real problems. Audiences don’t respond to random product links; they want useful insights and genuine experiences.
Create content that builds trust and positions you as an authority in your niche. Some effective formats include:
- Tutorials: Teach your audience how to use a tool or service. Example: “How to design stunning social media graphics using Canva.”
- Product Comparisons: Help readers make better decisions, like “ConvertKit vs Mailchimp: Which is better for email marketing?”
- Listicles: Curate valuable resources such as “Top 10 tools every freelancer needs in 2025.”
Use SEO to make your content discoverable and storytelling to make it relatable. Combine this with social media content for faster growth.
Ensure you publish consistently to keep your audience interested. The more value you deliver, the more trust you earn, and that’s what drives affiliate conversions.
Step 6 : Drive Traffic to Your Affiliate Links
Creating exceptional content is half the job; the next step is driving traffic to it. Without it, even top-notch affiliate content won’t convert.
There are both free and paid methods to drive traffic, and most beginners start with the free options before scaling up.
Master free strategies first to learn what works. For example, you can optimize for SEO to rank on Google or YouTube, share short tutorials or demos on Pinterest or TikTok, and use email marketing to send tips and recommendations to subscribers.
Once you gain traction, scale with paid promotion for faster growth. Test paid options like Instagram, Facebook, or Google Ads to reach targeted audiences, or collaborate with influencers for wider exposure.
Step 7: Track Results and Optimize
Tracking performance separates hobbyists from serious affiliate marketers. After publishing your content, monitor clicks, conversions, and earnings. Ideally, your affiliate platform should have a dashboard to help you monitor this. You can also use tools like Google Analytics to track content and channels that drive results.
For instance, a “Top 10 Tools for Remote Work” post might outperform tutorials, or TikTok videos might convert better than emails. Use this data to refine what works; adjust link placement, update calls to action, or test new products.
Treat affiliate marketing as an ongoing experiment. Review data regularly, optimize top links, and refine strategy to increase conversions and income over time.
Common Mistakes Beginner Affiliate Marketers Should Avoid
Many beginners rush into affiliate marketing without a strategy. One common mistake is promoting too many products at once, which makes content feel cluttered and less trustworthy.
Neglecting content quality also hurts sales; the best products won’t sell if your message isn’t valuable or actionable. Always disclose affiliate links to stay credible, and be patient; consistent effort is what leads to steady income.
Start your affiliate journey today
Affiliate marketing isn’t about luck. It requires strategy, perseverance, and the use of the appropriate tools. The beauty of it lies in its flexibility: you can build a business from your laptop, promote products you already love, and earn while you sleep.
Every post, video, or email you share is an opportunity to grow your influence and your income.
If you want an easy way to organize your affiliate links, host products, and track clicks in one place, Mainstack gives you the structure you need to turn your ideas into income.
Let’s be honest, everyone wants to make money while they sleep. And in 2025, affiliate marketing makes that dream more realistic than ever. If you’ve been asking yourself how to start affiliate marketing in 2025, this guide is your blueprint.
Most people start affiliate marketing as a side hustle and eventually grow it into a thriving business. The best part? It requires little to no startup capital, just your commitment, consistency, and the right product with an irresistible offer.
Whether you’re a content creator, coach, or complete beginner, we’ll show you how to pick a niche, find the best programs, and build a system that earns money even when you’re offline.
What Is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing model where an individual promotes another person's product or services and earns a commission for each sale made through their unique affiliate link.
How Does Affiliate Marketing Work?
Affiliate marketing operates on a simple but powerful ecosystem. It involves four main players: the merchant, the affiliate, the consumer, and the network. Each plays a key role in turning a simple recommendation into real income.
- The Merchant: The Merchant is the advertiser or brand. This is the person (or entity) that creates and sells a product or service. They use affiliates to push their products to new audiences.
A perfect example includes people like Elizabeth Olowu and The Elevated MC who use Mainstack’s referral program to push their products.
- The Affiliate: The Affiliate is the publisher/promoter. This is the person or business promoting the merchant's products through their unique tracking link. The affiliates earn a commission for each sale, lead, or action generated through their referral. A YouTuber who promotes Mainstack's products in their video description acts as an affiliate.
- The Consumer: Another key player is the consumer who clicks the affiliate link and makes a purchase. They pay the same price, but their purchase helps the affiliate earn a commission. When someone clicks a creator's link in bio and buys through any of their affiliate links, they are the consumer in the chain.
- The Network: Lastly, the network acts as the middleman that connects merchants (the product owners) and affiliates (the promoters). It handles the technical side, that is, tracking clicks, managing payments, and providing unique referral links. Popular affiliate networks include platforms like ShareASale, Impact, and CJ Affiliate, which host thousands of brands and streamline everything in one place.
However, not all companies rely on external networks. Mainstack, for example, runs its own in-house affiliate system. This means affiliates can sign up directly on Mainstack, generate referral links, and track performance from their dashboards. Thus, no third-party platform is needed.
Affiliate marketing has transformed beyond simple website links. Now, affiliates leverage blogs, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and emails to promote products and earn commissions. Bloggers may compare digital tools with affiliate links, YouTubers create product tutorials with links in descriptions, and TikTok creators share engaging product demos. Email marketers also provide personalized recommendations, converting loyal subscribers into repeat customers.
Why Affiliate Marketing Is Still Profitable in 2025
If you're wondering if affiliate marketing is still profitable in 2025, the answer is yes, but it's evolved.
With the rise of the creator and influencer economy, anyone can now make money by promoting products they genuinely believe in. Whether you’re a YouTuber, blogger, or TikTok creator, it’s profitable because it’s built around freedom, creativity, and strategy. Here’s why it works so well:
- You don’t need a big budget to start
There’s no product to make, warehouse to rent, or customer service to manage. All you really need is your platform and an internet connection. That low barrier to entry makes it easy for anyone to start earning quickly. - Your content keeps paying you back
A well-optimized video or blog post can keep earning long after you’ve published it. Once people start discovering it, the commissions can roll in for months or even years without you lifting a finger. - You earn based on results, not hours
Affiliate marketing doesn’t care about your résumé or work schedule. If your content converts, you get paid. That performance-based system means your earning potential grows with your skill. - Some products pay you over and over
The smartest affiliates focus on products that pay recurring commissions like subscription tools or digital services. One referral can turn into a steady stream of income as long as the customer stays subscribed. - You can run it from anywhere
Whether you’re working from your bedroom, a coffee shop, or the beach, affiliate marketing fits around your lifestyle. You can scale it up when you have time, or let it run in the background when you don’t. - People buy from those they trust
The more authentic you are with your recommendations, the more your audience listens. Over time, you build a reputation that turns casual followers into loyal supporters, and loyal supporters into constant buyers. - You get paid to share what you love
At its core, affiliate marketing is about connection. You’re sharing products you already use or believe in. That makes it feel less like selling and more like helping. The income that follows feels organic, not forced.
How to Start Affiliate Marketing in 2025 (Step-by-Step)
Starting affiliate marketing in 2025 is easier than you think. You don’t need a large audience or costly tools—just strategy and consistency. This section covers how to set up your affiliate business, pick the right products, and earn commissions sustainably.
Step 1 : Pick a Niche
Choosing the right niche is key to success in affiliate marketing. It defines your audience, products, and earning potential. The best niche balances demand, relevance, and personal interest.
To pick a niche, start by focusing on topics you care about. Is it tech, lifestyle, beauty, or finance? Choose a product you believe in so your content feels authentic and builds trust. But passion alone isn’t enough. Your niche also needs to be in high demand and solve a real problem.
For example, a niche like “how to become a ghostwriter” works better because it targets people who already know what they want and are actively looking for tools, courses, or platforms to help them get started. On the other hand, a broad topic like “how to make money” might be too vague. It attracts a wide audience but rarely converts because most people are just browsing for ideas, not ready to buy.
The key is to find the sweet spot: something you're interested in, that people are looking for, and that has affiliate programs with good commissions.
Once you’ve defined that, everything else; your content, audience, and income, starts to fall into place.
Step 2 : Research Affiliate Programs
After choosing your niche, the next step is finding the right affiliate programs to join. Not all programs are created equal, so it’s important to look for ones that align with your audience and offer real earning potential. Look for programs with good commissions, reliable tracking, timely payouts, and solid reputations.
Begin by looking at what successful creators in your niche are promoting; this is often an indicator of what works well. Then, compare the program structures. Check for details like:
- Commission rates: What percentage do you earn per sale?
- Cookie duration: How long after someone clicks your link do you still get credit for the purchase?
- Payment terms: Are payouts monthly, weekly, or threshold-based?
- Support and resources: Does the program provide marketing assets, analytics, or help for affiliates?
For beginners, Mainstack offers an easy affiliate setup for creators selling digital products or services. You can generate links, track clicks, and earn up to 30% commission on each sale, which is paid monthly.
Other strong options include Amazon Associates for physical products, ClickBank for digital items, and Impact for big brands and SaaS tools.
Choose programs that align with your content and audience. Promoting products you trust builds credibility and trust drives sales.
Step 3: Create a Platform to Promote Products
After you've chosen your affiliate programs, the next step is to decide where you'll promote them. The best platform is determined by your strengths.
If you enjoy writing and sharing detailed insights, a blog or website is an excellent place to start. For example, successful affiliate marketers, like Wirecutter, use SEO-driven articles to review products, compare tools, and rank on Google for high-converting keywords.
This approach builds long-term visibility and passive traffic.
If you’re more comfortable on camera, YouTube is a great platform. Creators like Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) include affiliate links to products they review. Video content is great because it helps viewers see the product in action before making a decision.
For those who prefer short-form content, TikTok and Instagram are ideal for quick, engaging product demos or tips. Influencers like Erika Kullberg and Kat Norton (Miss Excel) utilize short videos to showcase products while subtly including affiliate links in captions or bios.
And if you already have an email list, newsletters can be an effective channel for affiliate promotions. Creators such as Ali Abdaal and James Clear use email to recommend products, courses, or tools they personally trust, driving high engagement and repeat clicks.
To make managing your links easier, Mainstack offers an all-in-one solution. You can create a personal link-in-bio page or digital storefront that houses all your affiliate links, products, and offers in one place.
Even better, it provides real-time analytics to track clicks and conversions, helping you see which platforms or products perform best.
Learn more: How to start Affiliate marketing on Mainstack
Step 4 : Choose A Products to sell
After choosing your niche and platform, decide which products to promote. The success of your affiliate marketing journey depends on what product you sell and how well it matches your audience’s needs.
Focus on three important factors: price, quality, and reputation. Products with favorable customer feedback and visible demand are more likely to convert. It's not just about making big commissions; it's about promoting something people will actually buy and appreciate you for recommending.
For beginners, avoid promoting too many products at once. Start small with two or three products that fit your niche, then expand as you grow. For example, designers can promote tools like Canva or Adobe Express that solve real problems.
Be authentic. Promote products you use or truly believe in. The most successful affiliates are not pushy salespeople; rather, they are helpful guides who provide real value.
Over time, you can test new offers or bundles, and consider creating your own digital products to scale further.
Step 5 : Create High-Quality Content
The success of affiliate marketing lies in creating content that informs, educates, or solves real problems. Audiences don’t respond to random product links; they want useful insights and genuine experiences.
Create content that builds trust and positions you as an authority in your niche. Some effective formats include:
- Tutorials: Teach your audience how to use a tool or service. Example: “How to design stunning social media graphics using Canva.”
- Product Comparisons: Help readers make better decisions, like “ConvertKit vs Mailchimp: Which is better for email marketing?”
- Listicles: Curate valuable resources such as “Top 10 tools every freelancer needs in 2025.”
Use SEO to make your content discoverable and storytelling to make it relatable. Combine this with social media content for faster growth.
Ensure you publish consistently to keep your audience interested. The more value you deliver, the more trust you earn, and that’s what drives affiliate conversions.
Step 6 : Drive Traffic to Your Affiliate Links
Creating exceptional content is half the job; the next step is driving traffic to it. Without it, even top-notch affiliate content won’t convert.
There are both free and paid methods to drive traffic, and most beginners start with the free options before scaling up.
Master free strategies first to learn what works. For example, you can optimize for SEO to rank on Google or YouTube, share short tutorials or demos on Pinterest or TikTok, and use email marketing to send tips and recommendations to subscribers.
Once you gain traction, scale with paid promotion for faster growth. Test paid options like Instagram, Facebook, or Google Ads to reach targeted audiences, or collaborate with influencers for wider exposure.
Step 7: Track Results and Optimize
Tracking performance separates hobbyists from serious affiliate marketers. After publishing your content, monitor clicks, conversions, and earnings. Ideally, your affiliate platform should have a dashboard to help you monitor this. You can also use tools like Google Analytics to track content and channels that drive results.
For instance, a “Top 10 Tools for Remote Work” post might outperform tutorials, or TikTok videos might convert better than emails. Use this data to refine what works; adjust link placement, update calls to action, or test new products.
Treat affiliate marketing as an ongoing experiment. Review data regularly, optimize top links, and refine strategy to increase conversions and income over time.
Common Mistakes Beginner Affiliate Marketers Should Avoid
Many beginners rush into affiliate marketing without a strategy. One common mistake is promoting too many products at once, which makes content feel cluttered and less trustworthy.
Neglecting content quality also hurts sales; the best products won’t sell if your message isn’t valuable or actionable. Always disclose affiliate links to stay credible, and be patient; consistent effort is what leads to steady income.
Start your affiliate journey today
Affiliate marketing isn’t about luck. It requires strategy, perseverance, and the use of the appropriate tools. The beauty of it lies in its flexibility: you can build a business from your laptop, promote products you already love, and earn while you sleep.
Every post, video, or email you share is an opportunity to grow your influence and your income.
If you want an easy way to organize your affiliate links, host products, and track clicks in one place, Mainstack gives you the structure you need to turn your ideas into income.
Mainstack: How to become an affiliate marketer
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