You know I’m all about sharing the real behind-the-scenes of how we run this business, and one of the easiest (and honestly, most fun) ways we’ve added income without adding stress? Affiliate marketing.

But here’s the deal: I didn’t start with some fancy funnel, endless followers, or slick sales pitch. It started small. With things I already used. Things I already loved. And that’s the secret: affiliate marketing works best when it’s built on trust.

Wait, What Is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is simply earning a commission by sharing someone else’s product or service.

You’ve probably already done it without even realizing it… like texting your best friend the link to your favorite non-toxic mascara or telling your cousin where to grab your go-to sourdough starter kit. The only difference is: with affiliate marketing, you get paid when someone purchases using your link.

You’re not creating the product. You’re not handling customer service. You’re simply pointing people you love to things you already use and believe in.

And if the idea of “selling” makes your stomach flip a little? Breathe. It’s not about being pushy. It’s about being helpful. Affiliate marketing, at its best, is just serving others by sharing what’s actually worked for you.

My First Affiliate Win (aka the “Whoa, This Works?” Moment)

I’ll never forget the first time I made money as an affiliate. I had posted about my favorite skincare brand, something I’d already shared for free many times. They saw my post and reached out to offer me a coupon code for my followers. I didn’t overthink it. I just shared the code. One sale came in. Then another. And another.

That moment felt like wait… seriously? I was already talking about them all the time because I loved their products. Now I was earning money just by sharing what I believed in? It felt aligned, easy, and honestly… kind of amazing.

Why I LOVE Affiliate Marketing (Especially for Beginners)

Here’s why affiliate marketing is one of my favorite income streams (and why it could be yours too):

• You don’t have to create your own product
• You don’t need a huge audience
• You can start completely for free
• You get to share products you genuinely love
• You’re solving problems for your people with recommendations you trust

It’s funny because if you were to go out to dinner with me, you’d probably leave with a list of things I swear by and recommend (affiliate or not). I’m that friend… the one who can’t help but share her favorite homemade cashew milk recipe, the dog bed I found from a Facebook ad, or the only moisturizer I’ve found that holds up against the brutal Minnesota winters.

If you’re sitting there wondering, “Okay, but how does this actually work for me?” Think of it like this: you’re probably already sharing things you love with your friends, your group texts, or your online community. Affiliate marketing is just turning those everyday, casual recommendations into a little income stream that supports the work you’re already doing.

And if you want a step-by-step breakdown on how to actually make that first sale? I put it all into a free guide you can grab here: How to Make Your First Affiliate Sale

Now, let’s dive into 3 strategies that helped me start (and scale!) affiliate income in a way that felt easy and aligned. Beginners and experts all earn the same way!

How to Get Started with Affiliate Marketing

If you’re googling “how to do affiliate marketing” and feeling overwhelmed by all the courses, funnels, and techy jargon, take a deep breath. Here’s the truth: you don’t need a massive audience, a marketing degree, or fancy tools to start. You just need one thing… a product you genuinely love.

Start simple. Think of something you already use and rave about to your friends. Maybe it’s the camera that makes your product photos pop, the email software you can actually understand, or that cozy sweater that practically sells itself. Chances are, that brand has an affiliate program.

You can apply directly through their site, or sign up with affiliate networks like Amazon Associates, RewardStyle (now LTK), or ShareASale. Once approved, you’ll get a unique link to share, which means when someone clicks and buys through your link, you earn a commission. Easy? Yes. Effortless? Not quite.

Here’s the kicker: affiliate marketing works best when your recommendations feel real. This isn’t about blasting your feed with #sponsored posts. It’s about weaving products you love into the content you already create. A helpful blog post. A casual Instagram Story. A behind-the-scenes email. It all counts.

Bottom line? You don’t need to wait until you “have it all together” to start. Just start. Be honest, be intentional, and lead with value. The rest can grow with you.

Strategy 1: Create a Landing Page Just for Your Favorite Affiliate Product

This is hands-down one of the best things you can do to grow your affiliate income: create a dedicated landing page where you talk about a product or brand you love.

Why it works:

• It gives people context on why you recommend it
• It lets you include personal photos, testimonials, and FAQs
• It allows you to use your own brand voice (so it doesn’t feel like a sales page)

Affiliate Landing Page Example

We created this page for Primally Pure because their clean skincare changed my life. I use their products daily, so it made sense to build a landing page where I could explain why they work, share my clean beauty story, and answer all those “Which deodorant do you use again?” DMs in one place.If you need help building a beautiful page that converts (even if you’re not techy), TONIC has been our go-to. Their templates are stunning and so easy to customize. It’s literally like Canva meets conversion strategy.

Strategy 2: Build an Email List for Affiliate Marketing

Social media is awesome (sometimes) but your email list is gold when it comes to affiliate marketing.

Why? Because:

• You own it (no algorithm stress here!)
• You can reach your audience directly when there’s a promo or new product drop
• You can segment your list based on what people are interested in (hello, aligned recommendations!)

Let’s say you promote wellness products. Create a freebie around wellness (like a skincare routine guide or a smoothie recipe eBook) and grow a list of people already interested in that category. Then, when you share your favorite matcha brand or protein powder? You’re not selling… you’re simply serving.

How We Promote Our Affiliates Through Beautiful Emails

We love and recommend using Flodesk for email, whether you’re a beginner or a pro! The whole platform is super intuitive, beautiful, and built for creatives (no code, no overwhelm). Start building your list now, and future-you will thank you.

RELATED: Building an Email List: What to Say + How to Say It

Strategy 3: Share Affiliate Products Through Storytelling on Social Media

Remember: affiliate marketing is not just dropping a link with “You need this!!” in all caps. People can sniff out a disingenuous little link drop every time, so this has to be genuine.

The best affiliate content shares a story, solves a problem, or answers a real question from your audience. And you’ll always feel better about promoting it!

Here’s what I’ve found works well on social:

• Before/after photos or results (think carousel, reel, or collage)
• Day-in-the-life reels using the product
• Honest breakdowns of what you love (and even what you don’t)
• Tips, hacks, or lessons you’ve learned from using it

Affiliate Storytelling Examples

When I shared how I started slowly switching to non-toxic skincare after hormonal shifts and melasma struggles, people listened. That story led directly to recommending Primally Pure, and that post alone led to dozens of sales.

Not every post will be a hit, but consistency (and sincerity) always wins.

Need help planning your first affiliate posts? Grab my free guide: How to Make Your First Affiliate Sale

RELATED: The Future of Copywriting with AI and Storytelling

Common Affiliate Marketing Mistakes Beginners Make

Starting with affiliate marketing can feel like stepping into a candy store: you want to try everything, all at once. But after years of testing, tweaking, and tripping up, I’ve learned a few hard-earned lessons. If you’re just diving in, here are some common mistakes to avoid so you don’t have to learn the hard way like I did:

1. Promoting Too Many Products Too Fast

It’s tempting, I know. You sign up for a handful of affiliate programs, and suddenly every link in your blog or Instagram story points to something. But when everything is a recommendation, nothing really stands out.

Tip: Start small and intentional. Focus on one or two products or services you genuinely use and love. Build trust by going deep, not wide. Your audience will thank you and so will your conversion rate.

2. Not Disclosing Affiliate Links

Let’s be real: not only is this legally required (yes, those FTC guidelines are no joke), but skipping disclosures can chip away at the trust you’ve built with your audience. And trust is the entire foundation of affiliate marketing.

Lesson: Be upfront. A simple “This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase through them (at no extra cost to you!)” goes a long way. Honesty doesn’t turn people away… it invites them in.

3. Copy-Pasting Generic Product Descriptions

Nothing says “mmm, I don’t actually care about this product!” like slapping the manufacturer’s bland description into your post. Your audience follows you for your voice, your experiences, your flavor. Don’t outsource that to a bullet-point list from a sales page.

Solution: Rewrite it in your own words. Talk about how you actually use the product, what surprised you, or even what you didn’t love. Realness sells more than perfection ever will.

4. Skipping Personal Stories or Context

Listing a product with no backstory is like recommending a movie without saying why you loved it. People connect through stories. Your experience matters more than you think.

Tip: Weave in your own story. Did this tool save your sanity during tax season? Did you stumble across it while prepping for a launch? That context is what makes someone go from “hmm” to add to cart.

5. Ignoring Analytics

When you’re juggling all the things (content creation, social media, maybe even a full-time job) it’s easy to post a link and move on. But if you’re not checking your data, you’re basically throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping some of it sticks. Spoiler: most of it doesn’t.Lesson: Take time (even just once a month!) to look at what’s actually working. Which links are getting clicks? Where are people dropping off? Use that info to refine your strategy. Your affiliate efforts deserve more than guesswork… they deserve intention.

Final Thoughts: Start Small, Stay Curious

Not every affiliate brand I’ve worked with was the perfect fit. Some fizzled, and that’s okay.

This is your reminder that you don’t need a perfect strategy or massive audience to start… you just need a voice, a story, and a willingness to share what you love.

Start with one product. Create a simple page. Grow your list slowly. Pay attention to what resonates. The right brand partnerships will stick because they’ll feel like a natural extension of your life. This is exactly how I started. And friend? There’s so much room for you here, too.

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