If you’ve done any kind of research on easy ways to make passive income online, I’m sure you’ve heard the terms “affiliate marketing”. People are shouting it from the rooftops; selling courses, e-books, 7 day seminars, 1 on 1 calls to tout the massive income you can make from this – seemingly overnight

Affiliate marketing is like getting a reward for recommending products. When you share a special link and people buy through it, you earn a commission from the company selling those products. It’s a way for companies to pay people for bringing in customers, creating a mutually beneficial arrangement. One of the most talked about for any of these arrangements is with Amazon. There is already trust built with the consumer and there is a huge array of products to choose from.

The other appeal of the Amazon affiliate program is that you don’t need a large following to secure a seat. The prerequisites were fairly minimal.

The prerequisites for joining the Amazon Affiliate Program (Amazon Associates) include:

Website or Blog: You need to have a website, blog, app, or YouTube channel where you’ll be promoting Amazon products.

Content Guidelines:Your website or platform must comply with Amazon’s content guidelines, which generally include having original and relevant content.

Traffic Source: Amazon often looks for a reasonable amount of traffic on your website or platform. While there is no specific threshold, having a consistent flow of visitors can enhance your application.

Geographic Location: Amazon Associates program is not available in all countries. Make sure that your country is eligible for participation.

Age Requirement: In some locations, you must be at least 18 years old to participate.

Amazon Account: You need to have an Amazon account. If you don’t have one, you can create it during the application process.

If I was able to get in based on these criteria, anyone can. I have a regular amount of followers on IG & Facebook. I do not post ever on either platform. I also linked a Pinterest account that was years old with 13 followers. ANYONE can do this. 

Why is the draw of affiliate marketing so strong?

You’ll hear that it’s super easy to start and all you need is a free Pinterest account and you’ll be earning the big bucks in no time. So, I decided to give it a go for research purposes. How could I resist?! There were SO many click bait videos and Pinterest posts boasting how they make $10,000 a month with this method and all you need to do is join their course to find out how. Conveniently, many of these courses range between $19-$99 dollars for brand new beginners.

I do not have a huge social media following.I’m fairly private online (which is hilarious because I have a blog). If you are someone who does update, thank you, I love hearing your updates, I’m just too lazy to post my own. The appeal of the Amazon program is that NO FOLLOWING or established base was needed! You could simply create pins to advertise these products and other “Pinteresters” (did I just make that up?) click your link, buy your product, and you get paid! All without ever having to show your face.

How easy is it?

People are buying this method up and trying it because it sounds SO EASY. And, really, it was so easy.

Pick a product

Create a pin to entice pinners (again, is this accepted lingo?) to buy said product using your affiliate link

GET PAID

In theory, it sounds very easy. HOWEVER, this strategy needs a couple of big adjustments, in my opinion. If you have zero Pinterest followers (like me) and just begin randomly posting products will you actually be able to sell to someone?

How easy is it if you have NO following?

Surprise, surprise. It is NOT easy if you have no following. Sure, people may click your links and get interested in what you’re touting, but if they go back to your profile and notice you’re only peddling products, they will see through that. Why should they trust you? You have no rapport with them. Maybe I had no success because I did not invest in the courses teaching me all of the tips and tricks, but it seems like a really long shot to make this work and make a decent income.

I had fun creating the pins and promoting products that I actually used and believed in, but how did random Pinners know I actually did have their best interest at heart? This is the conundrum with posting without having a following built up of people who trust and believe in what you’re saying.

This is where I need to add a huge disclaimer: **affiliate marketing is absolutely SUPER profitable if you have an audience and a platform who follow and trust you. A tribe of people who will back you and listen to your advice. Many bloggers and people on social media are making huge chunks of their monthly income off of affiliate marketing. This is a totally different scenario to a new account on Pinterest who appears randomly to promote random things from Amazon.

My experience with affiliate marketing on Pinterest

Exactly as described above, I did not have an established Pinterest following at the time. I was in the “mom niche” and recommending products I thought other moms could use, but I honestly stopped doing it after about a week. Perhaps if I put more time and effort into my pins it could have been a bit more sustainable, but it felt like I was going to need to put in A LOT of work to start to get to the point where people would even want to follow me on Pinterest.

I am not scared of hard work. I put in a full week of evening work at Remotasks for .14! You can and should read more about that. I just didn’t see a time where I would be getting a big enough pay out out of the time I was putting into it. It didn’t feel like the sustainable long term solution that I was looking for.

I had a few people click my links, visit my profile or even make it as far as Amazon, but no one purchased anything I had recommended. It was not the super easy fool proof side hustle I was promised.

If you are interested in affiliate marketing, here are some takeaways

The profitability of affiliate marketing can vary depending on several factors, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. However, here are some strategies that can potentially enhance the profitability of your affiliate marketing efforts:

Niche Selection: Choose a niche that you are passionate about and has a demand in the market. Niches with higher demand and less competition can be more profitable.

Quality Content Creation: Create high-quality, valuable, and engaging content. Whether it’s blog posts, videos, or social media content, providing helpful information can build trust with your audience and encourage them to click on your affiliate links.

Build Trust and Authority: Establish yourself as an authority in your niche. Genuine recommendations and a trustworthy reputation can lead to higher conversion rates.

Targeted Traffic: Focus on driving targeted traffic to your affiliate links. Understand your audience and tailor your content to meet their needs and interests.

SEO Optimization: Optimize your content for search engines (SEO). This can help your content rank higher in search results, attracting organic traffic over time.

Email Marketing: Build an email list and use email marketing to nurture relationships with your audience. Promote relevant affiliate products to your email subscribers.

Product Reviews and Comparisons: Write detailed and honest product reviews. Include comparisons between different products or services within your niche. This can help users make informed decisions and increase your affiliate earnings.

Promotions and Special Offers: Take advantage of promotions and special offers provided by merchants. Limited-time discounts or exclusive deals can entice users to make a purchase through your affiliate links.

Diversify Affiliate Programs: Don’t rely solely on one affiliate program. Diversify your sources of income by promoting products from various merchants within your niche.

Analytics and Optimization: Use analytics tools to track the performance of your affiliate links. Analyze what works and what doesn’t, and continuously optimize your strategies based on data.

Remember that success in affiliate marketing takes time, effort, and persistence. It’s essential to stay informed about industry trends, adapt to changes, and consistently provide value to your audience.

So, is it a get rich quick scheme?

If you have a following to back you, yes, I believe affiliate marketing can be super profitable. However, If you are just starting out and have no followers, it will certainly take time to build that trust and community. I would recommend building a following before attempting to sell anyone anything, but I would love to be proven wrong. Have you had success with the Pinterest method? How long did it take to see results? I’d love to hear about your experience with affiliate marketing!

If you’ve been thinking about trying this, absolutely give it a go! It’s a low stakes side hustle. However, if you’re looking for a quick return on your investment, I’d suggest other methods first