I hear from people all the time who dream of having recurring income with affiliate marketing. Passive-ish income (Yes, that’s a phrase. I came up with it so it’s my say-so.) is where it’s at. Every side hustler on social media is a member of at least one community where they glean tidbits here and there on how to do what I call…monetizing life.

Whether you’re a newbie who’s trying to get the hang of eBates or a web designer who’s trying to get 10 people a month to sign up for Siteground hosting, getting free money for something you’re passionate enough to tell others about regardless is always smart.

But they get stuck…

Some people — the ones who already KNOW what affiliate marketing is — think it’s salesy or sleazy. And the ones that DON’T have any preconceived notions of exactly what a passive income stream really is…

• Still don’t know how to get started
• Don’t know exactly what to do
• Feel lost, and need a blueprint to get from point A to point B

And these are all things we’re going to talk about.

How to See Money Everywhere with Affiliate Marketing

I’ve learned that there are passive-ish income opportunities all around you. You just have to learn how to start looking for them, with eyes that see money everywhere.

Affiliate marketing doesn’t require you to make anything, provide a service, sit at the phone all day, OR punch a time clock. You just talk to people. In person, on social media…even at the store. Wherever you are, there’s an affiliate marketing conversation just waiting to happen.

So if you’re a blogger, freelancer, or digital marketer — heck… even a regular Jane who just wants an extra $300/month to bankroll her Amazon addiction (you know who you are) — who wants to get started with affiliate marketing, and you’re serious about getting better results with passive income, I’m convinced that the next five minutes will change your life.

So grab some paper and a pen or pencil, cuz it’s about to go down BIG TIME! There’s some HUGE money to be made with affiliate marketing…if you know what you’re doing.

 

What Exactly IS Affiliate Marketing?

Lots of people ask me where to start when it comes to affiliate marketing. Some are not even exactly sure what affiliate marketing is.

So before we get into HOW to add affiliate marketing into your current lifestyle or business plan, let’s first cover exactly what affiliate marketing IS.

Someone I follow almost religiously is Neil Patel. He describes affiliate marketing as…

…revenue sharing… the process of spreading product creation and product marketing across different parties, where each party receives a share of the revenue according to their contribution.

Quite honestly, this is the BEST definition of affiliate marketing in my opinion! What’s so great about it? The part where he says that each party receives a share of the revenue according to their contribution.

It’s not JUST referring people to use products– it’s also rewarding them according to how well they do at getting products out to audiences and converting them to users.

This is EXACTLY HOW I was able to go from $0 to $4k+ per month with affiliate income alone… in just nine months.

When you love a product so much that you’re willing to share it with anyone who will listen, the company will PAY YOU to advertise for them. You become an affiliate sales person.

But you’re not into sales, right? RIGHT!

And THAT’s the way I do affiliate marketing. It isn’t salesy, or sleazy. Not at all.

I’ve done the legwork. I spent the money first. I invested my time. I learned about the product. I interacted with customer service.

I don’t sell products or programs. I help people by telling them about the great products and programs I’ve personally used, my experience with the company, and how using the software has changed my life, either personally or for work.

Because I’m SO impressed with how awesome the product is, it’s contagious.

Disclaimer: What you don’t have to do/be

To be successful at affiliate marketing, you don’t have to…

• Be a professional marketer
• Have a funnel, or even a website
• Have an irresistible offer, or even a niche

I teach my students and clients this all the time. As humans, we tend to overcomplicate everything. Overcomplicate, overthink, over, over… OVER IT!

If you have a mouth you don’t mind putting to work, and you have a positive experience to share, you can make passive income with affiliate marketing. It’s that simple.

Related: How to Start an Online Business (and actually make money)

Opportunities Exist EVERYWHERE

There are actually 500 million affiliate products RIGHT NOW available for you to promote and make money. And I’m not talking about MLM products either! Though there are some great ones.

 

Here’s how it works…

Let’s say you’re a health coach, or all your friends have labeled you as “the healthy one” in your circle. One example of how you can make extra money right now, without doing any extra work is to…

• Tell others about the HealthyWage app, because you’ll both earn $40 when you win a challenge.

Or maybe your high school BFF is debating on going to the reunion with you in June. But she can’t remember the last time she bought something that made her feel great about the woman she is today. So you…

• Encourage her to try this new clothing delivery service Dia & Co. that you tried when you got a promotion at work, giving you a $30 credit on your next order after she purchases her first month.

Maybe you’re launching your first digital course and, although you’re having a great experience and getting results for your new customers, it’s come at the expense of your to-do list. And you know others in your self employed circle have the same issue, so you…

• Share a grateful post about how Publix grocery delivery via Instacart has saved you AND your family from starvation or being subjected to another processed, fast-food dinner while you’re on your way to online marketing domination and checking off another ta-done task from your endless list.

And that’s just a few examples. There are SO many more ways to earn money by sharing things you use and love in everyday life.

Online Service Providers Have An Amazing Opportunity to HELP People with Affiliate Marketing

As an online service provider, you have the most amazing opportunity. You can help everyone, even if they don’t become an actual client, by sharing the products that have made a huge difference in your business.

I mean…

They can’t afford your services? Tell them about Tailwind.

They don’t have the time to commit to 1:1 coaching? Tell them about a VA you know that they can delegate to AND who honors a referral fee in exchange for leads.

They want to learn the HOW behind the sales funnel that needs created? Tell them about the mastermind that changed your business AND your life for the better!

Maybe they ARE a client already? They’ve been running on autopilot making just enough and can’t complain too much. But you KNOW they have so much more to give and their products and fans are INSANE with value and loyalty. If they made a few tweaks to their overall strategy, you know they could blow the roof off their business and change the lives of the masses for the better. Tell them about the best high-level business coach around, Robin Pisciotta, and earn a referral fee that equals the amount of what your total monthly income was when you first started out as a subcontractor!

Affiliate marketing — GREAT affiliate marketing — is simply helping people. And if you learn how to see the opportunities around you, you’ll see ROI just for helping people.