Things to Know Before You Start with Affiliate Marketing

[AffiLEO]

Hey guys, I'm making a video on YouTube on topic "Things to Know Before You Start with Affiliate Marketing" and I'm really interested of what real professionals think. That's why I'm making a survey and will really appreciate if you comment this one with TOP3 things to know before the start. It will really help me make useful content for my viewers. Thank you in advance!

 

[hipcat]

Top 3 Things to Know Before You Start with Affiliate Marketing:

1. Know your audience - Do they want or need what you are promoting? Find people that need a solution to their problem and then provide that solution with an affiliate product or service.

2. Know your competition - Who else is doing the same thing? Aim for keywords that have LESS competition, or you'll get beaten by more experienced marketers.

3. Have patience - Affiliate marketing is a long game and you need to be willing to put in the time and dedication needed to succeed. While you can simply pay for ads to the right audience for fast results, you still need to do the proper research & testing to get it right. Nothing comes easy, but the payoff can be years of good, somewhat passive income.

I'm still making sales for affiliate marketing I set up way back in 2007!

 

[XOZAAA]

Choose a niche, choose a partner and an offer. Be prepared to drain your budget at first. Study the topic in practice.

 

[Helen Grace]

Hey guys, I'm making a video on YouTube on topic "Things to Know Before You Start with Affiliate Marketing" and I'm really interested of what real professionals think. That's why I'm making a survey and will really appreciate if you comment this one with TOP3 things to know before the start. It will really help me make useful content for my viewers. Thank you in advance!

Love that you're asking real feedback! Do you plan to include both beginner-friendly tips and advanced mistakes to avoid?

 

[kornas7]

Hey, nice topic for a video! If I had to narrow it down, my top 3 things to know before starting affiliate marketing would be:

1. Choose a niche you actually care about – it’s way easier to stick with it long-term if you’re not forcing yourself.
2. Don’t underestimate traffic – SEO, social media, email lists… whatever you pick, you need a consistent source of people clicking through.
3. Read the fine print – every affiliate program has its own rules, and breaking them (even by accident) can get you kicked out.

At the end of the day, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Stick with it, test things, and you’ll learn what works for you.

 

[harrygreen90]

First thing is that affiliate marketing takes way longer to make real money than the YouTube gurus make it sound. Most people quit after a few months because they're not seeing results, but it genuinely takes 6-12 months of consistent work before you start seeing decent income. You need to build an audience first whether that's through a blog, YouTube channel, social media, or email list, and that doesn't happen overnight. Don't believe anyone promising you can make thousands in your first month unless you already have a huge following or you're spending serious money on paid ads.

Second is to only promote products you actually believe in or have used yourself, because your reputation is everything in this business. If you recommend garbage just because it has a high commission rate, people will stop trusting you and your conversions will tank. It's way better to promote a $20 product that genuinely helps your audience than a $500 course that's overhyped junk. Also, different niches and products have wildly different conversion rates - some affiliate programs pay high commissions but barely anyone buys, while others pay less but convert much better.

Third thing is that you need to understand the rules and regulations, especially FTC disclosure requirements. You legally have to tell people when you're using affiliate links, and platforms like YouTube and Instagram have their own rules too. Also, don't put all your eggs in one basket with a single affiliate program because they can change commission rates, shut down, or kick you out at any time. I've seen people lose their entire income overnight because they relied on one program. Diversify across multiple programs and focus on building your own audience that you control, not just driving traffic directly to affiliate links.