How to Start Affiliate Marketing with No Money In 2023 (5 Easy Steps)

If you have the right skills and tools, affiliate marketing can be a great way to make money. In this article, we’ll show you how to get started with affiliate marketing without spending any money.

The Basics of Affiliate Marketing

The Join-Promote-Earn formula was the foundation of affiliate marketing. It’s safe to say that this is affiliate marketing for beginners. Despite how straightforward it may seem, there may be some initial confusion.  

Let’s examine how affiliate marketing operates so that you can promote quality content and product links to increase your income within the top affiliate networks.

Join an Affiliate Program

Affiliate marketing programs are referral campaigns in which a business or brand collaborates with affiliate marketers like influencers, YouTubers, bloggers, and others who agree to promote their goods among their audiences. A commission is given for each successful referral that results in a sale.

Signing up typically entails completing a form and setting up all the necessary particulars for a direct and transparent partnership, referrals, payments, and other affiliate marketing efforts from both sides.

Promote content that includes an affiliate link

A specific affiliate link will be provided to you after you sign up, which you should post on your social networking site to encourage visitors to click. 

Affiliates share their affiliate links and produce content about the products to increase traffic and drive sales so they can get paid. This can be done through blog posts, YouTube videos, and posts on other significant social media platforms.

Earn Commission from Each Sale

The brand will compensate you a certain percentage of each order if your content results in a sale. There are specific guidelines, commissions, and rules for each affiliate program. The percentage you’ll make on each sale will be disclosed to you when you sign up for one.

The path to success as a top affiliate marketer is truly straightforward. Join, promote a link with high-quality content, and earn by making affiliate sales.

Can you really start affiliate marketing with “no” money?

You can legitimately start a business in affiliate marketing with no money at all. Once you start receiving commissions, you can start investing money in your affiliate marketing campaigns to help grow your business. The adage “It takes money to make money” is typically accurate, but not when using these strategies for affiliate marketing without any cash. 

How to start affiliate marketing with no money in 5 Steps

Step 1 – Pick and Verify Your Niche

One important aspect of affiliate marketing is choosing a niche, or a specific area of interest, to focus on.

It’s crucial to select a niche you are passionate about because it makes your work more fulfilling and enjoyable. It will be challenging to produce content and promote goods you don’t truly believe in if you select a niche you don’t care about. On the other hand, if you select a niche in which you are genuinely interested, you will relish learning more about it and delight in producing interesting and educational content.

It will be simpler to connect with your audience if you are passionate about a particular niche. Your content will reflect your enthusiasm, which will increase the likelihood that readers will respect and heed your advice. You will also be able to relate to your audience on a more personal level because you share a common interest.

Choosing a niche that you are passionate about also allows you to stay motivated and committed to your affiliate marketing efforts. It can be challenging to stay focused and committed to a business venture that you are not interested in, but when you are passionate about your niche, it will be easier to push through any obstacles and setbacks that come your way.

Another benefit of choosing a niche that you are passionate about is that you are more likely to have a deep understanding of the products or services you are promoting. This knowledge will allow you to create more valuable and informative content for your audience, which can help build trust and credibility.

Additionally, you should conduct market research to confirm the viability of your chosen niche. This may seem counter-intuitive, but check if the chosen niche has some competition. If your chosen niche exists, that means there’s a market for it and more than likely room for you.

The idea is to identify weak execution and outperform the competition there. In the end, it ought to be about helping someone else resolve a problem. The most common are:

• Money Niche – Making money online, paying down debt, saving more money, investing, entrepreneurship, cryptocurrencies
• Health Niche– nutrition, supplement, gaining muscle, losing weight,
• Relationships Niche – Find a mate, marriage, dealing with divorce, improving sex life, death of a loved one, 
• Home Niche – home decorating, gardening, home renovation, taking care of pets
• Parenting Niche –  babies, raising up children, family planning
• Hobbies Niche – photography, travel, camping, automotive, golfing
• Technology Niche – computers, learning new software, smartphones, home electronics, web hosting services

Within each of these broad topics, there are numerous subtopics to choose from, and the possibilities are endless.

I advise starting with a topic that is specific enough to be covered in depth but not universal enough to apply to everyone.

Step 2 – Create an Online Presence 

You don’t have to start blogging right away if you want to be an affiliate. As an alternative, you can start making money from your online presence using social media. Your posts, updates, and profiles can all contain affiliate links to help you achieve this.

Millions of people regularly use social media sites like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and others. Links are simple to include in posts, and you can observe results. Just remember to abide by these websites’ policies and guidelines since you don’t technically own your accounts. 

I would only choose one channel when starting out. But which ones?

The niche you choose may influence your choice. For example, Pinterest is ideal for niches that cater to female audiences because it is both female-centric and visually oriented.

Utilizing Facebook: Facebook has become the most popular social media platform in the world today, with billions of users. You can advertise affiliate products on your page if you have an account.

Utilizing YouTube: With millions of users, YouTube is a remarkably effective platform for affiliate marketing. The most successful YouTubers make millions of dollars a year just from creating videos that promote goods they like. Without spending money on a blog and website, this is arguably one of the best ways to become an affiliate.

Just be aware that your first few months will probably not see many subscribers. However, if you consistently post entertaining and helpful videos, you’ll eventually attract the audience you need to be successful.

The main thing is to center your page on a topic that will interest your audience.

Step 3 – Join Affiliate Programs

You can start applying for affiliate network programs once you’ve built up a following on social media or YouTube. Affiliate networks are always looking for publishers who can effectively promote their products.

I firmly believe that before applying to any affiliate programs, you should first grow your audience. You shouldn’t enroll in affiliate programs in your niche before you begin driving traffic to and creating interest in your brand. 

The majority of affiliate programs don’t have any requirements to join. There are programs, though, where you’ll need to be eligible, and that typically entails having a strong online identity and following. 

Finding the best affiliate programs will require research, and they will depend on your niche. You should do your own research to find the best affiliate program for the niche you have selected. Go to Google and type in your niche keyword + (affiliate program) to see the results. If you already know which companies in your niche offer affiliate marketing programs, you can contact them directly to sign up for them since most affiliate programs are free to join.

The alternative is to sign up for an affiliate network or marketplace where you can browse thousands of programs and enroll in them directly. There are thousands of merchants in a variety of niches available through affiliate networks like the ones listed below: 

• ShareASale
• ClickBank
• Awin
• FlexOffers
• Amazon Associates
• Commission Junction
• Rakuten Advertising
• JVZoo 

These are just a few of the numerous affiliate programs that are offered, though they are all trustworthy options.

I advise beginners to use the large networks of affiliate marketing programs that have thousands of affiliate partners available. You can usually find programs that are tailored to your particular niche in affiliate networks.

Don’t join an affiliate program just because it pays out well. I’ve seen this time and time again: an influencer will tout an affiliate program just because it pays well. Your audience will be able to tell right away that it isn’t genuine and that you are only promoting it for financial gain.

Be genuine at all times and only promote goods that you would recommend to friends and family even if there were no affiliate programs.

Step 4 Promote content with affiliate links

Sadly, the majority of the content you produce won’t go viral on its own. Promotion is required!

Do not be afraid to repurpose content across different platforms in the same or similar ways. They might have seen the tweet you made on Twitter about your most recent video, but they were never able to watch it. As an alternative, they saw your email again mentioning that video and this time clicked the link to watch it, clicked the affiliate link, and made a purchase.

Fortunately, there are many ways to promote affiliate links with no money. Here are some examples.

How to start affiliate marketing with no money using “Social Media”

Social media is a powerful tool for promoting affiliate links. You can create social media profiles on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Once you have a following, you can start sharing your affiliate links with your audience. Make sure your social media profiles are professional, and your content is engaging and relevant to your audience.

Use Instagram Stories to promote your affiliate links. You can use polls, quizzes, or swipe-up links to engage your audience and drive traffic to your affiliate links. Use relevant hashtags to reach a wider audience and increase your chances of getting your posts seen by potential customers.

Create Pinterest boards that are focused on specific topics and include a mix of your own pins and pins from other sources. This will help you build a following and increase the visibility of your affiliate links.

You can also write articles on LinkedIn that provide valuable information to your audience and include links to the products or services you are promoting.

How to start affiliate marketing with no money using “Email Marketing”

A fantastic way to start affiliate marketing without spending any money is through email marketing. There are many email marketing services available that let you get started for free, but many people don’t consider this as an option. Mailchimp, for instance, offers a free plan for up to 2,000 subscribers.

Promoting affiliate links through email is effective. By providing a lead magnet, such as a free e-book or course, you can increase your email list size. You can start sending emails to your subscriber list with your affiliate links once you have one. 

Send newsletters to your subscribers to establish a relationship with them, assist them with their issues, and recommend your affiliate products to them. For inspiration, review some of the top marketing newsletters.

Make sure your emails are interesting and informative, and that the affiliate links you use are appropriate for your readership.

How to start affiliate marketing with no money using “YouTube”

Being the second-largest search engine in the world, YouTube is a great place to advertise affiliate links. You can make YouTube tutorials or product reviews, and then add your affiliate links to the video description. Make sure your videos are interesting and informative, and that the affiliate links you use are appropriate for your viewers.

Promote products that are relevant to your niche and that your audience will find valuable. This will increase the likelihood that your viewers will be interested in clicking on your affiliate links.

Include your affiliate links in the description of your videos. Be sure to disclose that the links are affiliate links.

To point viewers to your affiliate links, annotate your videos. Annotations are links that can be clicked on your videos. End screens can also be used to promote your affiliate links. The final frames of your videos that promote other videos, channels, or websites are known as “end screens.”

How to start affiliate marketing with no money using “Online Communities”

Participating in online communities such as forums, Facebook groups, and subreddits can assist you in free affiliate link promotion. You can answer questions about your niche and share affiliate links as needed. Make sure to add value to the community and refrain from spamming your affiliate links.

Begin by responding to questions in your niche with thoughtful, detailed, and well-formatted answers.  Share other useful information in your Quora answers that may contain affiliate links, such as Medium or LinkedIn articles, YouTube videos, and so on.

How to start affiliate marketing with no money using “Webinars”

Webinars are an excellent way to promote your affiliate links. You can host free webinars on topics related to your niche and include affiliate links in the presentation or follow-up email. Ensure that your webinars are informative and engaging and that your affiliate links are relevant to your target audience.

How to start affiliate marketing with no money using “Discount Codes”

Giving out discount codes is an excellent way to promote your affiliate links. By collaborating with brands in your niche, you can provide exclusive discounts to your audience. Make certain that the discount codes are relevant to your audience and that the products are of high quality and relevant to your niche.

How to start affiliate marketing with no money by “Guest Posting”

A great way to promote your affiliate links for nothing is through guest posting. By blogging on free platforms such as Medium, Blogger, and Hubpages, you can establish your credibility and encourage readers to click on your affiliate links. Your affiliate links can be included in the author bio or the body of articles you write for other blogs in your niche. Make sure the blog’s readers will find your guest posts to be of high caliber, insightful, and relevant.

How to start affiliate marketing with no money by “Blogging or Creating a Website”

Creating a blog on your own website using free platforms, such as WordPress, Wix, and Weebley, is one of the best ways to promote affiliate links. Once you have a website set up, you can start writing articles and reviews about the products or services you want to promote. 

There are many ways to promote your affiliate links but always adhere to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) guidelines for affiliate marketing disclosure. Check the platform’s guidelines for promoting affiliate links as well to avoid violating their terms of service.

Step 5 Grow an Audience

Growing an audience is critical for any affiliate marketing endeavor in today’s digital age, whether it’s a blog, YouTube channel, social media account, or website. An audience is the foundation of any successful online platform, and building and growing an audience takes time, effort, and a variety of strategies. As a result, it is recommended that you reinvest your affiliate marketing earnings into growing your audience.

Creating and expanding an audience on any online platform necessitates a combination of strategies and consistent effort. Whether you’re creating high-quality content, optimizing for search engines, or engaging with your audience on social media, the key is to stay consistent and experiment with new strategies. By leveraging the power of these different strategies, you can attract new followers and build a loyal audience for your online platform.

Consistent and valuable content creation

Consistent and valuable content creation is the foundation of any online platform’s audience growth. Building a loyal following requires the creation of high-quality content that is informative, engaging, and relevant to your audience. The content you create, whether it’s blog posts, videos, podcasts, or social media updates, should be consistent in terms of quality, tone, and frequency.

Search engine optimization (SEO)

The practice of optimizing your content to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) is known as search engine optimization (SEO). SEO entails optimizing your website or online platform for specific keywords and phrases that your target audience is searching for. By ranking higher in SERPs, you can increase your visibility and attract more organic traffic to your website or online platform.

Social media marketing

The ability to target specific demographics and interests is one of the primary advantages of social media marketing. Social media platforms collect a massive amount of user data, such as age, gender, location, interests, and more, allowing you to precisely target specific audiences. This focused approach can result in higher engagement rates and a higher return on investment (ROI) for your social media marketing campaigns.

Social media marketing can also provide you with useful information about your target audience and their behavior. This data can assist you in refining your social media marketing strategies and improving your overall online presence.

Community building

Creating a brand community can help you build a loyal audience and increase engagement with your content. Creating a space for your audience to connect with you and other like-minded individuals is part of community building. This could be a Facebook group, a forum, or a chat room. You can cultivate a loyal following and increase engagement with your brand by creating a sense of community.

Influencer marketing

Influencer marketing entails collaborating with niche influencers to promote your brand or products. Influencers are people who have a large following on social media or other online platforms. By collaborating with influencers, you can reach a larger audience and establish credibility with your target audience.

Paid advertising

Search engine marketing (SEM), social media advertising, and display advertising are all examples of paid advertising. Paid advertising can be expensive, but it can be an effective way to quickly gain new followers and grow your audience. 

Final Thoughts on How to Start Affiliate Marketing With No Money

Affiliate marketing does not require money to get started, but it does require time, patience, and, most importantly, consistency. Your affiliate marketing business empire will explode right before your eyes with practice, patience, and consistency. 

If you don’t have any money, you do have time. It will require you to be consistent on whatever platform you choose over time, but it is entirely possible.

This is how the majority of affiliate marketers began. They didn’t have a lot of money, and they were doing it the way I described above. They stayed consistent, gave it time, and are now reaping the benefits.

When you start making money with affiliate marketing, you can reinvest some of your earnings in paid strategies such as ads. But for now, start thinking about what niche you could start building, and just get out there and try one of these strategies for doing affiliate marketing with no money and growing to a passive income working from anywhere you want.

The Next Steps After Start Affiliate Marketing With No Money: Create a Niche Website

While starting affiliate marketing with no money is possible, it’s not scalable and won’t make you much money unless you’re constantly networking.

Now that we’ve covered the best ways on how to start affiliate marketing with no money, what should you do next? Starting an affiliate marketing website is a great next step for scaling your affiliate marketing efforts and making even more money. Your own website allows you to create any type of content and promote it in any way you want, and it doesn’t cost much to get started. Check out the step-by-step guide here.