How to start affiliate marketing in 4 steps

Lesson 1 of 6 · all lessons

Affiliate marketing in plain words

Affiliate marketing means you recommend a product with a personal link. When someone buys through that link, the store pays you a part of the sale. Here is the path one sale takes.

1Your postYou show a product you use.
2Your bio linkA follower taps the link in your profile.
3Your pageThey tap the product they saw.
4The storeThey buy. Your link carries your ID.
5Your commissionThe program counts the sale and pays you.

Word	What it means	Where you find it
Affiliate link	A link with your personal ID in it. The store reads the ID to know the sale came from you.	Your program's dashboard
Commission	What the store pays you for one sale. It is a part of the price or a fixed amount.	The program's terms
Cookie window	How long the store remembers your click. A purchase inside that time still counts for you.	The program's terms or help page
Payout minimum	The balance you need before the program pays you.	The program's payment page
Affiliate network	One site where many brands run their programs. You apply to each brand inside it.	The network's list of brands

Each program sets its own commission, window and minimum. Read them before you post, so you know what one sale is worth to you.

Four steps to start affiliate marketing

1
Pick the topic you already post about
A baker posts tools and flour. A fitness coach posts home gym kit. A podcaster posts microphones. Stay inside the topic your followers come for.
2
List three products you use
Pick things you own, use every week and would buy again. Then you can say something true about each one, like the noise a mixer makes.
3
Join the program that pays for them
Search the store's website for "affiliates" or "partners", or apply through a network. Lesson 2 shows what to read first.
4
Put the links where people tap, then post
Add the links to the page behind your bio link. Post about one product and say where to find it.

Keep one product per post. A second product is a second post, and each post is a new chance to be seen.

Affiliate marketing without a website

Many programs ask for a website when you apply. They want to see where your links will go and who will see them.

Your bio page answers that question. Enter its address in the website field, and add your social profiles where the form asks for them. A few programs want a site with your own articles, so read the form before you apply.

On More.You, a product block shows a picture, a name and a button, and it opens your affiliate link in one tap.

Dana, home workouts

20-minute workouts with little kit. I earn from the paid links here.

ProductResistance bands from Monday's video (paid link)
ProductFoam roller I use after every run (paid link)
CollectionMy home gym kit, 4 picks (paid links)
LinkWork with me
Social iconsInstagram, TikTok, YouTube

A fitness coach's first affiliate page

Five rows are enough for a first page. Add products when followers ask for them.

First post lines to copy

Your first post does two jobs. It shows the product in use, and it tells people where the link is.

Copy, then change the product name

Caption, first line
Ad. The bands from this video are on my page as a paid link. I earn a commission if you buy.
Said in the video
These are the bands I train with. The link is in my bio, and it's a paid link.
On-screen text
Tap "Resistance bands" on my page
About text on your page
Home workouts with little kit. I earn a commission from the paid links on this page.
Reply to a comment
They're "Resistance bands" on my page, link in my bio. Paid link.

Lesson 5 has disclosure lines for every place you post.

Beginner affiliate mistakes

MistakePromoting products you have never used

FixStart with things you own. Viewers notice when you cannot answer a simple question about the product.

MistakeSharing the store's normal link

FixCopy the link from your program's dashboard. The normal link pays you nothing.

MistakeTen products in your first week

FixStart with three. Post about one at a time and see which one people tap.

MistakeWaiting until you have a website

FixUse your bio page as the website, with the account you already have.

MistakeNo label on the link

FixWrite "paid link" next to it and say it in the video.

Your task this week

1
Write down three products you use every week and would buy again.
2
Find the affiliate program for each one and apply with your bio page address.
3
Add the first approved link to your page and post about that product.

You are done when your page shows one labelled affiliate link and one post sends people to it.

Next lessonBest affiliate programs for beginners, by kind of program

Questions

How much do affiliate links pay?

Each program sets its own rate. Some pay a part of the sale, and some pay a fixed amount per order. The terms show the rate, the cookie window and the payout minimum. Your income comes from how many people buy, so nobody can promise a number.

Do you need a website for affiliate marketing?

No. Many creators start with social posts and a bio page that lists their picks. A few programs want a site with your own articles, so read the application form first.

Which affiliate program is best for beginners?

The one that sells products you already use and explains its rules clearly. Big retailer programs and brand programs are common first choices. Lesson 2 compares the kinds of programs.

Can you make a full-time income from affiliate marketing?

Some people do, but nobody can promise it. Income comes from many small sales over months of posting. Start with one product, measure clicks and sales, and grow what works.

Sources

FTC, FTC's Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking

Sources checked on 11 November 2026.

How to start affiliate marketing without a website

Affiliate marketing in plain words

Four steps to start affiliate marketing

Pick the topic you already post about

List three products you use

Join the program that pays for them

Put the links where people tap, then post