Getting started with affiliate marketing can feel overwhelming — but don’t worry, that’s totally normal.
If you’re a beginner, chances are you’ve got tons of questions about how affiliate marketing really works.
That’s why in this post, I’m going to answer as many of those questions as I can — based on everything I’ve learned so far.
Is it too late to start affiliate marketing?
Back in 2017, I asked myself the same question. I felt like I had missed the boat — everything online seemed already figured out. Every niche looked saturated. Making money felt nearly impossible.
But then…
Google launched 8 years after Yahoo.
When smartphones were already becoming mainstream, it took Apple another decade to introduce the iPhone.
Too late?
If you really think about it, maybe you’re actually early.
Don’t worry about being the first — focus on becoming the best.If you don’t believe success is possible for you, it never will be.
Five years from now, there will be a new wave of affiliate marketers saying,
“I wish I had started back in 2025.”
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.” – Proverb
I don’t have a tech background — can I still do affiliate marketing?
It’s 2025. I’ve been doing affiliate marketing for over 7 years now… and I still don’t know much about coding or how to build software.
But guess what?
I’ve done just fine.
You don’t need to be a tech expert to succeed.
“The problem isn’t knowledge — it’s resources and leverage.”
If you ever need help with programming or building a website, you can easily hire someone on Fiverr or Upwork. Or just use AI.
Free tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini can already handle a lot of basic tasks for you.
Sure, having some technical knowledge can help you learn faster — but it’s not the most important thing.
I’ve seen tons of developers get into affiliate marketing… and fail.
Why?
Because coding and web design aren’t the key skills in affiliate marketing.
What really matters is your ability to think strategically, analyze data, optimize campaigns, and understand the bigger picture.You need to create something that stands out.
And as you’ve probably guessed — the most important skill of all is marketing.
The good news?
These are skills anyone can learn.
That said, I do think it’s a good idea to learn just a little bit of basic coding — like PHP or CSS.
There will be times when a small fix can save you time and money. Not everything requires a developer. Sometimes, it’s just a line or two of code.
Here’s a free resource to get started: CodeAcademy.
How much money do you need to start affiliate marketing?
When I first started affiliate marketing, I was just a regular person working over 8 hours a day — commuting to work in the morning and coming home late at night. I didn’t have much capital.
After paying rent, bills, and debts, there was basically nothing left to invest in affiliate marketing.
Life felt tight. Frustrating.
But I didn’t let that stop me.
I cut my expenses to the bare minimum. I started looking for freelance gigs online. I worked on my writing skills. I did whatever I could to save a little money.
Instead of going out on weekends, I stayed home and worked.
Eventually, I was able to save about $250 a month. It wasn’t easy, but I didn’t let laziness win.
Let me be straight with you:
I recommend having a minimum budget of $500 per month to invest in affiliate marketing — mainly for paid ads.
There are a few things you must spend money on, like a proper tracking system, hosting, and some tools. But the rest should go into traffic — running ad campaigns.
The more money you have to invest, the more data you can gather, the better your campaigns can be.
Why?
Because affiliate marketing is all about testing and optimizing. If you don’t have enough budget to collect data, you won’t be able to optimize your campaigns properly.
And without optimization, your campaigns are basically just burning money.
If you don’t have enough funds, find a way to make more.
Pick up a side hustle. Do freelance work.
Stop complaining — get that second job if you have to.
You need money to invest in traffic, tools, and systems. Just like any real business, affiliate marketing requires capital.
There’s no shortcut around that.
One thing I never expected?
I’ve seen people start affiliate marketing, only to quit after losing $200.
But in the U.S., some graduates leave school with over $50,000 in student loan debt.
Affiliate marketing has very low risk compared to traditional businesses.
Did you know that to start a restaurant, people often take on massive debt? (And they face a 60% failure rate within the first three years of hard work).
How much money can you make with affiliate marketing?
This is like asking a business owner, “How much money can you make with your company?”
It’s hard to say. It’s not as predictable as a regular paycheck from a job.
Some people make a few hundred dollars a day, while others are making five figures daily.
There are simply too many variables to determine exactly how much money you can make in affiliate marketing.
On average, full-time affiliate marketers can earn anywhere from $4,000 to $20,000 per month.
A super affiliate can make over $1.5 million a year.
But here’s the thing…
The more money you make, the more complicated things can get — that’s the flip side of success.
How long will it take to succeed?
There are so many variables that it’s impossible to give an exact answer.
But from what I’ve observed, most people take anywhere from a few months to 2 years to achieve basic success in affiliate marketing — as long as they’re working at it seriously every single day.
Here are the key factors that will influence your success.
So, how much capital should you invest in affiliate marketing?
The more, the better.
With more capital, you can invest in better tools, attend conferences, join forums, and, most importantly, run more ads to gather more campaign data.
The more affiliate campaigns you run, the faster you’ll gain experience.
The speed of success also depends on the skills and experience you already have.
What skills do you bring to the table? Writing, programming, design, copywriting?
You can always hire someone else for design or programming, but I think it’s crucial to have at least solid writing skills (especially for crafting ads).
Of course, you can use AI, but you still need to understand the basics.
Finding Allies and Mentors
I’m not talking about going out and paying for consultants or coaches. There are other affiliate marketers in your local area — you just need to find them.
But it’s not that easy. Affiliate marketing is often a bit of an underground field, and many affiliates work from home rather than in an office setting.
So, finding someone to help you is no walk in the park.
If you’re serious about learning from someone who’s already been there, you need to be proactive.
Join online communities focused on affiliate marketing — it could be Facebook groups, specialized MMO forums, or other affiliate networks.
Look for local affiliates near you, and invite them for coffee or a meet-up to network.
But keep in mind, Facebook groups can have scammers too, so stay alert and cautious.
How much time should you spend on affiliate marketing?
I know you’re busy. We all are.
But the truth is, there are people who are busier than you right now, yet they’re still making a lot of money with affiliate marketing.
When I first started, I didn’t have much time either, so I made time.
If you’re spending hours stuck in traffic, maybe it’s time to consider moving closer to work.
I gave up a lot of personal hobbies. No weekend parties, no dating, no gaming, no more phone addiction…
All my free time was focused on affiliate marketing.
Warning: The Biggest Regret I Have is Neglecting My Health.
I wasn’t getting enough sleep, I wasn’t sleeping at the right hours, I wasn’t eating well, I wasn’t exercising, and I wasn’t getting enough sunlight.
Now, I look back and regret it.
If I had focused on my health back then, I would have had more energy to work on my ad campaigns.
I’m not promising you’ll become a millionaire in just a few months. It takes time.
It took me an entire year to achieve my first significant results. But because of that, I’ve been able to live a lifestyle that few people get to experience.
Affiliate marketing can be tough, but if you’re making money, it’s way better than struggling for decades.
Especially in tough economic times, a lot of things can happen, and you need to push harder than ever.
I’ve seen many people start affiliate marketing with excitement, just like the New Year gym-goers. But they quit after just a few weeks.They read a few articles on my website and think they know enough. But in reality, they just skimmed through without truly understanding the material.
This course is not for those types of people.
This course is for the 4% who are truly hungry for success. Those who refuse to settle for mediocrity. Those who are willing to learn, make mistakes, and fix them.
One important thing I want to remind you is: don’t overestimate yourself.
The truly skilled people are often the most humble. They can learn from anyone — even someone just starting out.
“In a group of three, one person will always be a teacher.”
So, if someone thinks they’re too good to learn anything more, they’re just a frog in the well.
Even giants like Yahoo and Nokia fell. So, if an individual is too complacent, they won’t go far.
Should you borrow money to do affiliate marketing?
The simple answer: No.
Don’t spend money that’s not yours. That’s a sign of impatience.
I know of a case where a person really wanted to do affiliate marketing.
He had an intense desire to succeed with affiliate marketing, but he didn’t have the money to invest in ad campaigns.
So, he decided to use his credit card, believing he would definitely succeed.
What happened? He ended up sinking deep into debt, with a $10,000 bill, and not a single profitable campaign to show for it.
That’s not investing; that’s gambling.
I know you’re eager to succeed, but you also need to learn patience.
Pick up a side job and start saving up.
You’ll learn to be careful with your money.
Credit cards should only be used when you already have a profitable campaign and need money to scale it.
What skills do you need to succeed with affiliate marketing?
You don’t need to be great right from the start. What you need is persistence, a growth mindset, and a solid learning plan. Success comes to those who are willing to learn and continuously improve every day.
Here are some key skills you’ll need to succeed with affiliate marketing:
- Problem-solving and decision-making
- Creating ads and marketing
- Technology, leveraging AI
- People skills, negotiation, and dealing with partners
- Data analysis, campaign management
- Money management, cash flow handling
- Increasing productivity
- Leadership to manage a team
The good news is that all of these skills are learnable.
Do I have to be shady to succeed in affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is an industry that’s not widely understood.
So, some affiliates will promote harmful products like fake weight loss pills or counterfeit beauty products—things that can actually harm users.
Others might go as far as creating fake reviews in their ads.
This leads to more clicks and sales.
But those are just shady tactics.
Affiliate marketing is simply an industry. What you choose to do and how you go about it is 100% up to you.
Are there some bad affiliates out there? Absolutely.
The good news is there are plenty of ways to make money with affiliate marketing that are 100% legitimate. Like building lead gen lists, e-commerce, promoting apps, and more.
In this course, I’m going to teach you how to do affiliate marketing the right way—honestly and ethically. We’ll build a sustainable career, earning money based on the value you create.
No scamming anyone.
And I believe you want to learn that too.
