Of course, there is almost always one thing that binds most of these people together, and that is, they are usually strapped for cash or living on a tight budget. This also provides one of the biggest reasons for them wanting to get started in affiliate marketing in the first place.

Newbies are generally told that they need to follow specific parameters to succeed online as an affiliate. This often includes purchasing your own domain, accessing a hosting account, signing up for an autoresponder and more. In a sense, it is kind of saying that you need money to make money (do not misunderstand what I am trying to say here, in most circumstances, it will be true).

Since many of the professed gurus of affiliate marketing often brag with, “It is really not relying on resources, but more about the resourcefulness within you…”, unfortunately, trying to multiply something by zero is still zero.

Try to understand this from a business point of view. Certain costs exist within any business, whether they are fixed or recurring. That is just a natural form of doing business, offline or online.

For some people, finding a second or part-time job to help pay for certain costs of doing business has been a good alternative. It is what you would call resourcefulness. In either case, having some extra money at your disposal to help pay costs is often a necessity.

However, if you are facing a situation and are financially strapped and there is no other way to work a second job, you still have a few options available where you can make affiliate marketing work for you, and pretty much with zero cost.

You may still require the use of a website

I know, I said having no website or funds. Realistically speaking, the meaning is simply not having to pay for a website. Why is a website needed? If you are heading into the game with little resources, your chances of succeeding will depend on how well you can build awareness, authority, and trust.

So, the options available to you require the use of certain platforms that can help to establish the trust and authority you will need. There are many platforms that will allow you to have a presence online where you can have your own free website. However, because the option is free to use, your ability to control certain aspects such as advertising will be somewhat limited. And finally, one of the biggest drawbacks of using a free website option is having to conform to their rules for using the platform, no matter how ridiculous they may seem.

If you defy or go against their terms of service, they can easily remove you from using their service, and without any prior notice. Numerous beginner marketers have lost their sites and their business overnight through the efforts of building on rented property.

So, for better and more long-standing results for your online business, your goal should be to start out by building a presence using a free website and when you begin generating sales and commissions, your efforts should turn to buying your own domain and hosting it on your own account. This will provide you with the ultimate control you need to run your affiliate marketing business.

Here are 2 reliable and popular free platforms that you can use now:

WordPress.com – https://wordpress.com/

Medium – https://medium.com/

Medium is an immensely popular site, but they will not allow you to build your own website. However, they will allow you the opportunity to post your own articles within their platform. For now, that is really all you require.

As mentioned, the site is popular with many visitors, which means they are getting traffic. This can provide you with a huge potential and the possibility of going after low-hanging keywords that can rank well for you. From that point, it is basically a numbers game and whether you can publish targeted articles that will help in getting affiliate sales.

Where to get your affiliate links

Getting your affiliate links should not be problem as many affiliate programs exist that are free to join. Platforms such as ShareASale, Commission Junction, Amazon, Clickbank, and a whole host of other sources. Go ahead and take the steps to sign up with several of these affiliate programs.

ShareASale – https://www.shareasale.com/

Commission Junction – https://www.cj.com/

Amazon Affiliate – https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/

Clickbank – https://www.clickbank.com/

Stay clear of affiliate programs that often require the ‘pay to play’ scenario. This generally requires you to have a monthly subscription to a paid service such as a software or other type of service. Once you pay the monthly subscription, you are graciously accepted into the affiliate program and allowed to promote their products.

There is really no need to do this as there are countless affiliate products available that will allow you to promote them for free without having to jump through hoops.

Getting free traffic

Having extra money available at this point may not be feasible, which means paid advertising is out of the question for now. Fortunately, the next best option is to generate free traffic to your pages by siphoning it from other high traffic sources such as social media sites and popular platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google, and YouTube.

Just so you know, getting free traffic can often require a little time to develop. You are not going to see a massive influx of traffic overnight. To get the reach, you need in targeted traffic, you will need to develop and create a consistent flow of content.

If your content is valuable and top-notch, you will build a following and have people clicking on your affiliate links or article links. So, go ahead and create accounts in the different social media platforms and…

• Begin creating videos with your mobile phone and post them on YouTube
• Set up a Facebook group and a fan page and start posting content
• Create content on your niche and post them on Medium
• Start tweeting your articles/videos/etc.
• Use Canva.com to come up with attractive creatives you can use. (It is free!)

As mentioned previously, it is important to remember that social media sites are not your web properties, so you are never totally safe with them. The goal is to always generate sales until you have enough money to build your own website and list. These are considered YOUR assets.

Putting everything together and making it work

One way to start will be to write and start posting useful articles on Medium (you will embed your affiliate links in the posts). Just remember to disclose affiliate links and DO NOT spam or overdo the placement of your links. The successful way is to think in terms of moderation.

As for your content, if it is good, you will have many curious readers clicking on your links and reaching the sales page of the product you are promoting… which is your main objective.

Point your YouTube videos, Facebook posts, tweets, etc. to your Medium article so that you can pre-sell the reader by providing more information and value. Once you build trust with your audience, your chances of getting the sale will be much higher.

Your Medium account with all your content will act as a hub-site for your affiliate marketing business. The free traffic methods you employ will siphon traffic from different platforms and point them all to your hub site’s content… just like how all roads lead to Rome.

Then it is just a matter of time for the traffic to convert into sales (if your content is valuable and persuasive).

What is next for you?

Keep on keeping on until you start seeing sales trickle in. Give yourself 6 to 12 months to see your efforts yield fruit. This is a slow process, but a rewarding one.

Once you see the commissions coming in, do invest in your business by getting your own domain, hosting and an autoresponder. Being able to build your own mailing list will help to elevate your marketing to the next level and skyrocket your commissions.

This is the best way to bootstrap your way from scratch to affiliate marketing success.

Every artist was first an amateur. – Ralph Waldo Emerson