100 Days Reading Journey: Day 7 — Rethinking Affiliate Marketing for Authentic Connections

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

Ever thought that affiliate marketing is just a simple way to earn a quick commission?

I used to think so too.

But in my recent reading session of the book The $100 Startup, I realized there’s a lot more to it than slapping a link in a post and watching the sales roll in.

In fact, most affiliate programs don’t work well because they’re set up with two big problems:

low commissions and shallow engagement.

But if you’re curious about how to make it work,

let me take you through what I learned and how I’m planning to put it into action in my own work.

image screenshot from the book The $100 Startup

The Aha Moment

Imagine this: Merchants typically offer small commissions. You promote their products, but what do you get?

A tiny slice of the pie. And most affiliates?

They’re not exactly putting their heart into it; they’re just throwing out links, hoping something sticks.