Pros and Cons of Being an Affiliate Marketer

Affiliate marketing is my all-time favorite way to earn income online. It has been ever since I discovered it years ago. While it is my favorite, there are pros and cons of being an affiliate marketer. I’ll share some of those based on my experience over the years as an affiliate marketer.

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Hey there! I’m Eartha, the creator of this website and an affiliate marketer. I got my start in affiliate marketing after a job layoff. Since then, I’ve been able to make a steady income online.

The road wasn’t easy but I have learned a lot along the way. The pros far outweigh the cons. Learning the skills and staying consistent is the key to making affiliate commissions.

Below are the pros and cons that I’ve experienced over the years.

Why Affiliate Marketing is a Go-To for Making Money Online

There are so many ways to make an income online but affiliate marketing remains one of the beginner-friendly options. The primary reason is that you don’t have to create a product or source products to sell.

That makes it a low barrier to entry and anyone willing to learn how affiliate marketing works can create an extra income online or grow to a full-time income with dedication.

Pros of Affiliate Marketing

Here are some of my favorite pros of affiliate marketing. These are why I continue to be an affiliate marketer.

You Never Need Your Own Product

What is great about affiliate marketing is that you don’t have to worry about product creation or sourcing products. That means never needing to ship anything or worry about processing payments.

All of that responsibility is left to the product creator. Your job is simple to connect a target audience to a product or service that may benefit them.

Work in One or Multiple Niches

There is an affiliate product for almost any niche you can think of – fashion, cooking, personal finance, health & fitness, and more.

Or you can find products that offer a great commission and create an affiliate campaign around it.

Convenient to Do Even if You Work Full Time

You can do affiliate marketing when it’s convenient for you. If you work a part-time or full-time job, affiliate marketing can fit into your schedule. There are many successful digital marketers who have created full-time incomes online while working a 9-to-5 job.

Unlimited Income Opportunity

There are no limitations on the amount of income you can make as an affiliate marketer. The more you make for the product creator, the more you make in commissions. In some cases, some product creators will negotiate a special commission rate for you if you can drive a lot of traffic and sales.

No Customer Service Issues

I’ve worked in retail for years and it has deterred me from wanting to do any type of customer service. That is why I gravitated towards affiliate marketing. Knowing that I could make an income online without dealing with customer service issues was appealing.

There are no worries about answering support tickets or processing refunds. You can simply focus on marketing and earning commissions.

Location Independent

Affiliate marketing enables you to work from anywhere you want as long as you have a WiFi connection. It is the perfect online business model for those who love to travel or live abroad. It is also a great online business for introverts.

Easy to Learn

Many online courses make it easy to learn affiliate marketing. Find a good affiliate marketing mentor and you can help speed up your progress. You can try to learn on your own but I’ve had the best results following a training program that includes a digital marketing coach.

Cons of Affiliate Marketing

While I enjoy affiliate marketing and it is one of my favorite ways to make money online, there are some things to be aware of.

You Have No Control Over the Product

Let’s say you have been successfully promoting a particular affiliate product and then one day the product creator decides to discontinue the product. Your income is wiped away and there is nothing you can do about it. Being an affiliate marketer means you have no say so over the product your are promoting.

No Control Over Commission Rates

The amount of commission that you make is based on what the product creator decides. The commission rate is subject to change as well. It can increase or decrease.

Sometimes You Have to Chase Down Commissions

There have been times when I’ve had to contact an affiliate program to pay my commissions because they were late. It rarely happens but it is a possibility. I’ve even heard of times when an affiliate program couldn’t pay their affiliates. Again, it rarely happens but it is still something to be aware of.

Income Can Fluctuate

When you’re starting, your affiliate income can fluctuate greatly. It takes time to scale your business so that your income is more predictable and regular.

Should You Do Affiliate Marketing?

Now that you are more familiar with some of the pros and cons of affiliate marketing, you may be wondering if it is still something worth pursuing.

In my opinion, if someone is looking to make some extra income online or wants to work towards replacing their full-time income, it is worth pursuing.

Affiliate marketing is low-risk and is also one of the lowest-cost online business models to start.

What I do recommend is thinking long-term versus trying to make a quick buck online. Affiliate marketing doesn’t work that way and you’ll be disappointed if you go into it with a short-term mindset.

Prepare to learn some cool marketing skills and get excited about making your first commission online.

As long as you take the time to learn, be committed, and stay consistent, you can work towards making a steady income online.