Affiliate marketing has been “a thing” for nearly three decades (centuries, actually, if you include referral marketing, which, at root, is what affiliate marketing is). But it didn’t really start picking up steam until the internet did. Amazon Affiliates is the most popular affiliate marketing program — around 2.3% of all websites that use advertising networks are members.
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But what exactly is affiliate marketing? Tomi Huttunen, the owner and chief finance writer for OCS, explained.
“The best way to explain affiliate websites to people who don’t know about them would be that you set up a website where you share content about products or services you’re passionate about or knowledgeable about,” Huttunen said. “The goal from that is to attract visitors who would be interested in those products and encourage them to click on your affiliate links.”
He provided an example: “If your website is based all around fitness, you might write blog posts like ‘Top 10 Travel Gadgets for Runners’ or ‘How to Build a Home Gym on a Budget,’ the way you then make money from this is by including affiliate links within your articles, directing readers to purchase those products. When they do, you earn a commission. It’s a great way to turn expertise or hobbies into extra income.”
Affiliate marketing has certainly worked out well for Huttunen. He started out a decade ago and has since amassed over seven figures across his portfolio of websites. How did he get here? What can others looking to become millionaires learn from his journey?
Before getting started with affiliate marketing, Huttunen homed in on a niche.
“My main niche when starting out was the affiliate gambling space,” Huttunen said, adding that he’s since expanded into other topics — a choice driven by recent Google updates that put pressure on him to diversify his portfolio. Currently, he’s building up websites in the sports space.
Working with a niche is key to being successful in affiliate marketing. But don’t be intimidated. It’s not difficult to pick one. Go where your personal interests take you.
“I’d say the best way to pick a niche is to find something that you’re interested in and have a passion for because in the early stages you are going to have to be the one to write about the topic of the website so if you don’t have an interest in the niche it’s going to become something you hate doing (I’ve fallen into this trap),’ Huttunen said. “A niche might seem lucrative from the outside but when you need to put the time into writing the content I’ve found that if you’re providing good quality content then the money will come.”
Huttunen got into affiliate marketing as a side hustle. The goal was to earn some extra income, but as he learned more about affiliate marketing and spent more and more time working on his websites, he realized that he had stumbled onto a goldmine.
Still, he paced himself, taking his time and building up his vision of what success looked like in the field of affiliate marketing.
“Success starts with the mindset that you’re capable of achieving it,” Huttunen said. “Many people delay trying to build wealth because they doubt their abilities or feel like they don’t have the right resources. The truth is, you don’t need to have everything figured out on day one. Take small steps today and trust in your ability to learn and grow along the way.”
Huttunen may have an innate knack for providing content that brands want in on, but he didn’t rely on that alone to build out his career in affiliate marketing. He invested in getting an education to hone his skill.
“Education is one of the most valuable investments you can make,” Huttunen said. “This doesn’t necessarily mean formal schooling, it could be learning new skills, mastering a trade or diving deep into a niche that you’re passionate about. The knowledge you gain will set you apart and open doors to opportunities others might miss.”
After building out his first portfolio of affiliate websites, Huttenan reinvested some of the money he made from them into courses on SEO, digital marketing and business strategy. “That education allowed me to scale faster and make smarter decisions,” he said.
Perhaps most importantly, Huttunen doesn’t let the money he makes from affiliate marketing sit around collecting dust in bank accounts. He sagely invests it.
“The money you earn from affiliate websites shouldn’t just sit idle,” Huttunen said. “Reinvesting is the key to scaling your portfolio and creating additional income streams. I’ve found a balance between reinvesting in my business and allocating funds to the stock market. This creates a diversified approach where my wealth grows across multiple fronts.”
Huttunen doesn’t let his mind sit idle either. He’s dedicated to perfecting his game in affiliate marketing and does this by continuing to educate himself and stimulate opportunities for growth.
“Wealth building isn’t a one-and-done process, it’s a lifelong journey,” Huttunen said. “As your portfolio grows and your financial goals shift, continued education keeps you ahead of the curve. Whether it’s learning about advanced investment strategies, staying informed is key to adapting and thriving.”
