Affiliate Marketing 101: What I Wish I Knew Sooner
Let me take you back to when I first dipped my toe into affiliate marketing. We were knee-deep in home renovations, trying to make our home feel like ours on a $20-a-month budget. Chris and I were blogging (back when blogging was just blogging) and sharing every project with anyone who’d listen.
People started asking, “Where did you get that?” or “What color is that wall?” and I’d happily reply in the comments, in emails, and sometimes in full blog posts that were basically glorified shopping lists. But here’s the thing: it took me way too long to realize that sharing those sources could actually be making us money.
Affiliate marketing wasn’t something I planned for or even knew about in those early days. I thought it was just for people with fancy websites and marketing degrees (spoiler: it’s not). Now, looking back, I wish someone had told me what I’m about to tell you, because it works.
First Things First: What Even Is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing is simple. You share a link to a product, someone clicks it and buys, and you get a commission. Think of it as a thank-you from the brand for bringing them a customer. And before you roll your eyes at the word "small," trust me, it adds up.
I talk about this more in my blog How Do Influencers Make Money in 2025 - My Guide to Diversifying Your Income, but affiliate marketing was our first real revenue stream outside of brand partnerships. In 2016, affiliate commissions made up 47% of our revenue. And even though it’s a smaller percentage now (33% in 2024), it’s what gave us the ability to diversify our revenue streams beyond our wildest dreams. We are so grateful for what affiliate marketing has done for us.
Get Over the Fear of "Pushing Links"
If I had a dollar for every time someone said, "I don't want to come off like I'm just selling stuff," I’d have a lot of dollars.
The truth is, If your links are relevant to your content, if they’re products you believe in, and if you genuinely feel like your audience will benefit from them, you are providing a service. A service that’s free to them—but you still get paid for it. Wins for everyone.
Think of yourself as a curator. You’re not just throwing out random Amazon finds and crossing your fingers. You’re sharing things that make your life easier, better, more beautiful. And your audience? They’re busy. They trust you to point them toward what works. That’s not "pushing links." That’s solving problems.
Where to Start: My Go-To Affiliate Platforms
1. Amazon Associates
Amazon is the easiest entry point because literally everyone shops there and as long as you have an Instagram account with even a few followers, you can get into their program. We started by linking to the exact paint colors we used, the tools we borrowed (and eventually bought), and furniture that made our house a home.
After some time in the Associates Program, you can apply to their Influencer Program- which gives you access to your own Storefront. One piece of advice, though, for your storefronts is to organize your recommendations, it’s easier to navigate through. Organize your lists
2. LTK (LikeToKnow.It)
A powerhouse platform, especially for home, fashion, and beauty creators. But fair warning: it’s not super beginner-friendly. You’ll need a bit of an established following to really get traction here. If you get denied, don’t let that stop you, keep applying. They really like to have everything wrapped up in a bow when creators apply to their platform. So if you have built a community already, have a great account, good bio, you know exactly who you are and who you serve, then your chances for approval are pretty high.
3. RivrLinks
This tool changed the game for our Amazon affiliate strategy and the overall experience for our community. RivrLinks deep-links your already-affiliated Amazon links and boosts commissions. After 1 month of deep linking our affiliate links, our conversion rate when from 5% to 15% on Amazon. If you’re serious about maximizing your Amazon earnings, get on this.
Train Your Audience (Yes, Really)
This is where most creators miss the mark. You can’t just slap a link in your Instagram Story and expect people to click. You have to train your audience to expect your links and trust them.
Here’s how:
Show Them How You Use It: Don’t just post a link to a vacuum. Show yourself using it. Explain why you love it. Make it part of your daily content.
Be Honest: People can smell a forced recommendation a mile away. Share the pros and the cons.
Make Clicking Worth It: Offer value. If they swipe up, they know they’re getting the exact source or a special deal.
When people trust you, they click. And when they click, you earn.
Affiliate Income Isn’t "Extra"—It’s Real Revenue
For years, affiliate marketing made up almost half of our income. HALF. And even now, it’s still a massive piece of our business. It’s not "extra cash." It’s what allowed us to grow Chris Loves Julia from a passion project into a brand.
The key? Treat it like a business from day one. Be consistent. Be intentional. Know that you’re offering a curated experience to your audience, and it’s okay to get paid for your time and expertise.
Things I Wish I Knew Sooner
You don’t need a huge audience - We made real affiliate income when we had a small audience. What mattered was that they trusted us.
Link everything you love (& use)- Even if it seems obvious. If someone is asking, “Where’d you get that?” link it.
Track Your Earnings Early - Knowing what’s working helps you do more of it. We didn’t start tracking until 2016. Don’t wait that long.
Curate, Don’t Sell - You’re not a salesperson. You’re the friend who gives the best recommendations.
Ready to Take It Further?
If you’re serious about making affiliate marketing a real income stream, our Earning with Affiliates course inside Good Influence(r) walks you through it step by step. What works. What doesn’t. How to turn clicks into cash without feeling salesy or inauthentic.
Want even more insider strategies? Check out our Affiliates Private Seminar, now live in the shop. It’s a deep dive into what’s working right now for affiliate marketers. Think of it as your fast track to mastering affiliates, with all the behind-the-scenes insights we normally only share inside Good Influence(r).
Affiliate marketing changed our business. It can change yours, too.
But you have to start.
