Can Beginners Make Money with Affiliate Marketing? Yes — Here’s What to Expect

If you’ve spent more than three minutes Googling “how to make money online,” you’ve already been spiritually attacked by ads promising $10,000 per month in passive income on your first month by “copying this ONE secret strategy.”
(Spoiler: the strategy is usually… paying them money.)

Affiliate marketing is none of that nonsense. It’s legit. It works. And yes — beginners can make money with it, even with a teeny-tiny website and zero followers.

But the real question is:
How much can beginners actually earn — realistically — in 2026?
Grab your emotional support beverage; we’re about to break it down.

This post is part of my ‘Make Money Blogging in 2026 with Proven Strategies That Work’ Master Guide.

What Affiliate Marketing Actually Is (No Corporate Jargon Version)

Affiliate marketing is basically “recommend a product you genuinely like → earn a commission when someone buys it.”

Think of it as:

You: “Hey, I use this tool and it doesn’t make me want to scream. Here’s the link.”
Your reader: “Oh wow, relatable.” *buys the tool*
The company: “Here’s $50 for promoting our product and saying nice things about us.” *sends money to your PayPal*

Companies LOVE affiliate marketing because:

• they only pay you after someone buys (no upfront ads)
• creators = built-in ambassadors
• it feels more trustworthy than classic ads
  (Not to mention less invasive — who the BIG F likes getting sale ads from random company ABC when you’re watching cute animal videos on Insta or re-pinning blurry 70s pics from your favorite female rockstars??)

And beginners love it because:

• no inventory
• no customer service
• no shipping
• no product development
• no “I sold two things, and now my garage is full of boxes” vibes

Plus, it’s an industry worth $12B+, so… we’re not exactly dealing with a tiny side hustle here.

Can Beginners Actually Make Money?

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer: Yes, but not in a “post one TikTok and retire on a yacht” way.

Here’s the reality:

🟣 You don’t need a big audience. You need the right audience.

Even a website with 3,000–10,000 monthly visitors can make solid affiliate income if:

• the content solves a specific problem
• the reader is ready to buy
• you recommend products that actually convert

Affiliate marketing is not about vibes.
It’s about intent.

A small but intentional audience beats a giant “I was just scrolling” audience every time.

Why Beginners Often Do Better Than They Think

Here’s the plot twist: beginners frequently overestimate the difficulty and underestimate the earning potential.

1. Blogging + affiliate marketing is still the #1 beginner-friendly combo

Because Google traffic = search intent = “I’m here to solve a problem.”
People searching for solutions convert.
It’s not about being a big influencer — it’s about answering the right questions.

2. Brands NEED creators more than ever

People trust real humans more than ads. Affiliate marketing studies show that:

• only 47% trust traditional ads
• but 55–76% trust online reviews, bloggers, and creators

Brands know this. Which is why…

3. Commissions in 2026 are getting better

More brands = more competition = better payouts.

It’s a beautiful ecosystem.

But Let’s Be Real: What Actually Stops Beginners From Making Money?

Let’s drag the elephants into the room:

❌ “I have no audience.”

→ You don’t need one. You need traffic with intent, not followers who like memes and never buy anything.

❌ “I don’t know what to promote.”

→ Most beginners choose products that their audience doesn’t care about. Result: tumbleweeds.

❌ “My audience isn’t converting.”

Reasons could be:

• you’re promoting the wrong thing
• your audience has no purchasing power
• your content isn’t explaining why it helps them

No shame — this is a beginner thing, not a failure thing.

My affiliate blogging course explains how to avoid these mistakes.

It’s 100% free!

Just sign up with your email, and you’ll get all the content:

→ step-by-step lessons
→proven tips that actually work
→ 5 PDFs with extra info and profitable niches to start + affiliate programs that PAY WELL to join immediately.

Don’t miss it!

The Real Question: How Much Can Beginners Make?

Okay, let’s talk numbers (the part everyone scrolls for).

These are realistic ranges for beginners in 2026 with a blog or a new niche site:

🟢 Month 1–3: $0–$100

You’re learning. You’re picking programs. You’re crying over Google Search Console. Normal.

🟢 Month 4–6: $100–$500

This is when a few posts start ranking, and your first “OMG I made money” moment happens.

🟢 Month 6–12: $500–$2,000+

You’ve figured out:

• which posts convert
• which products your audience buys
• how to choose better programs with higher payouts

This is the stage where beginners go from “side money” to “this is actually becoming a thing.”

🟢 Year 2: $2,000–$10,000+ depending on niche + content volume

Yes, it can grow into a full-time income.
That’s not hype — that’s normal for creators who stick with it.

How Much Do Affiliate Marketers Make Per Sale?

Welcome to the “it depends” part of affiliate marketing.

Different programs → different payouts → wildly different earning vibes.

→ Example 1: Low commissions

(Amazon Associates, some retail programs)

• $0.10 – $5 per item
• Great for volume
• Beginners burn out because you need so many sales

(I had a literature/book/comics blog in the past, and girrrl, I had to sell 100 f*cking books/comics as an Amazon affiliate to make my first $20 💀💀💀 Do not recommend. Everrrr.)

→ Example 2: Medium commissions

(Tech, software, tools)

• $20 – $100 per sale
• This is the sweet spot for beginners
• Easy to promote, good recurring earnings

→ Example 3: High-ticket commissions

(SaaS tools, website builders, hosting, memberships)

• $100 – $1000+ per sale
• A few sales = real money

This is why bloggers promoting hosting plans frequently earn $5K–$20K/month.
(And yes, your small site can do it too.)

I’m counting my stars that a company I work with upgraded my affiliate tiers (once you start making affiliate sales, good companies start paying more for volume sales!!), and now my commission value is sitting at $500-$1000 for a few specific products, ugh 🥹

I tell people, it’s worth investing in this business!

How many visitors do beginners need to make money?

Not a ton.

➤ You don’t need 100,000 monthly visitors.

You need about 3,000–10,000 targeted visitors to start making consistent earnings.

Example:

• product pays: $50 commission
• monthly visitors: 5,000
• conversion rate: only 2%
  → that’s 100 sales/month
  → $5,000/month

This is not a fairytale. This is math.

Is Affiliate Marketing Really Passive Income?

Affiliate marketing becomes semi-passive once your content ranks.

You:

• write a post
• optimize it
• publish it

Google:

• sends readers to it
• people keep buying
• you keep earning

But the “passive” part comes after a lot of “very much not passive” effort.
I even talk a bit about the not-so-passive full-time blogger reality in a weird post about Halloween and blogging life on my Kit Creator profile.

So no, it’s not “earn while doing nothing.”
It’s “earn later from the work you already did.”

Perfect for beginners (you can build this business slowly while keeping your current 9-to-5), but not magic.

Is Affiliate Marketing Easy?

Hahaha.
No.

But it is simple.

Here’s what beginners need to succeed:

• a niche with clear buying intent
• helpful, honest content
• good programs with solid commissions
• basic SEO skills
• consistency
• commitment and professionalism to get into good affiliate networks

Affiliate marketing is no hard science.
But it requires effort, patience, and “I will finish this blog post even if my brain wants to rearrange my clothes by color at 2 a.m.” Well, in my case, 85% of my wardrobe consists of black clothes, but you got the point.

You’ve totally got this.

So… How Much Can Beginners Actually Earn?

Here’s your realistic 2026 summary:

Affiliate marketing is still one of the best beginner-friendly online income models, especially when paired with a blog.

And it’s absolutely possible to go from “I have no idea what I’m doing” to “this just paid my rent” in under a year.

Want special help getting started on the right track? My FREE COURSE is here for you ↓💜

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→ Read next:
Master Guide “How to Grow a Blog in 2026 With Traffic Strategies That Actually Work.”