Affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to make passive income online. Whether you’re a blogger, content creator, or entrepreneur, knowing the different types of affiliate marketing can help you pick the right strategy for success.
In this guide, we’ll explain the main types of affiliate marketing, how each one works, and share examples to help you get started.
What is Affiliate Marketing?
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Affiliate marketing is a way to earn money by promoting other companies’ products or services. It’s performance-based, meaning you get paid a commission when someone makes a purchase or takes a specific action using your unique affiliate link. Sounds easy, right?
Now, let’s explore the different types of affiliate marketing and see how you can use them to your advantage!
Types of Affiliate Marketing
1. Unattached Affiliate Marketing
Unattached affiliate marketing is the most relaxed and hands-off way to do affiliate marketing. You don’t need to connect with your audience or prove your expertise—just focus on promoting the product or service.
How It Works:
- You act as a promoter, using ads like Google Ads or Facebook Ads to attract people.
- Your job is to drive traffic to the product’s landing page through well-planned ads.
- People clicking on your ads don’t care about who you are; they’re simply interested in what the ad offers.
Example:
Let’s say you’re promoting an online fitness program. You create an ad on Google with an eye-catching headline like “Get Fit in 30 Days!”. The ad directly links to the fitness program’s page. If someone signs up through your link, you earn a commission.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- No Content Hassle: You don’t have to write blogs, make videos, or interact with an audience.
- No Need for Trust-Building: You’re not relying on building relationships or convincing people to trust you.
- Scalable: You can run multiple ad campaigns on different platforms to earn more.
- Quick Setup: Just create ads and get started—no need for lengthy preparation.
Cons
- Expensive Ads: Running paid ads like Google Ads or Facebook Ads can be costly.
- Lower Conversions: Since there’s no personal connection, some people might not trust the product right away.
- Needs PPC Skills: You need to know how to manage PPC (Pay-Per-Click) campaigns effectively to make it profitable.
- Ad Competition: Popular niches can have lots of competition, and ads can become less effective over time.
Who Is It Best For?
- People who are great at running ad campaigns, like PPC (Pay-Per-Click) ads.
- Marketers who don’t want to create content or build a personal brand but still want to earn money.
2. Related Affiliate Marketing
Related affiliate marketing is one step closer to building trust with your audience, but the best part? You don’t have to personally use the products you promote! Instead, you use your knowledge about your niche to recommend products or services your audience will find useful.
How It Works:
- Add affiliate links to your content, like blog posts, YouTube videos, or social media posts.
- The products or services you recommend should be relevant to your niche and audience, even if you haven’t tried them yourself.
Example:
Let’s say you run a tech blog about gadgets. You write a blog post on the “Top 10 Budget Smartphones” and include affiliate links for each phone. Even if you haven’t personally tested all of them, your readers trust your knowledge and will consider your recommendations.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Builds Credibility: You can recommend products without needing to use them, but still come across as knowledgeable in your niche.
- Content-Friendly: Works perfectly with blogs, videos, or social media content.
- Easy to Add: You can easily include affiliate links in content you’re already creating for your audience.
- Wide Options: You have plenty of products and services to choose from within your niche.
Cons
- Less Personal Trust: Your audience might trust your recommendations less since you haven’t personally tried the product.
- Needs Niche Expertise: You need good knowledge of your niche to create convincing and helpful content.
- Time-Consuming: Creating engaging and relevant content regularly takes effort and time.
- Varied Results: Conversion rates depend on how much your audience trusts your advice.
Who Is It Best For?
- Bloggers, YouTubers, or influencers who create content around a specific topic or niche.
- Content creators who want to use their expertise and audience’s trust to promote relevant products.
3. Involved Affiliate Marketing
Involved affiliate marketing is the most personal and trustworthy way to promote products. It’s all about sharing things you’ve actually used and genuinely love. This approach helps you connect deeply with your audience, making them more likely to trust your recommendations and take action.
How It Works:
- You try the product or service yourself and share your honest experience.
- Create detailed reviews, tutorials, or stories showing how the product benefits you.
- Your goal is to show your expertise and help your audience feel confident about their purchase.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- High Trust: Since you’ve used the product yourself, your recommendations feel honest and credible.
- Better Conversions: Your personal connection with your audience makes them more likely to trust and act on your suggestions.
- Loyal Audience: It helps you build long-term loyalty and keeps your audience engaged.
- Relatable Branding: Sharing your genuine experiences creates a personal and authentic image.
Cons
- Time and Money: You’ll need to spend time and money testing and using products before promoting them.
- Limited Choices: You can only recommend products you’ve genuinely tried and liked.
- Effort Required: Creating detailed reviews or tutorials takes a lot of work.
- Depends on Your Audience: Success relies on having a loyal and engaged audience that values your input.
Example:
Imagine you’re a fitness influencer. You’ve been using a protein shake for months and have seen great results. You post your before-and-after photos on Instagram, share how it tastes, how effective it is, and why you love it. You then include an affiliate link so your followers can buy it too.
Who Is It Best For?
- Bloggers, influencers, or creators who want to build a strong connection with their audience.
- Affiliates who value authenticity and want to be seen as trustworthy.
Affiliate Marketing With EarnKaro
EarnKaro is a super simple affiliate marketing platform where you can earn by promoting products from big brands like Flipkart, Myntra, and Ajio. All you have to do is sign up for free on the EarnKaro app or website, create unique affiliate links for products, and share them on WhatsApp, Telegram, or social media.
Whenever someone buys through your link, you earn a commission. The best part? You can withdraw your earnings once you hit just ₹10 directly into your bank account!
With tons of products to promote, an easy-to-use interface, and great support, EarnKaro is perfect for beginners and pros looking to earn a side income.
Conclusion
Affiliate marketing gives you the freedom to work on your own terms and the chance to earn big. But to succeed, it’s important to know the different types and choose the one that suits you best.
Whether you’re new to affiliate marketing or want to improve your game, try out these strategies and see what works for you.
Ready to get started? Explore affiliate programs in your niche today and kickstart your journey to earning passive income.
FAQs
Which type of affiliate marketing is best?
You can choose unattached for ads, related for niche content, or involved for trust-based recommendations.
How many types of affiliates are there?
Affiliate marketing types include Unattached (ads-based), Related (niche-focused), and Involved (trust-driven), with marketers like influencers, bloggers, coupon sites, PPC experts, and niche creators.
Is affiliate marketing suitable for beginners?
Affiliate marketing is beginner-friendly—start with Related Marketing, use free traffic methods, and join networks like EarnKaro.
Which type of affiliate marketing is the most profitable?
Involved Affiliate Marketing is the most profitable due to high trust, repeat purchases, and premium commissions from authentic recommendations.
