Affiliate marketing: How to get started successfully

Affiliate marketing is a commission-based model in which you promote third-party products or services via special links - and receive a commission if the referral is successful. In an increasingly digital world where recommendations and purchasing decisions are made online, affiliate marketing offers an effective way to turn your reach into sales - for companies as well as bloggers, influencers and other content creators.

Why is affiliate marketing relevant?

Affiliate marketing is no longer just a topic for large platforms. It offers a wide range of opportunities for different target groups:

• As a blogger, you can monetise your content by recommending suitable products that offer your readers real added value.
• As an influencer, you can use your reach on social media to present products authentically and earn passive income in the process.
• As a company, you benefit from a performance-based sales channel that only incurs costs when sales are actually generated.
• As a content creator, podcaster or newsletter operator, you can provide your community with relevant offers in a targeted manner - without having to sell your own products.

Especially in times of rising advertising costs and declining organic reach, affiliate marketing is a scalable, transparent and low-risk way to utilise your digital presence economically.

This article offers you a practical introduction to affiliate marketing. It shows you how you can generate passive income by promoting third-party products via special links - without having your own product or start-up capital. You will gain a sound understanding of the business model, the players involved and the technical process, including legal basics such as labelling requirements and GDPR. Whether you are a blogger, influencer or entrepreneur, with a clear strategy, high-quality content and a suitable niche, you can use affiliate marketing in a targeted manner to turn your digital reach into sustainable sales.

Tip: Get started right away and benefit from the print24 affiliate programme, become our partner and earn money!

You can register free of charge via the following website: Affiliate (https://affiliate.print24.com/uk)

Earn money online with the print24 affiliate programme

The print24 affiliate programme is open to everyone - whether you are a private individual, company, blogger or media professional. You can benefit in particular if you have a broad reach, whether on social media, your website, in a podcast, or via traditional channels such as print, TV, or radio.

Participation is completely free and risk-free. You will receive personalised advertising materials such as banners and codes that you can use to address your target group directly. Your customers are allocated via your personalised link or code.

Attractive commissions and transparent billing

You receive a commission of 10% of the product price for every order placed by a referred customer. In the case of voucher code advertising, the voucher value is deducted once.

The commission runs for one year from the first order and is paid out monthly to your PayPal account (from a balance of €20).

You can find an overview of your earnings in the "My balance" section.

Important: The commission will only be credited after production and invoicing have been completed. With the right channel and a strategic approach, you can build up a sustainable additional income.

What does "affiliate" actually mean?

The term "affiliate" comes from the English language and means "connected" or "associated". In digital marketing, it refers to a person or organisation that promotes a company's products or services and receives performance-based compensation for doing so.

The basic principle is:

• Recommendation: Introduce a product or service.
• Refer: Users click on your customised affiliate link.
• Earn: If the action is successful (e.g. purchase, registration), you receive a commission.

This model offers advantages for both sides:

• Companies only pay if they are successful and increase their reach.
• As an affiliate, you can generate income without your own product - often even passively.

Although affiliate marketing and influencer marketing overlap to some extent, they pursue different goals and remuneration models.

With affiliate marketing, the focus is on measurable referrals: you recommend a product via a unique link and only receive a commission if a specific action is taken, such as a purchase or registration. The remuneration is therefore performance-based and can be precisely allocated using tracking methods such as cookies or IDs.

Influencer marketing, on the other hand, focuses more on reach and brand image. Here, influencers are usually paid on a flat-rate or campaign-related basis, regardless of whether a direct sale is made. The personal experience with the product plays a central role, and the content is often more emotional or visually staged - for example, via Instagram, TikTok or YouTube.

While affiliate marketing primarily occurs on blogs, websites, and comparison portals, influencer marketing has a significant impact on social platforms. However, both approaches can complement each other: Influencers can use affiliate links to additionally monetise their recommendations.

How does affiliate marketing actually work?

Affiliate marketing is based on a simple but effective interplay between three key players:

The main players

• Advertisers (also: merchants or providers) Companies that sell products or services and offer an affiliate programme. They provide advertising material and individual affiliate links and remunerate successful referrals.
• Publisher (also: affiliate or sales partner) Individuals or organisations that advertise the advertiser's products - for example, via blogs, YouTube channels, social media or comparison portals. They integrate affiliate links into their content and receive a commission if the campaign is successful.
• End customers: Users who reach the advertiser's website via an affiliate link and carry out a defined action there - e.g. a purchase, a registration or a click.

The technical process

1. Affiliate link The publisher receives an individual link that uniquely identifies them. This link is integrated into content, such as blog articles, video descriptions, or social media posts.
2. Tracking When the affiliate link is clicked, a tracking mechanism is activated, typically via cookies or IDs. This enables the tracking of which publisher referred to which action.
3. Commission for successful action If the end customer carries out a defined action within the tracking period, the publisher receives a commission. Depending on the programme, this can take the form of a:
   • Sale (purchase of a product),
   • lead (e.g. login or registration) or
   • Click (pure page view).

The commission is either settled automatically via the respective affiliate network or directly by the provider. You can usually view and analyse your earnings via a personal dashboard.

While influencers are often paid a flat rate for their reach, regardless of actual sales success, the focus in affiliate marketing is on measurable referrals. However, both approaches can be sensibly combined: As an influencer, you can also use affiliate links to monetise your recommendations in a targeted manner.

Technical process at a glance

As a publisher, you will receive an individual affiliate link that uniquely identifies you. If users click on this link, tracking is activated - typically via cookies or IDs. This enables monitoring of who referred the action and whether a purchase, registration, or click was made. The tracking duration varies depending on the programme and can range from a few hours to several weeks. Alternatively, modern methods such as fingerprinting or server-side tracking are also employed, particularly in cases where data protection regulations impose restrictions.

Advantages and disadvantages of affiliate marketing

Advantages:

• Low barriers to entry
• Passive income possible
• Large selection of programmes

Disadvantages:

• Dependence on programmes and tracking
• Competition and falling commissions
• Legal requirements (e.g. labelling obligation)

Affiliate marketing and the law: labelling requirements, GDPR & tracking rules at a glance

• Labelling requirements apply in many countries: affiliate links must be labelled as advertising or "paid partnership".
• Violations can lead to warnings or fines.
• You should familiarise yourself with data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR) and tracking guidelines to stay on the safe side legally.

How to get started as an affiliate

Getting started in affiliate marketing is straightforward - the key is to have a clear strategy. Firstly, choose a suitable niche that aligns with your interests and target audience. Decide on a platform, such as a blog, YouTube, or social media, where you can regularly publish content. Register with an affiliate network to receive suitable programmes and links. Create content with real added value and integrate your affiliate links transparently and sensibly - this will create trust and increase your chances of success.

Affiliate marketing - your entry into the digital referral business

Affiliate marketing is much more than a short-term trend. It is a sustainable business model that offers you, as a content creator, entrepreneur or brand new opportunities to turn your reach into targeted sales.

The best thing about it is that you can start at any time. You don't need start-up capital or your own product - just curiosity, perseverance and the will to offer real added value.

With a clear focus, high-quality content and an understanding of your target group, you can build up a passive income step by step - or expand your existing business with a powerful sales channel.

Affiliate marketing is not a get-rich-quick scheme, but it is a smart strategy for long-term digital growth. Start today - with structure and patience. Your first clicks could be the start of something big.