Starting affiliate marketing without social media followers can be a profitable idea.

However, the affiliate market like any other market requires an audience that serves as
your potential customers.

You may be asking yourself, “How can I join affiliate marketing without following?”

Well, even though most companies require you to provide details of where you intend to market their products and services, such as your website, social media pages, demography, etc. during affiliate marketing registration, some allow you to register without these requirements.

Many affiliate marketing opportunities are available that do not require a huge social media following.

So, if you are interested in affiliate marketing but don’t have a social media following, then this blog post is for you.

I will explain the strategies I use to succeed in affiliate marketing without a social media following.

Let’s jump right in!

What is affiliate marketing?

Affiliate marketing is a way of sharing revenue that allows content creators to partner with companies and earn commissions by promoting their products and services.

The way it works is that you create content like blog posts, YouTube videos, and other content that provides value and keeps your audience engaged and informed.

As your content draws in your audience, you suggest products you are familiar with and frequently use, while also incorporating your unique affiliate link into the content.

When someone clicks your link and buys a product, you earn a commission.

Key Take away

There are three parties involved in affiliate marketing: the merchant, the affiliate, and the customer.

• Affiliate networks provide users access to a variety of affiliate programs with defined payment terms and commission rates.
• You select and promote products that you know and use through your affiliate links.
• When customers use your affiliate links to make purchases, you get paid commissions.

Traditional Affiliate Marketing vs. Search Strategy

Before we continue, it is essential to understand the difference between traditional affiliate marketing and the search strategy.

Traditional Affiliate Marketing

Traditional affiliate marketing usually requires having a following on websites such as YouTube, blogs, or social media.

The major challenge of this strategy to a beginner who has no following is that, during the registration process, the affiliate program platform may require you to provide details about the size and demographics of your audience.

From my experience, you are going to find it difficult to be accepted into the affiliate program through the traditional method because you are new to affiliate marketing with little or no following.

I recommend taking your time to create content and build an audience before adopting the traditional method.

You can check out this article on what you need to do before you start making money on your blog.

The Search Strategy

On the other hand, the search strategy provides a different approach that does not depend on an audience that already exists.

As an alternative, you just create content that specifically targets keywords or topics that people are currently searching for on search engines like Google or YouTube.

Contents like blog posts, videos, and other media that provide valuable information or solve a problem for people searching online.

With the search strategy, you focus on creating content that ranks well in search engine results on Google and YouTube.

This way, even without a following, people searching for relevant topics can find your content.

The most essential thing is creating content that is valuable, informative, and engaging that resonates with your audience.

How to Start Affiliate Marketing Without Followers

There are many ways to start affiliate marketing without having a social media following.

Here are some strategies you can start using today to kick-start your affiliate marketing business:

1. Start a Blog or Website

Bloggers today make more money online with affiliate marketing than they do from other sources.

Starting a blog is a great strategy to kick-start a profitable affiliate marketing business.

Your website or blog helps you create an online presence and provides you with a platform to share your expertise, establish authority, and build relationships with your audience.

A major benefit of blogging is that you can gradually increase traffic and establish yourself as a reliable authority in your niche by using SEO (search engine optimization) techniques and frequently posting informative content that
provides value to your audience.

When writing a blog post, it is important to do keyword research to identify what people are searching for and their questions to provide answers to their questions.

In so doing, you are proving value, and in return, you have an audience that subscribes to your content.

Ensure quality over quantity by posting qualitative content regularly. This will enable your blog to gradually increase in organic search traffic and return visits, establishing you as a credible source that readers would want to utilize to make purchases.

You can also read this article on what you need to do before you start making money on your blog.

2. Start a YouTube Channel

Like blogs and website content, YouTube is one of the platforms on which content is accessed organically.

This makes it a great platform for beginners starting up as affiliate marketers.

Creating a YouTube channel requires you to choose a niche that you have passion about and that has a demand for affiliate products.

Creating engaging and informative content is the first step toward building a relationship with your target audience.

Before you create any video, ensure that the topic of your video is a keyword that is popular in your niche and people are searching for it. This will help attract viewers and subscribers faster.

Consistency is very important. When you consistently publish videos related to your niche that are engaging and provide value. You can organically build a subscriber base over time.

As you create content that people are searching for on YouTube, your viewership and subscribers will grow, and it makes it easier for you to recommend products through your affiliate links in your videos.

3. Build an Email List

Email marketing is one of the most effective digital marketing strategies out there.

Although it can be difficult at first, building and maintaining an email subscriber list can eventually turn into one of the most profitable resources for affiliate marketers.

There are many ways to build an email list. One of the easiest ways to create a lead magnet is by offering valuable content or incentives, such as a free ebook or course, in exchange for subscribers’ email addresses.

Having an email list is like having one of the greatest assets. Once you have the list, it allows you to promote relevant affiliate offers by regularly sending out emails promoting your affiliate products.

To execute an effective email marketing campaign, segment your email list based on subscriber action or demographics for easy customization and personalized targeting.

Don’t bombard your subscribers with spam emails. Rather than just spamming your subscribers with promotional materials, concentrate on developing a relationship with them and offering them valuable content.

Platforms that offer email list services

There are many platforms out there that offer email list services, and each has its features and pricing. The most important part of it is that they offer free versions with a limited number of emails. However, here are some of the popular ones:

• Mailchimp: Mailchimp is well-known for its easy-to-use interface and free plan, which is ideal for small businesses. Email templates, audience segmentation, and marketing automation are among its many features.
• Constant Contact: This is another popular option; it helps organizations design and manage email campaigns by providing adaptable email templates, list segmentation, and tracking capabilities.
• ConvertKit: ConvertKit is a tool designed especially for bloggers, online marketers, and creators. It provides tools like audience segmentation, automation, and editable email templates to help you expand your email list.
• AWeber: AWeber offers many kinds of email marketing tools, including email templates, automation, and analytics, to help businesses create and manage email campaigns.
• : GetResponse provides a range of capabilities, such as CRM, email marketing, landing pages, and marketing automation, to assist businesses in expanding their email lists
  and engaging customers.

4. Try Paid Advertising

Paid advertising is not for everyone, especially for beginners with low budgets.

However, if you are eager to learn how to promote your affiliate products quickly, paid advertising can be an important asset.

Even if you don’t have a big following, you may still target particular demographics and interests with platforms like Instagram Ads, Facebook Ads, and Google Ads.

To get the most from your campaigns over time, start with a small budget and closely monitor your return on investment.

Tips for affiliate marketing with paid ads

Here are some tips you can start using today to get enough of your paid ads:

• Know Your Audience: To create advertisements that
  effectively reach your target audience, it is important to understand their
  demographics, interests, and behavior.
• Choose the Right Platform: Wherever your audience is most active, choose to place ads. It might be Facebook ads, Instagram ads, Google ads, or something entirely else.
• Use Compelling Ad Copy: Write compelling ad copy that compels readers to take action by highlighting the advantages of your advertising product or service.
• Focus on Relevant Keywords: Make sure people who are actively searching for similar items or solutions see your ads by using relevant keywords in your search engine ads.
• Track and Optimize: Keep a close eye on the effectiveness of your advertisements and tweak them as needed to improve performance. This involves adjusting targeting, bidding, and ad copy.

Final Thought

In conclusion, it is possible to start affiliate marketing without having a large following on social media, and the results will still be great.

While traditional techniques may require existing followers, the search approach offers an alternative that concentrates on creating content relevant to popular searches.

Starting a YouTube channel, launching a blog or website, and developing an email marketing list will help you effectively connect and interact with your target audience.
Even though it is a little bit trickier, using paid advertising can also help your affiliate marketing activities grow quickly.

Remember that understanding your audience, creating valuable content, and constantly improving your strategies based on revenue statistics are all necessary for success in affiliate marketing.

Without a large social media following, you can still succeed in affiliate marketing with the correct strategy and commitment.