Are you tired of the same old affiliate marketing tactics? Are you looking for new and innovative ways to promote your products and increase your sales?
Or maybe you’re looking for a new way to make money online other than promoting other people’s products.
Look no further!
Here are my 5 best affiliate marketing alternatives we’ll cover in this guide:
- Dropshipping
- Starting a YouTube channel
- Network Marketing
- Amazon FBA
- Amazon KDP
Other alternatives to affiliate marketing include copywriting, freelancing, agency, Influencer marketing, forex, crypto trading, Display Ads and blogging, lead generation, and lots more.
You know, making money on the internet has become increasingly popular and easy these days. Many people prefer to work remote jobs rather than the regular 9-to-5 work pattern.
As a result of this new development, a reasonable number of people have decided to venture into affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is a lucrative online business that can make you rich. It changed my life!
However, there are many other profitable online businesses you can try out if you can’t seem to wrap your head around the affiliate marketing strategies out there.
Let’s get started.
5 Best Affiliate Marketing Alternatives & Options
1. Dropshipping
Dropshipping is the first alternative to affiliate on my list – it is a popular form of retail business where you as a retailer accept various customers’ orders without having the product they ordered in stock.
Immediately contact the wholesaler when a customer has placed an order. You pass the order to the wholesaler or merchant that has the product in stock.
The wholesaler or merchant after receiving the order handles the packing and delivery directly to your customer so you don’t have to go through the stress.
How to Make Money From Dropshipping
Dropshipping is a lucrative business producing various high earners globally. Not everyone in the business is indeed making money from it but alternatively, some are earning big without having to spend or invest so much capital.
Here are five vital things you need to know and follow to start steps to start making money with a dropshipping website.
- #1. Set up Your Website Hosting
If you intend to run a successful dropshipping business, you would require a properly configured website.
Selecting the best website hosting would require some detailed research to ensure that you make the right decision.
- #2. Decide on Your Niche
In this next phase, carefully decide what kind of product you want to sell and also the category of customers you intend to reach. Consider the size of your target audience and the profit potential of your product range when selecting your preferred niche.
Certain factors you must consider in selecting your preferred niche are the audience size and profit potential of your product range.
Some top dropshipping niches include:
- Health and beauty products.
- Pet supplies.
- Smartphone accessories.
- Baby products.
- Kitchen and grocery.
- Office products.
- Tools and home improvement.
- #3. Find Your Dropship Suppliers
There is no drop shipping without a supplier. It would be best if you found the perfect supplier for the product you intend to sell. You can conduct your search manually or use specific applications to assist you with your search.
- #4. Design Your Store Front
Designing your website front-end is a very important task. A capable front-end web designer can help you design your online store. You can decide to use an online store builder like Shopify to design your store.
Use clean and attractive pictures of your product and detailed information that are likely to compel customers to make a purchase.
- #5. Develop a Marketing Strategy
After successfully setting up your website, the next and most important step is to create a scalable marketing strategy for your eCommerce business.
Develop a workable plan to promote your business on the right social media platform where your target audience is. Getting the right products to the right audience will automatically result in increased sales
Differences Between Dropshipping and Affiliate Marketing
Dropshipping and affiliate marketing are two of the best ways to make money online. However, there are core differences between them.
| Dropshipping | Affiliate Marketing |
| A source of active income | Excellent source of passive income |
| Require customer support | Does not require customer support |
| Not commission-based | Commission-based |
| Control over product and pricing | No control over product and pricing |
| You are building your asset and brand | You are selling for another organization |
Examples of People Earning Big From Dropshipping
- Andreas & Alexander
Andreas Koenig and Alexander Pecka are popular dropshippers and are also among the top earners in this field.
As of 2020, they were making about 500,000 a month in revenue. Since then, the business has grown significantly to a point where it seamlessly generates $10 million per year.
- Harry Coleman
The second individual on our list is Harry Coleman, nicknamed the beast of eCom. Harry went into the dropshipping business in 2016 when he was introduced to AliExpress dropshipping. By 2018, Harry had made about $5 million in revenue.
- Cole Turner
When mentioning the richest dropshippers in the world, you cannot overlook Cole Turner. He started dropshipping when he was 18. Between 2019 and 2022, he generated $2 million worth of revenue in sales.
2. Being a YouTuber
Starting a YouTube channel is another viable affiliate marketing alternative that could make you tens and thousands of dollars online. A YouTuber is an online influencer who converts interesting content to videos and uploads it on Youtube for their viewers to see.
In most cases, the content uploaded is the most knowledgeable, humorous, and entertaining video content.
The job of a YouTuber requires skill and creativity. Being a successful YouTuber is not limited to a class of people. Anyone with the drive and required skill can give it a shot and succeed at it.
How To Become A YouTuber?
To be a successful YouTuber it is important to follow their vital steps diligently.
- #1. Identify Your Niche
The first and most important step is identifying your niche or topic of interest. Your topic of interest helps you generate great content which is compelling enough to get the attention of various audiences who are interested in that field.
Lucrative YouTube niches include:
- Gaming
- Makeup
- Sports
- Music
- Movies
- Tech
- #2. Research Your Competitors
The next step in your journey as a YouTuber is to gather the necessary information concerning your area of interest.
To execute the phase effectively, you can research the style of the top ten YouTubers in your niche and analyze the below criteria:
- Video effects (e.g., visual effects and sound effects)
- Video formats (e.g., Q&A, expert interview, storyline)
- Locations (e.g., studio, outdoors, on set)
- Sets (e.g., at home, workplace, designed set, animated)
- #3. Understand Your Target Audience
Properly analyzing your target audience and figuring out the kind of content that they love is crucial for YouTube’s success. Not all audiences are the same. The type of content you are willing to offer will determine the kind of audience you will attract.
- #4. Create a Visually Appealing Channel and Top Notch Content
Finding and understanding your target audience is the easy part. The hard part is the content creation phase.
Ensure you invest in the best tools to record your videos. This helps to promote excellence and also for your audience to get the message.
- #5. Publish Your Content
Once your video is void of errors and appealing enough for the target audience it was created for, you can proceed to the publishing phase.
Following these steps guarantees that you will become a successful YouTuber and excel in your preferred niche of interest.
Differences Between Being a YouTuber and Affiliate Marketing
| YouTube Influencer | Affiliate Marketing |
| Not commission based | Commission based |
| You are building your asset and brand | You are selling for another company |
| The primary purpose is not to make sales | The purpose is to make sales |
| ONLY video content required | Different content types required |
Examples of People Earning Big as YouTubers
- MrBeast
The name MrBeast carries a lot of respect in the Youtube world. He has 88.7 million subscribers on his main channel. In 2021, his estimated earnings were around $54 million.
- Jake Paul
Jake Paul is a notable content creator who has a successful YouTube channel of 20.4 million. In 2021, his estimated earnings were $45 million.
- Rhett & Link
Rhett & Link are popular comedians on YouTube. They have a family-friendly talk show called “Good Mythical Morning” and a collaborative cooking show called “Mythical Kitchen.” These two shows are just a few among the various ventures which they run on the platform.
This clever duo has an estimated earning of $30 million in 2021 and 17.4 million subscribers for their Good Mythical Morning show.
3. Network Marketing
Network marketing is a popular business model that uses a person-to-person sales strategy. To run an effective network marketing business, you need to build a reliable network of business partners.
Network marketing simply works when a company creates various tiers of salespersons who are also expected to get people to join their own network of salespersons.
As the network grows, so do the sales and commission on each sale. The higher you are on the network, the more money you are likely to earn.
How to Make Money from Network Marketing
- #1. Choose the Right Company
Choosing the right organization to work with is vital for your success as a network marketer. Your choice of the company must be done strategically. Properly analyze its products to be sure they are easily sellable.
To make your work easier, you can conduct proper research on multiple organizations so you can discover which organization is perfect for you.
- #2. Find and Contact Potential Clients
Networking marketing is practical and requires your involvement at all levels. One practical way to excel is to apply your prospecting skill.
Generating the right leads is vital because you cannot always depend on your downlines to get the job done for you.
- #3. Network With Other Marketers
If you function as an island, network marketing is not for you. True success in this field comes from a solid and beneficial relationship between those that are ahead and those below you.
- #4. Create a Marketing Strategy That Works
Having people join your network is the primary way to measure if you are making progress in what you do or not. Your marketing strategy is one part you are not permitted to get wrong; it must be foolproof.
Carefully come up with an effective network marketing strategy that can help you determine who has a need for your goods and service.
With your marketing strategy in check, you are in for a great ride as a network marketer.
Differences Between Network Marketing and Affiliate Marketing
Network marketing and affiliate marketing are two online businesses that can make you rich. However, there are some key differences between network marketing and affiliate marketing.
| Network Marketing | Affiliate Marketing |
| Does not require formal marketing infrastructure | Requires formal marketing infrastructure |
| Require customer support | Does not require customer support |
| Difficult to Forecast sales | Efficient sales forecast |
| There is a reward system and multi-level compensation | Not multi-level |
| This could require building a team and meetings | No meetings, no team building required |
Examples of People Earning Big as Network Marketers
- Igor Alberts & Andreea Cimbala
Igor Alberts & Andreea Cimbala are partners in network marketing and have acquired years of experience in the field.
The name of their company is DagCoin – Success Factory.
They have been able to successfully earn an average of $21.6 million annually. Their lifetime income is $150 million. These figures make them the highest-earning network marketers globally.
- Ivan & Monika Tapia
This is another super couple on this list. Ivan & Monika Tapia are from the United States and are considered among the most successful network marketers globally.
Their company is IM Mastery Academy. As a team, they earn an average of $18 million annually. Their lifetime income is $28 million.
- Trin & Jirawan Vichaidith
These are the only network marketers on our list that are not couples. Trin & Jirawan Vichaidith are both from Thailand and their company is called Nu Skin.
The company is both popular and successful in their country. Their annual income is $16,020,000 with a lifetime income of $19,000,000.
4. Amazon FBA
The word FBA means Fulfillment by Amazon. Amazon FBA is a unique service that enables businesses to outsource order fulfillment to Amazon.
This fulfillment option makes it possible for businesses to send their various products to Amazon fulfillment centers. When a customer makes an order, Amazon fulfills it on your behalf.
In simple terms, you sell the product but Amazon does the rest of the job such as storing, picking, packing, and shipping. Amazon also offers customer service and processes returns for those orders.
Let’s get you started with your Amazon FBA business. Follow these easy steps, so you can get your business up and running.
How Amazon FBA Works
- #1. Choose the Right Product
Before opening an Amazon FBA account, figure out what hot products you can easily sell. You mustn’t be hasty in making this decision because the wrong product will affect sales and also affect your income.
- #2. Select Your Preferred Target Audience
Your target audience is the customers you want to sell to. Be strategic about your choice because choosing the wrong target audience will not give you the desired result regarding sales.
You should conduct in-depth research concerning the interests, locations, age groups, and preferences of your target audience.
- #3. Maintain an Adequate Inventory Level
After signing up with the fulfillment service, Amazon will contact you about vital details concerning the inventory level of your products.
You should ensure you have adequate stock at all times in your inventory to avoid your customers not being able to purchase their products of choice.
- #4. Market Your Products
After you have selectively chosen your product and determined your target market, you have to strategically market your products to your audience. It’s impossible to sell your products without proper promotion and advertisement.
You are responsible for developing creative marketing campaigns that will get the attention of consumers to buy from your store.
- #5. Contact Amazon for their Fulfillment Service
Contact Amazon to allow you to send and store your products in one of their many fulfillment centers. These fulfillments are well-equipped warehouses properly run by employees.
- #6. Amazon Takes Stock of your Inventory
After you have registered your business with Amazon, their employees will take stock of your products to ensure they are of the right amount and value.
- #7. Amazon Takes full responsibility for logistics
When a customer places an order, Amazon is responsible for picking the item from the shelves, packing it in a box, and shipping it to your customers.
- #8. Customer Service
After shipping the package, Amazon proceeds to contact the customer to check if they have received the package. Amazon’s customer service is available 24/7 to answer inquiries. They also handle returns and refunds on your behalf.
Differences Between Amazon FBA and Affiliate Marketing
Amazon FBA and affiliate marketing offer you a great opportunity to earn money online. However, there are differences between them in terms of how they operate.
| Affiliate Marketing | Amazon FBA |
| Commission based | Not Commission based |
| You are selling for another company | You are building your asset and brand |
| The organization did not help with the sales process | Amazon helps with the sales process |
| Requires content creation | Doesn’t require content creation |
Examples of Successful Amazon FBA Sellers
- Spigen
Spigen is a successful tech hardware company popular for its sleek and durable phone cases and other phone accessories. The company was launched in 2008 by Daeyoung Kim.
Spigen’s tremendous growth is directly linked to its involvement with Amazon FBA. The company’s strategy has remained effective since its inception but has evolved over the years to ensure that the company keeps achieving its sales goals.
Spigen’s number one strategy is to drive traffic to product pages on Amazon. This strategy became more effective when Amazon launched the Brand Referral Bonus (BRB) program.
With the BRB, they were entitled to a 10% bonus on the sales that resulted from off-Amazon traffic.
- Honest Paws
Honest Paws specializes in making premium pet products. The company has ventured beyond just making pet products into wellness products after its launch in 2016 by Josh Awad.
As most organizations experience issues getting the best advertising strategy to drive traffic to buy their product, Honest Paws also had the same issue.
Their solution was to take advantage of BRB, which resulted in them making $12K to $15K in sales on a single link.
- Lumineux
Lumineux is an oral care product that was launched in 2015 by Justin Maddahi. The company has grown to be very popular and also trusted for its results regarding dental care.
The company was able to seamlessly earn about $100,000 from Amazon excluding their standard revenue.
Their main strategy was Amazon BRB and Amazon Attribution which helped them to drive traffic and also increase their sales tremendously.
Related: The Wholesale Formula Review: Best Amazon Wholesaling Course?
Amazon KDP
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) was formed to help people publish and sell their books online. With this platform, writers and book publishers can publish their books for free and also make them available to a large audience globally.
You can sell various book formats like hardcovers, paperbacks, or ebooks on Amazon and earn money consistently.
How to Sell via Amazon KDP
- #1. Write your Book
Writing the book is a crucial step. Without your book, you cannot make money via Amazon KDP. However, do not make the mistake of writing a book without considering if there is a ready market for your book category.
There are various book categories on Amazon KDP such as fiction, non-fiction, horror, romance, religious, and more. The choice of which category you want to focus on is yours.
- #2. Open an Amazon KDP account
After you have come up with a well-written book that your target audience wants, the next important phase is to publish your book on Amazon. To publish your book you have to sign up to kindle direct publishing and open a personal account.
- #3. Create Awareness
After you have successfully opened an account, you will have to create awareness for your book. With Amazon advertising, you can create awareness and run ads to promote your book and encourage sales.
Other effective tools that can help you reach your desired audience include social media, direct messaging, and emails.
- #4. Launch Your Book
You will have to make certain vital information available such as a short description of your book, price, and category to launch your book. After delivering this information, your book is ready for launch
Differences Between Amazon KDP and Affiliate Marketing
| Affiliate Marketing | Amazon KDP |
| Commission based | Not Commission based |
| You are selling for another company | You are building your asset and brand |
| You can sell different products | You sell only books on one platform |
Example of People Earning Big from Amazon KDP
- Carol Tice
Carol Tice is a renowned ebook writer who has been writing ebooks for the past 6 years. He has successfully made over $45,000 selling ebooks on Amazon.
- Louise Lennox
Louise Lennox started writing and publishing on Amazon after the pandemic and just like other Amazon publishers like her she has earned above $50,000 in KDP royalties so far in 2022.
Louise has written and published 12 ebooks since she started writing. The genre she focuses on is contemporary romance.
- Orlando Sanchez
After his business was negatively affected by the pandemic, Orlando Sanchez decided to focus on writing as a full-time job. He has earned above $45,000 and he is on the verge of doing better. Most of his books are mainly science fiction and fantasy.
Wrap on Alternatives to Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is not the only lucrative niche where you can earn money and build your finances. Many other alternatives have various potentials and offer opportunities that would benefit you if you decide to venture into them:
- Dropshipping is an ideal affiliate marketing alternative if you want to develop your online brand and enjoy full control over profit and quality.
- Network Marketing has more income potential for the long term when compared with affiliate marketing.
- Amazon FBA is a lucrative affiliate marketing alternative that requires substantial capital to start.
- Amazon KDP is an ideal affiliate marketing alternative for beginners that requires little or no cost to get started.
- Becoming a YouTuber is a smart passive income stream that requires you to build a viral channel.
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