Can Affiliate Marketing be a Side Hustle?

Last Updated on September 22, 2022

Affiliate marketing has become one of the most popular side hustles because the demand for affiliate marketers is increasing as brands continue to look for ways to advertise their products effectively and drive sales. Can affiliate marketing be a side hustle? 

The quick answer to the question is yes! Let me show several reasons and, more importantly, how you can do it too!

Affiliate marketing appeals to many because it can offer a side gig with flexible hours and little upfront cost. But what exactly is affiliate marketing, and can it be a side hustle? Keep reading to learn more about this money-making opportunity.

In a few words, What is affiliate marketing?

Affiliate marketing is performance-based marketing in which affiliates get paid for promoting and selling products. Many people interested in affiliate marketing don’t know where to start or if it’s even a viable option. To find out more about affiliate marketing, check my post…

What are the benefits of affiliate marketing?

Some of the top benefits of affiliate marketing include:

• Flexibility – There’s no set schedule, and you can work as much or as little as you want. The choice is yours! Some people do well with full-time schedules, and others prefer to dabble in their side hustles on nights and weekends.

• Low startup costs – There are no business costs when starting. You can get started with little to no money. Even If you hire employees or build a team further down the line, expenses are always controlled. 

• High-profit margins – Depending on your niche and how much time you put into it, your profit margins could be very high. Some affiliates make over $100 per sale! Suppose you’re interested in creating a product-based business that focuses on making sales rather than attracting customers. In that case, this could be a good opportunity for you to pursue while still working a full-time job.

Can affiliate marketing be a side hustle? 

You can get started with a 4 step process!

STEP 1 » Choose a niche

It all starts with an interest, something you are passionate about! You name it! It can be a hobby, professional or life experience, or sports. 

Starting an affiliate marketing business in 2022 may seem too late, as the most popular and profitable niches are already overpopulated.

SEO, one of the most vital aspects of successful affiliate marketing, is getting more difficult every year. Despite this, affiliate marketing is still one of the easiest ways to make money online.

It will take more time and effort than it did a decade ago. To start correctly in 2022, pick a niche with a lower SEO difficulty level, less competition, and higher conversion rates.

Let me give you some ideas on trending niches so you can establish a profitable side job this year!

Some low competition niches to start your affiliate marketing side hustle

Health beauty topics

According to research by Grand View Research, the beauty industry grew from $516 billion in 2020 to $521 billion in 2021, estimated to grow to $717 billion by 2025. There are many opportunities to make money in 2022.

In 2022, people will look for topics like DIY hairstyles and DIY fake nails at home. As a result, health topics play an important role. The dietary supplements market was valued at $136.2 billion in 2020 and will be valued at $204.7 billion by 2026. People have been opting for healthier lifestyles and habits due to growing numbers in this industry.

The vitamin & supplement manufacturing industry is expected to be worth $35.6 billion by 2022. Even though the dietary supplement business won’t see colossal development, this sector is not as oversaturated, so marketers can benefit from getting involved in it in 2022.

Ecofriendly 

Products with eco-friendly labels sell very well. It’s no longer possible to ignore climate change, and more people seek environmentally friendly items.

Recycled items include sunglasses, water bottles, coffee cups, rugs, and yoga mats.

Additionally, people seek reusable shopping bags, compostable plastic bags, bamboo toothbrushes, clothes made from recycled materials, and environmentally friendly cosmetics.

The vegan beauty industry is also overgrowing; by 2026, it will reach $20.6 billion annually. It is also an attractive affiliate marketing niche.

Besides these products, you may also promote eco-friendly electronics like laptops.

Backyard office sheds or pods

What started as a necessity soon became a lifestyle. But suddenly you understand that your home office is not “quiet” enough… So why not get the best of both worlds? Grab yourself a small backyard office shed.

I can speak for myself; I love working from home, but with two very energetic daughters and a labrador (not to mention my wife talking to me all the time;)), getting productive can sometimes be challenging. 

Working remotely from home or in a hybrid model is a reality for many companies worldwide. So, like me, thousands of other people working from home face the same difficulties. 

If you should tap into this niche market ASAP because there is a lot of $$$ to be made!

Renewable energy

More than half of the 45% growth in renewable energy capacity occurred in 2020, making it clear that even further growth will happen in the future. 

According to IEA, solar PV will account for more than half of the increase in global electricity capacity by 2026.

Governments worldwide aim to meet net-zero emissions goals, and consumers and homeowners will most likely be pushed to switch to this source. 

As a result, demand for solar energy equipment will increase more than ever before. In this niche, you can create affiliate marketing websites on solar panels, inverters, and roof mounts. 

You can earn more significant commissions as this equipment is of higher price. You may also create an affiliate website reviewing solar-powered products and household appliances.

Electric cars accessories

The electric car industry is continuing to grow, and so are electric car accessories. In 2020, consumers spent $120 billion on electric car purchases (an increase of 50% from the year before). 

Although electric cars are not new to the market, few websites still focus on this topic. If you target electric vehicles as an affiliate, you will not find much competition or difficult SEO. 

Charging stations, home charging stations, and heated blankets are all possibilities. The Amazon affiliate program is among the easiest, and you may find thousands of products related to this subject directly on Amazon.

STEP 2 » Build a website

No worries here nowadays. Literally, anyone can build a website using WordPress. It is no more complex than creating a social media account.

WordPress is one of the Internet’s most popular content management system (CMS) platforms. It’s also one of the easiest ways to launch a website that’s search engine friendly and visitor-friendly.

WordPress makes it easy for anyone to create a website, blog, or online presence. It’s simple, streamlined, and user-friendly. With WordPress, you can build almost anything from a small personal blog to a big eCommerce site.

STEP 3 » Attracting visitors with organic traffic

Organic search is a process of ranking internet search engine results to provide the user with the most relevant and helpful results.

It’s not just about how many times your site appears on Google; it’s about how high up that list you appear when someone searches for something related to your business.

This is a content creation process where you use blog posts to build and reach out to your audience by writing about a subject you are passionate about.

There is a learning curve, and it’s time-consuming because it requires you to be consistent. The good thing is that it is free and is more reliable to the end-user.

STEP 4 » Earn revenue

Once you have traffic, you can profit from it. You can advertise any of the world’s biggest companies without spending a cent through affiliate programs.

You can. This is the enjoyable part. Choose from nearly 600 million products and services and promote them on your website. You won’t have to worry about inventory, shipping, or customer support. 

Affiliate marketing is a great way to earn passive income. It’s possible to make thousands of dollars every month through affiliate marketing. It’s up to you to decide how much you want to work and how much you want to earn.

Affiliate marketing can be more than “just” a side hustle.

If you are willing to put in the effort, you can make affiliate marketing your full-time job, a profitable business model, or/and a passive income source.

Like everything worth in life, you need to invest time, hard work, patience, and dedication to succeed in this enterprise.

I often compare affiliate marketing to planting a fruit tree. 

You need to plant it, prune it, wait for it to grow, feed it, and only then will you be able to harvest its fruits if you take good care of it.

Don’t expect to master this business overnight. You need to focus on your affiliate marketing business for several months before you can make it the full-time job you desire.

Wrapping Up

To reap the benefits of affiliate marketing, you must invest your time, energy, and patience. Remember, ‘If you genuinely believe in the value of the product you’re selling, affiliate marketing is a great opportunity. 

Can affiliate marketing be a side hustle? Yes, it can. It can even scale from an extra income stream to a fulfilling full-time online career!