Sell Affiliate Products on YouTube (And Make $$$ Doing It)

I started a channel in 2019, but my goal wasn’t to use YouTube to Sell Affiliate Products.

After a year of posting two videos a week for a year, I felt it was time to offer an update on what you can expect if you want to use YouTube to sell affiliate products or build your own business.

Many of you know I am a strong believer in paid traffic, simply because you can get rich in a week if you know how to scale and convert traffic.

But at the same time, I believe in building an organic traffic source for your own business and websites. This is extremely important for longevity and diversity.

Having real organic traffic that continues to deliver day after day really helps you sleep at night.

You might be aware of the massive stats that YouTube brings in each month.

  • Roughly 81% of 15-25-year-olds in the USA use YouTube.
  • YouTube claims to reach more 18-34-year-olds than any TV network.
  • The number of YouTube monthly Users is Over 2 Billion (logged in)
  • 73% of Adults in the USA use YouTube

Pretty much any typical statistic you look for in a ‘successful’ website, YouTube has it by the bushel.

With this detail in mind, it’s very clear to see why so many marketers choose to use YouTube as a means to generate “free traffic.”

In 2019, I made a big decision to start a YouTube channel.

I had to overcome my camera shyness, the fear of trolls, and the insecurities that come with being under a spotlight.

After much consideration, I said F$%K the trolls, I am ready to start down the path of developing a new side of my business.

In the first year of development, I’ve produced a steady stream of revenue and traffic to my online business.

Here is how it has gone so far as of updating this blog post.

In this article, I will cover the foundation of what it means to “do” marketing through YouTube so you can decide if it’s a good tool to add to your marketing utility belt.

YouTube is a search engine, so you need to produce content that the algorithm likes.

One tool you will need is TubeBuddy.

I use it to plan all of my videos to ensure I give the YouTube algorithm EVERYTHING it needs to rank my videos so people watch them.

Table of Contents

How You Make Money With Youtube?

Using YouTube to make money means creating and uploading videos, but the monetization of your videos is where it gets tricky.

It’s a very long process to learn from scratch and involves a full commitment, or else it just won’t work for you.

I am now able to produce a video and upload it within 2 – 3 hours.

I do two videos a week, which means I spend roughly 6 hours a week on YouTube alone. Let me put this into more perspective.

The actual work equates to roughly 24 hours a month.

To be conservative, let’s say 30 hours a month.

This amount of work should remain consistent forever unless I decide to increase output.

But here is where it gets REALLY fun.

The output stays the same, yet the revenue should continue to increase.

This is the exact same concept that applies when you build a content-rich website or affiliate blog.

By consistently working at producing more high-quality content, the search algorithms reward you with higher rankings and more traffic.

But My YouTube journey didn’t start this way…

At first, it took me almost 2 days to get a video up.

I had to learn about lighting, camera settings, editing, and search algorithm basics on YouTube.

When I look at some of my first videos, I laugh. I even thought of removing them out of sheer embarrassment, but I figured it was important to show the real growth of a YouTube channel.

I am not saying I am a savvy YouTuber, but I feel like my videos are getting better.

I have taken the opinions and criticisms of my subscribers seriously.

I think it is important to listen to your audience if you want to build a loyal audience.

YouTube is Not For the Faint of Heart

If you don’t want to be in front of a camera, this will be a lot more work for you. You will need to outsource videos.

I am not talking about outsourcing to make a bunch of crap videos either.

Simple robot-made videos, bad actors, or text-only videos will not work in today’s YouTube landscape.

The algorithm is too damn smart, and viewers are even smarter.

Youtube Monetization

There are a few options you have at your disposal to actually pull in traffic from YouTube and onto your landing pages.

use youtube to sell affiliate products

Once you make enough videos, and you get 1000 subscribers and 4000 watch hours, you will start earning money directly from Youtube.

I hit that mark in April 2020. 

I am making about $7-10 daily from YouTube with 1700 subscribers. This sounds laughable at first…why the F#$k waste your time, right?

As of writing this post, it is on track to make $1500 a month consistently from other monetization methods (for the last 2 months), and I don’t see it slowing down. 

In fact, I hope to see this number hit $6,000-$10,000 a month this time next year.

So Where Does the Other Money Come From?

Affiliate products and digital training sales. In many of my videos, I actually talk about the tools and products I use to build my own business and tell people honestly that I am an affiliate.

If they choose to buy that product to support my channel, that is awesome.

For example, one of the products I refer to sometimes is web hosting at Bluehost. I actually used Bluehost several times when I started my journey in digital marketing since it’s so simple to use for setting up affiliate blogs.

Last month, an additional revenue of $340 came just from that one affiliate program.

I mention many other products on my channel, including Aweber, Bemob, CPV Lab Pro, Adplexity, Optimizepress, and many more. All of these affiliate programs are getting random sales and conversions every single month from people watching YouTube videos.

All of these are products I actually use, and they are also affiliate programs I have joined to help monetize my channel.

Sell Affiliate Products on YouTube

While each payout may be small, once you start adding them all up, it starts to make sense, and thats what makes it possible to earn $1500 a month just from a very small subscriber base compared to others.

By diversifying your affiliate programs, you stand to protect yourself from unexpected problems in the future.

This same method and strategy can work in any niche you choose for your own YouTube channel.

For the mathematicians reading, at $1500 a month it works out to about $50 an hour (USD) for the amount of actual work involved. Remember I am only spending about 30 hours a month on this project.

This is sort of like a “passive income stream” since most of that money is earned while I am not actually making videos. If I keep the same output, that hourly wage should continue to go up, not down.

If income goes down, then I am doing something drastically wrong.

I did another video about Passive income that you should definitely check out:

So, Should You Use YouTube to Sell Affiliate Products?

If you are building a YouTube channel ONLY to make money from YouTube Monetization, it will be a long road for you.

Unless, of course, you have some magical, unique ability to get a massive following with millions of people. Even if you do, it will be risky since you will be relying on one platform to pay you!

My original goal wasn’t to use YouTube To Sell Affiliate Products nor to earn money from YouTube monetization, but the added revenue certainly does help motivate me to carry on!

Yeah, right cut the BS, Joey…

Honestly, my main goal with this YouTube channel was to develop the channel as part of a case study for the audience inside Powerhouse Affiliate to show them that with consistent weekly work, you can actually make consistent income online.

The revenue I generate comes from affiliate products I recommend in my videos, Adsense from the blog, selling my own training products and forum, and YouTube monetization.

The Case Study has PROVEN that this is a viable method of making money. I hope I have motivated some people to continue this – I know I will be.

Most YouTube users fall right into the target market for the “make money online niche.” So, I see this as building my business and diversifying.

One comment on my channel struck a chord with me last week which said:

“Something doesn’t look right…he claims to have made 200K in a month on CPA but wastes his time making YouTube videos….???”

For anyone wondering why YouTube is part of my marketing plan, it is because I truly feel that YouTube is an excellent source of long-term organic traffic and growth for any brand.

It is important NOT to be short-sighted.

Go into YouTube with a long-term plan on why you are building this channel.

If you don’t know why, or you don’t set SMART GOALS, you will end up quitting.

It should not be your only source of income, but it can be a very viable source of high-quality engaged traffic for your business and brand.

So, to Use YouTube to Sell Affiliate Products or Build a Business, The Process Works Like This:

  1. Do your initial research with a tool like TubeBuddy.
  2. Make your video (or have it made for you)
  3. Upload the video to your YouTube channel
  4. Give a nice long description in text, continuing the keyword you targeted in your video title and video.
  5. Embed your links in the places of your choice – especially in the description.
  6. Add the maximum amount of tags
  7. Add a custom, highly click-friendly thumbnail.
  8. Add the video to a playlist on your channel. (assume you already customized your channel page to be inviting to new people)
  9. Publish Live
  10. Share on Social Media.
  11. Rinse & repeat!

Can You Use YouTube to Sell Affiliate Products if You Are Not An Expert?

This really depends on your market and what you’re promoting.

Most of my videos have been “tutorial style,” but this may not work for people who don’t want to do that type of video content.

Something you could do to make this work for you is to find products in your niche and make a review video describing how these products will solve the problems that your audience is facing.

If you are skilled in your niche and want to do tutorials, this works excellent.

It’s not a great idea to just put your affiliate links on sites like YouTube all on their own.

Instead, you should consider having a blog or landing page that will pre-sell the product you’re promoting and link to that in your YouTube videos instead.

Your pre-sell acts as a buffer, so you don’t have to post ugly affiliate tracking URLs which tend to scare people off anyway.

Plus, you actually build traffic to a niche website that will be worth money and can be sold later if you want.

What if I want to build a list instead?

Excellent decision, and allow me to be the first to pat you on the back for it.

Just about anything we do as marketers should follow a certain flow.

  • Traffic
  • Presell
  • Lead capture
  • Product offer
  • Email sequence

This is what’s often referred to as a funnel.

Your funnel can look totally different, and that’s okay too. If you’re sending people directly to a product from your YouTube videos then I’m sorry to say it, but you’re likely doing it wrong.

You may notice that when I reference my websites in my videos, the pages usually have a lead capture option. Take a look at Day Job Hacks, which is the website built for this channel.

As you can see, it’s a straight-up lead capture funnel. Most of the leads are in fact, coming to Powerhouse Affiliate free training but the leads from DJH are really starting to pick up.

How to rank videos higher?

For your videos to be of any sort of use to you as an advertisement, they need to get views.

As mentioned, YouTube is the second largest search engine, which means people are actually performing searches. How do we rank for searches in search engines?

S E O

It just so happens that SEO on YouTube is child’s play compared to SEO on Google and blogging, for instance.

Here is a short list of things to do if you want to rank your videos higher on YouTube’s search results:

  • Include your primary keyword in the actual name of the video file you’ll be uploading
  • Put your keywords in the video description (don’t keyword stuff; keep it classy)
  • Target “lower hanging fruit” if you’re not going for brand-new product launches
  • Use a custom thumbnail and name it your primary keyword
  • Put your primary keyword in the video description (include the 2nd & 3rd) keywords if it makes sense to
  • Send a few backlinks to your video by either posting it around on Facebook and/or Twitter or
  • Use Tube Buddy since they give you an entire checklist inside every video. See image below

All of this is done with just two videos a week…

YouTube is an extremely powerful tool that everyone can use if they choose to.

I committed to 2 videos a week when I began.

In a year, it has equated to a decent payoff, in my opinion. If you can produce more videos faster, you will make more money, assuming you have excellent videos for your audience and do proper keyword research.

It’s a great way to sell products, build a list, and build a following if that’s what you want to do in your own niche.

Are you looking to build a channel, or do you already have one? Post a comment below!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Youtube Affiliate Marketing?

A: Youtube affiliate marketing is when you promote and sell affiliate products or services through your Youtube channel. You earn a commission for every sale or action that is made through your affiliate link.

Q: How does Youtube Affiliate Marketing work?

A: The process is simple. As a YouTube affiliate marketer, you create videos related to a specific niche or topic. In those videos, you mention or review affiliate products or services and include your affiliate links in the video description. When viewers click on your links and make a purchase or take any desired action, you earn a commission.

Q: What types of videos are best for YouTube Affiliate Marketing?

A: The best types of videos for YouTube affiliate marketing are product reviews, tutorials, demonstrations, and how-to videos. These videos allow you to showcase the benefits and features of the affiliate products or services you are promoting.

Q: How can I make money with YouTube Affiliate Marketing?

A: You can make money with YouTube affiliate marketing by driving traffic to your YouTube channel and videos and by successfully selling affiliate products or services through your affiliate links. The more views and clicks your videos get, the higher the chances of earning affiliate commissions.

Q: Can I include affiliate links in my YouTube videos?

A: No, you cannot include affiliate links directly in your YouTube videos. YouTube has strict guidelines regarding affiliate links in videos. However, you can include your affiliate links in the video description or in the pinned comment of your video.

Q: What is an affiliate link?

A: An affiliate link is a unique tracking link provided by the affiliate marketing program or network. This link helps track the referrals and sales generated through your promotion, ensuring you receive the appropriate commission for your efforts.

Q: Can I promote any product or service as a YouTube affiliate marketer?

A: Yes, you can promote a wide range of products and services as a Youtube affiliate marketer. However, it’s essential to choose products or services that are relevant to your audience and align with the niche or topic of your YouTube channel.

Q: What are the pros and cons of YouTube Affiliate Marketing?

A: The pros of YouTube affiliate marketing include the potential to earn passive income, the ability to reach a large audience, and the flexibility of working from anywhere. The cons include the need to adhere to YouTube guidelines, competition from other affiliate marketers, and the challenges of building an engaged audience.

Q: How do I become an affiliate marketer on YouTube?

A: To become an affiliate marketer on YouTube, you must sign up for an affiliate marketing program or network. You can choose programs like Amazon Associates, ClickBank, or other affiliate networks. Once approved, you can generate affiliate links and promote products or services through your YouTube channel.

Q: How can I drive traffic to my YouTube videos and increase affiliate revenue?

A: To drive traffic to your YouTube videos, you can optimize your video titles, descriptions, and tags with relevant keywords. Promote your videos on social media platforms, collaborate with other YouTubers, and engage with your audience. Also, consider using YouTube advertising to reach a larger audience and increase your affiliate revenue.

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