How to Start Affiliate Marketing With No Money in 2025

So, you’ve heard people are making money online just by sharing links—and you’re curious. But there’s a catch: you don’t have a budget. No website. No ad spend. No fancy gear. Just a phone or laptop and some free time.

Here’s the good news: that’s all you really need to start affiliate marketing.

Affiliate marketing is one of the easiest ways to earn online without investing upfront. In fact, over 80% of brands run affiliate programs today. And platforms like Amazon, ShareASale, and even TikTok let you start without spending a dime. You don’t need to build a website from scratch or run paid ads on day one.

Still, let’s be real—it’s not magic. You’ll need to pick the right niche, join solid programs, and create content people actually want to see. But if you’re willing to put in a little time, this can turn into something real.

In this guide, we’ll break it all down step by step—how to start affiliate marketing with no money. No fluff. Just simple steps and smart ways to make affiliate marketing work for you—without spending a cent.

Let’s get into it.

Yes, you can. And people are already doing it.

You don’t need to buy a website, pay for ads, or invest in expensive tools to get started with affiliate marketing. All you really need is an internet connection, a free traffic source, and a bit of patience.

Let’s break it down.

No website? No problem.

More than 60% of affiliate marketers now use social media platforms instead of personal blogs or websites. You can share affiliate links on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, and even Pinterest—all for free.

A lot of beginners think they need a website to look “professional.” But here’s the truth: if your content helps people, they’ll click your links—whether it’s on a blog, a reel, or a tweet.

What about tools?

There are free tools everywhere. You can use:

Even email marketing? venturz let you collect up to 100 subscribers for free.

Still thinking it sounds too easy?

It’s not a shortcut to quick cash. It takes time to grow an audience and learn what works. But if you're consistent, it’s one of the few online jobs that doesn’t ask for money upfront and can actually pay off.

Look at creators like Wario64 on Twitter—he shares deals and affiliate links without a personal blog. Or budget tech reviewers on YouTube who make money through Amazon’s affiliate program using nothing but their phones to film.

So yes, starting affiliate marketing with no money is possible. You trade money for effort. But that effort can turn into steady income—if you keep at it.

You don’t need a business degree or a stack of cash to start. Just follow these clear steps to start affiliate marketing with no money .

This is where most people mess up. They try to promote everything—gadgets, skincare, fitness gear, crypto, all at once. That doesn’t work. People trust specialists, not generalists.

So, here’s how to do it right:

Here are a few examples of good beginner niches:

Quick stat: According to Statista, the affiliate marketing industry is worth over $17 billion and still growing. Niches with digital products tend to offer higher commissions.

Once you lock your niche, the rest gets easier. You’ll know what kind of content to make and which products to promote.

Now that you’ve picked your niche, it’s time to find products you can promote—without paying anything.

Most affiliate programs are free to join. You sign up, get your unique link, and earn money when someone buys through that link.

Here’s how to find affiliate programs:

Things to look for before you join:

Example: Printify’s affiliate program pays 5% for one year on every sale. That adds up fast if people keep buying.

You can sign up for multiple programs. That way, you can test which ones convert best.

Once you’re approved, you’ll get a unique affiliate link. That’s the link you’ll share in your content.

You’ve picked your niche. You’ve joined an affiliate program. Now comes the most important part: getting people to actually click your links.

The good news? You don’t need to pay for traffic. There are plenty of free platforms where you can reach people without spending a cent.

Let’s break it down by platform:

YouTube

If you’re okay being on camera—or even just recording your screen—YouTube is gold. People go there for product reviews, how-to videos, and tutorials. That’s your chance to help them and plug your affiliate link in the video description.

Example: A beginner-friendly review of “best free video editing tools” can include links to software that pays you a commission.

TikTok & Instagram Reels

Short videos are blowing up right now. TikTok has over 1 billion users, and you don’t need fancy editing. A simple phone video explaining a product or sharing a quick tip can go viral.

Tip: Add your affiliate link in your bio using free tools like Linktree.

Facebook Groups

If your niche has an active community (like fitness, travel, or budgeting), there are groups for it. Join the ones that allow promotions and start helping people. Add your affiliate link when relevant—but avoid spamming.

Medium or WordPress.com

Don’t want to use video? Start writing. Medium is free and already has a built-in audience. You can write articles like:

Quora and Reddit

These platforms are underrated. On Quora, answer real questions and include your affiliate links where they help. On Reddit, join topic-specific communities (called subreddits), add value, and only share links when allowed.

Real talk: Don’t try to be everywhere. Pick one main platform to focus on. Master it. Then use others to support your content later.

Here’s where a lot of beginners skip—but it matters.

You don’t need expensive tools to find what people are searching for. You just need to know where to look.

Start with Google

Type in your topic and look at the “People also ask” box and the related searches at the bottom. These are real questions people are typing.

Try searching: “best budget headphones for working out”
You'll see dozens of related searches to guide your content.

Use Ubersuggest (free version)

This tool gives you search volume, keyword difficulty, and keyword ideas—all for free. Perfect for finding phrases with low competition.

Try AnswerThePublic

This tool shows you common questions around your keyword. You type in something like “email marketing” and it spits out hundreds of questions people are asking.

Check YouTube & TikTok search bars

Start typing your niche and see what suggestions pop up. These are based on what people are actually looking for.

Example: If you search “how to start affiliate…” on YouTube, you might see suggestions like:

Use keywords in smart places
Once you have 2–3 good keywords, use them in:

But don’t overdo it. Write for humans first—just make sure your content is findable.

This is where the magic happens — or doesn't.

You can have the best affiliate link in the world, but if your content looks like a sales pitch, no one will click. People click what they trust. And trust comes from being real, not from sounding like a commercial.

There are many ways to create content without spending money. You just need to pick a style that fits you.

If you like talking...

Record short videos sharing tips or quick product reviews. You don’t need a camera setup. Your phone works just fine. Use natural light, talk to the camera, and be honest about what you’re sharing.

Example: A 60-second video titled “3 free tools I use to manage my freelance gigs” — link in your bio leads to affiliate offers like Canva or Trello.

If you prefer writing...

Blog-style posts on Medium or Twitter threads can work great. The key is to be useful. Share your experience, what worked for you, what didn’t. Don't fake anything.

Write like you’re talking to a friend.

If you like teaching...

Make tutorials. People love step-by-step stuff. Show how a tool works, or how to set something up for free. End your content with something like:
“If you want to try it, here’s the link I used.”

That one line often gets better clicks than flashy “buy now” buttons.

A few content ideas that work well:

And one last thing — always disclose that you may earn a small commission. It's not just a legal thing. It makes you more trustworthy.

Don’t wait around for people to magically find your content. Even if it’s amazing, it needs a push — especially early on.

The trick? Go where your audience hangs out. Then show up there regularly.

Here’s how you can do that for free:

Post regularly on your main platform

If you're on YouTube, post once a week. If you’re writing, aim for one article or post every few days. The more you show up, the more the algorithm helps you out. Simple math.

Repurpose your work

Turn your blog post into a Twitter thread. Take your video and cut it into clips for Instagram Reels. You don’t have to create fresh stuff every time. Just reshape what you already made.

Answer questions in communities

Go to Quora or Reddit. Type your niche. Find people asking stuff you’ve already answered in your content. Drop a short, helpful reply — then link your blog or video if it fits the question.

Ask your friends to share

It sounds old-school, but it works. If you’ve got friends into your niche, ask them to share your content. Even a few extra eyes can lead to clicks — and possibly sales.

Include a call to action

Always. Whether it's “check the link,” “try this tool,” or “subscribe for more,” don’t leave people guessing what to do next.

Here’s something most beginners skip—and that’s why they stay stuck.

You don’t need fancy tools or dashboards to see what’s working. But if you’re not checking your results, you’re just guessing. And guessing doesn’t pay.

Let’s make it simple.

Start with your affiliate dashboard
Every affiliate program gives you some kind of report. It’ll show you how many people clicked your link, how many bought, and how much you earned.

Look for patterns:

This tells you what to double down on.

Use Google Analytics (if you’re using a blog or free website)

It’s free. Once it’s connected, you can see where your visitors came from, what pages they read, and how long they stayed.

If most visitors come from Twitter, post more there.

If your "Top Tools for Freelancers" page gets the most visits but no one clicks the links — it might need a better call to action.

Track links with Bitly or similar tools

If you’re sharing links across social media, Bitly helps you shorten them and see how many people clicked each one. It’s free, clean, and super easy to use.

Use different links for different platforms so you can tell what’s bringing traffic.

For example:

This shows you which platform sends more people your way.

Tweak one thing at a time

Let’s say no one’s clicking your link in a blog post. Don’t rewrite the whole thing. Start small:

Watch what happens. If your clicks go up, you’re on the right track.

Quick tip: Don’t stress over every little number. Just keep testing, learning, and improving. The goal is to get better results over time.

Starting from scratch? Don’t worry—you don’t need fancy tools or paid software. These free tools are more than enough to help you find keywords, create solid content, and track how your links are doing.

Let’s go through them in simple, no-fuss style.

Want your content to show up on Google or YouTube? You’ll need keywords that real people are searching for. These tools help with that—no cost, no stress.

Pop in a topic like “free fitness apps” and it’ll show you keyword ideas, search volume, and how hard they are to rank for. The free version gives you 3 searches a day—plenty for beginners.

Great for checking if a topic is still popular or going out of style. You can also compare two ideas and see which one people search more. Super helpful when planning videos or blog posts.

Just type in a keyword and get related terms, how many people search it, and how competitive it is. The free version gives you 10 keyword checks a month.

You don’t need to be a writer or designer. These free tools will help you clean up your writing, design cool visuals, and organize your ideas.

Use it to make Instagram graphics, YouTube thumbnails, blog headers—anything visual. It’s drag-and-drop easy and has tons of ready-made templates.

Use it to brainstorm ideas, outline blog posts, write catchy lines, or even reword content. Don’t copy everything—just use it to get started or beat writer’s block.

This one fixes spelling, grammar, and awkward sentences. Add the free browser plugin and it’ll check everything you type—emails, tweets, captions—you name it.

Once you’ve got some content out there, it’s time to check what’s getting clicks and what’s not. These free tools show you what’s working—so you can do more of it.

Perfect for blog or website users. See where your visitors come from, what they click, and which pages they spend the most time on.

Use Bitly to shorten your affiliate links and see how many people clicked each one. Super useful for social media or YouTube.

If you’ve got a WordPress site, this plugin lets you create cleaner, shorter links like “yourblog.com/toolname” instead of messy-looking ones. Plus, it tracks how many clicks each link gets.

Starting affiliate marketing without money is possible—but it’s easy to waste time if you don’t know what to avoid. Many beginners fall into the same traps that slow them down or stop them altogether.

Here’s a breakdown of the most common mistakes and how to stay clear of them.

A big mistake is trying to promote too many unrelated products at once. One day it’s kitchen tools, the next it’s crypto wallets, then fitness gear. That just confuses people—and search engines.

Pick a niche and stick with it. If you’re into home workouts, promote fitness apps, resistance bands, and meal plans. When you stay consistent, people start trusting your recommendations.

Pasting your link everywhere—comments, messages, forums—doesn’t work. In fact, it can get you banned or reported.

Instead, focus on content. Help first, promote second. Show how a tool solves a real problem. Write a post, record a quick video, or answer a question on Reddit—then mention your affiliate link if it fits.

People click when they see value, not when they feel sold to.

Some beginners just post content and hope people will find it. That rarely happens. Without keywords, your content gets buried.

Even using simple tools like Google Suggest or Ubersuggest can help you target topics people are searching for. A blog titled “How I save $200 a month with free apps” will do better than one called “Cool tools I like.”

Use relevant keywords, write for people—not just Google—and your traffic will grow naturally.

It’s easy to forget, but skipping disclosures is a mistake. It’s not just about following rules. People respect honesty.

A simple line like “This post may include affiliate links, which means I might earn a small commission at no cost to you” builds trust. It shows you’re being upfront—and that matters more than most think.

Affiliate marketing isn’t fast money. Some people quit after a week because they didn’t make a sale. But success here is about consistency.

It might take a few weeks or even months to see real results—but they come if you keep learning and keep publishing.

Think of it like a snowball. Small at first. But if you keep rolling, it grows.

Affiliate marketing isn’t fading out—it’s actually getting bigger, smarter, and more creative. In fact, global affiliate marketing spending is expected to hit $36.9 billion by 2030 (Source: Research and Markets). That’s nearly double what it was just a few years ago.

This means more opportunities are opening up—even for beginners with no money to start.

Here’s what’s shaping the future and how you can get ahead.

More people are treating affiliate marketing like a personal recommendation instead of a business ad. Instead of sounding salesy, affiliates are showing products in real life—on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or Instagram Reels—sharing how they use it, what they like, and what they’d improve.

This shift is why “micro-influencers” (with under 10,000 followers) often have higher engagement rates than bigger creators. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, micro-influencers see up to 6% engagement, compared to just 1.5% for large accounts.

What this means for you

You don’t need a big audience. You need trust. If people feel you’re honest and relatable, they’ll click your links. Simple product tips, mini reviews, or "what I actually use" videos work better than big-budget campaigns.

Instead of trying to go viral or chase big traffic numbers, smart affiliate marketers are building tight-knit communities—like email lists, niche Discord servers, private Facebook groups, or even WhatsApp broadcast lists.

Why? Because small groups bring higher conversion rates. According to Campaign Monitor, email marketing still brings a $36 return for every $1 spent, and that’s mostly from warm, engaged audiences.

What this means for you

If you’re starting with no money, build a space where people feel heard. Answer questions. Share tools you actually use. Help first, recommend later. That’s where affiliate links perform best.

AI tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, and Koala are changing how fast people create content. You can write drafts, generate blog ideas, or summarize product features in minutes.

But here's the catch: AI still can’t replace your real opinion, experience, or voice. It helps with speed, not trust.

What this means for you

Use AI to get started faster—but make the content your own. Add screenshots, personal results, honest pros and cons. That’s what gets clicks, not copy-paste content.

Also, AI isn’t just for writing. Canva's Magic Write helps with social captions, while Descript can clean up audio and video clips. These are all free or freemium tools you can use without spending money.

One-time payouts are fine—but recurring commissions are better. These programs keep paying you monthly as long as the person you referred stays subscribed.

Some examples:

This turns affiliate marketing into a real passive income stream.

What this means for you
Focus on tools people use regularly, like email platforms, design tools, or memberships. You won’t need to chase new sales every day—you’ll build steady income over time.

A few years ago, getting paid was tricky for people outside the U.S. or Europe. That’s changing fast.

More platforms are offering crypto payouts, bank transfers through Payoneer or Wise, and even local mobile wallets. Networks like Impact and PartnerStack now support multiple payment options.

What this means for you
You’re no longer locked out just because of where you live. Always check the payout methods before joining a program—choose ones that fit your country and preferred currency.

Some niches are growing faster than others. Based on Google Trends, affiliate interest is exploding in these areas:

What this means for you
Pick a niche that has growth potential and products people need every month. Combine that with helpful content and free traffic—and you’re on the right track.

If you want to start affiliate marketing without spending money, Venturz is a great place to begin. It gives you a free trial with access to all premium features, so you can get started without any cost or limits.

With Venturz, you can set up your own affiliate program, track clicks and sales, and manage everything in one place. It’s easy to use, even if you’ve never done this before. You don’t need any special tools or tech skills—just sign up and start.

It also takes care of things like payments and tracking. Affiliates can see their earnings, and you can pay them quickly and easily. Everything is built to save you time and help you grow.

Whether you’re just starting out or building a small business, Venturz gives you what you need to run a smooth and simple affiliate setup—for free.

It depends on your effort, niche, and traffic. Beginners might make $50 to $500 per month, while experienced affiliates can earn thousands. Some top marketers even make over $10,000 a month. But realistically, if you’re consistent and promote the right products, making $500 to $2,000 per month is possible within your first year.

To start affiliate marketing on Amazon for free, join the Amazon Associates Program. It’s free to sign up. Then, choose a niche, find products to promote, and share your affiliate links through free platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Medium, or social media. You don’t need a website, but you do need to make a sale within 180 days to stay in the program.

Yes, but it takes time and consistency. To make $100 a day, you need a mix of traffic and products with decent commissions. Some affiliates hit this goal in a few months, while others may take longer. Promoting recurring programs, using SEO, and focusing on buyer-intent content helps speed things up.

Yes, you can start affiliate marketing with no money. Many affiliate programs are free to join, and you can promote products using free traffic sources like social media, blogging platforms, or YouTube. You just need time, creativity, and consistency to grow.

A beginner might earn anywhere from $0 to $500 per month in the first few months. It often depends on how much content they create and how well they promote. Some beginners see their first sale in a few weeks, while others may take longer. With consistent effort, income usually grows over time.