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BLOGGING 101

How I Made My First Big Affiliate Sale

July 18, 2019

This post may contain affiliate links. That means that if you click on a link and purchase something I recommend, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps keep my website up and running and is very appreciated. Thank you for your support!

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How I Made My First Big Affiliate Sale

When I started my blog 3 months ago, I did not expect to make my first affiliate sale so fast.

Sure, a lot of bloggers on Pinterest claim they made their way sooner, some even on their first weeks of blogging! I, however, consider 3 months to be a good amount of time to make the first affiliate sale.

For one, my posts have improved dramatically since I started blogging. Every now and then I will go to my older posts to optimize them for SEO and cringe at how they used to be.

I used to think that blogging was just writing. That was a huge misconception of mine.

When I learned about affiliate marketing, I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Get paid to promote things and services I love? It sounded great!

However, it’s not that simple.

If you are still trying to figure out affiliate marketing, this post outlines many the high-paying affiliate programs for bloggers. Read that before continuing this post, to have a better idea of how these programs work.

In order to promote something on your blog, you need to sign up for affiliate programs. I, currently, am signed up to 10 different affiliate programs. I apply to many of them. Some of them I have been accepted to, and others declined me for whatever reason.

This post contains affiliate links. I only promote what I have tried and loved, and if you choose to buy anything through my links, I make a small commission at no extra cost to you which lets me continue to produce new content on this blog. You can read my full disclaimer here.

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    How I Made My First Big Affiliate Sale

    How to add affiliate links in your posts?

    There are a couple of things you need to do.

    First, you need to make sure that every post of yours that has affiliate links has a disclaimer. Mine is right above the section, in italics, if you’d like to see how it should look.

    The reason for this is that certain countries require affiliates to disclose that they are going to be paid. You also want your readers to know that in them purchasing anything you recommend, you will receive commission.

    How to properly promote affiliate links?

    To promote affiliate links in a way that will make your readers click on them and actually buy them, you need to be promoting things you use/have used and enjoyed.

    When you include an affiliate link in your posts, you will need to explain why you like the product/service you’re recommending. Be convincing! That’s the key to affiliate marketing.

    How did I make my first affiliate sale?

    I have a post all about how to create a brand new blog. It is titled How To Start A Money Making Blog.

    In this post, I explain how to start a blog using Bluehost, which is the platform I use for my blog. I go step-by-step, include screenshots, and explain why I chose Bluehost, and why I stuck around with them.

    I joined their affiliate program a month ago, and thankfully, got accepted on my first try. In writing this post, I pasted my affiliate link anywhere that I have mentioned Bluehost, like I’m doing in this post.

    The reason why I made the sale is because of how much I promote it on Pinterest.

    Pinterest has become my biggest source of traffic ever since I started implementing the strategies from The Pinterest Ninja.

    Before reading the ebook, I would pin sporadically here and there, not really generating much traffic to my blog. Most of my traffic then came from Twitter.

    Ever since I started taking the advice I read about in The Pinterest Ninja, my pins have been doing SO much better, and finally started generating decent traffic to my blog.

    What I’ve been doing with my posts which contain affiliate links is promoting them every week on Pinterest using new pins.

    I make new pins for those posts every week, and pin them to all my boards over and over (different pins for the same post). That ensures that many people click on my links, and end up in those affiliate posts.

    It’s also worth mentioning that I have Tailwind do all my pinning for me since it’s a little too much to pin 80 pins daily, which is the current number of pins a day I’m on.

    If you’re a blogger and want to build up your audience, Tailwind is a great tool for scheduling your pins and reaching a wider audience.

    How much did I make with that one sale?

    I made $75 from that one blog post which is only not even a month old yet.

    Because I want to be specific with you all and help you make sales yourself, the sale happened only 2 weeks after I’d written my post. That, to me, is amazing progress.

    Last thoughts

    If you want to make sales from your affiliate links, promote them constantly using Pinterest. Unlike Twitter and Instagram, the posts you pin will be circulating Pinterest forever, making it super easy for you to get views and eventually, sales.

    It also really helps if you specify in your posts why you are recommending whatever your affiliate link is for, in order to build trust with your readers.

    I really believe that my sale happened because of how much I gushed about Bluehost. It honestly was genuine gushing, which I think translated in my post.

    Related:
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    How I Made My First Big Affiliate Sale
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    About Mariam

    Hi! My name is Mariam and I'm obsessed with helping you create your dream life. If you like self-improvement, leveling up, and making money moves, I hope you check out my other posts!

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    Comments

    1. Nikki says

      July 18, 2019 at 5:11 pm

      I have heard so much about affiliate sales and have been very interested in how to do it. My only concern is that I am primarily a mental health blogger, if I am going to make a sale I want the product to fit my brand, and that is kind of difficult to find in the mental health niche. What are your thoughts?

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 21, 2019 at 11:26 pm

        I did some digging and there are definitely a number of affiliate programs for mental health bloggers! This is just one website I stumbled upon on Google https://highpayingaffiliateprograms.com/mental-health-affiliate-programs/

        Reply
    2. gemmanewbery88 says

      July 18, 2019 at 6:51 pm

      Congratulations. So well deserved and I hope there’s many more to come.

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 21, 2019 at 11:11 pm

        Thank you so so much!

        Reply
    3. 🐸Crazy Cat Nerd🐱 (@crazycatnerd) says

      July 19, 2019 at 12:15 pm

      Great article. I’m getting ready to add my first affiliate link. I’ll definitely refer back to this article.

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 21, 2019 at 11:11 pm

        Awesome!! Best of luck in your affiliate marketing journey!

        Reply
    4. Chloe May Blogs says

      July 19, 2019 at 12:41 pm

      I always find it so interesting how people successfully make money from blogging. Great post x

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 21, 2019 at 11:12 pm

        It definitely is possible for most bloggers! Have you thought about monetizing your blog at some point?

        Reply
        • Chloe May Blogs says

          July 21, 2019 at 11:24 pm

          I have I just don’t really know how to completely go for it and have the time to do it properly!

          Reply
          • Mariam says

            July 21, 2019 at 11:29 pm

            If you’re willing to give it a try, sign up with Amazon Associates first. The process is super quick, takes a couple of minutes, and you don’t have to wait to start promoting their products. 🙂

            Reply
            • Chloe May Blogs says

              July 21, 2019 at 11:32 pm

              Oh that’s interesting I will take a look thanks so much x

    5. RealBadMommy says

      July 19, 2019 at 1:18 pm

      Great tips and well done on making sales so quickly!! I used to think blogging was just writing too but it is so much more than that! Thank you for sharing xx

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 21, 2019 at 11:16 pm

        I definitely didn’t expect to make it so quickly! Thank you for reading!

        Reply
    6. ThatAutisticFitChick says

      July 19, 2019 at 5:18 pm

      Congratulations on your first big affiliate sale! That is absolutely awesome 😀

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 21, 2019 at 11:17 pm

        Thank you so much! It definitely was a pleasant surprise!

        Reply
      • The Sacred Space AP says

        July 25, 2019 at 10:35 pm

        Congratulations! That is a huge achievement and I am positive you will be making alot more money from them. Your blog is great!
        Thank you for sharing.
        Alyssa
        THESACREDSPACEAP.COM

        Reply
        • Mariam says

          July 27, 2019 at 12:53 pm

          Thank you so much love! 🙂

          Reply
    7. Hannah Read says

      July 19, 2019 at 7:15 pm

      That’s amazing that you made that! I’ve made a couple of sales through Amazon but that’s it (fro now). I think your advice on pinning will prove useful so I’ll up my pinning game for affiliate links!

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 21, 2019 at 11:19 pm

        Thank you! Definitely invest more time into Tailwind and make sure to use all its features!

        Reply
    8. loverosiee says

      July 19, 2019 at 9:43 pm

      This is such a helpful and insightful post!!
      Rosie

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 21, 2019 at 11:19 pm

        I’m glad you think so!

        Reply
    9. Sandy C. says

      July 19, 2019 at 11:25 pm

      Congrats on your affiliate sales! Being consistent and promoting on Pinterest are great tips! I love Pinterest and need to work on creating newer images for my posts frequently to help circulate my links.

      Looking forward to following you and your blogging journey. Your doing great and thank you for sharing!

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 21, 2019 at 11:20 pm

        Thank you so much! It definitely helps get your content out there if you keep creating fresh pins. I’ve also recently gotten into Tribes on Tailwind and those have been helping as well!

        Reply
    10. Ornella (@itsacreative) says

      July 20, 2019 at 6:21 pm

      That’s amazing that you managed to make your first $75 within two weeks – after only two months! Thanks for sharing -I’ll have to keep Pinterest and Tailwind in mind if I ever want to monetize 🙂 x

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 21, 2019 at 11:22 pm

        Thank you so much! Definitely utilize them both if you ever do decide to monetize. 🙂

        Reply
    11. Jenny in Neverland says

      July 21, 2019 at 1:53 pm

      Really informative post. I’ve never properly delve into the world of affiliate links – which I know, 6 years in and I can’t believe it either!

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 21, 2019 at 11:18 pm

        Jenny!! What have you been doing girl?! 😂

        Reply
    12. Come And Read With Me says

      July 22, 2019 at 1:16 pm

      This post was so inspiring. Keep writing x

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 24, 2019 at 11:32 am

        Thank you for reading!:)

        Reply
    13. FindingTheFearlessLife says

      July 22, 2019 at 1:22 pm

      Thanks so much for these tips! I am struggling with this sales for sure.

      Question, I am not very creative artistically and struggle to create fabulous pins. Any suggestions?

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 24, 2019 at 11:32 am

        I find that my simple pins are the ones that have the most click-throughs! You can also use Canva for pin templates- they have a ton to choose from!

        Reply
    14. Mandi S says

      July 22, 2019 at 3:39 pm

      Great advice! I feel like I haven’t explored affiliations enough and now I’m definitely inspired to do more research.

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 24, 2019 at 11:29 am

        Best of luck to you! 🙂

        Reply
    15. Tamara | The Gutz Life says

      July 22, 2019 at 4:03 pm

      Congratulations! As someone new to blogging I love reading success stories.

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 24, 2019 at 11:27 am

        Thank you so much for reading! 🙂

        Reply
    16. The Prepping Wife says

      July 22, 2019 at 4:26 pm

      Congrats on your success! I know there will be a lot more to come too! I find Pinterest to be such an amazing tool for bloggers to use. My favorite point you made is about making multiple pins for the same link. Some do much better than others, and that is how I keep my engagement up. Speaking of that, that is actually my task for today, to create new pins for older content. Thank you for reminding me that it is time!

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 24, 2019 at 11:27 am

        Absolutely- I usually make the most pins for the posts with affiliate links so there’s a higher chance of me making sales! Thank you so much for reading! 🙂

        Reply
    17. cathy says

      July 22, 2019 at 5:28 pm

      Thanks so much for the tips!!

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 24, 2019 at 11:26 am

        My pleasure!

        Reply
    18. Huda says

      July 22, 2019 at 7:50 pm

      Thats amazing! And youre right, it sounds kinda simple at first but its really not. Im 7 months in and still havent made a sale but i also haven’t really been linking. Thata a good idea to post through Pinterest all the ones that contain affiliates! I definitelly wanna start implementing this. Thanks for the tips!

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 24, 2019 at 11:25 am

        Definitely utilize Pinterest! It will help keep those posts circulating and you’ll have a bigger chance of making sales 🙂

        Reply
    19. Karen says

      July 22, 2019 at 9:32 pm

      Congratulations. I’m sure it will be the first of many, but first times are always exciting, and well worth celebrating!

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 24, 2019 at 11:22 am

        Thank you so much! 🙂

        Reply
    20. kayleigh Zara says

      July 22, 2019 at 10:32 pm

      I’ve not really done much or any affiliate work in three years of blogging but it is definitely something to be looking into after reading this post. Congrats!

      Kayleigh Zara | http://www.kayleighzaraa.com

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 24, 2019 at 11:22 am

        Thank you so much! It definitely is something to consider as a blogger! 🙂

        Reply
    21. Jaya Avendel says

      July 22, 2019 at 11:32 pm

      Love the inspiration here mixed with your excitement, and the honesty that shows even new bloggers can do this. Congratulations on your first big sale, and may there be many more.

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 24, 2019 at 11:22 am

        Thank you so much! It definitely is possible for every blogger, but it does take a lot of work for sure!

        Reply
    22. Aaliyah says

      July 23, 2019 at 10:20 am

      That’s so great! You were able to make that so fast! I definitely slack a bit with affiliate programmes I definitely need to sign up to a lot more! Great post x

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 24, 2019 at 11:21 am

        I was pretty surprised if I’m being honest! Good luck with your affiliate journey 🙂

        Reply
    23. Pernille says

      July 23, 2019 at 10:22 am

      Thank you for explaining it so well. Usually people just seems like the money comes walking through the door and “forget” to voice how much work actually goes into it.

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 24, 2019 at 11:20 am

        Absolutely! In the beginning, I thought I was doing something wrong because the money was not rolling in! It definitely takes hard work and TIME. Thank you so much for reading!:)

        Reply
    24. stacerawks says

      July 23, 2019 at 1:59 pm

      New pins for each post weekly? Can’t believe I never thought of that! I usually wait several months. Definitely going to try that! Thanks for all of the great tips here

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 24, 2019 at 11:19 am

        It definitely helps to get that content out there, especially if those posts have affiliate links in them! Glad you found this post helpful! 🙂

        Reply
    25. Blue DeBell says

      July 23, 2019 at 3:39 pm

      I have just now started to venture into affiliate posts and sponsored posts. It’s a lot harder than I thought it would be, thank you for sharing these awesome tips 🙂

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 24, 2019 at 11:17 am

        It definitely takes time to figure out but you got this! 🙂

        Reply
    26. christie says

      July 24, 2019 at 1:50 am

      Such a great post! I will have to sign up for some affiliate links, thank you for the info. xoxo

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 24, 2019 at 11:16 am

        My pleasure!

        Reply
    27. Abby says

      July 24, 2019 at 2:00 am

      I just recently signed up for my first real affiliate program. I’m excited but also a little scared that no one is going to buy what I’m recommending—even though I *love* the product. eep!

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 24, 2019 at 11:15 am

        Promote your posts with affiliate links in them the most! The more people read them, the more likely you are to make sales 🙂

        Reply
    28. clairelomax2018 says

      July 24, 2019 at 11:15 am

      Thank you for sharing and well done!

      I love reading about people’s successes and how they did it. It makes it seem so much more achievable when you watch others succeed x

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 24, 2019 at 11:37 am

        Thank you so much! 🙂

        Reply
    29. Simone says

      July 24, 2019 at 12:02 pm

      I’m a bit struggling with affiliate marketing so this blogpost comes right in time! Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 24, 2019 at 11:30 pm

        I hope it could help you! 🙂

        Reply
    30. ashleestuart says

      July 24, 2019 at 7:18 pm

      Tailwind is such a great tool! I don’t know how I even operated before I had it. It is even better that their affiliate program helps bloggers make money! Like you said, I love promoting things that I actually use!

      Ashlee | https://www.maybeafterbrunch.com

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 24, 2019 at 11:31 pm

        I’m obsessed with Tailwind! Definitely one of my favorite blogging tools! And I completely agree about their affiliate program, it’s so handy!

        Reply
    31. Faërie Lifestyle says

      July 25, 2019 at 3:57 am

      This is incredible. Congratulations and here’s to you making more sales. I will keep working hard and persevering and hopefully will make my first sale soon.

      Have an amazing day.

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 25, 2019 at 9:47 am

        Thank you so much! Wishing you all the success! 🙂

        Reply
    32. Aimee says

      July 25, 2019 at 8:38 pm

      I’m relatively new to blogging and never understood what ‘affiliate links’ were despite seeing them being mentioned all the time.
      This was really helpful! Thank you! 🙂

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        July 27, 2019 at 12:55 pm

        Glad you found this to be helpful! 🙂

        Reply
    33. bethany jane says

      August 5, 2019 at 6:49 am

      Well done, that’s really amazing! I’m an affiliate for a couple of products but I’ve not made that much money off them. I need to get more invested in Pinterest haha! 🙂
      Beth x Adventure & Anxiety

      Reply
      • Mariam says

        August 5, 2019 at 1:25 pm

        Keep going and definitely pin your posts with affiliate links a ton! 🙂

        Reply
    34. Eda says

      March 8, 2022 at 6:11 pm

      I always find it so interesting how people successfully make money from blogging. Great post x

      Reply

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