How I Made My First $100 in Affiliate Marketing (Without a Blog or an Email List)
I know what you’re thinking — another one of *those* affiliate marketing success stories? But hear me out. I didn’t build a fancy blog. I didn’t have a list of 10,000 subscribers. Heck, I didn’t even know how to track clicks properly when I started. But I did make $100. And that first $100 changed everything.
The Honest Beginning: Why I Almost Didn’t Try
I spent 3 weeks watching YouTube videos about affiliate marketing for beginners. Everyone was talking about blogs, SEO, landing pages, autoresponders… it felt like I needed to build a mini digital empire just to make $1.
But I wanted results fast. So I went rogue. No blog. No list. Just a Reddit account and a Medium profile.
Finding the Right Product (The Hard Part)
I tried WarriorPlus and ClickBank. Most offers were just… bad. Too salesy, too scammy. Then I found StackCommerce’s partner program — curated tech deals, solid products, no shady tactics.
Where I Posted My Links (And What Worked)
- Reddit: I shared a link to a discounted online course in a productivity subreddit (I asked first!). Got 23 upvotes and my first sale.
- Medium: I wrote a 600-word story about “The 3 Best Tools I Use for Deep Work” — and added affiliate links naturally. Took me 45 minutes. It earned $72 in 5 days.
- Discord: A community I’m part of allowed promo in a dedicated channel. I just wrote “If anyone’s looking for a great deal on Notion templates, this one helped me organize my ADHD brain.” It felt human. And it worked.
The Tools That Helped Me
I didn’t have a fancy funnel builder. I used:
- Bit.ly to track clicks
- Carrd to create a simple landing page later
- Notion to log ideas and content I shared
The $100 Moment (and the Realization That Followed)
I remember refreshing my affiliate dashboard and seeing $104.32. I actually shouted. It wasn’t about the money — it was about proof. It was possible.
What I realized is that affiliate marketing isn’t about being “slick” — it’s about being human. Recommending things you actually use. Talking like a person, not a salesman. The rest? Just details.
Would I Do It Again This Way?
Yes — if I were starting from zero again. No blog, no list? Go where people are already talking: forums, Reddit, Medium, Discord, Quora. Be useful first. Link second.
Want to go deeper? Check out our full affiliate blogging guide here.
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