Affiliate Marketing for People Who Hate Selling
A real beginner’s guide when you have no audience, no product, and zero desire to be “that person”
You don’t have a list problem. You have a lead magnet problem
Let's start with where you're at
You're juggling work. Or kids. Or both.
You’ve been thinking about making money online for months. Maybe years.
But every time you look into it, it feels like you'd have to turn into some loud, overly polished influencer with a ring light and a “personal brand.”
And that’s just... not you.
So you wait.
You scroll.
You open Canva.
You close Canva.
And still, nothing moves.
Let’s fix that, without the fake enthusiasm or salesy nonsense.
Why affiliate marketing makes sense when you're just starting
You don’t have a product.
You don’t have a niche.
You don’t have time to “build a brand.”
You’ve got an hour a night, if that.
Affiliate marketing is simple:
You share something that helped you
Someone clicks your link
If they buy, you get paid
No inventory. No customer support. No fake urgency.
You’re not “selling.” You’re being helpful.
What should you promote?
This is where most people get stuck.
So let’s make it dead simple:
Think of something you bought in the last 6 months that made your life easier.
A planner that finally made sense
A course that wasn’t awful
An app you actually used
A tool that saved you time or energy
Even if it feels boring, write it down.
Now Google:
"[tool name] affiliate program"
If it exists, apply. Most take less than 5 minutes.
“But I don’t have an audience”
Good. Most people don’t at the start.
You don’t need one.
You just need to help one person.
And here’s exactly how to do that:
📱 Start with a text.
Think of someone in your life who’s mentioned struggling with something your tool solves.
Friend. Cousin. Coworker. Sister. Doesn't matter.
Send this:
“Hey, I remember you said you were stressed about [thing]. I started using [tool] and it’s actually helped. Thought of you. Here’s the link in case you wanna check it out.”
That’s it.
✅ You helped one person.
✅ You used your link.
✅ You didn’t sell anything.
Later, if that feels okay, you can try:
A comment in a Facebook group
A short IG story
A “hey, this helped me” post on your own feed
But not now.
Right now, just send the text.
So what do I actually do this week?
Here’s your step-by-step:
Step 1: Think of one thing you’ve used recently
Doesn’t need to be business-related. Just helpful.
Step 2: Google the affiliate program
Apply. Grab your link. Save it.
Step 3: Write one sentence about how it helped you
One line. No pitch. Just: “Here’s what it did for me.”
Step 4: Text it to one person
Not a list. Not a launch. Just one person.
Helpful Tip:
Open a Google Doc.
Name it: “Stuff That Helps.”
Add your first link and your one-line note.
That’s your “I’m not ready to post yet” safe space.
Keep adding as you find more.
No pressure to share it yet.
💡 Fun Fact:
PC Flowers & Gifts, one of the earliest affiliate programs in the ‘90s, had zero social media, zero followers, and no personal brand. Just a simple link and a useful product.
If it worked before Instagram existed?
It’ll work before you “feel ready,” too.
Still feel nervous?
Here’s what to do, nothing fancy:
Set a timer for 10 minutes
Open a Google Doc
Write down one tool that’s helped you
Add one sentence about why you liked it
That’s your only job this week.
Don’t share it yet. Just get it out of your head.
Next week? Maybe you send it.
But today… just that.
Repeatable Reminder:
“Helpful beats hype. Every time.”
🔥 Email Subject Lines
1.
Subject: Hate selling? Start here.
Pre-header: A beginner-friendly way to start affiliate marketing without sounding weird.
2.
Subject: No product. No followers. Still works.
Pre-header: How to earn online by sharing something that helped you.
3.
Subject: Start earning with one message
Pre-header: Affiliate marketing for people who don’t want to “market”
Until Next Time,
Pick one thing.
Write one line.
That’s it.
You’re doing it.