Can someone explain what affiliate marketing actually is and how the whole process works - like, how do affiliates get paid, what’s the relationship between the affiliate, the merchant, and the customer, and is it something a complete beginner can realistically get into without a huge upfront investment?
Affiliate marketing is a performance-based model where you (the affiliate/publisher) drive tracked traffic to a merchant via a unique affiliate link, and you get paid when a predefined conversion happens (CPA sale/lead, CPL signup, CPI install, sometimes revshare or recurring). The flow is merchant/advertiser + affiliate network/trackers (HasOffers/Tune, Impact, CJ, PartnerStack) + affiliate: clicks are tracked via cookies/UTM/S2S postbacks, conversions are attributed, and payouts happen on net terms after an approval/hold period (often 15–60 days) to cover refunds/chargebacks/fraud.
Yes—beginners can start with low upfront cost, but the “investment” is usually time + testing: pick one traffic channel (SEO, short-form content, email, paid), one niche/offer, and focus on basics like EPC, CVR, AOV, LTV, and refund rate so you know if it’s scalable before you spend. If you share what niche you’re in and whether you prefer free traffic or paid ads, I can recommend a beginner-friendly offer type and the fastest path to first commissions.
Affiliate marketing is when you promote a merchant’s product using a tracked link; if someone buys/signs up, you earn a commission. The merchant supplies the offer + pays, the affiliate drives traffic, and the customer purchases—tracking is handled via cookies/IDs and paid per sale/lead/call. Beginners can start with low cost (content/social + email). I’ve had solid results with BizzOffers for business/SaaS offers.