Affiliate Marketing

Catalyst Collective is Brooke Shelton’s popular business accelerator for Instagram entrepreneurs. It’s a business community platform that teaches social media revenue generation skills for existing or new businesses.

The program provides a business scaling framework with training modules, Meta business coaching, and practical tasks within a thriving online entrepreneurship community.

Catalyst Collective is set up like a university for social media mastery, letting you pick what to learn and how to start, scale, design, monetise, automate and elevate your online business.

This Catalyst Collective review covers the community, courses, pros and cons, pricing and my personal experience. We’ll examine online member feedback, explore Brooke’s background, and business automation methods.

Before I begin, I must disclose that I joined Catalyst Collective in September 2024. I spent two months researching and talking to members before deciding it was the ideal business model for my needs.

What You Need To Know About Catalyst

Catalyst is a unique program founded by Brooke Shelton, a Meta expert. It’s a standalone program that teaches budding entrepreneurs content creation strategies using marketing automation tools.

Training modules cover subjects like developing an efficient social media monetisation strategy for passive income development.

The training is easily accessible, and the $399 cost provides lifetime access.

It’s a low-risk business opportunity as Brooke is one of the only businesses of this type to offer a *no questions asked” 48-hour refund.

Who is The Founder of Catalyst Collective?

Brooke Shelton went from corporate life to becoming a seven-figure Meta business coach. She’s a Duke graduate who studied under consumer psychology expert Dan Ariely.

Much of the training in the Catalyst community is underpinned by psychological principles.

Brooke started at Boston Consulting Group, focusing on sales and digital marketing.

At Meta, she trained Machine Learning models, developed ad policies, and helped sell $250M+ in ads. She also advised big companies on digital strategies.

Now, Brooke teaches others to build businesses using Facebook and Instagram. In Catalyst Collective, she coaches entrepreneurs on using social media for brand growth and wealth creation.

Her experience makes her a go-to for digital marketing success.

Learn more about Catalyst Collective Program

The Catalyst Business Community

The Catalyst Business Community Platform is second to none in my experience. Brooke doesn’t gatekeep business growth information and stays updated with Meta changes.

Brooke hosts the business on the Skool platform. At the time of writing (October 2024), the community has 4k members.

It is a supportive business community where many started as beginners and built entrepreneurial skills from the training. There are 70 Catalyst *angels* solely to assist Catalyst members.

Catalyst Social Media Monetisation Strategy

Brooke never intended for Catalyst to be a course that taught you how to sell it. It goes deeper than that.

Brooke has a pinned post reminding Catalyst Ambassadors to embrace the training as a catalyst for starting a digital marketing business, creating and selling digital products using your newly acquired entrepreneurial skills.

What Is the Catalyst Collective Ambassador Program?

The Catalyst Collective Ambassador Program is a commission-based opportunity where members earn at least 70% on each sale by promoting Catalyst.

It’s a straightforward way to generate income while building your own business, suitable for beginners and those seeking a new income stream.

Don’t be fooled by other programs telling you it’s easy to make passive income.

Ambassadors receive free tools like ready-made sales funnels and branding workshops to help them effectively promote Catalyst Collective and improve their marketing skills.

This program is ideal for those who want to earn while learning, providing support to grow their business with help from the Catalyst Collective community.

There is absolutely no requirement to sell the course to others. It’s more like an MBA for business, so whether you have an online or brick-and-mortar business, the skills you learn will be invaluable to business growth.

The 7 Steps Catalyst Teaches for Business Growth

Brooke Shelton’s 7-step business growth plan underpins everything we learn.

Step 1: Plan

You begin by crafting your strategic roadmap. This initial phase focuses on developing a growth mindset, identifying your target market, developing ideal client personas, selecting your specific market position and setting up sales funnels.

A crucial element is cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset while establishing your digital infrastructure. You’ll learn to implement advanced sales systems using contemporary platforms such as Beacons, Stan Store, and System IO to create seamless customer journeys.

Step #2: Start

This phase focuses on establishing your digital presence. You’ll develop personal and commercial brand identities, create effective email campaigns, and secure your digital footprint.

You learn to master Meta’s algorithmic patterns to optimise your content reach, while utilising platforms like Beacons to build a robust business foundation.

Step #3: Scale

The focus shifts to accelerating growth through strategic content deployment. Learn to create viral-worthy reels and leverage Meta’s algorithms across Instagram and Facebook.

This stage covers comprehensive market analysis, mastering various sales channels (including Threads, direct messaging, and Stories), and developing targeted advertising campaigns with compelling copywriting (an entire module teaches copywriting skills).

Step #4: Design

You learn how to improve your visual storytelling abilities through advanced content creation techniques. You will master the essentials of video editing, professional photography, and digital graphic design principles.

This knowledge enables you to produce polished, engaging content that your audience loves.

Step #5: Monetise

Develop multiple income streams through various business models. Create and sell coaching programs, digital courses, and membership communities.

Explore lucrative opportunities in high-ticket affiliate partnerships. Diversify your income by venturing into AI service provision, business consulting, and content publishing.

Step #6: Automate

Many content creators experience burnout from trying to create content manually. Catalyst teaches you to implement efficiency through simple technological solutions. Leverage AI tools, automation platforms, and productivity software to streamline operations.

Build and manage remote teams, create automated marketing funnels, and develop content batching systems for maximum efficiency.

Because of Catalyst training, I am creating my first digital products, AI prompts for SEO content creation, YouTube monetisation and more. It’s super exciting.

Step #7: Elevate

The culminating phase focuses on holistic personal growth, wellness, and long-term productivity through performance optimization, wellness integration, and advanced time management. Incorporate cutting-edge productivity solutions, investment strategies, and manifestation techniques.

Align personal development with business objectives while mastering international tax compliance for global business operations.

I somehow got to the *elevate* stage early on because I wasn’t happy with my niche. Burnout caught up with me, and I grew tired of the constant demand for content. Since then, I’ve realigned with my spiritual values.

Catalyst Collective Pros And Cons

In the two months I spent researching Catalyst, I couldn’t find one member with a negative thing to say about Brooke, the course or the community.

That’s’ like finding unicorn poop. In most digital marketing communities, you can usually find dissatisfied customers spouting off on social media.

Pros

• Installment plans for payment
• It’s quick and easy to set up for beginners
• The community “energy” and support is great
• 48-hour *no questions asked* refund guarantee
• Weekly Q&As and helpful Instagram audit calls
• Brooke continually updates and adds training material
• Lifetime access to Catalyst training and the community
• It’s a one-time fee of $399 with no monthly subscriptions
• You can earn 70% commissions by selling Catalyst to others
• The Catalyst Community is highly active and engaged

Learn more about Catalyst Collective Program

Cons

I’m struggling to find cons, and I can say that because I bought several courses in 2024 that weren’t a patch on Catalyst Collective.

Digital marketing is booming, but it’s not easy for beginners. Creating content that converts is a skill. It’s not just a case of banging a few images together in Canva.

The two courses I bought previously, focused on money. The training was poor, and anyone struggling with sales didn’t get the support they deserved.

Catalyst Collective is the polar opposite of my previous experiences.

• Brooke is high-energy. She’s a positive person who talks fast. Some people aren’t fans of that
• Some say that the training isn’t beginner-friendly. Brooke took that on board, and on 11^th November, Catalyst Spark launches. It’s specifically for beginners, a $55 training introduction to the principles of Catalyst
• Catalyst is not free – it costs $399 to join the Catalyst Collective community (price increases to $399 on 11^th November 24). There are instalment plans available through Klarna, Afterpay and the like

The Best Business Transformation Course 

Is Catalyst the best business transformation course? Yes, in my experience, it is. Certainly, for the price, it is incredible value. We get ongoing updated training. Brooke has her finger on the pulse and we, the Catalyst Ambassadors have a voice. We ask, Brooke finds a way to make it thappen.

What I’m learning is so much more than I expected and I know within the next six months, this training will transform my business.

The Catalyst program helps grow, monetise, and automate Instagram businesses. It starts with creating a business plan, defining your customer, and choosing the right tools like sales funnels and product selling platforms.

Catalyst training provides a digital business transformation, teaching you how to scale your business using viral reels, organic growth, SEO, and analytics.

You will learn to sell through DMs, stories, and Instagram Shops, plus boost visibility with Instagram and Facebook ads and copywriting.

For monetisation, Catalyst covers creating courses, memberships, and high-ticket affiliate marketing. The automation phase introduces AI, software, and global teams to streamline operations.

This method aims to make your Instagram business sustainable and scalable, maximising efficiency and profits.

I watched one module and began creating story sequences from the course’s DFU templates. I never understood IG stories. Now, I do, and realise their power. It’s where sales happen, not so much in reels.

The New Brooke Bot

Brooke created a bot for the Catalyst Collective Community and it is on fire! Need your Instagram bio rewritten? Wanyt ideas and scripts for reels, stories and more? The Brooke bot is yours when you join the community and reach level 2 (which only requires leaving a few comments and getting some likes. No biggie

My First Impressions of the Catalyst Community

I’m ADHD, so I get easily overwhelmed when faced with too much information. Catalyst is all in one place on the Skool platform.

Each module is a standalone. You can choose where to start once you have worked through the setup.

The training is clear and easy to navigate. The downloads, DFY, and DWU content are generous, and the video content is high quality and watchable.

I followed the steps to get my affiliate links from the Beacons platform, which takes payment for Catalyst sales. That took around thirty minutes because, in typical ADHD style, I tried to rush it.

After completing the details in my free Beacons account, I watched a couple of modules, downloaded some of the written content and accessed several Canva templates for IG stories. As an Ambassador, we benefit from Beacons platform integration with a free account to host and take payments.

Though the Canva templates don’t suit my style, editing them to my colours and preferred style was effortless.

After that, I scrolled through the section that focused on creating IG story sequences because I was pretty much clueless about creating stories that worked.

Brooke gives you a selection of cards to work through to plan your IG stories, which makes it faster and easier to create stories that work.

You have two options for promoting Catalyst. You can do it through Stan Store, which can be costly, or with Beacons free account. Naturally, I chose the latter.

I joined the Catalyst after watching a masterclass. I liked Brooke’s energy and the focus on personal and business growth rather than making shedloads of money.

That comes with growth, anyway.

Learn more about Catalyst Collective Program

How Catalyst Changed My Entire Aproach to Business

Within the first six weeks, the Catalyst training modules turned my business on its head. I went from focusing on the *make money online* niche to entirely hating it. I hadn’t acknowledged that I wasn’t enjoying creating content for that niche.

In addition, like all the other courses I bought, I initially focused on selling Catalyst to others. Yes, it is a fantastic business growth program for any aspiring entrepreneur, but only focusing on selling it is not a sustainable path. Moreover, it doesn’t lead to personal or entrepreneurial growth.

I cannot remember which module hit home, but it felt like a sucker punch. I took a few weeks off and refocused on my core strengths, writing and SEO. I’m a spiritual person who likes to inspire others. Just talking about digital marketing left me flat and cold.

Now, I am planning inspirational and educational content that I WILL enjoy. In addition, I’m drafting a course for beginner writers who want to know how to find clients; an SEO course led with AI prompts that help me get my content ranked on page one SERPs.

That is what entrepreneurial skill development is all about, and Catalyst taught me that.

Don’t get me wrong, I actively promote Catalyst, but not as a standalone course to sell. It’s a business growth program to help you build an empire, and yes, you can sell it to others solely because of the results you get yourself from the training.

What Do You Get Access To With the Catalyst?

Catalyst is value-packed:

• Weekly Q&A sessions
• Done-for-you lead magnets
• Business strategy sessions
• Live marketing workshops, including sales and branding
• Done-for-you templates – Instagram stories, reels and images
• Lifetime access to all courses, including weekly additions
• Personalised Instagram audit calls: Members get fantastic feedback

Bonuses include:

• PLR Vault
• 7-Figure Mindset course
• Advanced sales course
• In-person networking events
• Done-for-you ads and sales funnels
• Ambassador program with 70%+ commissions

It’s a comprehensive resource for business growth and marketing skills.

Watch the FREE Catalyst Masterclass

Who Is Catalyst Collective For?

Catalyst Collective is for anyone looking to break free from the traditional 9-to-5 and launch an online business.

Whether you’re interested in coaching, content creation, course creation, business growth, digital marketing, or running an e-commerce brand, the Catalyst program provides the necessary tools.

The platform offers a self-paced curriculum, weekly workshops, and a supportive community of *angels* to guide you in building a business plan and working toward financial and lifestyle independence.

The Catalyst Collective Program is ideal for creating additional income streams. It provides business models and expert guidance on side hustles like affiliate marketing, drop-shipping, and user-generated content (UGC).

If you want to scale an existing business online, Catalyst offers tools such as sales funnels, branding workshops, and Instagram audit calls to streamline your brand and automate growth.

Conclusion

After trying several expensive courses and feeling disappointed by them all, I took my time before jumping into the Catalyst. My biggest regret is that I didn’t join Catalyst sooner.

It is quality training and a founder with integrity and experience of what she’s teaching.

Brooke adds new content weekly. If we ask for something, she finds experts and adds it to the community at no additional cost to members.

I’m excited to learn new business skills, create digital products, and make an income by promoting Catalyst to help others start or build a business.

To learn more about how the Catalyst can 10X your results watch the FREE Catalyst Masterclass

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links on this page. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.

FAQs

How Much Does Catalyst Collective Cost?

To access lifetime membership, Catalyst Collective costs $399. That is a one-time fee. There are no monthly subscriptions. Installments are available.

Is There A Refund Policy?

Yes. Catalyst Collective has a *no-questions-asked* 48-hour refund.

When Did Catalyst Start?

Brooke launched Catalyst in January 2024 on the Skool platform.

How Many Members Are There?

The community is still relatively small but growing. There are 4k members (October 2024)

Is Catalyst Suitable for Beginners?

Yes, Catalyst is suitable for beginners. It helps if you have some experience of social media marketing, but it isn’t essential. The program takes you step by step, showing you how to build online business visibility.

How Does Catalyst Collective Work?

Catalyst is an affiliate-based business growth program that teaches you how to start and grow a business. You pay a one-time fee of $399 for the training, which gives access to the Catalyst community, course modules and weekly training.

Is Catalyst Collective Worth It in 2025?

If you want to start and build a business in 2025, Catalyst teaches you everything you need to know, including developing an entrepreneurial mindset.

What’s Included In Catalyst Collective?

You get lifetime access to the training, updated regularly, 70% commission on sales, weekly Q&A and sales and marketing meetings (all available on replay). You become part of the Catalyst community, where you can get support at all levels.

How To Make Money With Catalyst Collective?

You make money with Catalyst Collective by learning high-income skills to create digital products of your own, monetising Instagram, learning sales and copywriting skills, and much more.

You can also sell Catalyst to others and earn a 70% commission on sales.

Can You Make Money On Instagram With Catalyst?

No income guarantees exist because making money with Catalyst Collective depends on multiple factors. If you commit to the training and implement the new skills, you can succeed on and off Instagram.

Is Catalyst Easy to Get Started

Yes, there is no complicated setup. If you want to promote Catalyst and earn 70% commissions, you get step-by-step instructions in the first training modules. It took me about thirty minutes to be fully operational.

Is Catalyst Instagram Business Automation For Beginners?

A few people say they don’t think Catalyst is suitable for beginners. You need a basic understanding of social media and have the time to learn content creation skills.

From my perspective, the self-study training is easy for beginners as long as you don’t rush the training.

The biggest mistake beginners make with Catalyst is rushing to sell it before fully immersing themselves in the training.

Master resell rights vs affiliate marketing offer unique opportunities for entrepreneurs. But which one is right for you?

I have tried both and have a preference.

Still, this article aims to assess these popular online income-generating methods independently.

81% of business brands rely on affiliate marketing to generate additional business, and experts suggest the digital product market will reach $331 billion by 2030?

It’s a booming industry.

Master resell rights and affiliate marketing can potentially transform your online business – but understanding their differences is crucial for success.

What Are Master Resell Rights?

Definition And Explanation Of Master Resell Rights

Master Resell Rights (MRR) is a licensing agreement granting you permission to resell an MRR product. Your customer then has the same resell rights, and so do their customers.

That means you can sell the product as your own and allow your buyers to do the same.

With most MRR, you cannot alter the content significantly, but you can sell a ready-made product with minimal work involved.

Types Of Products Typically Offered With MRR

Most Master Resell Rights are digital products such as courses, e-books, software applications, audio programs, graphics packages, and website templates (such as Canva).

Some popular niches for MRR products include social media marketing, personal development, health and wellness, and business strategies.

The advantage is these products are often professionally created and ready for immediate distribution, saving you time and resources in digital product development.

Benefits Of Using Master Resell Rights Products

MRR products often come with pre-made sales materials such as landing pages, email swipes, and graphics, which can significantly reduce your marketing workload.

Another benefit is the potential for higher profit margins from digital product reselling than affiliate marketing, as you keep 100% of the sale price rather than just a commission.

Potential Drawbacks And Challenges

One of the most significant drawbacks I found discouraging was that we get paid directly for the more expensive MRR products, such as courses.

Although that sounds fantastic, it means connecting with a payment processor, and herein is my issue.

Payment processing for digital sales can be tricky, especially if the product is high ticket and you have a lot of high value sales.

Some payment processors dislike the MRR business model and class it as “predatory”.

During 2024, I observed many people losing their payment processor accounts, and, for me, that was simply too stressful. It was the prime reason I turned to affiliate marketing.

4 disadvantages of master resell rights products

1. Market Saturation – As more people promote the same products, it can lead to price wars and reduced profitability.
2. Product Quality & Relevance – Unless the creator updates content, it can go out of date, and you have no control over product quality.
3. Low-Quality MRR Products – Poor quality products can potentially damage your reputation.
4. Customer Support – You may have to deal with customer support customer support for digital products, such as refunds.

Understanding Affiliate Products

How Affiliate Marketing Works

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing model.

Businesses pay affiliates an agreed commission for each sale or lead they bring to the company via a unique affiliate link and managed with affiliate tracking software.

Types Of Affiliate Products And Programs Available

There are affiliate products and programs for every imaginable niche, for physical and digital products. For example, Amazon offers an affiliate program for their products.

Affiliate programs exist for travel booking, web hosting, financial services, and more. Programs have different commission structures, such as the following:

• Pay-per-sale (most common)
• Pay-per-lead
• Pay-per-click.

Some programs offer recurring commissions for subscription-based products, while others provide tiered commissions or bonuses for high-performing affiliates.

Advantages Of Promoting Affiliate Products

Affiliate marketing is a low-risk, flexible business model requiring little to no upfront investment.

Many affiliate programs provide marketing materials and support, making it easier to promote their products effectively.

Suppose you promote affiliate offers with recurring commissions. In that case, the potential for passive income is a significant advantage, as you continue earning commissions from your content or marketing efforts long after publication.

Common Hurdles In Affiliate Marketing

While affiliate marketing can be profitable, it comes with challenges. One of the primary hurdles is standing out in a crowded marketplace, as many affiliates may promote the same products.

Affiliate marketing success requires creativity and a unique marketing approach to building trust with an audience, as overly sales-focused content can turn off potential customers.

Beginners often fail to be compliant because they don’t realise the legal requirement to disclose affiliate relationships.

Comparing Revenue Potential

Profit Margins For Master Resell Rights Products

Master resell rights (MRR) products typically offer higher profit margins as you keep 100% of the sale price.

If you promote organically on social media or your blog, it’s a cost-effective business model. Still, remember you will pay transaction fees to the payment processor.

Commission Structures In Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate commissions vary from 5% to 50% of the sale price. Digital products often offer higher rates (30-50%) than physical goods (5-15%).

Some programs provide recurring commissions for subscription-based products or tiered structures rewarding higher sales volumes. For instance, Systeme pays 60% recurring lifetime commissions.

To build passive income, target affiliate programs with recurring commissions.

Factors Affecting Earnings In Both Models

Before choosing between master resell rights products or affiliate marketing, consider the following factors.

• Pricing strategy (for MRR)
• Your marketing skills and reach
• Market demand and competition
• Seasonality and industry trends
• Quality and relevance of products
• Your time and resource investment
• Traffic sources and audience engagement
• Commission rates and conversion rates (for affiliates)

Time and Effort Investment

Whether you choose MRR or affiliate marketing, there are a few considerations for time and effort.

Setting Up A Master Resell Rights Business

Setting up an MRR business involves sourcing quality products, creating a distribution system, and developing a marketing strategy.

Initial time investment is moderate to high, including product evaluation, website setup, and sales funnel creation.

Suppose there are any technical aspects to set up like sales funnel creation, that’s where most beginners struggle to get going.

Getting Started With Affiliate Marketing

Starting affiliate marketing requires less initial setup than MRR.

My advice is the following:

1. Choose a niche – ideally, something you are interested in
2. Build a blog generating a minimum 10k monthly impressions (merchants reject your application if you have no website, traffic or social media presence)
3. Select affiliate programs you use, respect, or have an excellent reputation
4. Choose programs with minimum affiliate commission rates of 20% and ideally lifetime recurring commission (these factors mean your efforts compound over time for passive income streams)
5. Read the affiliate program’s terms and conditions
6. Write product reviews and comparisons on your blog
7. Select social media platforms to promote (Pinterest is great for driving traffic to your blog posts)
8. Monitor results & adapt over time

Ongoing Work Required For Each Model

MRR: Regular tasks include customer support, product updates (if allowed), and continuous content creation and marketing. Time commitment varies, but expect at least 10-20 hours weekly.

Affiliate Marketing: Ongoing efforts focus on content creation, SEO, and audience relationship-building. Time investment ranges from 5-15 hours weekly, depending on the scale of operations.

With both business models, the goal is to master traffic generation techniques to drive potential buyers to your offers.

Scalability And Automation Potential

MRR: Scalability involves expanding product lines and automating delivery systems. Challenges include managing increased customer support and maintaining product relevance.

The downside of taking on more MRR products is giving potential customers too much choice. That can cause confusion and limit sales.

Affiliate Marketing: Highly scalable through content marketing and SEO. Automation possibilities include email marketing sequences and social media scheduling.

When you have learned how to generate quality traffic, you can start promoting high-ticket affiliate offers,

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Understanding MRR Licenses And Terms

Review MRR license agreements carefully. Key points are resale rights, modification limitations, and distribution restrictions.

It’s concerning how many people break the rules and guidelines and lose access to the MRR product.

Ensure compliance with terms to avoid legal issues. Keep records of purchased licenses. Understand the difference between MRR, PLR, and other license types.

Compliance With FTC Guidelines For Affiliates

Affiliate disclosure requirements are mandatory.

Disclose affiliate relationships clearly and conspicuously. Use precise language and place disclosures near affiliate links or at the beginning of content.

Avoid deceptive claims about products or earnings potential and stay updated on FTC regulations.

Protecting Your Business And Customers

Implement secure payment processing. Use SSL certificates for websites. Create transparent privacy policies and terms of service.

Protect customer data in compliance with regulations (e.g., GDPR). Consider business insurance. For MRR, ensure product quality to minimise liability. For affiliates, vet products before promoting.

Choosing the Right Path for Your Business

Assessing Your Skills, Resources, And Goals

1. Evaluate your strengths: writing, technical skills, marketing experience.
2. Consider available time and capital.
3. Determine short and long-term business goals.
4. Assess your motivation levels. How will you cope if you don’t get a sale for months? 90% of people quit for this reason.

I think we each have a personality suited to MRR or affiliate marketing. You may not know your preference until you get started.

Combining MRR And Affiliate Marketing Strategies

Blend your approach for diversified income. Use affiliate products to complement your MRR offerings. Leverage MRR products to build an email list for affiliate promotions.

Create content around your MRR products and include relevant affiliate links.

Tools And Platforms To Support Your Chosen Model

Most MRR creators supply tools like sales funnels and email campaigns, but some don’t.

I use Systeme to set up sales funnels and capture pages. Aim to build your email list to share valuable content and promote offers.

You can create email challenges, set up evergreen webinar content, host courses, and create a community on Systeme.

Expert Tips For Maximising Success In Either Approach

1. Diversify traffic sources to reduce risk.
2. Prioritise building an engaged audience.
3. Focus on niche markets for less competition.
4. Continuously test and optimise your strategies.
5. Invest in ongoing learning to stay current with trends.
6. Provide exceptional value to stand out from competitors.
7. Ideally, choose programs with analytics and performance tracking, so you can monitor results from your efforts.

Conclusion

Content marketing for affiliates and master resell rights products offer exciting opportunities for online entrepreneurs. Your choice depends on your unique skills, resources, and business objectives.

Your results will improve if you learn SEO for digital product sales and marketing. Whatever you plan to do to make money, focus on creating long-term income diversification strategies.

What I like about affiliate marketing is that I am not responsible for payment processing, product creation, customer service or refunds.

I also love recurring affiliate programs commissions.

Whichever path you choose, remember that success comes from effective online marketing strategies.

In addition, it requires determination, adapting your skills and learning on the go. If something isn’t working, evaluate your process and make changes.

It can take months to get your first MRR or affiliate product sales. If you keep going, build content and stick with it, the results will come. After that, scaling an online business becomes easier.

You might not consider the pros and cons of affiliate marketing, but there’s a lot to unpack before you start promoting your first offer.

I started this journey in late 2023, driven to learn digital marketing. Affiliate marketing falls under an enormous umbrella within the digital marketing space.

I began by selling master resell products, but I don’t want the responsibility of setting everything up myself, including payment processors.

Affiliate marketing has become a popular way for anyone to earn money online. Still, like any business model, it comes with advantages and challenges.

Sadly, many people give up on affiliate marketing because they make the typical rookie mistakes that lead to getting no sales.

Affiliate marketing is surprisingly simple to understand, but it takes time to make consistent income.

This article explores the interesting pros and cons of building an affiliate marketing business to help you decide if it’s the right path for you.

Pros of Affiliate Marketing

I love affiliate marketing, and I hope you love it, too. There are so many aspects in its favour that even total beginners can enjoy.

#1: Low Startup Costs

One of the most appealing aspects of affiliate marketing is the minimal initial investment required. Unlike traditional businesses, you don’t need to create, stock, or ship products.

Your main costs are setting up a website and potentially investing in marketing tools.

I pay £6/month for WordPress hosting and $27/month to Systeme for marketing tools.

You need a professional website with a custom domain because most merchants won’t entertain partnerships without one.

The only exception is if you are a social media influencer with a significant following.

Additionally, later, you might want to join Journey by Mediavine’s ad revenue program and earn passive income.

#2: No Customer Service Hassles

One of the biggest hassles with selling digital products is dealing with customers. They aren’t always reasonable.

You’re not responsible for product fulfilment or customer service as an affiliate marketer. The merchant handles these aspects, allowing you to focus on marketing and content creation.

Freedom from responsibility was the primary factor that fueled my interest in pursuing affiliate marketing.

#3: Flexibility and Location Independence

Affiliate marketing gives you total freedom to work from anywhere with an internet connection. You can set your hours and build your business around your lifestyle.

Once you start earning recurring income, you can live life like one big holiday.

#4: Passive Income Potential

Once you’ve created content, set up your affiliate links, and targeted traffic sources, you can earn money 24/7, even while you sleep. This passive income aspect is particularly appealing to many aspiring entrepreneurs.

Still, let’s not beat around the bush. You won’t start making affiliate commissions immediately. It takes commitment to consistently create content on your chosen platforms, such as your blog, YouTube, TikTok, social media or communities.

Content creation might sound like an easy job, but it can be tricky to stay motivated when you’re not seeing financial results. You must push through if you want to make affiliate marketing your full-time income goal.

#5: Diverse Product Options

Whatever niche you are in, there are countless affiliate programs available. You can choose products aligning with your interests and audience needs. This diversity allows you to create multiple income streams without depending on a single product or company.

It’s essential to choose affiliate partners relevant to your niche. Otherwise, your offers may confuse your audience. For example, I promote marketing tools, digital products like Threads UNLEASHED, courses, hosting, AI tools, and software that I use or have used.

The Cons of Affiliate Marketing

There are some disadvantages to affiliate marketing, although, in my opinion, they are easy to overcome.

#1: Fierce Competition

The low barrier to entry means many people are trying their hand at affiliate marketing. You become a blur in a crowded marketplace, which can be challenging, especially in popular niches.

The SaaS (software as a service) industry is highly competitive, though it’s one that newbies often target because it typically pays well and offers recurring income.

If you choose a competitive niche, try to create something unique around your offers that draws people’s attention.

#2: Lack of Control

You don’t control the products you’re promoting, their pricing, or the overall customer experience. If a merchant changes their affiliate program terms or discontinues a product, it can directly impact your income.

Your ONLY job is getting traffic to the merchant’s page. After that, it’s their job to convert viewers into buyers. Sadly, many merchant websites are informational without considering the psychological reasons people buy.

#3: Commission Volatility

Affiliate commission rates can change without notice. A program that once offered high commissions might reduce rates, affecting your earnings potential.

My advice is not to put too many eggs in one basket. Have multiple offers with a variety of merchants.

#4: Delayed Gratification

Building a successful income-generating affiliate marketing business takes time. It often requires months of consistent effort before seeing significant results, which can be discouraging for those seeking quick profits.

My first affiliate commission was $11.38. Honestly, it felt like winning the lottery! Somebody had taken the time to read my article, click the link and buy a product.

Getting my first sale kept my motivation going.

#5: Constant Learning Curve

The digital marketing landscape is constantly evolving. Staying competitive requires continuous learning about SEO, content marketing, and emerging platforms or technologies.

Think on your feet and study analytics. Find what content drives traffic to your affiliate offers and adapt your approach.

Sometimes, merchants make poor decisions that upset their customers or affiliates. Always be prepared to switch to an alternative merchant if the offer is not beneficial to potential customers.

Is Affiliate Marketing Right for You?

A “certain type” of person enjoys and sticks with affiliate marketing because it can be tedious initially.

To see if affiliate marketing will suit you, consider the following questions:

1. Are you patient and willing to put in consistent effort without immediate rewards?
2. Do you enjoy creating content and engaging with an audience?
3. Are you comfortable with the idea of selling and promoting products?
4. Can you adapt to changes in the digital marketing landscape?
5. Are you self-motivated and disciplined enough to work independently?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, affiliate marketing could be a good fit for you.

How to Choose the Best Affiliate Merchants

These tips are the ones I learned the hard way!

#1: Affiliate Network Or Affiliate Program?

Affiliate networks like Impact, Partnerstack, JVzoo and Clickbank have thousands of products, but they’re the first place most newbies start looking for affiliate offers.

Therefore, you’re not standing out promoting these offers.

Affiliate programs are independent of networks. You approach the merchant, and they approve and provide an affiliate link.

Some merchants partner with networks, such as SurferSEO with Partnerstack and Ubersuggest partners with Impact.

#2: Recurring or One-Off Payment?

100% recurring for me.

What’s the point of working hard to drive traffic to an offer paying 20% one-off commission when you can divert attention to an affiliate offer paying 20% monthly recurring commission?

Systeme.io is one of the highest paying programs. It pays a staggering 60% recurring lifetime commission. Some affiliates in the Systeme community are making considerable monthly income.

#3: How Much Commission Does the Merchant Pay?

Many novice affiliate marketers think Amazon is the best place to start affiliate marketing.

Amazon affiliate program pays 3-4% commission. You’ll have challenges making enough money to live on unless you’re selling high-ticket items.

Even with a high ticket item, imagine selling a $2k product and getting paid $60 for your efforts.

My minimum criteria is 20% commission. Ideally, I choose merchants with high commissions, like Systeme.

#4: Does the Merchant Pay Lifetime Commissions?

Ideally, choose a merchant that pays lifetime commissions because that starts working towards building a significant passive income.

#5: How Long Does the Merchant Track Cookies?

365 days/year is the preferred cookie tracking.

#6: Does the Merchant Have Analytics?

Detailed analytics helps you stay motivated when you can see that you’re driving traffic to your offers and from where.

#7: Does the Merchant Offer Instant Affiliate Approval?

Most merchants don’t offer instant approval. They want to check that you have some experience and a live website with relevant content or active social media channels.

Some affiliate networks have filters so you can search for merchants offering instant approval.

My Top Tips For Starting Affiliate Marketing

1. Only represent merchants whose products or services you have used or that have excellent reviews (I always search on Trustpilot)
2. Publish at least twenty blog posts before applying to merchants
3. Attach your website to Google Search Console and Google Analytics so you can regularly assess which pages get the most traffic
4. After #4, optimise your top-performing pages and interlink to relevant content on your website
5. Pin blog posts on Pinterest to drive more traffic (anticipate 3-6 months before seeing results, but Pinterest is a goldmine for affiliate marketers)
6. Build an email list. You can have up to 2k subscribers on the Systeme free plan
7. Don’t settle for anything less than 20% commissions
8. Always choose recurring commissions
9. Join an affiliate marketing community
10. Start a YouTube channel

Conclusion

Affiliate marketing is a genuinely fantastic way to build recurring passive income. It takes a lot of work initially without results, so be prepared for the long game.

The best time to start is today. In 12-24 months, affiliate marketing could replace your full-time income.

There are also spin-offs, such as teaching others how to become affiliate marketers or creating courses that you can promote to your YouTube channel subscribers, email list, and communities.

Remember, success in affiliate marketing doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a journey that requires persistence, strategy, and a genuine desire to provide value to your audience. That said, affiliate marketing can be a rewarding and profitable venture if you’re willing to put in the work and play the long game.

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links on this page. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.

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Affiliate marketing is one of the best make-money online models. It’s free to get started and, in most cases, is quick and easy to set up. However, many budding affiliate marketers get it wrong because they’re unsure whether to promote a network or program product, and some don’t know the difference between the two.

I believe in ethical marketing, so I don’t promote anything I haven’t used myself. It’s a good rule of thumb because your audience learns to trust your recommendations.

If you only focus on making money, you can come across as a bit of a snake oil salesperson.

What is an Affiliate Network?

An affiliate network is a marketplace that promotes multiple digital products. It brings merchants together with affiliate marketers. Most merchants provide a sales page, offer a fixed commission, and may have several sub-affiliate layers.

Examples of affiliate networks include ClickBank, Commission Junction, ShareaSale, FlexOffers, and Rakuten Marketing.

Affiliate Networks: The Pros and Cons

Pros

• Typically, it is easy to join with instant approval
• You can access hundreds of different niches and products
• Typically, a generous commission
• Fully automated cookie tracking
• Get your link and start promoting

Cons

• Because approval is easy, many others may be promoting the same products
• Affiliate networks are intermediaries, so you’re dealing with a third-party
• The affiliate network takes a commission as well, so you could be making less
• You may not have used the products or service, so don’t know about the quality or lack of
• Popular products can saturate the market

What is an Affiliate Program?

Affiliate programs are those offered directly by the merchant. It could be a company offering a product or service, such as a web hosting or SaaS company, that provides a commission for introducing others to their platform. Most B2C software providers offer affiliate programs. You can also affiliate with fashion houses and other niches you enjoy.

Affiliate Programs: The Pros and Cons

Pros

• There is generally less competition than an affiliate network
• You work directly with the merchant. There are no middlemen to deal with
• Commissions tend to be higher (for example, Systeme offers a whopping 60% commission)
• Most affiliate programs provide a dedicated support team
• You can seek subscription-based affiliate offers with a lifetime monthly payout
• If you use software, the company may have an affiliate program so you can promote a product or service you love
• It’s easier to find a niche aligned with your brand

Cons

• It can be harder to get approved. Many companies want affiliates with a significant online presence
• You may not be able to track analytics
• The company may not have a sales page/funnel for affiliates
• Some companies offer a pitiful commission (Amazon is around 4% on average, for instance)

I don’t use affiliate networks. I much prefer affiliate programs. That said, some of the products I love rejected my application because I don’t have a large following (yet), and that kind of pissed me off a bit from using their products. However, I got over it and chose to work with other companies like Systeme because it’s an easy sell with the free account offering so much value. Systeme offer 60% recurring commisions. What’s not to love? I’m a paid member and use all of their marketing tools for my business.

You can also read about the pros and cons of affiliate marketing.

I hope this article has helped you clarify the difference between affiliate networks and programs.

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links on this page. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.