Let’s be honest — trying to make money online can feel confusing, overwhelming, and full of empty promises. I’m not here to sell a fantasy. I’m here to share what I’m actually doing to build real income online. I am still doing this through affiliate programs and side hustles that work if you work them.
You might be trying to add a second stream of income. Perhaps you want to build your brand. Or maybe you just want to learn how to earn from home. Affiliate marketing and side hustles can change everything. But only if you’re willing to show up consistently. That is my goal.
Read my latest blog here 5 Ways to Increase Your Savings Before the New Year
💡 What Is Affiliate Marketing & How Does It Work?
Affiliate marketing involves promoting a product or service. You earn a commission when someone clicks and purchases through your unique affiliate link. You don’t have to create the product, ship anything, or handle customer service.
It’s perfect if You love recommending things to people.
This is the exact strategy I use with affiliate partners like:
Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing — the course that taught me how to do it right
Bluehost — where I launched my blog
Awin — where I connected with multiple affiliate programs
Fiverr, great for freelancers & creatives
UNice Hair and iShow Beauty, hair brands with fire affiliate programs
GoToDirect, for tech & networking product referrals
🎓 How Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing Helped Me Understand the Game
I’m not gonna lie, I thought affiliate marketing was just dropping links and waiting to get paid. But that approach got me nothing.
Then I found Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing, and it completely shifted how I moved. This course broke everything down in plain language, step-by-step:
How to choose good affiliate programs How to write content that converts clicks into commissions How to legally reveal your links (and still make sales) How to use your blog, Pinterest, or email list to grow over time
If you’re serious about earning through affiliate marketing this course is a must.
🔗 Affiliate Programs I Personally Recommend
🧠 Awin
One of the largest affiliate networks out there. Once you’re in, you can apply to promote hundreds of brands in fashion, lifestyle, software, and more.
👩🏽💻 Fiverr
Perfect for creatives, freelancers, or entrepreneurs. I promote Fiverr to my audience for logo design, social media services, editing, and more.
💻 Bluehost
If someone wants to start a blog or website, this is where I send them. It’s beginner-friendly, affordable, and offers great commissions for referrals.
High-quality wigs and bundles that my beauty lovers love. It’s an easy brand to promote if you’re in the beauty or lifestyle space.
💅🏽 iShow Beauty
Another hair affiliate brand I’ve joined. Their styles, pricing, and affiliate support make it super beginner-friendly. Great if your audience is into wigs, bundles, or glam looks.
Great for anyone with a tech-savvy audience or looking to recommend networking equipment, adapters, hubs, or tech essentials. Their site is clean, easy to navigate, and the affiliate payout is solid.
💼 Side Hustles That Work (Even While You’re Building Affiliate Income)
Building up affiliate marketing takes time. It’s smart to mix in other side hustles. These can bring in faster income. Here are a few ideas I recommend:
✨ 1. Sell Digital Products
Think ebooks, planners, templates, checklists anything you can create once and sell over and over. (It’s a great passive income stream.)
✨ 2. Start a Print-on-Demand Store
You can sell T-shirts, mugs, or journals without holding inventory. Sites like Printify and Shopify work perfectly for this.
✨ 3. Become a UGC Creator
Brands are looking for real people to create video content and they’re paying. You don’t need a huge audience, just good content and confidence.
✨ 4. Offer Coaching or Services
If you’ve learned something valuable, people will pay to learn from you. Valuable skills include starting a blog, designing graphics, or setting up social media. Alternatively, they will pay you to do it for them.
💖 The Key to All of This? CONSISTENCY.
You can join every affiliate program on Earth, but if you don’t show up… none of it matters. This isn’t a “get rich quick” thing it’s a stay consistent, learn as you grow thing.
Some days I post and get nothing.
Some weeks feel slow.
Every piece of content brings me closer to the results I want. This includes every blog post, every pin, and every email.
You have to show up for yourself even when nobody’s clapping yet.
That’s the real secret.
🔑 Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need to Have It All Figured Out to Start
I didn’t wait until I was a pro to start and you shouldn’t either.
✅ Start your blog
✅ Sign up for affiliate programs
✅ Post your links
✅ Share your journey
✅ Stay consistent
You’ll be surprised how far you’ll go just by being real, showing up, and doing the work.
💬 Wanna Start Today?
Here’s what I recommend:
💡 Learn how affiliate marketing works with Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing.
💻 Set up your blog using Bluehost. 💎
Apply to affiliate programs through Awin. 👩🏽💻
Promote digital products, Fiverr, or beauty brands like iShowBeauty + UNice. 🌐
Add in tech-based links like GoToDirect if that fits your brand. 💼
Mix in other side hustles while you grow.
🔁 Keep. Showing. Up.