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Section 10 · Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate Marketing: Recommend What You Genuinely Use
Affiliate is referral revenue at scale. Done right, it builds trust. Done wrong, it destroys it.
Affiliate
Revenue
Why it works
You earn a commission for sending real buyers to real products. Lowest-friction monetization for content audiences.
Connects to
Affiliate
Revenue
When to use it
When you have an audience and the product solves an actual problem they face.
When NOT to use it
Don't promote products you haven't used or don't believe in — one bad rec kills audience trust.
How to use it
- Pick products you'd recommend even without a commission.
- Disclose every affiliate link clearly — required by law (FTC), required by trust.
- Show the product in use: screenshots, walkthroughs, results.
- Compare honestly — name what it's NOT good for. That's what builds credibility.
Examples
Wirecutter
Built a $30M+ business on honest affiliate reviews. Bought by NYT for $30M.
Pat Flynn
Publishes monthly income reports showing exactly what affiliates earn.