Is Affiliate Marketing a Pyramid Scheme? Let’s Find Out!

Affiliate marketing has been around for a while and has withstood the test of time. But, is affiliate marketing a pyramid scheme?

No, affiliate marketing isn’t a pyramid scheme, nor is it a form of multi-level marketing. It’s a legitimate online business model and people are making tons of money using it.

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at affiliate marketing and compare it to other schemes to see how it stacks up.

We’ll also provide tips on how you can start doing affiliate marketing and generating a passive stream of income from it!

What is Affiliate Marketing Anyway?

Is affiliate marketing a pyramid scheme?
Is affiliate marketing a pyramid scheme?

First, let’s define what affiliate marketing is.

Affiliate marketing is a type of online marketing where an individual promotes a company’s products or services and earns a commission on every sale they make.

It’s a performance-based marketing arrangement in which the affiliate is rewarded for driving traffic or sales to the merchant.

The commission rates are set by the company that owns the product, or the platform that’s hosting the affiliate program.

For instance, you can sell Amazon’s products as an affiliate and earn a pre-defined commission on every sale.

Every category on Amazon has a different affiliate commission rate.

Is affiliate marketing a pyramid scheme?
Amazon affiliate commission rates

Affiliate Marketing VS MLM VS Pyramid Schemes

Now that we know what affiliate marketing is, let’s compare it to multi-level marketing (MLM) and pyramid schemes.

Multi-level marketing is similar to affiliate marketing in that it’s a performance-based system where commissions are earned on sales made by an individual.

However, in an MLM, individuals also earn commissions on sales made by other members of their downline – meaning there are multiple levels of compensation.

In a pyramid scheme, individuals earn money not by selling products or services, but by recruiting new members into the scheme.

There is usually no product or service involved, and the only way to make money is by signing up more and more people.

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Pyramid Schemes VS Multi-Level Marketing

The main difference between pyramid schemes and MLM is that with MLM there is usually a product or service involved, while pyramid schemes simply rely on recruitment.

In an MLM, commissions are earned on sales, but in a pyramid scheme, they’re only earned on recruitment.

So, Is Affiliate Marketing a Pyramid Scheme?

Is affiliate marketing a pyramid scheme?
Is affiliate marketing a pyramid scheme?

No, affiliate marketing is not a pyramid scheme. It’s a legitimate way to earn commissions on sales made by promoting products or services online.

Unlike MLMs and pyramid schemes, there is no recruitment involved in affiliate marketing. You simply promote the products or services of a company and earn a commission on every sale you make.

Now, whether you’re a 9-5 hustler or a 24/7 entrepreneur, affiliate marketing is a perfect way to add to your income,

In fact, affiliate marketing generally brings in money on autopilot, and the commissions earned are pretty generous.

So, you might even become a full-time affiliate marketer once commissions start pouring in.

Let’s talk about how you can start an affiliate marketing career.

How to Make Money with Affiliate Marketing

The best way to make money with affiliate marketing is to promote products or services that you’re passionate about.

This way, you can build up a loyal following and generate more sales.

Let’s dive in.

Pick an Affiliate Marketing Niche

The first step is to pick a niche that you’re interested in and familiar with. This will make it easier to promote the products or services to your audience.

Some popular affiliate marketing markets include:

– Health and fitness

– Personal finance

– Parenting

– Travel

– Technology

Once you pick a market, narrow it down so that it becomes a niche.

A micro-niche is a smaller part of a bigger niche.

For instance, “Health and fitness” is a market, weightless is a niche, and weight loss for women over 60 is a micro-niche.

The narrower you get, the easier it’ll be for you to build authority and rank on the first page of Google.

Some good micro-niche ideas:

  • House cleaning
  • Tiny homes
  • Sleep better
  • golf balls
  • Hobbies for kids
  • Pottery tutorials

Find a Reputable Affiliate Program

Once you’ve chosen a niche, it’s time to find a reputable affiliate program to join. There are many programs out there, but not all of them are created equal. Make sure you do your research before joining one!

Here are a few things to look for in an affiliate program:

A good reputation: Look for reviews of the program online to see what other people are saying.

High commission rates: The higher the commission rate, the more money you’ll make per sale.

A wide range of products or services: This will give you more options to promote and increase your chances of making a sale.

Some popular affiliate programs are:

Promote Products or Services

Now that you’ve chosen a niche and found a reputable affiliate program, it’s time to start promoting! You can do this by writing blog posts, creating videos, or running ads – it’s up to you!

If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few ideas:

– Write blog posts about the products or services you’re promoting.

For instance, if you’re selling washing machines, find keywords people are searching for around washing machines.

You can use Google Keyword Planner (Free) to find a list of relevant keywords in your micro-niche.

Read: How to Start Blogging in 2022

– The second method is to create videos about the products or services you’re promoting. You can post these on YouTube or your own website.

– Or, you can run ads about the products or services you’re promoting. You can use Google AdWords, Facebook Ads, or another ad platform to do this. But, it’s better to work on a blog first; paid ads can be tricky to use.

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How to Write an Affiliate Blog Post?

If you want to write an affiliate blog post, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

First, make sure you’re familiar with the product or service you’re promoting. This will make it easier to write about and promote it to your audience.

Second, be sure to include your affiliate link in your post! This is how you’ll earn commission on sales.

Finally, don’t forget to promote your blog post once it’s published. You can do this by sharing it on social media.

How to Create an Affiliate Video?

Creating an affiliate video is a great way to promote products or services and generate affiliate income.

Probably the easiest way to create an affiliate video in minutes is InVideo.

It’s an AI-powered online video creator.

create videos for affiliate marketing with InVideo

The best thing about InVideo is that it’s free.

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When creating your video, be sure to include your affiliate link in the description so that viewers can click on it and hopefully make a purchase.

Also, don’t forget to promote your video once it’s published.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this has given you a better understanding of affiliate marketing and how it works.

If you’re interested in starting your own affiliate marketing business, be sure to follow the steps outlined above!

So there you have it – everything you need to know about affiliate marketing in 2022!

Is affiliate marketing a pyramid scheme?

No – it’s a legitimate way to make money online by promoting products or services. So if you’re looking for a way to generate a passive income stream, consider giving affiliate marketing a try! Thanks for reading!

Do you have any questions about affiliate marketing?

Is there anything you’re still unclear about? Let us know in the comments and we’ll be happy to answer your questions!

Related: Is Affiliate Marketing Dead?

Author

  • SEO Copywriter - Zain Ul Islam

    Zain is an SEO Copywriter / Freelancer and Digital Marketing with around 4 years of experience in writing and digital marketing. He's currently managing this blog and offering freelance writing services on Fiverr and Legiit.

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