Let’s be honest—affiliate marketing sounds complicated. Links? Commissions? Tracking? Ugh. But what if we told you it’s way simpler than it seems—and way more rewarding?

Welcome to Affiliate Marketing 101, your no-fluff, straight-to-the-good-stuff guide on how affiliate marketing actually works and how you can start earning real money sharing what you already love. And the best part? Mavely makes it easy for anyone—no matter your follower count or content style—to jump in and start earning. 

Shauna Hollinger, Creator Education Manager at Mavely, breaks down the basics of affiliate marketing in this can’t-miss video. 

What is Affiliate Marketing Anyway?

At its core, affiliate marketing is you sharing a product through a unique link. Someone clicks. They buy. You get paid. That’s it.

There are three key players in this setup:

1. The Brand – Think Walmart, Target, Sam’s Club. They’ve got products to move.

2. The Affiliate (that’s you!) – You share those products through your content.

3. The Customer – Your audience, who trusts your recommendations and clicks to buy.

How Do You Make Money?

Once you join a platform like Mavely, you’ll get access to tons of shoppable products and generate your own personalized affiliate links. Then you share those links through content—Instagram Stories, TikToks, blog posts, newsletters, you name it.

Every time someone makes a purchase through one of your links, you earn commission. It’s that easy.

Getting Started

Spoiler: You already have everything you need to start earning with affiliate marketing. Here’s the quickstart version:

• Join Mavely – No minimum follower count. No gatekeeping. Just sign up and you’re in!

• Pick your products – Choose ones that fit your niche.

• Share your links – On your socials, in your newsletters, wherever your people are.

• Watch your analytics – See what’s converting, and keep refining.eligible country

Consistency is key, but complexity isn’t. If you can post a selfie or write a quick caption, you can do this.

What You Actually Need to Start

Let’s bust a myth right now: you do not need to personally own or try every product you share. What you do need is:

• A clear niche or focus (home decor, wellness, style—you do you)

• A place to share your links (social, email, blog, etc.)

• Shoppable content that feels natural and authentic to your brand

And yes, transparency matters. Always disclose when something is an affiliate link. It builds trust and keeps you FTC compliant.

Why Mavely?

We know there are other platforms out there. But Mavely was built for the everyday influencer. Here’s why our creators love it:

• Bi-weekly payouts + monthly bonuses

• Deep linking that sends your audience directly to the product (hello, faster conversions!)

• Free tools like LinkIn.bio Pro

• Ongoing support + training to help you groweligible country

Basically, we’ve made it as easy (and lucrative) as possible to start—and scale—your affiliate marketing journey.

Ready to Try?

If you’re reading this and nodding along thinking, “Yeah, I could totally do this,” you’re absolutely right. Sign up or log in to your Mavely account, browse your favorite brands, grab those links, and start creating content your audience will love (and shop!)

And if you ever get stuck? We’re here to help.

Get more expert advice on affiliate marketing at home or on the go. Check out the rest of our Mavely University content to sharpen your skills with affiliate linking, content creation, and much more!