Is Affiliate Marketing Dead? 4 Facts to Show You Otherwise
It’s a question on many people’s minds these days: is affiliate marketing dead?
The internet has changed so much in recent years, and things move quickly. But the truth is that affiliate marketing isn’t dead – it’s very much alive and well!
The US affiliate marketing expense is expected to reach USD 8.2 billion at the end of 2022, which was USD 5.4 billion in 2017, as per the research findings of Statista.
As you can see, affiliate marketing continues to grow and evolve:
Why Do Some People Think Affiliate Marketing is Dead?
The world of digital marketing is constantly changing. So it’s no surprise that some believe affiliate marketing is dead or dying.
Many of these beliefs stem from the fact that there are now so many other ways to make money online, such as blogging and social media marketing.
1. Increase in Competition
As more companies and marketers embrace the idea of affiliate marketing, competition has increased significantly.
Big names like New York Times and Forbes have started to invest in affiliate programs and have seen a great return on investment.
This is why there has been an increase in competition, which can make it difficult for new or more minor affiliates to stand out.
2. Tough Regulations
The regulations governing affiliate marketing are usually strict and complicated, making it harder for those who don’t understand them to succeed.
Additionally, the regulations are constantly changing, so those who don’t keep up can easily be left behind.
3. Exclusivity
With a growing number of marketers, advertisers now have more choices regarding who they work with. This means they can be more selective and only work with the best affiliates, making it harder for those starting to break into the industry.
4. Changes to Amazon’s Affiliate Commission Structure
With 47.28% market share and 93445 companies using the Amazon Affiliate program, it’s no surprise that changes to the program can have a huge impact on affiliate marketers.
In April 2020, Amazon drastically changed its commission structure, making it more difficult for affiliates to make money from their efforts.
4 Facts that Show Affiliate Marketing is Not Dead
To show you how alive and well affiliate marketing is, let’s look at four examples of this type of marketing thriving.
1. Affiliate Marketing is on Demand
The Google Trend data shows that searches for “affiliate marketing” have remained high over the past five years. This shows that people are still interested in this type of marketing, which indicates its vitality.
Google Trend is the live graph of how people search for topics on Google. It shows you the interest that users have in a particular topic or search query over time. The data above clearly shows that interest in affiliate marketing is still going strong.
2. Global Affiliate Marketing Spending is Increasing
According to a study by Influencer Marketing Hub, global spending on affiliate marketing has increased dramatically in recent years.
In 2017, the spending was USD 8.6 billion and was estimated to rise to USD 13 billion by 2022.
By 2024, this number is expected to jump again to USD 15.7 billion spent globally on affiliate marketing annually.
Affiliate marketing is a growing and evolving industry that continues to bring success to those who use it.
Whether you are looking for extra income or want to launch your own business, affiliate marketing provides plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurs and marketers.
3. Affiliates’ Revenues are Increasing
Affiliate marketing revenue has increased from $4.5 billion in 2015 to $6.8 billion by 2020, as per research by Zippia.com. This shows that more and more people are seeing success with affiliate marketing, resulting in increased revenue.
An increase in revenue indicates that people are succeeding with their campaigns. This also shows that affiliate marketing can provide a viable income stream, people are willing to invest in this type of marketing, and the industry is continuing to grow.
4. More Companies are Turning to Affiliate Marketing
According to a Rakuten/Forrester Research survey, most merchants and advertisers believe that affiliate marketing is crucial.
More than 80% of those polled have utilized it for website traffic generation and increased sales revenue.
Additionally, over 80% of advertisers said they allocate approximately 10% of their total marketing budget toward affiliate marketing programs.
This shows that companies continue investing in affiliate marketing and increasingly turning to affiliates to generate website traffic and increase sales.
The trend will only continue to grow as more companies and brands realize the potential of affiliate marketing.
4 Examples of Successful Affiliate Marketing Websites
Here are a few successful affiliate marketing campaigns to inspire you.
1. One Hour Professor
Ron started his journey as a blogger in 2014 and is another example of an affiliate marketer who built a successful business with blogging and affiliate marketing.
OneHourProfessor focuses on helping people create and grow their own online businesses. The blog covers topics ranging from search engine optimization to website design, and his reviews of various applications have been particularly useful.
Ron’s success is undeniable, considering he has earned more than $1,000,000 in online businesses in 2021 since he launched the blog in 2014.
Ron earned a total income after expenses of $43,807 in September 2022, reaching $1,460 in profit per day. He has achieved this impressive feat by creating helpful content that follows a consistent theme.
2. Full Time Blog
At Fulltimeblog.com, Brock McGoff will help you build an online business and escape the 9-5 grind!
As a successful fashion blogger earning five figures per month from his content website (a.k.a “blogging”), Brock wants to share with everyone how this incredible method can generate passive income – no matter what background or industry experience they have!
With FTB, he’s sharing advice on creating your dream lifestyle through blogging and offering tips for sustaining it in the long run & reaping even bigger returns by selling blogs at five+ figure exits.
Brock shared his income report for Q2 of 2021, which showed a total income of $116,526 and an impressive $102,909 net profit ($34,303 per month)!
His success is primarily due to his focus on creating helpful content that resonates with his audience in starting their own blogs.
3. Midwest Foodie
Meet Kylie, the Midwest Foodie whose mission is to make it simple and stress-free for busy moms everywhere looking to nourish their families with wholesome meals.
Drawing on seasonal ingredients that are both healthy and easy to find, she creates delicious recipes inspired by her own family favorites – so you can focus less time in the kitchen hassling over what’s for dinner!
After two years of dedicated blogging, Midwest Foodie has become a huge success! From June 2017 to May 2020, Kylie and her partner have built an impressive six-figure income and over 1 million page views per month.
Through hard work on SEO (search engine optimization), improved photography skills, and effective use of Pinterest as a primary traffic source, the couple quit their jobs in 2020 and dedicated themselves full-time to this incredible blog venture.
Midwest Foodies earned $ 72,229 in the last quarter of 2021, as they revealed in their income report.
This success story proves that it’s possible to make a living through affiliate marketing and blogging.
Kylie has inspired thousands of other hopeful entrepreneurs who want to pursue the same path.
4. Imperfect Idealist
Lily’s Imperfect Idealist blog is a vibrant hub dedicated to conscious living and personal growth.
She started as an outrageous fashionista in 2010 but has evolved her platform into something unique – covering sustainable styling advice, fitness guides, and travel tips based on comprehensive research paired with her genuine experience.
In 2021, Imperfect Idealist made a total after expenses of $14,010.
This impressive figure is partly due to her successful affiliate marketing strategy, which contributed 43.2% of her total profit.
Lily’s story is an excellent example of how you can still make money through affiliate marketing if you have a solid understanding of what it takes to succeed.
Fiverr Affiliates Program: Your Next Big Career Opportunity
The Fiverr Affiliates Program is a great way to earn money by promoting Fiverr services.
You can join the program and get access to exclusive tools and resources that will help you make more from affiliate sales.
As an affiliate, you’ll be able to build relationships with customers and link them with products or services that are relevant to their needs.
Whether new to affiliate marketing or a veteran, Fiverr Affiliates Program can help you take your career to the next level.
You’ll be able to find creative ways to reach more customers and boost your income. With its wide range of services, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to start earning with Fiverr.
As Matthew Woodward in example 4 above did with his affiliate website, you can also build trust with readers and help solve their problems.
Fiverr is the no. 1 online marketplace for services, and with your content, you can create a position among buyers and sellers. While doing so, you’ll be able to monetize your content through the Fiverr Affiliates Program and make a good income.
Final Words
In conclusion, affiliate marketing is alive and well–and it’s not dead! You can create a successful affiliate campaign with the right strategies, resources, and tools to drive more site traffic and increase sales.
As long as marketers use affiliate marketing to their advantage, this trend will continue to be a viable source of income for many.