6 Best Products To Promote For Affiliate Marketing (Make $100/Day)

The hardest part of affiliate marketing is not the work. It is picking the right product to promote in the first place. Promote a product with no buyers and you can post every single day for a year and earn almost nothing. Promote the right product in front of the right audience and a single video, blog post, or email can generate commissions month after month without any additional effort on your part.

In this breakdown, Alston Godbolt walks through five affiliate product categories he has personally promoted as an affiliate marketer and internet entrepreneur: web hosting, tech products, online courses, recurring SaaS programs, and everyday products people are already buying. Each one has a distinct reason it works, a specific audience that is already searching for it, and a clear path you can follow right now to get started earning commissions.

What You’ll Walk Out With

Why web hosting is one of the most beginner-friendly affiliate niches online
How tech content stays evergreen and attracts new buyers every single product cycle
Which course platforms offer affiliate programs across hundreds of topics beyond make-money-online
Why recurring commission programs let you build a foundation instead of starting at zero every month
How promoting any product you already know can outperform chasing high-ticket trends
The comparison video strategy that earns commissions from channels with fewer than 5,000 subscribers
How to find affiliate programs in almost any niche with a single search
A free tool at finder.platformproof.com that matches your skills to the right online income path

Web Hosting: The Perennial Affiliate Category That Works for Almost Everyone

Web hosting is the first affiliate product Alston recommends, and the reason is simple: millions of people are trying to start something online at any given moment. Someone wants to launch a blog. A local business owner wants a professional website. An entrepreneur wants an e-commerce store. Every single one of them needs a place to host that website, which means they all need a web hosting provider before they can do anything else.

Programs like Bluehost, HostGator, GoDaddy, and Hostinger all have affiliate partnerships. When you help someone choose and sign up for a hosting plan, you earn a commission. VPNs work in the same general category because they attract a privacy-conscious, tech-interested audience that overlaps with people building websites or wanting to protect their online activity. The audiences are close enough that content targeting one can often reach both.

The content strategy here is straightforward. Search YouTube for “how to start a blog and make money” and you will see videos with millions of combined views. Niche down and search for “how to start an e-commerce website” or “best website builder for small business” and the search volume is still significant and active. Alston points to a channel called Web Hosting Rewind as a real working example: a small channel with fewer than 5,000 subscribers that earns ongoing commissions by walking people through how to start specific types of blogs, from personal development to topic-specific niches. One video with 26 views can still earn commissions because those 26 people are actually ready to start a blog and need hosting.

Comparison videos are another strong tactic. Search YouTube for “Bluehost vs Wix” and you will find thousands of people actively comparing their options before they buy. Alston shows examples where the top results come from channels with fewer than 5,000 subscribers that are pulling hundreds or thousands of views on a single comparison video. The advantage here is that you can promote both platforms in the same video and earn whichever one the viewer clicks. You are not betting on one winner. You are serving the comparison intent and collecting commissions from multiple affiliate programs at once.

Tech Products: Evergreen Content With Fresh Buyers Every Cycle

The second affiliate category is tech products, and Alston likes this one for two distinct reasons. First, new tech products launch constantly, which means there is always something fresh to create content about. Second, older products stay relevant because people who bought them months or years ago still have questions and still need help getting the most out of what they already own.

Alston uses the Mac Studio as a live example from the video. At the time of filming, it was a brand new Apple product that had already generated millions of combined views across YouTube from reviews, unboxings, and detailed walkthroughs. A channel with just 8,000 subscribers had already pulled 19,000 views on a single Mac Studio video. That is not because the channel was large. That is because the product was new and buyers were searching for information before and after their purchase.

The content types that work in tech are reviews that share what you honestly think after using the product, unboxing videos that show what you get out of the box, comparisons between competing products like Mac Studio versus MacBook Pro, and how-to videos that help people do specific things on a device. That last type is especially powerful because it attracts two distinct viewers. One group already owns the product and is stuck on something. The other group is considering a purchase but wants to confirm the device does what they need before they spend the money. Both types of viewers are valuable to a tech affiliate marketer.

Alston makes a point about older tech that is worth noting. Even the iPhone 10 still generates search traffic years after its release. People continue asking questions about older models constantly, which means content you create about products that came out two or three years ago can still earn today. Combined with content about the newest releases, you can build a content library that covers multiple buying cycles and earns across both old and new audiences at the same time.

Online Courses: More Topics Than You Think

The third affiliate product category is online courses, and Alston addresses a common misconception head-on. Most people assume the only way to earn money promoting courses is to promote courses about making money online. That assumption is not accurate, and it keeps a lot of people from exploring a category that has real depth and variety.

There are courses on photography, programming, languages, fitness, cooking, music production, life coaching, business operations, design, and hundreds of other subjects. Udemy is one of the largest course platforms and it runs an affiliate program with a recognizable brand name that most people have already heard of. Alston shows a specific search for metaverse courses on Udemy and finds courses with 20,000 to 27,000 enrolled students, meaning people are actively paying for them and the audience is real. You could earn a commission by referring people to those courses.

Coursera also has an affiliate program. Beyond those two, there are dozens of other platforms. Searching “affiliate program for courses” in Google returns lists of education affiliate programs covering multiple subject areas and price points. The model works because courses exist across every price point. You can promote a low-cost design or cooking class to a beginner audience or a higher-priced business program to a more experienced buyer. Both can earn commissions and both serve a real need. The key is finding the overlap between topics people are actively searching for and courses that pay a commission when someone signs up through your link.

An important nuance from the video: Alston notes that there are both low-ticket and high-ticket courses out there, and beginners often feel pressured to promote only the expensive ones. His take is that if there are buyers and sellers for a course, you can promote it and make real money. The volume of a lower-priced course can sometimes outperform a single high-ticket sale that rarely converts. Match the price point to the audience you are actually reaching.

Recurring Commission Programs: Income That Does Not Reset to Zero

The fourth category is the one Alston is most enthusiastic about from a structural standpoint, and it comes down to one core problem with traditional affiliate marketing: income resets to zero every month. You earned $800 in commissions last month. This month starts at zero and you have to earn that amount again from scratch. For people trying to build something stable, that reset is one of the biggest psychological and financial challenges in the business.

Recurring commission programs break that pattern. Software-as-a-service tools, which include email marketing platforms, CRM systems, landing page builders, and marketing automation tools, typically charge their customers on a monthly or annual basis. When you refer a customer to one of these tools and they stay subscribed, you earn a commission on every payment they make for as long as they remain a customer. Your income does not reset to zero. It builds on top of itself.

Alston uses GetResponse as a specific example. GetResponse is an email marketing and automation platform that offers recurring affiliate commissions. If you refer ten customers and they each pay a monthly subscription fee, you collect commissions from ten recurring payments every month. Even if you never create another piece of content promoting GetResponse, those commissions continue arriving as long as those customers stay subscribed. Compare that to a one-time commission: you refer the same ten people, you earn ten payments once, and then you have to find ten more people the next month.

Alston also shares a specific tactic for keeping customers subscribed longer: offer free training. Run a monthly or biweekly session for the people who signed up through your affiliate link. Help them actually use the tool, understand its features, and get real results from it. Customers who are getting results from a product are far less likely to cancel their subscription. Alston calls this improving your stick rate, meaning the rate at which customers stick around rather than churn. A higher stick rate means longer-running recurring commissions and a more predictable monthly income base.

Anything: The Most Underrated Affiliate Category of All

The fifth and final category is the one that tends to surprise people: anything. If someone is buying it online, there is probably an affiliate program for it, and you can earn a commission by helping people find and choose that product.

Alston lists products he has personally promoted and earned commissions from: sound bars, stand mixers, security cameras, and web hosting. These are four completely different product categories with no obvious connection to each other. The point he makes here is direct and important. The affiliate marketing industry pushes beginners toward promoting make-money-online products or high-ticket courses. That pressure exists because those products tend to pay higher commissions, so the people selling courses about affiliate marketing benefit when their students promote expensive things. But if your genuine interests are elsewhere, forcing yourself into those categories produces weak content that does not convert.

If you care about garden seeds and know which varieties grow well in which climates, there are affiliate programs in that space. If you use fitness equipment every day and know what works, there are affiliate programs for those products too. Kitchen appliances, outdoor gear, pet products, books, software tools for creative work: all of these categories have affiliate programs either directly through brands or through platforms like Amazon Associates. The products you know best are the ones you can write or talk about most naturally, and natural content builds trust faster than content created purely for the commission rate.

The strategy is not complicated. Identify something you already buy, use, or know about. Find the affiliate program for that product or for similar products in that category. Start creating content around the questions people ask before they buy. Searches like “best X under $100,” “X vs Y,” and “does X work for [specific use case]” represent people in active buying mode. That is exactly where affiliate commissions happen.

Not sure which of these five categories fits where you are right now?

Find out in under two minutes at finder.platformproof.com. Answer a few questions about your skills and interests, and the Finder will match you to the income path most likely to work for you.

Honest Drawbacks to Consider Before You Pick a Category

Alston is upfront in the video about one of the core challenges with affiliate marketing: most income resets to zero each month. The recurring commission category directly addresses this, but for web hosting, tech products, and course promotions, each month’s earnings depend on each month’s traffic and clicks. If you stop creating content or your existing content stops getting traffic, income drops.

Content also takes time to build traction. A YouTube comparison video or a blog post reviewing a tech product may take weeks or months before it accumulates enough traffic to generate meaningful commissions. The income from affiliate marketing in these categories is not immediate, and people who need fast results often find the timeline frustrating. Setting realistic expectations about the ramp-up period matters before you invest significant time in any one category.

Commission rates also vary widely across categories. Amazon Associates typically pays 1 to 4 percent on most product categories, which means you need volume. Web hosting programs often pay $50 to $100 or more per referral, which means fewer conversions are needed. SaaS recurring programs pay a percentage of monthly subscription fees, which compounds over time. Understanding the math of each category before committing to it helps you set production targets that actually make sense for the return you are expecting.

Audience alignment is the last thing worth flagging. Promoting a high-end professional tool to an audience of complete beginners will not convert well, regardless of how good the content is. The best affiliate results come when the product you are recommending is a natural fit for where the person watching or reading currently is in their journey. Getting that match right takes some attention but makes the work far more effective.

How to Choose Which Category to Start With

If you have a genuine interest or existing knowledge in a specific topic, start with the “anything” category and find affiliate programs in what you already know. Content rooted in real experience is easier to produce and tends to perform better because it is more specific and more trustworthy to the audience reading or watching it.

If you need the commission amounts to be larger to make the math work with a smaller audience, focus on web hosting or SaaS programs where per-referral commissions are higher. Fewer conversions are needed to reach a meaningful income number, which is helpful when you are starting from a small following.

If building a predictable monthly baseline matters more than maximizing per-referral payments, prioritize recurring commission programs from the start. Every customer you refer becomes a long-term asset rather than a single event. Even a small number of recurring clients changes the financial structure of what you are building.

Find Your X

The five categories in this video cover a wide range of directions you can go. But knowing which one is right for you personally depends on your interests, your current skills, and what you are actually willing to create content about consistently. The Finder tool at finder.platformproof.com was built to help you answer that question quickly. It asks about what you already know, what you are interested in, and what kind of work you want to do, then matches you to the specific income path most likely to work for where you are right now.

Picking the wrong category does not end your chances, but picking the right one from the start removes a lot of unnecessary trial and error. Take two minutes and use the Finder before you commit to a direction.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best affiliate product for a complete beginner to start with?

Web hosting is a strong starting point because the affiliate programs are well-established, the commissions are meaningful per referral (often $50 to $100 or more), and there is a large and consistently searchable audience of people who want to start a website. The content strategy, including walkthroughs, comparisons, and how-to guides, is beginner-friendly to produce without needing specialized equipment or deep technical expertise.

Do I need a large audience to start earning affiliate commissions?

No. Alston points directly to channels with fewer than 5,000 subscribers earning real commissions in the web hosting and tech spaces. What matters more than audience size is the intent of the people finding your content. Someone who searches “best website builder for small business” and finds your video is already in buying mode, regardless of whether your channel has 200 or 200,000 subscribers. Intent-focused content earns commissions at small scale.

What does it mean that tech content is evergreen?

Evergreen content keeps attracting viewers or readers over time without needing constant updates. Tech content works this way in two directions: older devices keep generating questions from people who own them and want help, and new product launches bring a fresh wave of buyers who want reviews and how-to information before and after they purchase. You can create content about old and new tech simultaneously and build a library that earns across multiple product generations.

Is Udemy the only course platform with an affiliate program?

No. Coursera has an affiliate program, and so do many other platforms. Searching “affiliate program for courses” in Google returns multiple lists of education affiliate programs covering different subject areas and price points. The course affiliate space extends well beyond the two most recognizable names, which means there are opportunities across almost any topic where people are paying to learn something.

How do recurring affiliate commissions actually work in practice?

When you refer a customer to a SaaS product and they subscribe, you earn a percentage of their subscription fee every month they remain a customer. If you refer ten customers who each stay subscribed for a year, you earn commissions on 120 monthly payments rather than just 10 one-time commissions. The longer a customer stays, the more total commission you earn from that single referral. This is why recurring programs change the math of affiliate marketing in a meaningful way.

Why does Alston recommend offering free training to people who sign up through your SaaS affiliate link?

Customers who understand how to use a product and are getting real results from it are far less likely to cancel their subscription. Offering free monthly or biweekly training sessions for people who signed up through your link helps them succeed with the tool, which directly extends how long they stay subscribed. Alston calls this improving your stick rate, and a higher stick rate means longer-running recurring commissions for the same initial referral effort.

Can I promote products that have nothing to do with making money online?

Yes, and Alston makes this point clearly. He has personally earned commissions from sound bars, stand mixers, and security cameras, none of which have any connection to the make-money-online space. The affiliate marketing industry often pushes beginners toward promoting business and income products, but if your actual interests and knowledge are in cooking, fitness, tech, gardening, or anything else that people buy online, there are affiliate programs in those spaces and you can build a real income promoting what you actually know.

How do I find an affiliate program for a product I already want to promote?

Search the product name or category plus “affiliate program” in Google. Most software tools and many physical product brands have affiliate programs listed directly on their websites, often in the footer under “Partners” or “Affiliates.” Amazon Associates covers the majority of physical products. For online courses, search the course platform name plus “affiliate program” or look for a partners link on the platform’s website. In most cases, the program is findable in under a few minutes of searching.

Sources

Alston Godbolt, “6 Best Products To Promote For Affiliate Marketing 2022,” YouTube: https://youtu.be/HhA1HMjis9Y
Udemy affiliate program: udemy.com
GetResponse affiliate program: getresponse.com
Coursera affiliate program: coursera.org