11 Ways to Get Unlimited Leads for Affiliate Marketing (And Make $10,000/Month)

Most people who get into affiliate marketing hit the same wall: they find a product, grab their link, and then have absolutely no idea how to get anyone in front of it. The product doesn’t matter. The commission doesn’t matter. Leads are the whole game.

In this video, Alston walks through 11 concrete ways to generate leads for your affiliate marketing business. These aren’t theory. They are the actual channels he has used personally, including getting over 1,000 views from Quora alone in a single month without spending a dollar. By the end, you will know exactly where to go, what to do when you get there, and the one mindset rule that separates marketers who make money from those who just get ignored.

What You’ll Walk Out With

11 specific traffic channels ranked and explained with real tactics
How to run YouTube ads for as little as two cents per view and $5 per day
The Reddit, Quora, and forum playbook that builds authority before you ever drop a link
Why you must send leads to a landing page and not directly to an affiliate offer
How Facebook’s targeting lets you reach single mothers with three or more kids (or any other hyper-specific group)
The 5-to-12 touchpoint rule that explains why most affiliate marketers never close a sale
A free tool to figure out which of these 11 channels fits your actual situation: finder.platformproof.com

Method 1: Paid Ads on YouTube

YouTube ads are often written off because people assume they are expensive. They are not. You can run an ad for two cents per view, and you can set your daily budget as low as $5. Think about what that means in practice: if you spend $5 and one person clicks through and buys a $30 affiliate product, you have already recovered your spend and made a profit.

To run YouTube ads, you create a video (it can be private, unlisted, or public), then go through Google Ads and fill out your campaign details. The video you run as an ad does not need to be a production masterpiece. It needs to clearly speak to your target audience and give them a reason to click. YouTube ads also give you targeting options that organic content cannot, which means you have more control over who actually sees your message. If you have even a small budget and want faster results, this is the channel to start with.

Method 2: Reddit

Reddit calls itself the front page of the internet, and for niche communities, that reputation holds up. There are subreddits for JavaScript, for basket weaving, for every corner of human interest you can imagine. Whatever niche your affiliate product sits in, there is almost certainly an active subreddit full of people asking questions about it right now.

The approach here is simple: join the subreddit, read what people are asking, and answer their questions with genuine, useful information. Do not drop your link on the first post. Build a presence first. When you consistently provide value, people start to know you, like you, and trust you. Once that happens, they will ask how to follow you, where to find more of your content, and how to stay connected. That is when you point them to your website or YouTube channel, where your affiliate offers live inside helpful content. Reddit will flag and remove obvious promotional behavior, so patience and genuine contribution are required.

Method 3: Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups operate on the same logic as Reddit subreddits. There are groups for every niche you can think of, and they are often more active and less gatekept than Reddit communities. Find a group that aligns with your affiliate niche and become a recognized contributor. Answer questions. Share what you know. Post your website or YouTube channel in your bio so curious members can find you.

The conversion chain works like this: someone in the group sees your helpful comment, clicks your bio link, lands on your website or YouTube channel, and sees a call to action for one of your affiliate offers. They click, they buy, you earn a commission. The critical point is that the trust is built inside the group before they ever see your link. Coming in with a link on day one signals spam and gets you removed. Coming in with value for weeks first means people are ready to follow your recommendations by the time you make them.

Method 4: Quora Answers

Quora is underused by most affiliate marketers, which means the competition for attention there is lower than YouTube or Google. The platform is built around questions and answers, and people search it the same way they search Google. Your answer on Quora can surface in front of thousands of people who never would have found your YouTube channel or website.

Here is how it works in practice: search for questions in your niche, write thorough answers, and include a link back to your website or a specific YouTube video where you expand on the topic. Quora merges duplicate questions, so a great answer on one version often gets applied to 10 or 15 similar questions automatically. In the month that Alston started actively answering Quora questions, he generated over 1,000 views from the platform alone. Not all of those converted to YouTube subscribers or buyers, but a meaningful portion did, and none of it cost money. That audience did not exist for him before he answered those questions.

Method 5: Organic Search (YouTube and Google)

Organic search is the long game, and it is worth playing. Google and YouTube are the two largest search engines in the world (Google owns YouTube), and together they process billions of queries every day. When you create content built around the specific words and phrases people type into those search bars, you position yourself to be found by people who are already looking for what you offer.

The mechanics are straightforward: identify keywords your audience is searching for, create content that directly answers those queries, and include a clear next step for the viewer or reader. That next step should point to a landing page where you can capture their email, not directly to an affiliate offer. The reason for this is rooted in buyer psychology. It takes between 5 and 12 touchpoints before most people buy something. If you send someone directly to an affiliate product page and they leave without buying, you have lost them. But if you capture their email first, you can follow up repeatedly until they are ready.

Method 6: Twitter Hashtags

Twitter is a search engine for conversations, and hashtags are the filing system. People tweet questions, complaints, and requests using hashtags every day. Search for hashtags related to your niche and you will find a live stream of people broadcasting exactly what they need help with.

The play is to reply with real value. If someone tweets a question about how to make money online, do not reply with just a link. Give them a useful, specific answer in your reply, and then mention that if they want to go deeper, clicking the link in your bio or a specific post will show them more. The key principle is the same across every method in this list: add value first, offer the link second. Treating Twitter like a place to blast your affiliate URL will get you ignored or blocked.

Method 7: Instagram Hashtags

Instagram’s hashtag system works in a way that is similar to Twitter, but the format is visual. People post photos or reels with hashtags, and you can search those tags to find conversations happening in your niche. When you see a post where someone is asking for advice or expressing a problem your affiliate product solves, engage with a genuine and helpful comment.

Your Instagram bio should include a link to your website or a landing page. When someone finds your comment helpful and clicks over to your profile, that link is what captures them. Instagram only allows one clickable link in the bio (unless you use a link-in-bio tool), so make sure that link goes somewhere that has your affiliate offers embedded inside useful content, not directly to a product page. The goal on Instagram, as everywhere else, is to be recognized as a helpful resource before you are recognized as someone selling something.

Method 8: Facebook Ads

Facebook Ads are the paid version of what Facebook Groups does organically, but with a major advantage: targeting precision. When you post inside a Facebook Group, you reach whoever happens to see your comment. When you run a Facebook Ad, you choose exactly who sees it, down to details like employment status, geographic location, number of children, and specific interests.

You can target single mothers with three or more kids. You can target people who have shown interest in specific competitors. You can target by age, income bracket, and dozens of other variables. This level of specificity means you know you are reaching people who actually fit your offer. Like YouTube ads, you can start with $5 per day, which keeps the risk low while you test what messaging resonates. Facebook ads require a bit of learning upfront to use the Ads Manager well, but even a few hours of study pays off when you can put your affiliate offer in front of people who are almost certain to care about it.

Methods 9 and 9a: Blog Comments and YouTube Comments

Popular blogs in your niche get a lot of traffic, and the comment sections are often read by people who are highly engaged with the topic. When you leave a substantive, helpful comment on a well-trafficked blog post, you put your name and your link in front of an audience that is already warm to the subject matter. The key word is substantive. A one-sentence comment gets filtered out or ignored. A two-to-four paragraph comment that genuinely adds to the discussion gets noticed, gets read, and can generate leads that keep returning.

The same approach applies to YouTube channel comment sections. Find popular creators in your niche and leave comments that add real value to the conversation under their videos. Do not just say “great video.” Engage with the content, share a relevant insight or experience, and include your website link at the end naturally. A comment that takes 10 minutes to write can drive leads for months if it lands on a video that keeps getting views.

Not sure which of these 11 methods actually fits your situation?

Answer a few questions and get a personalized recommendation at finder.platformproof.com.

Method 10: Niche-Specific Forums

Beyond Reddit and Quora, the internet is full of dedicated forums for nearly every niche. If you search Google for your niche plus the word “forums,” you will find pages of results: fitness forums, video game forums, personal finance forums, tech support forums. These communities often have members who have been active for years and who trust recommendations from established contributors.

The strategy here mirrors everything covered above. Join the forum, spend time answering questions and providing genuine help, and build a reputation before you start sharing links. Once you are known as a helpful presence, the community will be receptive when you mention your website or YouTube channel. And once again: when you drive someone to your site, make sure you are capturing their email on a landing page. Getting the lead into your email list is what allows you to follow up through multiple touchpoints until they are ready to buy.

The Rule That Runs Through Every Single Method

Every single method in this list shares one non-negotiable principle: add value first, then offer the link. This is not a soft preference. It is the functional difference between getting leads and getting ignored or banned.

When you show up in a Reddit thread, a Facebook group, a YouTube comment section, or a Quora answer and your first move is to drop an affiliate link, people categorize you instantly as spam. The link gets downvoted, removed, or reported. But when you show up with a genuinely useful answer, people read it, appreciate it, and start to see you as a credible source. When you eventually mention your website or YouTube channel, they go there willingly because you have already earned their attention.

The other rule that runs parallel to this one: never send leads directly to an affiliate offer. Send them to a landing page. Research and buyer behavior both point to 5 to 12 touchpoints as the range it takes to convert someone from stranger to buyer. A person who clicks an affiliate link the first time they encounter your content and does not buy is gone. A person who lands on your email list can receive follow-up messages, more value, more trust-building, and eventually a purchase. Email marketing converts at twice the rate of direct affiliate traffic for exactly this reason.

Real Numbers From These Methods

Here is what the actual math looks like on a few of these channels:

YouTube ads: $5/day budget, 2 cents per view. That is roughly 250 views per day. If 1% buy a $30 affiliate product, you net $30 in commission on a $5 spend. That is a 6x return.
Quora: Alston reported 1,000 views in a single month from answering questions in his niche. Cost: zero dollars. Time: roughly 30 minutes per question answered.
Blog comments: Two to four paragraphs per comment, 10 to 15 minutes of work, placed on a blog that receives ongoing traffic. One good comment can continue driving visitors to your landing page for months.
Facebook Ads: $5/day with hyper-targeted audience (specific demographics, interests, family status). You know you are reaching the right person, unlike organic content where reach is unpredictable.

Honest Drawbacks to Know Before You Start

The organic methods (Reddit, Quora, forums, blog comments, Twitter, Instagram) take time before they compound. In the first few weeks, it may feel like you are putting in effort and seeing nothing. That is normal. The value you add early builds the reputation that makes later contributions more impactful. Most people quit before the compounding starts.

The paid methods (YouTube ads, Facebook ads) accelerate the process but require budget and testing. You will not write the perfect ad on your first attempt. Plan to spend some money learning what messaging works for your audience before you see a positive return on ad spend. Starting at $5/day keeps that learning cost manageable.

And regardless of which method you use, if you skip the landing page step and send people directly to an affiliate product, you are leaving most of your potential revenue on the table. Capturing the email is not optional for anyone who wants to build a sustainable affiliate income rather than a one-time sale here and there.

Find Your X

Not every method fits every situation. If you have $0 to spend, paid ads are not your starting point. If you hate making videos, YouTube organic might not be where you put your first hundred hours. The right channel depends on your budget, your skills, your niche, and how much time you have available.

Answer a few questions at finder.platformproof.com and get a clear recommendation for which of these methods fits your specific situation. It takes about two minutes and points you at the method most likely to produce your first real results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a website to get started with any of these methods?

You need either a website or a YouTube channel. Having both is ideal, but you can start with just one. Your website or channel is the hub that your affiliate offers live inside. Without one, you are sending people directly to affiliate product pages, which eliminates the landing page step and costs you most of your potential conversions. A basic website or a YouTube channel with a landing page link in the description is the minimum viable setup.

How long does it take to get leads from organic methods like Quora and Reddit?

Realistically, plan for two to four weeks of consistent effort before you see meaningful traffic. Quora answers gain traction as they accumulate upvotes and get merged with similar questions. Reddit contributions build reputation over time. The 1,000 Quora views that Alston mentioned came after a month of active answering. If you are consistent and focused on genuinely helping people, results do show up, but they are not instant.

What is the right daily budget to start with for paid ads?

Both YouTube and Facebook ads can be started with $5 per day. That is the floor, not a number to be embarrassed about. Starting at $5/day lets you test your messaging, your targeting, and your offer without taking on serious financial risk. Once you identify what is working, meaning your cost per lead or cost per sale is profitable, you can scale the budget up. Most people who fail with paid ads do so because they start with too much money before they know what they are doing, and they burn through it before finding a winning formula.

Why should I send leads to a landing page instead of directly to an affiliate offer?

Because most people do not buy on the first exposure. Research and sales experience both point to 5 to 12 touchpoints as the typical range before a stranger becomes a buyer. If you send someone directly to an affiliate product page and they leave without buying, you have permanently lost that lead. But if you capture their email on a landing page first, you can send them follow-up content and offers over days or weeks until they are ready to buy. Affiliate marketers who skip this step make some money. Affiliate marketers who do this step build actual businesses.

How do I avoid getting banned on Reddit or Facebook Groups for promoting affiliate links?

Read the rules of every community before you post anything promotional. Most communities have explicit rules against self-promotion or link dropping. Follow those rules. The strategy for affiliate marketers on these platforms is not to post links directly in the community but to build a reputation through valuable contributions, and then let people find your links by clicking your profile or bio. This approach gets you leads without violating community rules. The people who get banned are the ones who show up with a link on day one.

Which method generates the highest quality leads?

Organic search from YouTube and Google tends to produce leads who are already researching and close to a buying decision. Someone who finds your content by searching “best affiliate marketing tools” is in a very different mindset than someone who stumbles onto your content through a random social media post. That said, the paid methods (YouTube and Facebook ads) let you put your content in front of highly targeted audiences, which can also produce strong leads when the targeting is dialed in. Quality varies by niche, offer, and execution.

Is email marketing really worth adding on top of affiliate marketing?

According to Alston’s experience, email marketing converts at twice the rate of direct affiliate traffic. That gap exists because email creates the repeated touchpoints that move people from awareness to purchase. Every lead generation method in this list should ultimately feed into an email list. The list is the asset. The affiliate commissions are what you earn while building it. If you are not capturing emails, you are in a perpetual cycle of finding new leads instead of monetizing the ones you already have.

Can these methods work for any affiliate marketing niche?

Yes. The 11 methods in this video are channel strategies, not niche-specific tactics. Reddit works for make-money niches, fitness niches, tech niches, and everything in between because Reddit has subreddits for virtually every topic. The same applies to Facebook Groups, Quora, Instagram, and the rest. The specific questions you answer, the hashtags you search, and the forums you join will be different depending on your niche, but the underlying approach transfers directly. Whatever your niche, there is an active online community discussing it right now.

Sources

Alston Godbolt, “11 Ways to Get Unlimited Leads for Affiliate Marketing,” YouTube, 2019
Google Ads Help: About TrueView video ads and CPV bidding
Quora blog: How questions get merged and answers surface across duplicates
Meta Business Help: Detailed targeting options in Facebook Ads Manager