How To Start Affiliate Marketing With No Money In 2023

You do not need money to start affiliate marketing. You need time, one product to talk about, and a free platform. That is the whole model. The YouTube Creator Award plaque visible behind Alston in the video is proof the method works — it is the same process he used to build a channel from zero, and it costs exactly nothing to copy.

Affiliate marketing is connecting customers to products using your content. Your content is the vehicle that gets buyers where they want to go. The job is not to hard-sell anyone. The job is to answer questions that people are already typing into YouTube, TikTok, and Google — then drop your affiliate link so they can buy. Alston covers every step in the video above, and this post walks you through the full breakdown with the specific numbers he pulled live on screen.

What You’ll Walk Out With

A clear first product or problem niche to start from today
The three free platforms that send targeted buyer traffic without spending on ads
The inverted content funnel that walks a complete stranger from curiosity to purchase
Five specific content formats you can batch-create this weekend with no gear budget
The who-what-when-where-why-how method for generating unlimited content ideas
The hook-story-offer structure every video or post needs to convert
What to add next once you have traction (email marketing, landing pages)
Clarity on which online income model actually fits your current skill set — take the quiz at finder.platformproof.com

Step 1: Identify a Product or Problem

The first move is to pick one product or one problem. That is it. You do not need a perfect niche. You do not need a week of keyword research. You need one thing you can create content about and one group of people who need it.

Alston’s live example in the video is a pair of Sunwill heated glove liners he purchased from Amazon. That is the product. The problem those gloves solve is cold hands while hiking, cycling, snowboarding, or riding a motorcycle in winter weather. Both the product name and the problem it solves are usable as content angles — you will use both.

Here is the rule on niche selection: do not waste time hunting for a category with zero competition. No competition almost always means no buyers. You want a product where people are already purchasing — one where the reviews are stacking up, the YouTube search results load fast, and the Amazon category is active. That competition is not a warning. It is proof that the market is real and that people are spending money.

The fastest way to pick your starting product is to think about something you recently bought. That research is already done. You know what the product does, you know who needs it, and you have first-hand experience to draw on when you sit down to create content. The heated glove liners are just a template. Swap in whatever you bought last month — a tool, a kitchen gadget, a piece of software, a supplement. The framework works the same way across every category.

One more thing: do not spend more than an hour on this step. Alston is clear that “anything can work” and that paralysis over the perfect niche costs more than just picking and starting. The feedback from real traffic will tell you more than any research session.

Step 2: Choose Where You Will Create Content

Once you have your product, pick one platform. Alston recommends three free options, and each has a different strength:

YouTube — the best platform for verifying opportunity before you create a single video. Search your product name in the YouTube search bar and look at the view counts on the results. Small subscriber counts with thousands of views tell you that the algorithm is already pushing this content to people who are searching. That is the signal you want.
TikTok and short-form video — this label covers TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels, and YouTube Shorts. When Alston says TikTok he means any short-format platform. He searched heated glove liner content on TikTok in real time and found hundreds of thousands of combined views across multiple creators. That is real traffic being generated by people with no large following and no ad spend.
Facebook Groups — a strong option for getting traction without worrying about an algorithm at all. Join or start groups around your niche (hunting gear, cold weather hiking, winter motorcycling) and answer questions with helpful content that includes your affiliate links. Alston showed live results of Facebook groups dedicated to glove liners, and noted that niching up to broader topics like “winter outdoor gear” gives you access to a larger audience while still being relevant.

Alston focuses the rest of the breakdown on YouTube because you can measure the opportunity before you invest time in it. He searched “Sunwill heated glove liners” and the top result had 6,400 views with only 24 subscribers. That gap — thousands of views, barely any followers — means the platform is routing search traffic directly to this content. A creator with zero subscribers made thousands of people aware of a product. Some percentage of those people clicked the affiliate link. Commissions were earned with a small channel most people would not even bother starting.

Pick one platform. Get consistent results on that one thing before you expand. Spreading across all three before you have a working content process on any of them is how people stall out after two months with nothing to show for it.

The Inverted Funnel: Five Content Types That Drive Affiliate Sales

This is the most important concept in the video. Alston draws an inverted funnel on a whiteboard during the breakdown, and every piece of content you create maps to a level in that funnel. At the top are people who are happy, satisfied, and have no problem yet. At the bottom are people who have identified a problem and are actively comparing specific solutions before buying.

Your goal is to create content at multiple levels of the funnel so that no matter where a buyer is in their research, they find you. Here is how each level works.

Bottom of Funnel: Reviews, Unboxing, First Impressions, and Tutorials

People at the bottom of the funnel already know what they need. They know their hands get cold. They know heated gloves exist. Now they are asking one specific question: “Is this specific product worth buying?” These buyers have the highest purchase intent of anyone in the funnel. They are the closest to clicking your affiliate link.

The content types that serve them are product reviews, unboxing videos, first impression videos, and how-to tutorials. Alston recommends creating two, three, four, or even five separate videos about the same product — the Sunwill heated glove liners — so that you show up multiple times when someone searches the brand name. That stacking is not redundant. It is strategic. The YouTube result for that search showed 6,400 views going to a channel with 24 subscribers. Those views represent real people with cold hands who were deciding whether to spend money. Some of them clicked. Commissions were paid.

Mid-Funnel: Alternatives Content

One level up from reviews is alternatives content. Someone searches “heated glove liner alternatives” because they looked at the Sunwill, found the price or the specs not quite right, and want to see what else exists before committing. This search intent is still high-purchase, and the competition is lower than for the main product review because fewer creators think to make this type of video.

You do not need to own every alternative product to create this content. Research the top five options, pull their specs and real Amazon review highlights, and give an honest comparison of what each one does well and where it falls short. Your affiliate links go into the description for every product you mention. Many affiliate programs — including Amazon Associates — pay you a commission on whatever someone buys after clicking your link, even if they click the link for product A and end up purchasing product B. Every link you drop is a potential commission.

Mid-Funnel: Best X for Y

This format is underestimated by most beginning affiliate marketers and overperforms consistently. The pattern is: “best [product category] for [specific use case].” In the heated gloves niche Alston lists these as individual video ideas: best heated gloves for work, best heated gloves for winter, best heated gloves for hunting, best heated gloves for freezer work, best heated gloves for skiing, best heated gloves for motorcycle riding. Each one targets a separate search query. Each one can rank independently.

He pulled a live YouTube result as proof: “Best heated gloves 2023 — the only five you should consider” had 8,500 views and only 5,000 subscribers. That is a solid view-to-subscriber ratio on a channel that has not blown up. You can beat that with a more specific use-case angle and better on-screen structure. Build a list of five to ten products in your niche. Record one “best X for Y” video for each realistic use case. You now have a library of content that catches buyers at multiple points in their decision process, all pointing to your affiliate links.

Upper Mid-Funnel: X vs. Y Comparisons

The comparison format captures buyers who have narrowed their choices down to two finalists and need a tiebreaker. This is a high-intent buyer keyword because someone searching “KitchenAid stand mixer vs. [competitor]” has already decided to buy a stand mixer — they just want help picking the right one. Alston uses the Bluehost versus GoDaddy comparison as another example, showing a live YouTube result with 11,000 subscribers and 4,800 views — moderate competition and real traffic sitting at that ranking position.

The formula for this content type is simple: what does Person A get with product one, what does Person B get with product two, and who should buy which one. Answer the “who is this for” question clearly at the end and your conversion rate goes up because the viewer feels like the recommendation was made for their exact situation. Your affiliate links go to both products so you capture the commission regardless of which one they choose.

Top of Funnel: Who-What-When-Where-Why-How Questions

At the top of the funnel, people do not even know they have a problem yet. Someone goes camping in October for the first time, their fingers go numb on the trail, they come home and search “what accessories do I need for cold weather hiking?” That search pulled 105,000 views in Alston’s live example. More general question, more competition, but a much larger total audience — and one of the answers to that question is heated glove liners with your affiliate link in the description.

The six-word framework Alston recommends for generating ideas at this level is: who, what, when, where, why, how. Take your product niche and write out questions starting with each word. “Who should wear heated gloves?” “What temperature is too cold for hiking without heated gloves?” “When should you switch from regular gloves to heated ones?” “Where do people most often need hand warmth while outdoors?” “Why do heated gloves lose battery faster in extreme cold?” “How do you charge heated gloves in the field?” Every one of those is a content idea. Every one of them can include affiliate links to products that solve the problem.

Not sure which online income model fits your current skills and schedule?

Take the two-minute quiz at finder.platformproof.com and get a clear answer matched to what you already know.

The Hook-Story-Offer Structure Every Piece of Content Needs

Knowing what to create is step one. Knowing how to structure it so people stay long enough to click your link is step two. Alston breaks every video or piece of content down into three parts, and this breakdown applies whether you are making a five-minute YouTube review or a thirty-second TikTok clip.

Hook — the first sentence or first three seconds. Tell people exactly what they are going to learn or see. The hook Alston uses to open the video this post is based on: “In this video I’m going to show you step by step how you can start affiliate marketing with no money.” No vague promises. No long intro. The viewer immediately knows what they get if they stay. That is the job of the hook.
Story — the body of the content. Walk through the process, the review, the comparison, or the tutorial. This is where you deliver value. For affiliate marketing content the story is your honest take on the product, the real-life test results, the comparison breakdown, or the step-by-step walkthrough. The story earns the trust that makes the offer land.
Offer — the call to action at the end (and sometimes in the middle). This is where your affiliate link, your mailing list, or your free resource lives. Alston’s offer in this video is a free affiliate marketing planner available at the link in the description. For product content your offer is typically the affiliate link itself, plus an invitation to check out a related video or subscribe for more buying guides in the niche.

Every single piece of content you create needs all three. A video with no clear hook bleeds viewers in the first ten seconds. A video with no offer is traffic that does not convert into commissions for anyone. This structure is what Alston used to generate 242,000 views on a single video outside the make-money-online space — proof that the method works when the fundamentals are in place.

How to Start This Weekend: A Step-by-Step Action Plan

Here is the exact sequence to go from zero to your first piece of published affiliate content in the next three to five days. No money required at any step.

Pick your product today. Write down one product you own or recently bought. Open Amazon and look at the customer reviews to understand what problems it solves and who is buying it. This takes thirty minutes.
Join the affiliate program. If it is a physical product, Amazon Associates is free to join and covers almost every category. If it is a software tool, check the company’s website for an affiliate or partner program — most SaaS products pay 20 to 40 percent recurring commissions. Sign up today.
Verify the opportunity on YouTube. Search the exact brand name and model of your product. Look at view counts versus subscriber counts on the results. If you see channels with 6,000 views and 24 subscribers, the opportunity is real. Write down the three or four specific search terms that show this pattern.
Create your first content piece. Start at the bottom of the funnel: a review or unboxing video. Use the hook-story-offer structure. First sentence: state exactly what you are reviewing and who it is for. Middle: walk through the product honestly, including what it does well and where it falls short. End: link to buy in the description, with your affiliate tag attached.
Publish and watch the analytics. Do not optimize before you have data. Post the video, wait two weeks, and look at what search terms brought people to it. Those terms will tell you what your second and third videos should be about. The traffic pattern shows you where the funnel is working.
Batch-create using the funnel. Once your first video is live, use the inverted funnel to plan your next five to ten pieces. One review, one alternatives video, one “best X for Y” for two or three use cases, one comparison if a competing product exists. Now you have a content schedule that covers every stage of the buyer journey.

Honest Drawbacks to Know Before You Start

Affiliate marketing with no money is a real model and the method Alston describes works. But there are trade-offs worth naming before you commit your time to it.

It takes time, not money. “No money” does not mean no cost. You are trading hours of content creation for the income that paid traffic would accelerate. Alston is direct about this in the video: “It’s not going to require any money — it’s just going to require some time.” If you have a few free hours per day you can make this work. If you are looking for a model that generates income in the next two weeks without significant time investment, this is not it.

Content volume matters early on. One video on a new channel is almost never enough to earn meaningful commissions. The stacking strategy Alston describes — creating two, three, four, or five videos around the same product — is not optional in the early phase. You need enough content for the algorithm to identify your channel’s topic and for multiple search terms to find you. Plan for a month of consistent publishing before you start seeing real click-through data.

Traffic is feedback, not just earnings. Alston emphasizes that in the early stage the goal is to get traffic and learn from the analytics — not to optimize for commissions immediately. What people click, what they skip, and what search terms bring them to your content will tell you what to make next. Treat the first three months as paid market research (you are paying in time) and you will set up a much more effective content library than someone who tries to guess the perfect topic from day one.

Email marketing and landing pages come later. As the business grows, Alston recommends adding an email list and a landing page or bridge page to capture leads and build an audience you own. These tools cost money — typically $20 to $50 per month for a basic email service provider. You do not need them on day one, but plan for them as a milestone once you have consistent traffic. They are how you convert a content channel into a real business with repeat buyers.

Find Your X

Affiliate marketing is one of several online income models that works without startup capital. Whether it is the right one for you depends on your existing skills, your schedule, and how comfortable you are creating content on camera or in writing. If you are not sure which model fits your situation, the quiz at finder.platformproof.com takes under two minutes and gives you a specific recommendation based on what you already bring to the table. Use it before you spend your first hour of effort on a model that might not be the best fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a website to start affiliate marketing with no money?

No. Alston’s method in this video uses YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook Groups — none of which require a website. Your affiliate links go directly in the video description or Facebook post. A website becomes useful later as a hub for blog posts, email opt-ins, and product comparison pages, but it is not required to earn your first commission.

How much can I realistically earn in the first three months?

This varies widely depending on your niche, the commission rate of your affiliate program, and how much content you publish. Amazon Associates pays 1 to 10 percent depending on the category. A product selling for $80 with a 5 percent commission earns you $4 per sale. To earn $400 a month at that rate you need 100 sales. That is achievable with several videos getting consistent traffic, but it typically takes three to six months of consistent content creation to build to that level from scratch.

What is the best affiliate program for beginners?

Amazon Associates is the most accessible starting point because almost any physical product you can buy on Amazon has an affiliate link available, and buyers trust the Amazon checkout. The downside is the commission rates are relatively low (1 to 4 percent for most categories). Once you have an audience, programs on ClickBank, ShareASale, or direct partnerships with SaaS companies often pay higher rates — sometimes 30 to 50 percent on digital products.

What if my product niche already has a lot of competition on YouTube?

Competition is a sign that the market is real. Look for the specific sub-niche or use-case angle that bigger channels are ignoring. The “best X for Y” format is particularly useful here — instead of competing on “best kitchen knife” you target “best kitchen knife for camping” or “best kitchen knife for left-handed cooks.” Those narrower searches have less competition and buyers who are very clear on what they need.

How do I get my affiliate links to show up correctly in video descriptions?

Most affiliate programs give you a tracking link that you copy and paste directly into your description. For Amazon, you add your tracking ID to a standard product URL through the Associates dashboard, which generates a short link you can use. Always disclose that your description contains affiliate links — this is required by the FTC in the US and equivalent bodies in other countries. A simple line at the top of the description reading “This description contains affiliate links — I may earn a commission if you purchase through them” covers the requirement.

Can I do affiliate marketing without showing my face on camera?

Yes. Screen-recording tutorials, slideshow-style comparison videos, and voiceover product reviews all perform well on YouTube without showing the creator’s face. TikTok and Reels do tend to favor face-to-camera content in terms of algorithmic reach, but YouTube search traffic is driven by the content of the video and the keyword in the title, not by whether the creator appears on screen.

When should I start building an email list?

Alston’s guidance is to focus on content and traffic first. Once you have videos getting consistent views — even at a modest level like a few hundred views per video per month — start offering a simple freebie (a checklist, a comparison chart, a buying guide) in exchange for an email address. That list is the part of your business you own. YouTube can change its algorithm. Amazon can close its affiliate program. The list stays yours.

How do I know if a product is too competitive to make money with?

Go to YouTube and search the brand name of the specific product. If the top results have millions of views and were published by channels with hundreds of thousands of subscribers, you may be walking into a difficult fight. But if the top results show channels with a few thousand subscribers getting tens of thousands of views, the niche is wide open for a creator willing to put in consistent effort. The channel size is less important than the view-to-subscriber ratio — that ratio tells you whether the algorithm is amplifying the content.

Sources

Alston Godbolt, “How To Start Affiliate Marketing With No Money In 2023,” YouTube, https://youtu.be/PCRWit0CaTI
Amazon Associates affiliate program: affiliate-program.amazon.com
YouTube search data pulled live in the video: Sunwill heated glove liners (6,400 views / 24 subscribers); best heated gloves 2023 (8,500 views / 5,000 subscribers); Bluehost vs. GoDaddy (11,000 subscribers / 4,800 views); cold weather hiking accessories (105,000 views)