THIS WORKS: How To Start Affiliate Marketing Step By Step

One of the most powerful moments in any online business journey is getting that first affiliate commission. Alston got a comment from a guy named Dwayne who said: “Alston, I just had to come back and say thanks a million. I just got my first sale marketing Bluehost and I owe it all to you.” Dwayne said it happened fast, and it happened because he followed a specific step-by-step process. That same process is what this video teaches.

The goal in this guide is a hundred dollars per day with affiliate marketing. That is not a get-rich-quick promise. Alston is clear: it takes consistency and persistence. Doing this once or twice does not build a sustainable business. What builds a sustainable business is showing up again and again, creating content around the right keywords, and letting traffic compound over time. Here is exactly how it works.

What You’ll Walk Out With

The exact affiliate network to join first (free to sign up, thousands of brands)
How to find an affiliate program that pays $65 per sale so two sales a day exceeds $100
The keyword research strategy that identifies what your target audience is already searching for
Why YouTube outperforms blogging for beginners trying to rank for competitive keywords
Four specific content types (review, comparison, alternatives, how-to) that each attract buyers at different stages
How to create honest content that builds trust even when you have never personally used the product
The bonus strategy that turns a product’s weakness into an extra reason to buy through your link
Not sure which niche fits your background? Run your answer through finder.platformproof.com to find out.

The Product and the Network: Why Bluehost on Impact

Alston uses Bluehost as the example in this video, but the process works for any affiliate program in any niche. The reason Bluehost is a good teaching example is that the math is simple. The program starts at $65 per approved sale. Two sales in a day puts you past $100. That means you do not need a massive audience to hit this target.

To join Bluehost as an affiliate, you go through Impact.com. Impact is an affiliate network, meaning it is the middleman between affiliate marketers and the companies that want affiliates. Signing up for Impact is completely free. You will fill in your information, and it may ask for a website. If you do not have one, get one. Once you are inside the Impact dashboard, click on Brands and search for Bluehost. You will find it there along with thousands of other brands you could also promote.

When you apply to Bluehost through Impact, answer every question truthfully and honestly. That is how you get accepted and stay in good standing with the program.

Step 1: Know Who You Are Targeting

Before you touch a keyword tool or open a camera, you need to understand who would actually buy Bluehost. Alston frames it this way: think about who needs Bluehost. The answer covers people who want to start a website or blog, people in internet marketing, and people who have heard of other hosting services but are not yet aware of Bluehost.

This audience awareness step matters because it determines what content you will create. If you understand who the person is and what they are looking for, you can show up at exactly the right moment with exactly the right answer. That is how affiliate marketing actually works. You are not selling to anyone. You are helping people who already know they have a problem find the solution they are already looking for.

Step 2: Find Your Keywords

Keyword research is the backbone of this entire strategy. Alston shows several approaches for finding the right keywords, and you do not need an expensive paid tool to get started.

The first set of keywords comes from broad searches. “How to start a blog” gets searched 66,000 times per month and has over 6,000 related keywords. That sounds attractive, but Alston points out that it is extremely competitive if you plan to rank a blog for it. However, the keyword gets more interesting when you look at the specific variations: how to start a sports blog, how to start a business blog, how to start a lifestyle blog, how to start a Church website. Each of those is a niche version of the same question, and each one is far less competitive than the broad term.

If you do not have access to a paid keyword research tool, Answer the Public works for this. Type in “how to start a blog” or “how to start a website” and it pulls most of the same keyword variations for free.

The second set of keywords comes from searching the product name directly. Type “Bluehost review” into YouTube and you will find videos with 13,000 views, 5,200 views, and 4,900 views. The channel with 4,900 views had only 1,000 subscribers when that video was made. Small channels can absolutely compete here.

The third keyword angle is comparisons. “Bluehost versus HostGator,” “Bluehost versus Shopify,” “Bluehost versus SiteGround” are all searches that people make when they have done their research and are close to buying. They just want to make sure they pick the right option. Videos on these terms are getting 2,900 views, 5,800 views, and 5,300 views regularly.

The fourth keyword type is alternatives. “Bluehost alternatives” pulls in people who are strongly considering Bluehost but want to compare before committing. Alston notes that you could join four or five related affiliate programs, list their alternatives in your video description, and earn commissions from multiple products in one piece of content.

Finally, you can find keywords by going directly to the product’s website. Scroll through Bluehost’s homepage and look at what words they bold and emphasize. “WordPress,” “shared hosting,” “online stores,” “website templates.” Those are signals about what their customers care about. Go to YouTube and search “best shared hosting plans for WordPress” and you will find real videos with real views doing exactly this.

Step 3: Choose Your Traffic Platform

Alston’s recommendation here is direct: use YouTube, not a blog. The reason is competition. Starting a blog and ranking for “how to start a blog” or any of its variations is going to be extremely difficult as a beginner. Google’s search results for those terms are dominated by established sites with years of authority.

YouTube is a different story. Alston made a video titled “how to start a sports blog” and it sits at the top of YouTube search results with 5,300 views. He notes those are not casual views. Every person who searches “how to start a sports blog” already knows what they want. They just need someone to show them the steps. That is a highly targeted audience, and those are the people who will click an affiliate link in your video description.

On one of his secondary channels, with 1,580 subscribers, Alston published individual videos targeting niche blog keyword variations. Some of those videos are getting thousands of views each. One viewer found a website Alston had not even promoted or mentioned in a video. The person stumbled across it organically because the content existed. That is what content compounding looks like in practice.

You do not need millions of views to hit a hundred dollars per day with affiliate marketing. You need a few hundred to a few thousand views from people who have a specific problem, know the type of solution they need, and just need someone to walk them through the decision. Targeted views beat mass views every time in this model.

Step 4: Create the Four Types of Content

Alston lays out a clear picture of the content funnel. At the top is the widest audience: people asking broad how-to questions like “how to start a blog.” At the bottom is the narrowest, most purchase-ready audience: people searching for a specific review of a product they already intend to buy.

How-to content targets the widest group. These are people who have a goal (start a blog, build a website, launch a store) but have not yet settled on what tools they will use. You help them get started and naturally recommend Bluehost as the hosting solution in the process.

Review content targets buyers. When someone searches “Bluehost review,” they are almost ready to buy. They want confirmation. A video that honestly covers both the pros and the cons will serve them better than one that just cheers for the product. Alston is explicit: no software or service is perfect, and smart viewers know this. A reviewer who only says positive things loses credibility. A reviewer who gives both sides earns trust.

Comparison content targets people making the final decision. “Bluehost vs SiteGround” means someone has narrowed it down and wants help choosing. Cover where each one is stronger, make a clear recommendation, and you can even earn commissions from both products by being an affiliate for each competitor.

Alternatives content captures people who are leaning toward the category but not committed to one product. “Bluehost alternatives” or “best shared hosting plans” gives you the opportunity to recommend Bluehost alongside three or four related programs, all with active affiliate links.

Not sure which niche or platform fits your skills and situation?

Find your starting point at finder.platformproof.com.

Step 5: Create Honest Content (Even Without Personal Experience)

One of the most common questions Alston gets is: “What if I have never used Bluehost? How do I make content about it?” His answer is not what most beginners want to hear, but it is the right one: you have to do the research.

Become the subject matter expert. This does not require using the product personally for years. It requires reading documentation, watching other reviews, studying community forums, and synthesizing information in a way that is genuinely helpful to your target viewer. People seek you out not because you have used the product the longest, but because you have explained it more clearly than anyone else has.

Research takes real effort. Alston is direct about this: most people want the results without the work, and that is why most people fail at affiliate marketing. You have to put in the work. If you do the research and become the expert, the content creation becomes easier and the results follow.

When you make comparison or review content, always cover both pros and cons. One reason this matters beyond credibility: a product’s weakness is actually a buying opportunity. If Bluehost has inconsistent customer support, you can create a bonus for people who sign up through your link. For example, you could offer a PDF of the 300 most commonly asked Bluehost support questions so that buyers can troubleshoot on their own without ever needing to contact support. That bonus directly addresses the known weakness and gives your audience an extra reason to use your specific link.

Step 6: Commit to the Timeline

Alston sets honest expectations here: you cannot upload ten videos and expect a hundred dollars to fall out of the sky. This is a long-term build. The timeline for seeing real results could be three months. It could be six months. It could be nine months or two years.

The mental shift that matters is moving from being outcome-focused to process-focused. If you are fixated on the end result happening fast, frustration will cause you to quit. If you are committed to the process of creating good content consistently, you will keep going through the slow periods, and the slow periods are exactly when most people drop out. That is when persistence becomes your competitive advantage.

Dwayne got his first sale fast. Alston does not promise that will be your experience. What he does say is that if you dedicate yourself to the process, you can be successful. The process is: pick a product, understand your audience, find the keywords they are searching, create honest content around those keywords, and keep going.

Honest Drawbacks of This Approach

Affiliate marketing through YouTube content is a legitimate path, but it comes with real constraints worth understanding before you start.

It is slow to start. Content takes time to rank in YouTube search. Even with good targeting, a new channel does not get indexed and surfaced immediately. Expect weeks to months before consistent traffic builds.

You depend on platform algorithms. YouTube can change its recommendation system at any time. A channel built entirely on one platform is exposed to that platform’s policy changes, algorithm shifts, and demonetization risks. Diversifying content across platforms or building an email list reduces this exposure over time.

Affiliate program terms change. Bluehost and other programs can reduce their commission rates, change approval criteria, or close their affiliate programs. Always read the program terms before building a content strategy around a single product.

You need patience before you see evidence it is working. This is the hardest part for most people. The videos exist for weeks before they rank. The channel exists for months before the traffic compounds. If you need quick validation to stay motivated, this model will test you.

Research is non-negotiable. Creating content about products you have not used is possible, but skipping research and posting thin content damages your credibility and will not convert. Shortcuts here guarantee failure.

Find Your X

The strategy in this video works for Bluehost and it works for thousands of other affiliate programs. The question is which product, which niche, and which platform fits your specific situation. If you are not sure where to start, the Platform Proof Finder walks you through the decision. It takes your background, your skills, and your goals and points you toward the online income model that fits best.

Start at finder.platformproof.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a website to start affiliate marketing with YouTube?

You will need a website to apply to Impact.com and to most affiliate programs. You do not need a high-traffic blog to succeed. A basic website that establishes who you are and what you cover is usually enough to get accepted. The content and traffic strategy in this video is built around YouTube, not your website.

How much can I realistically make as a beginner with affiliate marketing?

The goal Alston outlines is $100 per day, which requires two Bluehost sales at $65 each. A beginner should expect no commissions for the first several months while building content and waiting for it to rank. Results depend entirely on how consistently you publish and how well you research your keywords and audience.

Why is YouTube recommended over starting a blog for beginners?

Blogging for competitive keywords like “how to start a blog” is very difficult because established sites with years of domain authority dominate Google’s results. YouTube is more accessible for new creators. Alston’s videos on niche variations of those same keywords rank at the top of YouTube search despite being on a smaller channel. The barrier to entry is lower on video.

What if I want to use a niche that is not web hosting?

The framework applies to any affiliate program. Replace Bluehost with any product in any category: software tools, physical goods, financial services, online education. Find the affiliate network that hosts your product (Commission Junction, ShareASale, ClickBank, and Amazon Associates are common alternatives to Impact), then apply the same keyword research and content strategy to your chosen niche.

How do I create a review video for a product I have never personally used?

Research. Read the product’s documentation, watch existing reviews, study community forums and Reddit threads where users discuss their experiences, and synthesize that information into an honest, balanced overview. Become knowledgeable enough to answer your audience’s real questions. The goal is to be the most helpful resource on that topic, not to fake firsthand experience.

How many videos do I need before I start seeing affiliate commissions?

There is no fixed number. Alston does not guarantee a timeline. Some channels get their first commission after five videos, others after fifty. What matters more than quantity is targeting the right keywords, creating genuinely helpful content, and publishing consistently. A smaller number of well-researched videos will outperform a large number of thin ones.

What is the bonus strategy Alston mentions for handling product weaknesses?

If a product has a known weakness, you can turn it into a reason to buy through your specific link by offering a relevant bonus. In the Bluehost example, if the product has inconsistent customer support, you could create a PDF of the most commonly asked Bluehost support questions and offer it free to anyone who signs up through your link. The bonus addresses the weakness directly and gives buyers a reason to prefer your link over anyone else’s.

Is affiliate marketing still worth starting in 2024 and beyond?

People continue to search YouTube for product reviews, comparisons, and tutorials every day. As long as search behavior exists, affiliate content that answers those searches will generate traffic and commissions. The approach is sustainable as long as you create honest, useful content and keep building. The same process Dwayne used to get his first Bluehost commission in 2021 still applies today.

Sources

Alston Godbolt, “THIS WORKS: How To Start Affiliate Marketing Step By Step 2023,” YouTube, https://youtu.be/3ess1mErhsA
Impact.com affiliate network, https://impact.com
Bluehost affiliate program via Impact.com
Answer the Public keyword research tool, https://answerthepublic.com

Helping 1 million working adults make their first $3,000 online with the skills they already have. Alston Godbolt, Platform Proof.