Most people start blogs for one reason and one reason only – to make money.
And they do this:
Write some posts.
Drop a few affiliate links
Hope to make money quickly.
Simples!
Back in the day that worked up to a point, but these days, it doesn’t unless you already have an audience.
And it isn’t because affiliate marketing nor blogging is dead.
It’s because they are doing it the exact wrong way for a new blog.
Here’s why affiliate marketing fails for most new blogs – and what you can change to finally make it work.
Don’t Try to Monetize Too Early
The first mistake new blogs make is impatience, and I notice it a lot on Substack and posts around Substack on Reddit.
Blogs need time and patience, because for a while you will have:
- no traffic
- no trust
- no authority
- no marketing plan
From a reader’s perspective, it looks like this:
“I don’t know you…
I just met you…
And you want me to buy something?”
That never works.
Affiliate marketing relies on trust, not just clicks.
And trust doesn’t come from existing – it comes from helping first.
Solve Problems Before Promoting Products
Does this sound familiar?
- “Here’s a tool I use”
- “Here’s a product I recommend”
- “Here’s my affiliate link”
Not that those type of posts aren’t good, but you need to anchor those products to real problems.
People don’t wake up Googling products, they wake up and Google problems.
Reframe your content around:
- frustrations
- mistakes
- bottlenecks
- “why this isn’t working” moments
And then introduce products inside the solution.
Products are supporting characters.
Problems are the main story.
Remember that.
Don’t Pick Competitive Keywords You Have No Chance Ranking For
Don’t try and rank for terms like:
- “best email marketing software”
- “best blogging tools”
- “top SEO tools”
That’s delusional. (Unless it’s just a hobby site)
Because those keywords are owned by:
- massive sites
- review giants
- comparison platforms
- brands themselves
You will be invisible.
What works is targeting long-tail, problem-aware keywords like:
- “email marketing tools for beginners with small lists”
- “simple SEO tools for non-technical bloggers”
- “blogging tools for people who hate tech”
Less volume.
Way less competition.
And much higher intent.
Don’t Build Content That Pre-Sells the Click
An affiliate link doesn’t do the convincing, the real sale happens before the click as I explained in my What to Write Before Launching Your First Digital Product post.
Start explaining:
- why the product exists
- who it’s for
- who it’s not for
- when it makes sense
- when it doesn’t
And you also need a funnel.
Your blog probably has:
- posts with affiliate links
- but no structure
- no sequence
- no journey
Readers land, skim, and leave.
Build a simple path:
- informational post
- internal link to a deeper guide
- product mention in context
- optional email signup
Affiliate income grows when your content stops being isolated and starts working together.
People Are Afraid to Be Honest About Downsides
I see this a lot, as people think too many downsides or cons to a product doesn’t ‘sell it’, and in turn, might affect sales and conversions.
But it does the opposite.
Once you actually start being honest and say things like:
- “This tool is great, but not if you’re just starting”
- “I wouldn’t recommend this unless you already have traffic”
- “This is overkill for beginners”
Trust goes up, and conversions will follow.
What Will Work for Your New Blog
Here’s the shift that made affiliate marketing work:
- Focus on helping first
- Target low-competition, problem-based keywords
- Write content that educates before recommending
- Place affiliate links only where they make sense
- Build internal paths instead of random posts
- Tell the truth
Affiliate marketing fails when:
- trust is missing
- intent is wrong
- competition is too high
- content is shallow
- the reader isn’t ready
Fix those, and stop trying to monetize like a big site.
