20 Affiliate Marketing Business Ideas You Can Start Today [2025]
Interested in starting a affiliate marketing business in 2025?
We put together 19 of the best affiliate marketing businesses you can start in today.
For each business idea, we’ll show you real-world examples of other affiliate marketing businesses to help you see what it really takes.
Here's the full list:
1. Start a youtube channel
For anyone looking to start a successful YouTube channel, there are plenty of YouTube channel success stories that can be used as inspiration and encouragement. In addition, YouTube has an established monetization system and boasts incredible popularity, making it a potential platform for revenue generation.
In this article, we'll look at different approaches you can use to help promote your channel and grow your viewers. While there's no quick and easy way to success, you can take these tips to build your own YouTube Channel Success story. If you love content creation, you can capitalize on YouTube's popularity to earn extra income.
If you want to join the Youtube partner program to monetize your channel, you will need to reach a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the previous 12 months.
How much you can make: $800 — $1,000,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $625 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week
Learn how this entrepreneurial couple made $5-7k a month by helping others find legitimate work from home jobs and creative ways to make money online through their blog and YouTube channel, as well as offering two flagship products designed to help beginner freelancers and new bloggers accelerate growth.
2. Start a website development business
Website developers create websites for their clients. as a website developer, your responsibility is to ensure a website is visually appealing and easy to navigate. Web developers also focus on improving the website’s performance and capacity.
To become a website developer, learn different web programming languages. Your customers can be eCommerce business owners or brick-and-mortar businesses looking to have an online presence.
How much you can make: $200 — $8,500,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $1,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 55 days (?)
How a founder turned his passion for marketing and technology into a successful Boston-based web design and SEO company, generating over $20k in sales each month by focusing on serving the niche market of small businesses through affordable and personalized services, while establishing his reputation through B2B networking and online initiatives.
3. Start a youtube channel
For anyone looking to start a successful YouTube channel, there are plenty of YouTube channel success stories that can be used as inspiration and encouragement. In addition, YouTube has an established monetization system and boasts incredible popularity, making it a potential platform for revenue generation.
In this article, we'll look at different approaches you can use to help promote your channel and grow your viewers. While there's no quick and easy way to success, you can take these tips to build your own YouTube Channel Success story. If you love content creation, you can capitalize on YouTube's popularity to earn extra income.
If you want to join the Youtube partner program to monetize your channel, you will need to reach a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the previous 12 months.
How much you can make: $800 — $1,000,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $625 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week
Learn how this entrepreneurial couple made $5-7k a month by helping others find legitimate work from home jobs and creative ways to make money online through their blog and YouTube channel, as well as offering two flagship products designed to help beginner freelancers and new bloggers accelerate growth.
4. Start an influencer marketing business
Influencer marketing is a business that involves partnering with social media influencers to promote products or services to their followers. The influencer marketing business model relies on building relationships with influencers who have a large following and can engage their audience effectively.
The business entails identifying relevant influencers in your industry, negotiating the terms of the partnership, and managing the campaigns. It also involves creating content and messaging that aligns with the influencer’s brand and style, as well as tracking and analyzing the performance of the campaigns.
To run a successful influencer marketing business, it is essential to do thorough research to identify the right influencers for your brand. Look for influencers who have a genuine interest in your products or services and align with your brand values. You should also be transparent and upfront with influencers about your expectations and the terms of the partnership.
In addition, it is important to stay up to date on industry trends and best practices. This includes understanding the different types of influencer partnerships, such as sponsored posts, brand ambassadorships, and affiliate marketing.
Finally, it is crucial to have a clear strategy and plan in place for each campaign. This includes setting goals, determining the budget, and tracking the performance of the campaigns to ensure you are getting a good return on investment. By following these tips, you can build a successful influencer marketing business that helps your clients reach their target audience and achieve their marketing goals.
How much you can make: $2,000 — $85,000/month
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Two friends started a digital marketing agency, Kreatix, from their shared love of the internet, and built a thriving business with over 150 clients using inbound leads and storytelling on social media platforms despite having not studied in the field.
5. Start a paid online surveys business
6. Start an affiliate marketing without website business
7. Start an amazon book promotion business
8. Start a campaign promoting business
9. Start an amazon associates business
10. Start an affiliate program consulting business
Think businesses are making the most of their affiliate programs? Many aren't, and that’s where you come in.
An affiliate program consulting business involves advising companies on optimizing and managing their affiliate marketing efforts. As a consultant, you'll help businesses maximize their returns via strategic partnerships with affiliates, providing invaluable insights into recruitment, performance tracking, and incentive structures.
Affiliate marketing is a rapidly growing industry, making your expertise highly sought after. With a solid understanding of both digital marketing and relationship management, you can guide your clients through the complexities of building effective affiliate programs.
This business demands a blend of analytical skills and strategic thinking, ensuring you're always tackling new and engaging challenges. If you’re looking to leverage your marketing know-how and enjoy working closely with clients to achieve measurable success, affiliate program consulting could be a greatly fulfilling venture.
How much you can make: $1,200 — $8,333,333/month
How much does it cost to start: $4,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 45 days (?)
This case study explores how Spencer Mecham founded Buildapreneur, an affiliate marketing business, and has made over half a million dollars in profit with no employees, relying solely on content marketing through platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.
11. Start an email marketing business
Email marketing is a popular and effective way for businesses to reach their target audience and promote their products or services.
With the rise of the internet and the increasing use of email as a communication tool, starting an email marketing business can be a lucrative and rewarding venture.
An email marketing business involves creating and sending marketing emails to a list of subscribers. The emails can be newsletters, promotional messages, or other types of content designed to engage and convert the recipient into a customer. The business owner is responsible for building and maintaining the email list, creating the content, and sending the emails using specialized software.
To start an email marketing business, you must have a strong understanding of marketing principles and a good grasp of best practices. This includes creating compelling subject lines, segmenting your email list, and analyzing your campaigns’ results. You will also need to be proficient in email marketing software like Mailchimp or Constant Contact.
To run a successful email marketing business, you must clearly understand your target audience and what they are interested in. This will help you create relevant and engaging content that resonates with your subscribers and encourages them to take action. A solid call to action in your emails is crucial, whether it’s visiting your website, making a purchase, or signing up for a newsletter. Starting an email marketing business requires marketing skills, expertise, and a willingness to learn and improve continuously. The right strategies and tools can be a rewarding and successful way to reach your target audience and grow your business.
How much you can make: $120 — $20,833,333/month
How much does it cost to start: $1,500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 165 days (?)
GMass, an email marketing platform that allows users to send cold emails and email marketing campaigns with Gmail, has attracted over 500,000 user signups, including major tech companies like Uber, LinkedIn, and Google, and now generates over $200K in monthly recurring revenue through a successful content marketing strategy and focused ad spend.
12. Start a price comparison website business
Consumers are always hunting for the best deals online, and a price comparison website can be their ultimate tool. This business idea revolves around creating a platform that aggregates and compares prices of products across various online retailers.
By offering users a convenient way to find the best prices, you'll attract a steady stream of cost-conscious shoppers. Setting up such a website involves building or licensing software to scrape retailer data, ensuring seamless user experience, and marketing your site to draw traffic.
Your role would include establishing partnerships with e-commerce websites, maintaining up-to-date pricing information, and optimizing the site for search engines. While it’s not an overnight success, investing time and effort into creating a reliable and user-friendly price comparison platform can carve out a lucrative niche in the evolving online shopping landscape. This idea is ideal for someone keen on combining technology, market research, and e-commerce.
How much you can make: $40,000 — $350,000/month
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Learn how the founder of Fin vs Fin turned a "dumb side project" into a profitable media business generating $70k in profit per month, by committing to creating a "dumb blog" and consistently experimenting with strategies to attract and retain customers.
13. Start a cashbacks sites business
14. Start a meme marketing business
According to statistics, millennials review memes an average of 20 to 30 times daily. While traditional marketing yields only 5% engagement, memes earn about 60% of the attention.
Therefore, using memes to market gives businesses immense potential.
Based on the above findings, starting a meme marketing business on social media offers a good profitability potential.
A meme marketing business can involve creating catchy memes that will go viral on the internet and selling them to marketers. You can sell memes through social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or even Facebook.
How much you can make: $9,000/month
Unofficial Shopify Podcast has generated 750,000 downloads and has four sponsors, resulting in significant monetary gain for ecommerce consultant and host, Kurt Elster, who has created a thriving business and community around his podcast.
15. Start a paid advertising business
Think you have a knack for drawing attention online? Consider starting a paid advertising business. This venture involves creating and managing online ad campaigns for businesses across various platforms such as Google, Facebook, and Instagram.
As a paid advertising specialist, your job is to understand clients' goals, design eye-catching ads, and use data analytics to optimize their performance. This business is in high demand, thanks to the growing necessity for online visibility.
To get started, you need basic knowledge of online advertising tools and platforms, but that can be learned through readily available courses. Once you've mastered the basics, you can begin by offering your services to small businesses, gradually expanding your client base.
Combining creativity with data-driven strategies, a paid advertising business offers you the chance to make a real impact on your clients' success while carving out a rewarding and scalable career for yourself.
How much you can make: $50,000 — $350,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $6,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 45 days (?)
This case study is about how the founder of AdvertiseMint, a Facebook advertising agency, started the company with just one employee and has since grown it to 25 employees, managing close to $100 million in digital media buys for clients such as Coca-Cola and Viacom.
16. Start an online entertainment coupons business
17. Start a content marketing business
Content marketing is developing and distributing relevant, helpful content to convert the target customer to take the necessary steps. Businesses with a content marketing strategy get 67% more leads than other companies.
Therefore, the demand for content marketing services is high than ever before. Starting a content marketing service can be a significant business venture.
To start a content marketing business, you need a good understanding of SEO and social media. You can hire content creators to help you develop relevant and valuable content.
How much you can make: $100 — $999,976/month
How much does it cost to start: $1,500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
How David Tile turned a freelance writing gig into an $80k/month business, discussing lessons learned through managing growing demands and maintaining a remote team operation.
18. Start a free course recommendation business
19. Start a hair products affiliate marketing business
The hair products affiliate marketing business is an exciting opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to enter the beauty industry. As an affiliate marketer, you will be responsible for promoting and selling hair care products from various brands on your website or social media platforms.
To run this business, you must have a strong online presence and understand how to market products effectively. You will also need to research and select the best hair care brands to partner with, as well as negotiate commissions and terms of the partnership.
One of the benefits of running a hair products affiliate marketing business is the flexibility it offers. You can work from anywhere and set your own schedule as long as you have an internet connection. Additionally, you can earn a good income through commissions and sales.
Another advantage is the opportunity to educate and inform your audience about the latest hair care trends and products. By sharing your knowledge and experience, you can establish yourself as a trusted source of information in the beauty industry.
Overall, the hair products affiliate marketing business is a rewarding and lucrative opportunity for those interested in the beauty industry and passionate about marketing and promoting products.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
