36 Affiliate Marketing Success Stories & How Much They Make
Are you looking for a side hustle to pay you a passive income? Affiliate marketing is one of those side hustles that will pay you well over the long term. It is a way to earn money online by promoting other companies' products and services. You will be paid a commission for each sale you make as an affiliate marketer.
To get started, learn how to find the right product and brand to partner with. For example, you may prefer becoming an affiliate marketer for an eCommerce store, partnering with a manufacturer, and marketing their products for a commission.
Here are some real life success stories of starting a affiliate marketing business:
1. Buildapreneur ($960K/year)
Spencer Mecham, the founder of Buildapreneur, was introduced to the concept of affiliate marketing while working at a digital marketing agency. Inspired by a co-worker's successful blog that reviewed vacuum cleaners, Spencer decided to enter the affiliate marketing space. He initially struggled with starting a blog and trying other platforms like Instagram, but found success by accident when a YouTube video he created blew up and received hundreds of thousands of views. From there, he pivoted to YouTube and has since grown his audience to nearly half a million people across various platforms, using content marketing to attract and retain customers.
How much they make: $960K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
Current team size: 0
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.
2. Casino Guru ($9.28M/year)
Casino Guru, a website about online casinos, was started by a software engineer and a graphic designer who believed in the power of SEO.
Despite a slow start with only 50 organic visitors per week, they persevered and eventually achieved rapid growth, becoming the world's third most visited website in their segment with over $500k/month in revenue.
They continue to expand their offerings and diversify their brands to mitigate risk in the future.
How much they make: $9.28M/year
How much did it cost to start: $150K
Current team size: 54
This case study follows a successful online casino website generating $500k/month in revenue and holding the world's #3 position in its segment, sharing the story of its founders' journey from starting out with SEO strategies, to redesigning their website, and diversifying their business with new products and brands.
So... can you actually make money with a affiliate marketing business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
3. Gear Up Hiking ($16.2K/year)
Asen, the founder of Gear Up Hiking, started his journey in affiliate marketing in 2018. After selling his first blog, he bought Gear Up Hiking in a niche he loved and practiced himself. With a focus on quality content, keyword research, and outreach, Asen has built the website to average over $1,300 per month and attract 20k to 30k visitors monthly.
How much they make: $16.2K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1.7K
Current team size: 1
From almost zero knowledge about SEO and marketing, this founder grew Gear Up Hiking, a hiking and camping niche affiliate blog that currently averages $1300+ per month and has a traffic range of 20k to 30k visitors monthly, and is worth over $50,000 if sold for profit.
4. WebRevenue ($360K/year)
Jerry Low, the founder of WebHostingSecretRevealed, HostScore, and HideandSeek, started his affiliate marketing and SEO consultancy business in 2004 after realizing it offered more financial prospects than his previous job as a Rubber Dam Engineer. Through extensive research and experimentation, Jerry built a successful business that attracts over 700,000 visitors per month across his websites, providing practical advice and valuable content to help individuals and small business owners make informed purchasing decisions or boost awareness on specific topics.
How much they make: $360K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
Current team size: 5
Case study on SEO consultancy and affiliate marketing business generating over $360k per year with over 700k monthly visitors, with insights on building valuable content, conducting extensive research, and working with a skilled and dedicated team.
So... can you actually make money with a affiliate marketing business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
5. Add Value | Growth Marketing Agency ($600K/year)
24-year-old Joachim Brouckaert founded Add Value, a growth marketing agency, after noticing that many marketing agencies prioritized money over delivering value to their customers. With a background in digital marketing and experience freelancing as a digital marketer, Joachim decided to start his own agency focused on full-funnel marketing services. After a year in business, Add Value generates an average monthly turnover of 30k and works with 18 active clients.
How much they make: $600K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
Current team size: 5
A 24-year-old founder shares how his growth marketing agency generated €360,000 in its first year, with a team of 5 people working for 18 active clients per month, using SEO, Facebook and Google ads, organic content on LinkedIn, and a hybrid agency model with a focus on client retention.
6. eBiz Facts ($50.4K/year)
Niall Doherty started eBiz Facts after being inspired by a friend who built his own affiliate website to $40,000 per month. Niall saw the opportunity to provide honest and transparent information in the "make money online" niche and decided to create a website dedicated to helping people make money online, focusing on in-depth reviews and helpful content. His dedication to his readers' best interests has led to steady growth in his business and trust from his audience.
How much they make: $50.4K/year
Current team size: 0
This case study is about a website called eBizFacts.com, which helps people make money online through in-depth reviews of products and services related to building an online business. The business earns $4,000 per month consistently through affiliate marketing and has 4,731 email subscribers. The founder focuses on providing accurate information rather than maximizing profit and aims to make his site the ultimate gateway for anyone looking to build an online business.
So... can you actually make money with a affiliate marketing business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
7. Todays Business ($6M/year)
Billy Ash, the Co-Founder and Chief Digital Officer of Today's Business, got his start in digital marketing while working for the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour in Tampa. After a successful event, Ash and his partners pivoted to social media marketing, offering services like reputation management and time optimization. They expanded their offerings to include SEO, website development, and paid media management, and have since grown into one of the fastest-growing private companies in the US, with clients like the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Menlo Club.
How much they make: $6M/year
Current team size: 40
Today's Business is a full-service digital marketing agency that made the Inc 5000 list in both 2018 and 2019 as one of the fastest-growing companies in the United States, with a client base spanning across various industries, including healthcare, real estate, and tech.
8. The Diamond App ($6K/year)
Tony Florida came up with the idea for The Diamond App when he was engagement ring shopping and realized he could find cheaper diamonds online. After extensive research and building a software program to find the most sparkly diamond within his budget, Florida decided to create a website to help others find affordable diamonds. The Diamond App now generates an average of $500 per month in revenue and has diamond price history for close to 8 million loose diamonds.
How much they make: $6K/year
Current team size: 0
The Diamond App founder developed an online diamond search engine that earns $500 per month in affiliate revenue from 6 jewelers, attracting 500 new users monthly through optimized SEO and offering valuable insights into his hands-off operation.
9. Cash Overflow ($120K/year)
Pardeep Goyal, the founder of CashOverflow.com, started his blog in 2015 to share personal finance hacks. After 18 months of no monetization, he discovered affiliate marketing and was able to generate $2000 per month. Over time, the blog evolved into a product comparison engine and Pardeep also started selling online courses and offering content marketing services to startups. Now, his business brings in approximately $10,000 per month, with the biggest source of earnings being affiliate marketing.
How much they make: $120K/year
Current team size: 7
CashOverflow.com founder Pardeep Goyal grew his online business to $10,000 per month with a focus on affiliate marketing, having earned $65,000 from affiliates of credit cards in India in 2018, with his blog evolving into a product comparison engine for banking products.
10. The Ways To Wealth ($468K/year)
R.J. Weiss started his blog, The Ways To Wealth, with a small niche idea of posting investing reading lists. However, after reading income reports from other financial bloggers and realizing the potential in affiliate marketing, he dedicated eight months to doubling down on the site and making it a success. Through a combination of organic search, paid ads, and viral Pinterest traffic, the blog now earns over $30,000 in monthly revenue.
How much they make: $468K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
Current team size: 1
This case study outlines how R.J. Weiss created The Ways To Wealth blog, earning over $30,000 in monthly revenue from a mix of affiliate and advertising revenue with a team producing 15-20 hours of work per article to teach hundreds of thousands of visitors each month how to save and make more money.
11. The Modest Man ($48K/year)
Brock McGoff came up with the idea for The Modest Man after struggling to find stylish clothing that fit his smaller frame. By creating thorough and helpful content catered to other "modest men," he was able to grow his audience and monetize his brand through advertising, affiliate programs, and brand partnerships. With almost a million monthly followers and generating $10-15k in revenue per month, The Modest Man has become a successful digital media brand in the men's fashion space.
How much they make: $48K/year
Current team size: 8
Learn how one entrepreneur built a million-person audience across various digital channels while generating $10-15k in monthly revenue through advertising brand partnerships, digital products, and affiliate programs with his digital media brand focused on helping shorter men dress better.
12. EMUCoupon ($360K/year)
power of persistence and adaptation. Starting a business is not easy, and there will be challenges, setbacks, and unexpected obstacles along the way. However, by staying persistent, constantly learning and evolving, and being open to new ideas and opportunities, you can overcome these hurdles and find success.
How much they make: $360K/year
How much did it cost to start: $8K
Current team size: 13
13. TechySex ($60K/year)
Martin Moore, the founder of TechySex, stumbled upon the idea for his business when he realized there was a lack of information and quality content on sex toys and sexual wellness. After working as a freelance writer in the industry, he decided to create his own blog to provide valuable resources and recommendations. With a focus on SEO and organic traffic, TechySex has become profitable, generating around $5K per month and attracting readers from both the USA and Europe. The future looks promising as Martin plans to expand his team and explore new ways to increase income.
How much they make: $60K/year
How much did it cost to start: $20
Current team size: 0
TechySex is a website that offers sexual wellness education and sex toy reviews, making around $5k per month on average and featuring affiliate programs as the main source of income; the founder Martin Moore started it after having experience as a ghostwriter in the adult industry and noticing a huge lack of information on sex toys as well as sexual wellness in general.
14. BowTied Opossum ($72K/year)
BowTiedOpossum is a paid Substack newsletter that provides actionable advice on running digital businesses, helping aspiring entrepreneurs navigate the industry with real-world experience and insights.
Opossum, the founder of BowTiedOpossum, initially started as an anonymous Twitter account providing actionable advice on eCommerce. After gaining a following, he decided to monetize his expertise by launching a paid newsletter on Substack. Within 9 months, he grew the newsletter to $3k in monthly revenue and plans to focus on organic search and link building for future growth.
How much they make: $72K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
Current team size: 0
BowTiedOpossum founder shares how he grew his anonymous paid newsletter to $3k per month in 9 months using Twitter as his main acquisition strategy.
15. Making Sense of Cents ($900K/year)
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner came up with the idea for Making Sense of Cents as a way to document her personal finance journey. She started the blog as a hobby, but after readers suggested she monetize it, she leaped and quit her stable job as an analyst. Making Sense of Cents now earns over $100,000 a month and has made over $5 million in total.
How much they make: $900K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
Current team size: 1
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner earns $100,000 a month from Making Sense of Cents, a personal finance and lifestyle blog where she writes informative and fun articles about financial freedom and her life on the road, thanks to a diversified traffic approach and monetization strategies, such as affiliate marketing, sponsored partnerships, and course sales.
16. LS Trading and Marketing ($14.4K/year)
Lin Simon, the founder of LS Trading and Marketing, initially had no interest in forex trading but was introduced to it by a friend. After spending months learning and trading, Lin discovered the potential for others to make extra income and started teaching and introducing people to forex trading. This eventually led to the establishment of LS Trading and Marketing, which provides free forex lessons and market analysis, and offers affiliate marketing training for traders and marketers in the foreign exchange market.
How much they make: $14.4K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
Current team size: 5
How Lin Simon created a profitable business teaching free foreign exchange lessons and guidance to potential Forex traders, with an average monthly income of $1,200 from indirect or direct work with around 950 forex traders, including a free affiliate marketing course for forex traders and markers.
17. Zenmaster Wellness ($480K/year)
A pay cut at his job, and a friend's success in this niche inspired Matt to start during the pandemic.
How much they make: $480K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
Current team size: 0
Matt Oney quit his full-time job to pursue his side hustle full-time: an affiliate marketing-based content site called ZenmasterWellness that generates around 80k monthly visits and average monthly revenue of about $40,000 by leveraging SEO and affiliate partnerships.
18. ArrowUpz ($60K/year)
M Waseem Aziz, the founder of ArrowUpz, started his business after working as a freelancer and realizing the limitation of time and earning potential. He began outsourcing tasks to a team of remote workers and formed ArrowUpz to provide a wide range of digital services. Through referrals, paid ads, and organic traffic, he has gained over 100 clients and has plans for continued growth.
How much they make: $60K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
Current team size: 5
ArrowUpz founder M Waseem Aziz shares how he started his digital agency as a freelancer, learned multiple skills, and outsourced tasks to build a team, resulting in a revenue boost from $250 as a graphic designer to $5K per month selling various digital services primarily via freelancing sites.
19. OneHourProfessor.com ($360K/year)
Ron Stefanski, the founder of OneHourProfessor.com, came up with the idea for his online business when his step-brother asked for help finding a job with a felony record. Seeing a need for employment resources for those with criminal records, Stefanski launched a website that quickly went viral, attracting thousands of visitors in a short period of time. The business has since become highly profitable, with Stefanski making over $1 million in profit and earning $30-$40k per month.
How much they make: $360K/year
How much did it cost to start: $140
Current team size: 3
Learn how Ron Stefanski generated over $1 million in profit from his online business, OneHourProfessor.com by obsessively measuring and following data, using SEO, and focusing on reinvesting profits into growth.
20. Konto-Kredit-Vergleich.de ($24K/year)
Sascha, a mechanical engineer with a passion for finance, started Konto-Kredit-Vergleich.de, a German finance blog specializing in loans, banking accounts, and car leasing. After struggling to gain traction for 18 months, Sascha had a breakthrough when he published an article during the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, which led to a significant increase in daily readers. Today, the blog generates a monthly income of over $2,000 USD.
How much they make: $24K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
Current team size: 0
German finance blog founder Sascha shares how he turned his website into a monthly 2,000 USD income with minimal social media and no ads, by creating high-quality content that solves real-world problems for readers in areas like loans, banking accounts and car leasing, and leveraging affiliate marketing.
21. StatsDrone ($240K/year)
John Wright, CEO and co-founder of StatsDrone, came up with the idea for his B2B affiliate SaaS company after years of experience in the iGaming and affiliate marketing industry. Recognizing the existing problems in the marketplace, he decided to create a solution that would support the entire affiliate marketing industry. With close to $20k MRR and a successful bootstrapping journey, StatsDrone is now in the middle of an investment round to further accelerate its growth.
How much they make: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1M
Current team size: 12
B2B affiliate SaaS company, StatsDrone, bootstrapped to close to $20k MRR and is in the middle of an investment round to accelerate the company, with a focus on video content marketing and using tools such as Figma and Tableau for product development.
22. Points Panda ($45.6K/year)
Freddy Lansky, the CEO of Points Panda, came up with the idea for his business after realizing the value of transferring points to airlines for discounted business class flights. He started by offering award booking services to friends and family before turning it into a full-fledged consultancy business. Through consistent content creation and strategic partnerships, Points Panda has steadily grown and aims to expand its team in the future.
How much they make: $45.6K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
Current team size: 5
Points Panda is a points & miles travel blog/award booking consultancy business that helps people maximize their points; the business began after CEO Freddy Lansky realized he could turn his passion for booking award flights for small “hassle fees” into a thriving business.
23. Side Hustle Nation ($420K/year)
Nick, the founder of Side Hustle Nation, started the blog and podcast as a side project in 2013. With just 11 people on his email list, he interviewed other side hustlers and entrepreneurs about their ideas and strategies. Fast forward to today, the podcast has been downloaded over 23 million times and the website reaches millions of visitors each year, proving that there is a demand for realistic ways to make extra money.
How much they make: $420K/year
How much did it cost to start: $250
Current team size: 1
Millions of people have turned to Side Hustle Nation since 2013 for realistic ways to make extra cash, with the podcast reaching over 23 million downloads and the website welcoming millions of visitors yearly.
24. Pursuit of Passive Income ($264K/year)
Michael was looking for a passive income generating approach when he stumbled upon blogging and decided to venture.
How much they make: $264K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
Current team size: 0
This case study is about a blogger who turned his passion into a business that generates $20k per month, mostly through affiliate marketing and consulting, by focusing on long-term sustainable passive income streams through blogging.
25. The Money Maniac ($30K/year)
Daniel Anderson, a former investment banker, came up with the idea for The Money Maniac after realizing the lack of accessible guidance on personal finance. He decided to create a blog that not only covered personal finance and entrepreneurship but also provided resources to help people achieve financial freedom. Within a few months, The Money Maniac started to gain traction, now bringing in over $2,500 per month in recurring revenue.
How much they make: $30K/year
How much did it cost to start: $350
Current team size: 0
The Money Maniac is a personal finance blog started by Daniel Anderson, generating over $2,500 per month in recurring revenue through SEO, content marketing, and consultation services, with a mission to educate and help people achieve financial freedom.
26. Yes To Brand ($132K/year)
Veronica Baljak, the co-owner of Yes to Brand, started her online business journey by building dropshipping stores for herself, family, and friends. Through networking, sharing her knowledge in blogs and on social media, and becoming a motivational dropshipping influencer, Veronica gained a dedicated following and decided to create Yes to Brand, an agency that helps people start and improve their online businesses. With sales averaging $11,000 per month, Veronica's positive mindset and passion for manifesting success have led to rapid growth and opportunities for collaboration.
How much they make: $132K/year
How much did it cost to start: $7K
Current team size: 3
Dropshipping entrepreneur Veronica Baljak shares how her agency, Yes to Brand, helps people start and grow their online businesses, averaging $11,000 in monthly sales just three months after launching by focusing on positive mindset, collaboration, and transparency with customers.
27. CPV Lab Pro ($84K/year)
Julia Draghici joined CPV Lab after it was already started by her husband and another partner. The idea for the performance marketing tracking platform came from the need to simplify their own work as affiliate marketers. They realized that there was a demand for such a tool and decided to develop it further, eventually growing the business to $50K in revenue within the first year.
How much they make: $84K/year
How much did it cost to start: $40K
Current team size: 4
CPV Lab is a performance marketing tracking platform for affiliate marketers that grew to $50k in revenue in the first year, has over 1500 users and 10% month-to-month growth through organic traffic, and offers tools to track and optimize multi-channel marketing campaigns for better performance.
28. increasing.com ($480K/year)
Jamie realized the potential for Amazon affiliate links as a revenue stream while working on his social project. He added these links to his niche websites and scaled his project to commercial success.
How much they make: $480K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
Current team size: 0
A 26-year-old Londoner turned to SEO and niche blogging in 2019 as a last resort to fund her social project to feed the homeless and increased her revenue to $81K in December 2022, mostly through affiliate commissions and organic searches via SEO, doubling down on affiliates for 2023.
29. Travel Blogging 101 ($660K/year)
Shelley, a former travel magazine editor, decided to start a travel blog after leaving her corporate job. In just two years, she became a six-figure blogger and started teaching others how to achieve similar success. Through her courses and blog, Shelley has generated significant income and plans to continue expanding her business and creating more courses in the future.
How much they make: $660K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
Current team size: 1
Travel blogger turns four profitable blogs into a six-figure business, increasing income by 3,113% from 2021 to 2022, and now teaches others how to scale quickly using her techniques.
30. Glimp Ltd ($1.2M/year)
Denis and his co-founder Michael started Glimp, a utilities, financial products, and insurance comparison website in New Zealand, after meeting during a coding bootcamp. Inspired by the success of price comparison websites in the UK, they decided to bring the concept to New Zealand and were the first to offer comparisons for multiple products. Through hard work and a focus on AdWords and SEO, they were able to grow their revenue to $60k in their first year and have since doubled their revenue each year.
How much they make: $1.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $2K
Current team size: 6
Glimp, a utilities, financial products, and insurance comparison website in New Zealand, generates about $100,000 in monthly revenue with a goal of making $1 million NZD profit this year, using AdWords and SEO to attract customers, negotiating higher CPAs over time, and expanding to different verticals.
31. Sweet Science of Fighting ($96K/year)
James de Lacey, founder of Sweet Science of Fighting, came up with the idea for his business after years of experience in professional sports and a master's degree in sport and exercise science. During the pandemic, he found himself stuck in Romania and decided to leverage his expertise in strength and conditioning training for combat sports. He started by creating informational content on his website and focused on SEO to drive traffic. Now, the business is making $8000/month and growing, with a community of 80 members and a successful affiliate program.
How much they make: $96K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
Current team size: 0
Sweet Science of Fighting, a combat sports training platform with specialized programs and a private community, built by James de Lacey, a Master's graduate in sport and exercise science with over a decade of experience training professional athletes, achieving $8,000/month through current customers, affiliate marketing, and funneling search engine traffic.
32. CJAM Marketing ($312K/year)
How much they make: $312K/year
How much did it cost to start: $2K
Current team size: 0
Matchmaker solves marketing puzzle for businesses, profits over $430k CAD in one year, connects companies with vetted agencies at an 80% success rate.
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
