Updated 2026: This was the second episode of what eventually became the Late Night Internet Marketing podcast. Back in 2009, I sat down with my friend Josh Spaulding to talk about affiliate marketing basics. While the specific resources we mentioned are long gone, the core concepts we discussed remain the foundation of how affiliate marketing works today.
What Is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing is one of the simplest business models on the internet. You recommend products or services that other companies sell. When someone buys through your unique tracking link, you earn a commission. You do not create products, handle shipping, or deal with customer service. Your job is to connect buyers with solutions to their problems.
That simplicity is exactly why I recommended affiliate marketing as the first business model new internet marketers should explore back in 2009, and it is still my recommendation today. The barrier to entry is low, the skills you develop transfer to every other online business model, and you can start earning while you learn.
How Money Moves on the Internet
Understanding affiliate marketing starts with understanding how money moves online. The basic flow works like this: you create content that attracts visitors to your website or platform. Those visitors have a problem they need solved. Your content helps them understand their options, and when they are ready to buy, they click your affiliate link and purchase from the merchant. The merchant pays you a percentage of the sale.
The key insight here is that traffic is the fuel for everything. Without visitors, nothing else matters. In the early days of this podcast, I spent a lot of time talking about traffic generation because it is the foundational skill. Whether you are doing affiliate marketing, selling your own products, or building an audience, learning to drive targeted traffic is the skill that pays for everything else.
Three Things Every New Affiliate Marketer Needs to Know
Josh Spaulding shared three pieces of advice during our conversation that have held up remarkably well over the years:
- Pick a niche you understand. You do not need to be the world's foremost expert, but you need to genuinely understand the problems your audience faces. Authenticity matters more now than it did in 2009, and that trend will only continue.
- Focus on helping people first. The affiliates who earn the most are the ones who create genuinely useful content. Reviews, tutorials, comparisons, and honest recommendations build trust. Trust converts to sales over time.
- Be patient with the process. Affiliate marketing is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It takes time to build content, attract an audience, and develop the skills to convert visitors into buyers. But the income you build can be remarkably passive once the foundation is in place.
Getting Started with Affiliate Marketing in 2026
The affiliate networks have evolved since 2009. Commission Junction (now CJ Affiliate) is still around, but the landscape has expanded significantly. Amazon Associates, ShareASale, Impact, and PartnerStack are all solid options depending on your niche. Many companies also run their own affiliate programs directly.
The mechanics have changed but the fundamentals have not. Find a niche, create helpful content, recommend products you genuinely believe in, and be transparent with your audience about your affiliate relationships. That last point is not just good practice, it is required by FTC guidelines.
If you want to learn more about building an online business part-time, subscribe to the Late Night Internet Marketing podcast on Apple Podcasts.
Hi Mark!
Thanks for a great podcast. I really enjoyed it and it gave me
motivation to keep plugging along. Josh seems like a very nice
guy and so do you!
Thanks again,
Kathy Bingham
Like the podcast – keep it up!
A somewhat unrelated question. Can you provide an update on your “30 Adsense Sites” and whether you are still using Firepow? How did it work for you?
Thanks
Brian
Hey Mark
Congrats on a great podcast and big iTunes numbers – it looks like a big success! Looking forward to future episodes.
Thanks Patrick and Kathy. I am really enjoying the Podcast — and I have about 20 episodes lined out at the moment. So, that will make for a good start.
As far as Josh is concerned — he is a much nicer guy than I am. LOL
As much as I have tried, I cannot figure out how to hear your podcasts. I have hit every #%$! link on the site to no avail!
Well that is weird. Do you have itunes? That is probably the simplest way if the embeded player player is not working for you. You might want to make sure your flash plugin is up to date in your browser.
Works fine from my end to just hit the gray triangle on the blog post. Not sure how to vote – but am happy to try? lol.
Mark – I like the short format, keeps everything concise. But, I would not worry about explaining to folks you may make a couple of pennies on an amazon recommendation – somebody’s gonna make money on all on-line transactions – just a matter of whom. Thanks!
Hi Mark,
Listener from the UK. Just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed the first two podcasts, the content is bang on for the market you are hitting!
Also wanted to mention that I found the volume on the interview with Josh much lower than when you speak – found myself putting the volume control up and down all the time. Just thought you might want to know.
Looking forward to the next episode.
Kevin
Thanks Kevin — I do know about that problem and plan to deal with it on future episodes. Thanks for the heads up.
Mark thanks for the interview with Josh, it’s great to be able to hear him speak….can you twist his arm to speak on video too! 🙂
BTW, no problem with the sound for me at all, I listened to it from the mp3 player on your site.
Great information Mark! I caught you on the IBM podcast and enjoyed their interview of you so much – I subscribed to your blog and podcasts! I really appreciate your “no hype” approach and I have definitely taken to heart the “every shiny thing” word of wisdom!
I am just beginning my journey into the world of marketing for my businesses – and I really appreciate the information you are putting out!
I am glad I happened across a link to your site. I have browsed a few posts/podcasts and I’m looking forward to hearing more – much more. There were some very good insights into affiliate marketing here. Thanks!