This Is Why Teenagers Are the Affiliate-Marketing Experts Teens have some inherent advantages when it comes to affiliate marketing, but adult affiliate marketers can learn a lot from their success.
By Leyes Edited by Amanda Breen
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Affiliate marketing was once an exclusive opportunity for celebrities and big-scale influencers. Today, it seems as if everyone has affiliate links. Sometimes affiliate marketing is done so skillfully that we don't even realize we're clicking an affiliate link. On average, the annual passive income of affiliate marketers is $51,217.
What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is ultimately a form of passive income. It's a process wherein a person earns commission by marketing products that belong to another company or person. The person must first become an affiliate of the company, and this is typically done by searching for products he or she enjoys, signing up for the company's affiliate program, then advertising the product and encouraging people to use his or her link. When someone clicks the link and makes a purchase, the affiliate gets a cut of that sale.
What's unique is that anyone can do affiliate marketing — there's no age requirement. While some companies may require their affiliates be over 18 or over 21, many do not. Likewise, while every state and country has regulations in place for minimum employee ages, these do not apply to affiliate marketing. Unlike a typical job where you legally become an employee, affiliate marketing is considered a hobby — meaning the same requirements do not apply.
Related: 3 Tips to Get Started with Affiliate Marketing
What makes teens so successful
Some might argue that teens are better at affiliate marketing than their adult counterparts. They have a leg up over the competition, and here's why.
Teens are at the forefront of technology
As we continue to progress, young people are always the first to learn and embrace new technology. For older millennials, it was computers and the internet. For teens today, it's groundbreaking apps, video and new ways of communicating. Today's teens have never known a world without the internet and computers. Since they grew up with it, they're more adept at creating their websites and profiles on all the latest apps. These places just happen to be some of the best places to market your affiliate links.
Teens are in-tune with the latest trends
"Cool" will always be in style, no matter what is deemed cool nowadays. Teens are often the ones creating what is seen as cool in popular culture, so they know what is trending better than any adult. By incorporating the most recent trends in their affiliate marketing, they set the products they're advertising apart from the rest. They are able to make their products seem more desirable. Teens and affiliate marketing naturally go hand-in-hand.
Related: During Covid, Affiliate Marketing Is Emerging as a Cost-effective Channel for Brands
Teens know how to communicate
Since teens know to use the latest apps and include the most recent trends, they also have a unique way of communicating. They can reach other people their age by speaking the same language. In a world where anyone can go viral on TikTok, teens are predisposed to present their ideas in a way that is well-accepted on these new social-media apps. By using this commonality, people are more likely to buy into what they're selling.
Teens have more flexible time
One of the best things about affiliate marketing is that it's incredibly flexible — you can do it from anywhere, anytime. However, many adults are confined to a strict work schedule, with additional responsibilities in their free time. Teens do not yet have these societal expectations. They have more flexible time to build a business than anyone else.
Teens have more time to build
There's no way around it — the sooner you get started with affiliate marketing, the sooner you'll see big returns. Since so many teens are getting started with affiliate marketing early on, they will inevitably have stronger systems in place to out-earn latecomers. They'll also have additional income from affiliate marketing to put into other ventures, further building their wealth for the future.
Related: Pick a Marketing Model That Lets You Pay for Results, Not Potential
Ready to make money online? People everywhere are already doing it — building sales funnels and earning thousands on the side. The bottom 10% of affiliate marketers make $37,000 per year while the top 10% of them earn over $70,000. With affiliate marketing, there's very little cost to get started, so what's stopping you?
