I Made $17,843.12 in 30 Days With Affiliate Marketing

I am not a financial advisor. The income numbers and strategies shared here are based on my personal experience with affiliate marketing. Results are not guaranteed and will vary depending on your effort, niche, and execution. Always do your own research before making financial decisions.

My Backstory With Affiliate Marketing

I didn’t start out as an affiliate marketer. I was teaching real estate agents how to build their own websites on YouTube. That’s it. I’d figured out how to get traffic, build IDX websites, and make things work without hiring developers—and other agents kept asking how I did it.

So I made videos. Tutorials. Step-by-step walk-throughs. Nothing fancy—just me sharing what I knew.

That’s when the first affiliate payouts started rolling in.

I wasn’t trying to make money at first. I was really just doing the videos to generate real estate referrals for my real estate business in Las Vegas.

I was just linking to the tools I used—website platforms, plugins, hosting, and CRMs. One day I logged in and saw a $40 payout. Then $112. Then $300. It was happening quietly in the background while I was focused on teaching.

And then it was $3,000, $4,000, $5,000 and kept growing!

And that’s when it clicked:
If I’m already showing people what I do…
And they’re already clicking these links…
Why not turn this into something intentional?

That’s how it started. A YouTube channel for real estate training led me straight into affiliate marketing. And as my niche evolved, the model stayed the same: show what I use, teach how I use it, and make it easy for others to take the next step.

Want a shorter version, or should I keep going into the pivot point?

Why Software Affiliates Dominate My Income ($11,569.09)

Software is the most powerful affiliate stream in my business—and it’s not even close.

Here’s why: it pays me every single month.

Most affiliate programs pay once and move on. But software pays recurring commissions as long as the customer stays subscribed. That means every new signup stacks on top of the last. It’s compounding. It builds month after month. And that’s why it adds up fast.

But it’s not just the payout structure. It’s the fact that I only promote software I actually use. Tools I rely on to run my business, organize my content, or drive traffic. When I talk about them—on YouTube, in a TikTok, inside a blog—I’m not guessing. I’m walking through exactly how I use them, step by step.

That authenticity is what makes it convert. Viewers aren’t being sold to—they’re watching me use the thing they already need.

The other reason software works? It fits naturally inside tutorials. I don’t have to make separate sales content. I show the tool while I’m teaching something useful. And that sells better than any “review” ever could.

This category includes everything from SEO and blogging tools to AI image generators, Pinterest schedulers, affiliate dashboards, and website platforms. I show what I use—and the links do the rest.

One of my favorite examples is Stan Store. It’s the all-in-one storefront I use to sell my digital products, collect leads, and link out to everything I offer—from coaching sessions to ebooks to prompt packs. I use it in my link-in-bio, on YouTube, and inside tutorials where I walk through how my content engine works. Because I actually run my business on it, the link converts—without me needing to “sell” anything.

I just show what I’m doing, and people want the shortcut. That’s the kind of software that fits perfectly into content without adding friction.

This is the stream I scale first when I want to grow revenue. Because it’s not just about clicks. It’s about retention. One video in front of the right person can pay out for years. That’s why software dominates. And that’s where most of the long-term money comes from.

How I Earn From Sending Leads ($4,482.14)

Here’s an expanded version of the sending leads section that fits your tone and strategy:

How I Earn From Sending Leads ($4,482.14)

This stream surprises people because it’s not technically affiliate marketing—but it pays like one. I get paid just for sending leads.

Here’s how it works: someone visits my website, watches a video, or finds me through a blog. If they fill out a specific form—whether they’re looking for a service, a quote, or more info—that form gets routed to a business partner. I don’t do the selling. I don’t do the follow-up. I just drive qualified attention to the form—and if it converts into a lead, I get paid.

No purchase required. That’s what makes this stream so powerful.

The conversion rates are often higher than with traditional affiliate links because there’s no payment barrier. The person clicking doesn’t need to buy anything—they just need to be interested.

And for me, it’s passive. Once the form is embedded and the traffic is flowing, that lead capture keeps working 24/7. Sometimes I forget it’s even there until I get the notification and the commission.

What makes this work isn’t magic—it’s matching the right content to the right audience. I create blogs and videos that solve real problems. Then I pair that content with lead forms that offer a clear next step. If someone’s already searching “how to _,” and your form delivers the solution, it converts.

If you’ve ever worked in real estate, local services, or even niche consulting, this strategy is gold. Leads have real dollar value—and if you can generate attention, you can generate income without ever making a sale yourself.

The Role of Product Reviews ($1,791.89)

This one’s simple: I talk about building websites—and my brothers build them.

For years, I’ve created videos and blogs showing real estate agents, small business owners, and content creators how to build their own websites. And every time someone watched one of those tutorials and decided, “Nope, I don’t want to do it myself,” they’d reach out asking who could build it for them.

So I send them to my brothers. They run a web design company. I refer the lead, they take it from there, and if the project closes, I earn a commission—usually 10%.

No lead forms. No funnels. No fancy CRM. Just natural referrals that come from content I’d be making anyway.

The reason this works so well is that it’s not forced. I’m already talking about the tools and steps. I’m showing the process. And if someone decides they’d rather pay to have it done for them, they get a trusted provider—and I get paid.

This is one of the easiest streams to replicate if you have trusted vendors or family members offering services your audience needs. Just pair it with valuable content, make the referral path simple, and let the trust you’ve built do the work.

My 30-Day Affiliate System

Most people think affiliate marketing is about chasing clicks. What actually works is building a system—one that compounds every time you hit publish.

Here’s how I run mine:

In a 30-day window, I create content around tools I use, processes I follow, or products I’m reviewing. But I don’t just post once and move on. Every single piece of content feeds multiple streams.

A long-form YouTube video becomes:

• A blog post with affiliate links
• A Pinterest pin that links to the blog
• A few TikToks or Reels clipped from the video
• A product page in my Stan Store
• A carousel for Instagram or an Idea Pin
• A searchable tutorial optimized for Google

Each platform gets its own version—but I only created the core content once. That’s the key. I batch, repurpose, and systematize.

Inside that 30 days, I’m not focused on selling—I’m focused on showing. I walk through the tools I’m using, the systems I’ve built, and the results they generate. And naturally, the affiliate links fit right in.

Because I’ve done the work up front to align my content with what people are already searching for, the traffic keeps flowing. And because every touchpoint is tied to an affiliate opportunity—software, a service lead, or a product review—the income keeps multiplying.

This isn’t hustle content. It’s asset content.
I’m not building a funnel. I’m building infrastructure.

And the beauty of it? This system scales without burning me out. I’m not on a hamster wheel trying to go viral. I’m planting content that continues to grow—month after month.

My System in Action (What It Actually Looks Like)

Let me give you a real-world example.

I filmed a YouTube video walking through how I use Pinterest to drive blog traffic. That single video turned into:

• A blog post with embedded affiliate links
• A few Pinterest pins pointing to that blog
• A Reel for Instagram (clipped from the YouTube)
• A short TikTok explaining just one tip from the full video
• A prompt pack listed in my Stan Store for people who wanted to shortcut the strategy
• And a carousel on Instagram with the title: “What happened when I stopped using funnels”

I didn’t create all that from scratch. I created one piece and squeezed every bit of content juice from it. And each repurposed version pointed to a product, service, or software I already use—so every view had the potential to convert.

This is what I mean when I say system over hustle. I’m not chasing trends. I’m building pipelines.

What This Means for You

You don’t have to copy my affiliates. What matters is finding streams that fit your interests and your content.

• Use software you believe in, then share it.
• Look for lead opportunities in industries you already touch.
• Review products you actually use.

Layer those together, publish consistently, and let the system work. Affiliate marketing isn’t about luck. It’s about showing up and building streams that pay you long after you hit publish.

If You’re Starting from Zero: Start Here

If you’re looking at this and thinking “I don’t even know where to start,” here’s how I’d begin from scratch:

• Pick 3 tools you already use and love
• Create one video or blog post walking through how you use them
• Add affiliate links to each
• Repurpose the content to one or two other platforms
• Keep showing up and repeat

You don’t need a funnel. You don’t need a course. You need useful content with a clear next step.

What I Wish I Knew Sooner

If I could go back and give myself one piece of advice when I was starting this?

Stop trying to “launch” things and start documenting what’s already working.

I wasted too much time creating funnels I didn’t want to maintain and crafting lead magnets nobody needed. What built my affiliate income was showing up and teaching what I was doing—before it was perfect, before it was polished, and before I had everything figured out.

You don’t need a perfect brand. You need momentum.

Final Thought: You Don’t Need Permission

If you’re still sitting on the sidelines, waiting for a bigger audience, better camera, perfect niche, or some magic formula—you’re missing the whole point.

You don’t need to be famous. You need to be useful.

You don’t need a team. You need a system.

This blog isn’t about what I did. It’s about what I still do. Daily. Consistently. On my own terms.

And if that’s the kind of business you want—the kind that pays you for what you know instead of how much you hustle—then stop waiting.

Hit record. Post the blog. Add the link.

Your system starts when you do.

Next Steps

If you’re ready to build your own affiliate system, join my Blueprint Coaching Program at BallenBlueprint.com. You’ll get access to my trainings, templates, and live coaching sessions where I walk you through these strategies step by step.

And if you want the exact prompts I use to create content that drives affiliate sales, grab them at Stan.Store/loriballen.