🤝 Affiliate Marketing: Recommend and Earn
Retire Richer: A Senior’s Guide to Online Gigs & Profits
Retirement doesn’t mean you’re done. In fact, it might be the perfect time to start something new — something profitable, purposeful, and flexible.
This guide explores how seniors can earn income online through two practical paths:
Gig Work — offering simple services like writing, editing, or virtual assistance.
Digital Profits — creating low-maintenance income streams like eBooks, printables, or videos.
You don’t need to be a tech wizard, go on camera, or buy into hype. What you do need is the willingness to learn, a few basic tools, and the confidence to believe your experience still matters — because it does.
Every post in this series stands alone, so feel free to dive in wherever you like. You’re not too late. And you’re definitely not too old to earn online.
📚 New here? Start with the full series overview → Retire Richer
If you’ve ever told someone, “Hey, you should try this — it really worked for me,” then you’ve already done affiliate marketing.
The only difference? Now, you can get paid for it.
Affiliate marketing is one of the most flexible online income streams. You don’t need to create a product, carry inventory, or deal with customers. You just share something useful and earn a commission when people buy through your link.
It’s recommendation income — and yes, seniors are very good at it.
What Can You Promote as an Affiliate?
⚠️ Free tips, not guarantees. Hustle smart, check things out, and own your outcomes.
Books you’ve read
Courses you’ve taken
Software or apps you use
Printables, planners, or templates
Low-cost memberships (email tools, design tools, journaling apps, etc.)
You don’t have to be salesy. You just have to be honest.
What helped you could help someone else — and that’s your edge.
Where to Find Affiliate Programs
Amazon Associates – for books, tech, household items (lower commissions, but super easy)
ThriveCart Learn, Gumroad, Podia – many creators offer 30–50% affiliate commissions
ClickBank and WarriorPlus – digital product marketplaces
Tools you already use – check their website footer for “affiliate” or “partner” links
Side hustle groups – many shared tools are affiliate-friendly
Don’t promote everything. Promote what you actually believe in.
How to Start Earning (Even with a Small Audience)
Pick 1–2 tools or products you genuinely use
Sign up for their affiliate programs
Write a simple blog post, email, or social post explaining why you like it
Include your link
Share it quietly and consistently (that’s how trust is built)
No shouting. No spamming. Just storytelling and soft selling.
Great Ways to Share Affiliate Links
In your Substack posts or footers
Inside a PDF guide or freebie
On your own “Recommended Tools” page
On social posts with helpful tips
In a YouTube or podcast episode
With an email list — one message at a time
One link, shared well, can earn you for months or even years.
Why Affiliate Marketing Works for Seniors
You’ve spent a lifetime knowing what works — and what’s nonsense.
Your quiet wisdom is what makes you credible. When you say “I trust this,” people listen.
And when they act on that trust — you get rewarded. Fairly. Ethically. Without pressure.
It’s not get-rich-quick. But it is get-paid-honestly.
📚 Want to read the rest of the series? Start here → Retire Richer
Side Hustles Disclosure
The strategies, tools, and ideas shared in Side Hustles are for informational purposes only. Everything I post here has worked for someone (sometimes even me), but that doesn't mean it'll work for you.
This is not professional advice, and I can’t guarantee results. You’re getting this content for free, so it’s up to you to do your own research, exercise common sense, and make sure any hustle or strategy fits your goals, skills, and circumstances.
By reading and acting on anything here, you agree that I’m not responsible for any outcomes — good, bad, or unexpected.