Marketing hints & tricks

How to start affiliate marketing on Medium and make money

June 16, 2023 8 minutes

Medium is a haven for creative writers. It grants access to a global audience hungry for great content to those who want to unlock their potential and reach financial success with writing. 

One way to do it is via affiliate marketing, where you turn excited readers into eager shoppers with the power of words.

In this article, we’ll explain affiliate marketing on Medium – revealing tips and strategies to help you earn passive income by combining affiliate links with insightful articles.

The power of affiliate marketing

Man in front of a laptop, taking notes in a notebook.

Affiliate marketing is an excellent way to make passive income through third-party advertising. In this business model, you work as the middleman – connecting an affiliate company with its target audience through your own website or various affiliate promotions.

In return, you earn a commission from every sale made through your affiliate links. Here’s how affiliate marketing works:

  1. You join an affiliate program.
  2. The affiliate company issues a unique affiliate link for you to promote.
  3. You publish content online (on your affiliate website, YouTube channel, niche blog, Twitter account, Medium post, or other social media) – promoting affiliate links and products or services associated with them.
  4. A reader falls in love with your description and promotion and clicks on the link.
  5. The reader makes a purchase.
  6. You get paid (a commission from each purchase someone makes through your affiliate links).

Amazing, right? You can become an affiliate marketer and earn affiliate income effortlessly.

  • Minimal investment. Other than your time, affiliate marketing doesn’t require much. You don’t need to order products yourself or hold inventory. Just drive traffic and be convincing with your promotional materials.
  • Flexibility. You have full control. You can do affiliate marketing from anywhere and freely choose what products, services, and niches you want to promote.
  • Zero responsibility. You don’t handle production or customer service for the products or services you promote. Your only task is to drive traffic and sales.
  • Multiple income sources. You’re not limited to one partner program. Join as many affiliate companies as you can or want and run a successful affiliate marketing business.
  • Networking. With the right content strategy and successful affiliate sales, you can develop beneficial relationships and partnerships with other fellow affiliates, industry experts, and merchants.

Join the Printify Affiliate Program

List of Printify Affiliate benefits: 5% commission for 12 months, no earnings ceiling, zero signup cost, and more.

Partner with Printify and get paid for each sale your affiliate links generate. Printify offers great terms and benefits. 

And best of all – it’s all free. Sign up, share your unique company link, and make more money with Printify.

  • 5% Commission. Attract potential buyers with your affiliate content and earn a 5% commission from every sale made through your affiliate links.
  • No earnings cap. Share your affiliate links on multiple platforms and earn as much as you want and can – without limitations.
  • Monthly payout. Link your PayPal account and get a payout of your earned commissions each month.

Make it happen today!

What is Medium?

Medium's homepage banner with text, “Stay curious. Discover stories, thinking, and expertise from writers on any topic.”

Medium is an online publishing platform mainly made for two reasons – publishing and reading compelling content

It’s where amateurs, professional writers, and content enthusiasts unite to engage in thought-provoking discussions and foster diverse perspectives on various topics.

You can choose between free or paid membership. Gain access to a limited number of articles as a free member, or pay $5/month to become a Medium member and access unlimited content, avoid ads, and gain other perks.

Medium is THE platform for writers. It’s a safe space where creatives showcase their work, attract readers, and build their audiences – with the potential to make money.

Why post on Medium?

Medium ranks high on the 300 most visited websites worldwide. And rightfully so. Their huge audience is one of the main reasons aspiring and professional writers should utilize the platform. 

But, if stats aren’t convincing enough, maybe facts will do.

  • Potential income. Join the Medium Partner Program and earn a portion of the revenue that other Medium members generate by reading, liking, and sharing your Medium posts. The highest-ever received payment on Medium is $49,581.
  • Large audience. The platform has over 100 million active users each month. That’s a lot of people who can potentially read your content. Medium’s popularity will help you boost the visibility of your content and build a following.
  • Built-in platform. Forget about hosting your own website and handling the technicalities. Medium offers customization, formatting, and analytics to improve and track the performance of your writing.
  • Flexibility. Write whenever you want – however you want. Experiment with different topics, niches, and writing styles, test out new ideas, and gather reader feedback to perfect your writing.
  • Networking and experience. Find other writers, influencers, and industry experts and make new connections on the platform. The experience and published articles serve as a portfolio you can share with others.

Why use affiliate marketing on Medium?

Basically, all the reasons mentioned above still stand. Medium grants you access to its vast audience – allowing you to create content related to your affiliate niche that includes affiliate links. 

With millions of people browsing posts on the platform each month, your chances of reaching potential customers with your affiliate articles are higher than on other platforms. And that’s not all.

Credibility plays a huge role in affiliate marketing. People are looking for trustworthy content and credible authors – and the Medium platform ensures that. 

That’s why it’s so popular among writers on the Amazon Affiliate program. The best affiliate marketers have built a trusted following and increased the likelihood of readers clicking on their Amazon affiliate links.

Getting started with Medium

This part is easy-peasy. All you need to do is head over to the platform and click Get started in the top right corner. Medium automatically lets you join with a Google or Facebook account, or your existing email address. 

You’re a few clicks away from unlocking an alternative income stream with affiliate marketing articles.

Next, type in your full name to look as professional as possible, and select your interests and potential niches to get the most relevant medium articles on your feed.

A list of Medium's niches: programming, technology, self improvement, politics, health, design, humor, culture, education, and many more.

Once that’s done, congratulations. You’re now part of the Medium family of creatives. Scroll down your feed to discover interesting articles on your selected topics – or write your own!

Hit the Write button on the top right corner and create your first Medium article. The platform has built-in tools that allow customization. You can change fonts and add images, videos, sources, and section breaks for a visually pleasing aesthetic.

Medium's text editor showcasing an example post.

It’s all smooth sailing from here. Join the Medium Partner Program for full access, add affiliate links to your posts, and make money writing enticing content that will rank high on search engines.

Make it happen today!

How to start affiliate marketing on Medium with Printify?

Of all the affiliate partner programs available, Printify is one of the most convenient ones. From making money to establishing connections and boosting your own creative skills – our partnership will guarantee it all.

Step 1: Create your Medium account

Head over to Medium and sign up with your email address to quickly and easily make an account. Type in your full name, select your interests, and you’re all set.

Step 2: Join the Printify Affiliate Program

Fill in the signup form (it will only take a minute or two) and send it in. We’ll review it within two work days and get back to you.

Step 3: Get your unique affiliate link

Once you’re enrolled in the Printify Affiliate Program, you’ll receive a unique affiliate link to include in your content and promotions.

Step 4: Use your affiliate links in your Medium articles

Go to the Medium page and click the Write button on the top right corner. Create a compelling Medium story and add affiliate links to send your readers directly to Printify.

Best practices for affiliate marketers on Medium

Woman working on her affiliate marketing campaign on her laptop.
  • Disclose affiliate links. If you are to receive a commission or any other value for your writing, you need to let the readers know.
  • Follow Medium rules and guidelines. Medium has set rules about third-party ads and other specifics. Make sure to read them and comply to avoid a permanent account ban.
  • Post a member-only story. Monetize your content by putting it behind a paywall. It will be available for those with a paid subscription – adding quality to your writing.
  • Repost previous articles. If you have a published article on your affiliate website or a different channel that includes affiliate links, post it here for a new audience.
  • Engage with your audience. Build a connection with your community and form a loyal audience by replying to comments and answering questions.

Join Printify’s affiliate partner program today!

With affiliate marketing, making money has never been easier. Fill out our form, share and disclose affiliate links, and earn commissions one epic Medium story at a time – it’s that simple.

If you have any further questions regarding the Printify Affiliate Program, reach out to our Affiliate Manager for any help, guidance, or advice at [email protected]. Happy writing! 

Make it happen today!

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