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Affiliate Marking or Freelancing

by shubham
21 replies
Hello Everyone,

Hope you all are doing great, Currently, I am working with an MNC and I am planning to start my own company within one and a half year from now, for which I have to arrange some initial set-up cost. So I was just thinking about which road to follow and I am bit confused between Affiliate Marketing and Freelancing.

A bit about me:

I Have around 10 years of experience which is divided as Affiliate Marketing / Internet Marketing and now a fulltime job as a software developer for around 4 years. I started with some basic Affiliates when I was in class 10th. This basically follows a few simple steps which include creating a web app, add some product, add Google Adsense and perform SEO and then sell the website as soon as I can. Then I get involved in fulltime college degree.

Ok, now the problem which I am anticipating.

Affiliate Marketing: I was out of the market for a while now really don't know what's new here so it will take some time, but once done I can setup a stable source of income with flexible time, which will also help in the initial phase of my company.

Freelancing: Since I am working with the company I really don't have a strong portfolio ready (I can't showcase my company projects), and freelancing will also require my regular involvement which is an issue as I have a fulltime job. but I am really good with technologies like ML, AI, Data Science, NLP, Python, PHP, Javascript, AWS and many more and can develop a product with great quality. And Freelancing will also help me grow my client network.

So I really confused between these two, I really appreciate if want to share your story or experience with me.


Thanks
SHUBHAM
#affiliate #freelancing #marking
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  • Profile picture of the author DURABLEOILCOM
    You should focus on doing micro gigs on Freelancer and Fiverr. Those platforms will bring in plenty of money.
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    • Profile picture of the author IGotMine
      Originally Posted by DURABLEOILCOM View Post

      You should focus on doing micro gigs on Freelancer and Fiverr. Those platforms will bring in plenty of money.
      If by "plenty of money" you mean pennies, then yes.

      I strongly suggest affiliate marketing. Unless you like trying to please people who mostly don't even know what they are buying. If you must go the freelance route then at least set up your own site. The last I heard a Fiverr is actually $7 of which Fiverr keeps three.
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      • Profile picture of the author shubham
        Originally Posted by DURABLEOILCOM View Post

        You should focus on doing micro gigs on Freelancer and Fiverr. Those platforms will bring in plenty of money.
        I am already on these platforms, but I think they have the very low offerings, say if I can make a website earn $500 per months within 5-6 months then I can sell it for more then $6000 and also I can have more then 10 websites in these 6 months.

        Originally Posted by IGotMine View Post

        If by "plenty of money" you mean pennies, then yes.

        I strongly suggest affiliate marketing. Unless you like trying to please people who mostly don't even know what they are buying. If you must go the freelance route then at least set up your own site. The last I heard a Fiverr is actually $7 of which Fiverr keeps three.
        I am also leaning towards the affiliate marketing at least for starting 6 months, then I can have a stable income source so that I can quit my job and then focus on freelancing and also by then I can my portfolio ready. hi if want to share some light on the modern trends of affiliate marketing I will be glad.
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  • Profile picture of the author Josh Mayers
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    • Profile picture of the author shubham
      Originally Posted by Josh Mayers View Post

      Hey Shubham

      Thanks for sharing your story and I can relate from personal experience as a former college student and having been involved with internet marketing and copywriting for going on 9 years now.

      It seems as if Freelancing has the most upside based on what you were saying.

      Sure, affiliate marketing is something that you can put on autopilot and can give you more of a passive income for the sake of your time...

      But if you were to focus on freelancing, which you explained that you are really good at, I believe you will make a ton more money, and have a much easier time branding yourself.

      Personally, I'd just stick with Freelancing, build my client base, and then in the future, you should think about making your own product/training that shows people how to do the work you do.

      Just my two cents, but hopefully this helps!

      -Joshua
      Hi Joshua,

      Thanks for sharing your views I know Freelancing has so much to offer but I generally feel that maybe if I try this after 6 months, and within these 6 months I can build some stable source of income and then quit my job and go for freelancing fulltime and also I can have my portfolio ready by then, I would love to know your more views on this.
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  • Profile picture of the author King Manu
    In my opinion, freelancing takes a lot of time. I do it full-time to make nice money, I couldn't see how I could pull it off part-time.

    That means affiliate marketing is a better idea. It has a greater potential to become passive income. I want to get into it as well.

    Oh, and other warriors are right. If you wanna go freelancing, do it on your own. Freelancing platforms are simply not worth it.
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    • Profile picture of the author shubham
      Originally Posted by King Manu View Post

      In my opinion, freelancing takes a lot of time. I do it full-time to make nice money, I couldn't see how I could pull it off part-time.

      That means affiliate marketing is a better idea. It has a greater potential to become passive income. I want to get into it as well.

      Oh, and other warriors are right. If you wanna go freelancing, do it on your own. Freelancing platforms are simply not worth it.
      by your own, do you mean LinkedIn?
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanbiddulph
    What do *you* want to do? What do you enjoy more? What feels fun to work? There is your answer. We can share our experiences but only you genuinely know your passion.
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    • Profile picture of the author shubham
      Originally Posted by ryanbiddulph View Post

      What do *you* want to do? What do you enjoy more? What feels fun to work? There is your answer. We can share our experiences but only you genuinely know your passion.
      I personally feel that affiliate marketing is the one which have to go for at least for the first 6 months.
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  • Profile picture of the author jmosticc22
    Freelancing you can make money but takes more time and effort, I would say focus your time on learning affiliate marketing. It is more passive and can give you more freedom, looks like you have the skills for freelancing but promoting other peoples products has more potential for good money.
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  • Profile picture of the author adcommunalfazel
    The beauty of affiliate marketing is you can set up a campaign and it runs on its own. You typically don't need to be doing work on it constantly.

    Hope that helps
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    • Profile picture of the author shubham
      Originally Posted by adcommunalfazel View Post

      The beauty of affiliate marketing is you can set up a campaign and it runs on its own. You typically don't need to be doing work on it constantly.

      Hope that helps
      yes, autopilot is the best thing about affiliate marketing.
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  • Profile picture of the author AffiliatePrograms
    You are already getting paid to use your IT skills, no doubt paid well. So in order to diversify and still have a life outside of work, choose affiliate marketing. It also has great potential, and you are probably so skilled that you might do very well.
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    • Profile picture of the author shubham
      Originally Posted by AffiliatePrograms View Post

      You are already getting paid to use your IT skills, no doubt paid well. So in order to diversify and still have a life outside of work, choose affiliate marketing. It also has great potential, and you are probably so skilled that you might do very well.
      hope so, I have already started working on affiliate marketing and for now, I will stick with some technical affiliate programs.
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  • Profile picture of the author silveraden
    I would go with freelancing and later set-up a freelancing agency.
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  • Profile picture of the author spartan14
    I think you should combine both to see what works better for you ,dont lusten to others that aff marketing its better etc .as things cannot work for someone but can work for someone else
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  • Profile picture of the author brucey666
    You can do both actually! you just need to focus on one thing first. Looking down the comments below, you have already be a freelancer on fiverr, maybe you can start charging high cost product to your customers if you got plenty of good reviews on fiverr.

    Well for affiliate marketing, you already have the experience, you just need to start building the niche website and make them their own assets portfolio that you can earn from, grow them and dominate the affiliate marketing industry.

    You can do anything that you can ever dream and think in your head(legally)
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  • Profile picture of the author nowservingpixels
    Do both and see what you like better.

    The benefit with freelancing is that it's pretty easy to start making money right away, but the downside is that it's very similar to having a job. It's a grind and it comes with almost all of the same responsibilities and obligations that a job does.

    Affiliate marketing offers more flexibility and freedom once you get it up and running, but the downside is that it takes a lot of time and patience to start seeing success with it.

    I started out as a full time freelancer and built my content/affiliate business on the side. As of this year I reached a point where I can focus on content creation full time and only take on freelancing work on the rare occasion that somebody offers me money that's too good to turn down.

    I'm much happier doing things this way, but everyone is different and I wouldn't have figured out what I like better if I didn't try both.
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    • Profile picture of the author shubham
      Originally Posted by nowservingpixels View Post

      Do both and see what you like better.

      The benefit with freelancing is that it's pretty easy to start making money right away, but the downside is that it's very similar to having a job. It's a grind and it comes with almost all of the same responsibilities and obligations that a job does.

      Affiliate marketing offers more flexibility and freedom once you get it up and running, but the downside is that it takes a lot of time and patience to start seeing success with it.

      I started out as a full time freelancer and built my content/affiliate business on the side. As of this year I reached a point where I can focus on content creation full time and only take on freelancing work on the rare occasion that somebody offers me money that's too good to turn down.

      I'm much happier doing things this way, but everyone is different and I wouldn't have figured out what I like better if I didn't try both.
      Thanks for sharing your story, I am also trying to achieve something similar soon.
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  • Profile picture of the author Abledragon
    When I went solo 10 years ago after working in the Corporate environment pretty much all my working life, I quickly realised that, while I had the strong goal to earn my living online, I had to be open to doing anything in the early years - because I had to eat!

    Therefore I did consultancy gigs, I took an online TEFL qualification and started teaching in-house business English programs in local companies (I live in Hong Kong), and I worked at my online goal.

    Over time as my contacts grew and my experience working online grew, I was able to drop the business English courses. Today 80% of my income comes from online. I still do consultancy gigs because it adds variety and it's highly profitable, plus I can combine them very easily with my online work.

    So my suggestion would be to keep your primary goal in mind but do anything that earns you money in the meantime until your income from your primary goal lets you drop the other stuff.

    Best of luck!

    Cheers,

    Martin.
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    • Profile picture of the author shubham
      Originally Posted by Abledragon View Post

      When I went solo 10 years ago after working in the Corporate environment pretty much all my working life, I quickly realised that, while I had the strong goal to earn my living online, I had to be open to doing anything in the early years - because I had to eat!

      Therefore I did consultancy gigs, I took an online TEFL qualification and started teaching in-house business English programs in local companies (I live in Hong Kong), and I worked at my online goal.

      Over time as my contacts grew and my experience working online grew, I was able to drop the business English courses. Today 80% of my income comes from online. I still do consultancy gigs because it adds variety and it's highly profitable, plus I can combine them very easily with my online work.

      So my suggestion would be to keep your primary goal in mind but do anything that earns you money in the meantime until your income from your primary goal lets you drop the other stuff.

      Best of luck!

      Cheers,

      Martin.
      Thanks for sharing your story, really inspiring
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  • Profile picture of the author Talha Ahmed
    What do you enjoy doing ? Freelancing or Affiliate marketing.
    Do you want to be your own boss > Affiliate Marketing
    Make monthly payments for your living > Freelancing.

    Ask your self buddy. and decide. Every person here has his own story, his own concepts because of his own circumstances in his life. You'll have your own. Decide your self and than start moving forward.
    Best of luck.
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