If you’re just starting affiliate marketing after 50, I want to give you the advice I wish someone had given me. Because I’ve made the mistakes. I’ve wasted time, energy, money—and lost focus more times than I can count. And yet, I’m still here. Still learning. Still moving forward. And this is what I’d do differently if I were starting today.
1. Start with Focus
Not a blog. Not a tool. Not even a niche.
Focus.
When I first discovered affiliate marketing, I got excited. I started building websites. One after another. It felt great to create, to imagine the possibilities. But here’s the truth:
I built more than 20 websites—and made almost no progress.
I kept switching niches. Kept starting over. I was trying to do everything. I thought each new start would be “the one.”
But all it really did was spread me thin.
I wasn’t focused. I didn’t stay focused. And that cost me months, if not years.
2. Don’t Buy the Extras (Yet)
Once you enter this world, it’s easy to think, “It will be easier if I just buy this course… or that plugin… I’ll figure it out.”
I did that.
I bought:
- Marketing courses that overpromised and underdelivered
- SEO tools I didn’t know or have the time to learn how to use
- Premium WordPress themes that didn’t help
- Landing page builders that broke my site
Some of them were junk. Some were okay. But none of them fixed what I was missing: a steady, focused plan. Worse. They slowed my site down, and distracted me from doing the simple things that actually work.
Instead of falling for the hype around the latest trends and gadgets, use a step by step method to create a solid foundation in affiliate marketing. It starts with the basics: knowing your goal and how much time you can devote to achieving Then develop a comprehensive strategy to reach those goals, identify your niche, target audience, and learn the methods you need to employ to engage them effectively.
Now I tell beginners: do not buy anything until you’re making money. Please learn from me. There is no instant success. Just the ability to get results from keeping your eyes on the prize and doing the work to achieve your goal.
3. Prepare for Life to Interrupt
Affiliate marketing sounds like a dream – until life hits you in the gut.
- My dad landed in the hospital in late September.
- My mom had a heart attack while visiting him.
- My husband’s cancer metastasized.
- My child struggled with mental health.
I don’t say this for pity. I say it because this is real life for many of us over 50.
And when life got heavy, I checked out. I coped by zoning out and overeating—my go-to moves since forever.
But I always came back. Because I still had my goal: $3,000/month from affiliate marketing. It’s taken longer than I planned. But I’m still walking toward it.
4. Stay Inside the Training (and Ignore the Flash)
Wealthy Affiliate is solid. It’s where I learned what affiliate marketing really is. It has everything a beginner needs—training, websites, hosting, tools, a community.
What it doesn’t give you is mentorship. Or guardrails. Or someone to stop you from chasing easy and shiny new things.
That’s on you.
I wish I had stuck to the training. Done one lesson at a time. Skipped the extras and trusted the process.
Instead, I got distracted. I wandered. I chased speed instead of substance.
5. I Say This to You (and to Me)
- Start one website. That’s enough.
- Pick one niche. That’s all you need.
- Focus on your goal—and return to it often.
- Track your time. Don’t lie to yourself about effort.
- Write weekly, even if it’s imperfect.
And most of all: Don’t give up.
Because affiliate marketing isn’t magic. It’s not easy or fast. But it’s real. And if you can focus – truly focus – you can make it work.
Especially after 50.
Final Words
You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to keep showing up. Just start and stay focused. And never forget why you started in the first place. That’s what I’d do differently. And it’s what I’m doing now.
If this resonated with you, and you’re ready to focus on your journey – start where I did.
Wealthy Affiliate gave me the tools and training to build something real.
No fluff. Just step-by-step guidance, a website, and a plan.
It’s not magic – but it works if you stick with it.
Got questions? Leave a comment or send me a message. I’m figuring this out – and if you’re like me, you can too.