Let me be totally honest with you – I used to cringe at the mere mention of affiliate marketing. You know that icky feeling you get when you see someone pushing products just to make a quick buck? Yeah, that was my initial reaction too.

Every time I saw those obviously copied-and-pasted promotional posts or those overly enthusiastic "THIS CHANGED MY LIFE!!!" recommendations, I'd roll my eyes and move on. Affiliate marketing felt like the antithesis of authenticity – something I've always valued deeply in business.

But here's the thing: I was very very wrong.

My perspective completely shifted when I found myself on the other side of the equation. I was struggling with setting up my online course platform when I saw a friend had set up multiple online courses. I asked him how he did it. "Oh, I just use Kajabi."

When it came time to sign up for Kajabi, you know what I did? I actively asked him for his affiliate link. Why? Because he'd added so much value to my journey, and I wanted to thank them in some way for the hours he'd saved me.

That's when it hit me – affiliate marketing, when done right, isn't about pushing products. It's about supporting people who've genuinely helped you.

The Mindset Shift: From Skeptic to Supporter

This experience completely transformed my understanding of affiliate marketing. I realized it could be a powerful three-way win:

• Your audience gets trusted recommendations and extra support
• The companies get customers who are actually a good fit for their product
• You get rewarded for making that valuable connection

Today, I love that affiliate marketing has become a consistent source of passive income in my business. And I support numbers of other people's businesses every month by using their affiliate links.

But more importantly, it's allowed me to better serve my community by confidently recommending tools that I know will help them succeed.

The 4 Pillars of Ethical Affiliate Marketing

Through my journey, I've identified four core principles that separate authentic affiliate marketing from the sleazy stuff we all hate:

1. Only Recommend What You Truly Love

This is non-negotiable. I only promote tools that I personally use and would recommend to friends. For example, I use Kajabi every single day for my course platform, and I've experienced firsthand how it can transform an online coaching business.

When you genuinely believe in a product, promoting it feels like giving good advice to a friend.

2. Add Value First, Promote Second

The key to ethical affiliate marketing is leading with value. Create helpful content, share genuine insights, and solve real problems for your audience. When you consistently show up and help people, they naturally want to support you back.

3. Enhance the Customer Experience

Here's something I love doing: I offer additional support to people who use my affiliate links. For instance, if someone signs up for Kajabi through my link, they don't just get the platform – they also receive a free training course on getting started, a 45-minute setup call with me and a 30 day (rather than 14 day) trial.

This way, they're not just buying a tool; they're getting a complete package of stuff they wouldn't get any other way.

4. Be Proudly Transparent

Be honest about the flaws in the product you're promoting. No product is perfect so help people understand its shortcomings and who it's not good for. I'm honest about the fact that Kajabi doesn't work for everyone and recently told a client it wasn't the best fit for them.

Also, neverever try to hide that you're using affiliate links. In fact, I openly declare it – not just because it's a legal requirement (which it is), but because it builds trust.

When you're upfront about your affiliate partnerships, it shows respect for your audience's intelligence and demonstrates that you have nothing to hide. I love Gamma.app - it's changed how I create Powerpoints and slide decks forever and saves me hours and hours of time each month. I'll proudly offer my link if you want to try it 🤣

Does part of me worry that you'll roll your eyes? Sure. But I determined a long while ago to try to live my life as best as I can without allowing 'what others' think to determine my actions too much! Ultimately I have to be peaceful in myself that my integrity is in place and that I genuinely am offering to those it may help!

The Real Results

This ethical approach to affiliate marketing now generates consistent monthly income and I get the bonus of helping others a little on their journey through recommending products and services which will help save them time or money.

I love it so much I'm even launching my own affiliate program for my course, Impact and Income Accelerator, where successful graduates can share their experiences and earn while helping others transform their expertise into impactful online courses.

Getting Started with Ethical Affiliate Marketing

Here's how to get started;

1. Make a list of the products and tools you genuinely love using in your business. Research whether they have affiliate programs.
2. Start naturally incorporating these tools into your content. Share your authentic experiences, including both the benefits and limitations. Remember, authentic recommendations build trust.

Remember, affiliate marketing is just like any other business tool – it's not inherently good or bad. It's all about how you use it. When done with integrity and genuine value, it can be a powerful way to serve your audience while building a sustainable income stream.

What's your take on affiliate marketing? Have you had experiences that changed your perspective? I'd love to hear your thoughts.