Intro

Affiliate marketing is one of the most misunderstood ways to make money online.

Some people think it’s a scam. Others think it’s passive income with no work.

So what’s the truth?

In this episode of The Side Hustler’s Society, Elijah Bilel sits down with a seasoned expert to break it all down—from beginner strategies to advanced insights.

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Intro to Omari Harebin

• Founder of sqspthemes.com (a leading directory of Squarespace templates)  
• Digital entrepreneur who has generated over $1M in digital product sales
• Specialist in affiliate marketing and digital products
• Creator of the Digital Alchemy Lab community
• Has been building online income streams since 2014

👉 Website: https://sqspthemes.com 
👉 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/OmariHarebin 

Episode Overview

The conversation starts with a simple but important question:

👉 Is affiliate marketing a scam?

Both Elijah and Omari agree:

No—it’s not a scam. But it is misunderstood.

Affiliate marketing is simply:

• Promoting a product or service
• Earning a commission when someone buys through your link

Companies already have advertising budgets—they’re just choosing to pay based on results instead of upfront.

And that shift creates a huge opportunity.

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• How to grow your audience
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Listen to the Episode

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Side Hustler’s Society Resources

The Personalized Side Hustle Starter Kit

Quick Takeaways

• Affiliate marketing is performance-based income—not a scam
• Elijah explains how referral income outperformed AdSense early on
• You don’t need a huge audience to get started
• Trust with your audience is your biggest asset
• Content acts like a long-term income-producing asset
• You can create affiliate partnerships—even if they don’t exist yet
• Freelancing can fund your transition into affiliate income
• SEO + content marketing are powerful for long-term growth
• Passive income takes time—it’s not instant
• Your everyday purchases can become income opportunities

Affiliate Marketing vs Traditional Work

One of the most important distinctions discussed:

👉 Traditional jobs pay you for time
👉 Affiliate marketing pays you for results

As Elijah explains, in a typical job:

• You can generate sales
• But your pay doesn’t change

With affiliate marketing:

• If you drive a sale, you get paid

Why Affiliate Marketing Feels “Shady” to Some People

Omari shares an interesting perspective:

Many people dismiss affiliate marketing early because:

• It sounds too good to be true
• It doesn’t fit the “work → paycheck” model
• Some promoters make unrealistic claims

He even admits he ignored it for years before taking it seriously.

The Turning Point: Passive Income Is Real

At one point, Omari logged into an old affiliate account and found:

👉 $444 waiting for him

He didn’t even remember placing the link.

That moment validated the model:

👉 Content + links = income over time

The Real Strategy: Content as an Asset

One of the most powerful ideas from this episode:

👉 Every piece of content is a seed

• You create it once
• It lives online forever
• It can generate income years later

This is where affiliate marketing becomes powerful.

How to Get Started with Affiliate Marketing

Omari breaks it down into two key steps:

1. Build a Marketing Channel

You need a platform where people can find you:

• YouTube
• Blog
• TikTok
• Instagram

Consistency is key.

2. Promote What You Already Use

Instead of chasing random products:

👉 Start with what you already use and recommend

Ask yourself:

• What do people ask you about?
• What tools do you use daily?
• What do you naturally recommend?

Then:

• Join their affiliate programs
• Share your real experience

Advanced Insight: Creating Your Own Affiliate Deals

Omari didn’t just join affiliate programs…

👉 He helped create them

He would:

• Identify products his audience needed
• Reach out to creators
• Set up affiliate partnerships

Sometimes those programs didn’t even exist yet.

Affiliate Marketing vs Freelancing

A key comparison in the episode:

Freelancing

• Faster income
• Active work
• Requires client interaction

Affiliate Marketing

• Slower to start
• Passive over time
• Scales with content

Elijah Bilel shares that freelancing helped fund his transition into:

• YouTube
• Affiliate income
• Multiple income streams

The Biggest Mistake Beginners Make

👉 Expecting quick results

Affiliate marketing is:

• A long-term strategy
• A content-driven model
• A patience game

The “Consumption → Production” Mindset

One of the strongest concepts from the episode:

👉 Turn everything you consume into something that pays you

• Use a tool → get the affiliate link
• Recommend it → earn commissions
• Create content → scale it

Who This Episode Is For

• Beginners curious about affiliate marketing
• Content creators not making money yet
• Freelancers looking to scale income
• Anyone who wants passive income online

Key Topics Covered

• Affiliate marketing myths vs reality
• Building passive income with content
• How Omari Harebin approaches partnerships
• Transitioning from freelancing to scalable income
• How Elijah Bilel builds income streams

Watch The Podcast On Youtube!