Today, I’d like to share a simple yet powerful affiliate marketing system that I’ve been using. I promoted a product in one short YouTube video and one long video, earning approximately $5,500. So far, I’ve received $2,405 in commissions, and the unpaid commissions plus current balance add up to $5,417.
Just by posting these two videos on YouTube, I’ve earned this much. The first one is a YouTube Short, and most of the traffic probably came from it.
The second one is a long video. In terms of viewership data, the short video has 337,000 views, while the long video only has 21,000 views. With just these two videos, I can continuously earn commissions.
Product to Promote: AutoShorts (There are many similar AI tools like this, most of which have affiliate programs. This article serves as a case study, and a list of 30 AI marketing affiliates worth promoting is included at the end.)
Let me give you some background so you can understand how the system works. About a year ago, I discovered AutoShorts, one of the many AI video tools available. With AutoShorts, you can create faceless videos and publish them on YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram. This tool is particularly useful if you don’t want to show your face in videos. It helps you handle graphics, scenes, voiceovers, subtitles, and more. Users can access all its features for $19 per month, with other plans available as well.
Perfect, this tool has an affiliate program. Since I think it’s quite good, I’ll share my experience on YouTube, introduce it, and create related tutorials.
As mentioned, the YouTube short video has 337,000 views, while the long-form video only has 21,000. However, these two videos have earned me a significant amount in commissions, and it’s ongoing. This isn’t some get-rich-quick scheme—YouTube videos sometimes take time to get recommended by the algorithm. My video took 180 days to go viral. Even looking at the past 48 hours, it still garnered over 7,000 views.
A link to the full video is included in the short video.
I also embedded the affiliate link in the video, mentioned it in the comments, and pinned it.
YouTube Shorts descriptions and comments don’t allow clickable links, so I use Rebrandly to shorten them.
After registering with Rebrandly, when creating a new link, paid account users can connect to their own domain.
Of course, a free account will work too. The link will be rebrand.ly/product-name.
With a Rebrandly account, you can also track click-through rates—for example, you can see that a link has received 26,000 clicks—as well as access statistical information such as geographical distribution and time-based analytics.
AutoShorts’ affiliate program offers a 30% recurring commission, which is better than some programs that only provide a one-time commission. As long as users continue using the product, you keep earning commissions.
YouTube short videos don’t need to be very long—this one is only about 45 seconds. Start with an engaging hook, then introduce what the product is, what it does, and how to use it. End with a strong call to action. I think short videos have a bigger impact on affiliate earnings, while longer videos can serve as tutorials.
Not every video will generate a commission or sales—you need to consistently create content. The more videos you make, the more opportunities you’ll have. Once your YouTube channel is monetized and you become a partner, you can also earn ad revenue, though short videos don’t generate much ad income.
I also conduct keyword research using vidIQ. It shows monthly search volume and competition levels for keywords. For example, if “AI tool” is highly competitive, you can look for alternatives like “best AI tools.”
Naturally incorporating keywords into the title helps algorithms understand the video content. This video of mine targets multiple keywords such as “AI tool” and “short videos”.
Here’s a summary of the entire process—it’s actually quite simple:
First, find affiliate programs related to your channel’s niche, preferably ones that offer recurring commissions.
Then, create short YouTube videos—no need for long ones—but make sure they have an engaging hook, introduce the product clearly, and end with a strong call to action. Include a shortened affiliate link in the video description.
You can also create longer videos to attract viewers who prefer more in-depth content.
Finally, optimize your video keywords to improve search rankings.
So, don’t overcomplicate things. The most important step is to get started. Even if you just record a simple screen capture, write a few lines about the product’s highlights, and add a call-to-action, you might just hit the right keywords and attract traffic.
Doing affiliate marketing on YouTube isn’t actually difficult at all. The key is that there are plenty of products you can promote—whether it’s physical gadgets or various software tools. As long as you choose the right products and position your channel well, and keep posting videos from different angles, it won’t be long before you start getting orders and earning commissions. Why not give it a try?