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The Think Media Podcast
470: How New YouTubers Can Make Money Before 1,000 Subs (Step-by-Step Guide)
00:38:00
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- [00:00]
A
Hey, if you want to start or grow a YouTube channel in 2026, we've got a brand new resource you need to know about. Starting YouTube can feel overwhelming. What camera to use, what niche to pick, what to post first, and most people quit before they even get started. That's why we created the YouTube Creator Toolkit. It's your quick start system to go from confused to confident, fast. And for a limited time, you can save big during our holiday sale or@thinkmedia sale.com you'll start with Niche Finder to get total clarity on what kind of channel you should build. Then you'll use the AI powered Video Topic Generator so you never run out of video ideas. Plug those into Think Media's AI Title system tool to craft titles that get clicks and finish with thumbnail templates and trainings so your content actually stands out. And we've even included a ticket to to our Think Media strategy briefing that's happening right at the start of January to help you lock in your entire growth plan for 2026. It's incredible. And the crazy part is, during our limited holiday sale, you can get the YouTube Creator Toolkit for less than the price of a trip to Chipotle. Just go to thinkmediasale.com to take advantage of this special offer before it expires. Okay, let's jump into the podcast.
- [01:23]
B
Some of the easiest money you'll ever make on YouTube won't come from adsense reviews. It'll come from the links that you strategically put in your video description. Today I'm joined by Deanne Gustafson, who's turned simple product reviews and Amazon links into a legit income stream without a massive channel. Deanne, what's up? How are you doing?
- [01:43]
C
Hey, good. How are you doing?
- [01:45]
B
Doing awesome. I'm so stoked for this conversation. It's a little bit different than we typically do. I'd love to jump right in. What is one video on a channel of yours that has made more money from the Amazon side of things or the affiliate link side of things than the YouTube ad side of things?
- [02:02]
C
You got it. So I have two channels that are monetized and I have a couple other channels that are really small. We're talking like 200 followers and they're a little more niche. And one of them happens to be actually product reviews my husband has done, and he reviewed a dive flashlight in our pool and that is on a channel that has less than 200 subscribers. And the affiliate link has led to so many sales of these flashlights. And again this is not a monetized channel, not a lot of followers. And one thing we'll get into is that link. Doesn't mean that I only earned from a flashlight. But anything they purchase when they went to Amazon through that link on a.
- [02:42]
B
Channel that's like 200 subscribers, not even monetized in the.
- [02:45]
C
Barely. I barely even upload a video to that channel. I kind of forget about that channel.
- [02:49]
B
You got to forget about the channel, and it's making you money. Okay. This is going to be a fun conversation. Yeah. Okay. So you know, when you first saw, like, that Amazon number or when you first started getting into this, like, what went through your mind? Did you know about this world, this affiliate marketing world? Because at this point, it's kind of your bread and butter. But take me back to, like, how did you find out about it? How'd you experiment with it?
- [03:08]
C
Okay, so I never understood affiliate marketing at all. I kind of always thought it was like some gimmick or something. And even the word influencer I despise. I still don't really love that word. And I used to be a journalist, so I used to be a TV news reporter and an anch. So I came from, like, I'm very serious and just didn't understand it. But now that I understand what it is, there's so much more income to be made with affiliate marketing. So how I got into it, I started live selling for a fashion boutique. Wanted to get better at live selling, and I found Amazon had a live program. So from there I joined the Amazon Influencer program, which we can touch on a little later, and. And learned that you could also use affiliate linking. And then that's where I started realizing, okay, there's opportunity here.
- [03:56]
B
Wow. Okay. I love this so much because it's just great. This is just proof, right, that you don't need a huge channel to start making money. Um, for the beginner that's listening, who might just actually be wondering, what is an affiliate link? Like, what is affiliate income? Could we demystify this a little bit so that, you know, tiny channels can actually use this? I think it's one of the easiest ways for a content creator to start monetizing even before a platform ever pays you. So, yeah. What's an affiliate link?
- [04:25]
C
Okay, so an affiliate link is any link a company has where you are promoting traffic back to their website and it's trackable so that you get paid when people purchase. Now, most of the time, you're going to see Amazon once because Amazon is such a huge company. And everyone shops at Amazon, everyone knows Amazon. But you could do Target affiliate links, Walmart, it's almost endless how many affiliate link programs there are. I focus on Amazon and how you get to have one of these. This is the coolest part. There's no barrier to entry. I think as long as you are on social media, you can apply to get an affiliate link. It's called Amazon Associates. So you just apply, it's instantly approved. There's no approval process. And then you have 180 days unless they've changed it. 180 days and you need to make three sales within that time to stay in the program. Otherwise you just get kicked out and you just reapply and you can do it again and again. Now these three sales cannot be from your mom, your best friend or yourself. And somehow Amazon knows all because even if I've sent my affiliate link to my family and it will show up, but then it always gets filtered out and I don't get paid for it. And even if I accidentally shopped on my own affiliate link again, it always gets filtered out. Amazon knows. So you have to get it from a legit social media like usually your YouTube channel. And yeah, that's it, that's, that's how easy it is to get started.
- [05:56]
B
Wow. Okay, so very low barrier to entry. I'm only thinking now from like the nerdy YouTube side. Like okay, what would you have to do this because if you start a brand new channel and we got the new year upon us so a lot of people are starting YouTube. I know that you have to have advanced features turned on in your back end for from YouTube. Like to be able to have links in your description. So that's like pretty mission critical.
- [06:15]
C
Yes, you do need to have. But you can put your affiliate link in your first comment. So I put my affiliate link in my very first comment and pin it there and say I always disclose this is very important. FTC guidelines are huge and Amazon will boot you out of your the program if you break any of these rules. I say Amazon affiliate link to whatever I'm trying to sell and I pin it right there. So it is always there. It's also in the description.
- [06:43]
B
Okay, so transparency of like saying you.
- [06:46]
C
Don'T have to have anything turned on with YouTube to do that.
- [06:49]
B
Oh, that's huge. That's a big one. And for anyone who's interested about, because I did say advanced features, it just means going into your settings and you need to turn on advanced features which just means you have to basically Verify your identity. So they have a couple ways you can do that through a video, through your id, or you can just wait a couple months and goodwill, as they call it on your channel will unlock links in your description. But that's a fire workaround. Yeah. Okay, so what are some, what's the basic steps to like following up with this? Let's like take it from. Okay, thanks Deanne. This is cool. So you like go to Amazon, get everything set up, maybe you've enabled advanced features, you're ready to rock and roll. How do we now connect the links? You want to put in a description to like the video? Like, let's transition into the content creator mode. How are you knowing what videos to make based on what links or things, products you might want to review or talk about? Like, how do you come up with those ideas?
- [07:41]
C
How do you come up with it? So, and also one more thing I'll add on the back end, when you use Amazon Associates, you do have to say where the traffic is coming from and that you just put in your YouTube channel. Everything, it has to be in there. So just know that when you get started. Okay, so how do you do it? Now I do product review videos. So for me it's really easy. It makes sense. Product, how to shop it. But let's say your channel has nothing to do with a product review. You're not like product placing anything. You could do like an idea list of. So for instance, let's say you're real, you're. You're a real estate agent. You could do an idea list of the top things every first time homeowner needs when they buy their new house. And it could be like bedding, it could be whatever, you know, and so, and then you just have that link to that list. And what's really interesting is that my, one of my main channels is anti aging skin care. So everything is a link to some sort of skin care. But I actually don't care if you don't buy skincare because I earn on whatever you buy. So a lot of when I look at my reports, some of my biggest money makers are tech and I don't even review tech.
- [08:49]
B
Wait, okay, so just to clarify really for me and for everyone who's listening, but like if you, so you could put a link to a specific product that you're going to talk about in your video. But if it's like an Amazon link, people click that link to get to Amazon. You're saying if someone adds in a camera to their cart or adds in their Ads.
- [09:07]
C
So my hope is that you check out with your Dyson vacuum that you've sat in your cart for like two months and just now you're like, let's clear the cart because I'll earn on that. But I also earn on people's like groceries. So I'll be like, oh, two cents on bananas. I mean you earn so little, but it's all anonymous, so I have no idea who's buying what. You'll see sex toys in there, you'll see everything. And it's just like, okay, cool, like somebody checked out.
- [09:32]
B
I remember Sean talking about this because he got started. A lot of his background is with affiliate marketing, reviewing cameras, tech and linking everything up. But I've heard him say like, man, it's just kind of wild what some people will buy in the privacy of their Amazon cart.
- [09:46]
C
And I mean no judgment. Hey, please do it through my affiliate link.
- [09:50]
B
That's right. Yeah, load it up right. Oh my goodness, that's huge. So it's kind of like it's a gateway, especially like in the Amazon place. Is that, are a lot of affiliates like that Deanne, or is that unique to Amazon?
- [10:02]
C
So Amazon has a 24 hour window, which means after they click your link it has to be purchased within 24 hours and they can't go watch another YouTube video and then click their affiliate link. It's whoever got the last link wins. So that's a little bit of a bummer because sometimes you'll be like, you know, my video maybe got them to Amazon but then they ended up watching something else and something else and you don't get to get. But you know what, it's all a wash. Maybe you got it from someone else.
- [10:28]
But Amazon I just think is a very popular one because it's easy and it's trackable and you're not trying to pull someone to a random website to go check out and then they have to pay for shipping and they have to do all those things.
- [10:41]
B
Okay, so you're thinking, so like to the beginner creator and it doesn't have to mean like just starting YouTube, but new to affiliate marketing. Would you, would you probably say Amazon first or would you? I guess what I'm trying to like debate between is I know there's some content creators who are in like a very specific niche. Maybe there's like a company that creates products that they actually use in their world. Like how do you determine, okay, I'm going to do Amazon and link stuff to Amazon or this kind of niche independent company that I might try to reach out to. I don't know. How do you navigate those decisions?
- [11:09]
C
Absolutely. So once you're in an Amazon program, I guess if influencer program, you can earn bonuses on top of things. So that's why I try to direct everything to Amazon. But I do have brands reach out and they're not on Amazon. So they want me to use their specific affiliate link and I can do that too. I just charge a little more for that.
- [11:29]
B
Okay, got you. So you can do. It's okay to have anything and everything. Like you could have multiple anything and everything.
- [11:34]
C
Absolutely. And if you are a small channel and you're not at the point where they're doing brand sponsorships, you can still say, hey, I promote your product. Can I have an affiliate link? And there's no reason why a brand wouldn't want to reward you for bringing them traffic.
- [11:48]
B
Curious. Have you ever dabbled with the other off platform opportunities? Like I think a lot of people still pitch you should build a course or you should write a book or you should create a community or you should X, Y and Z. Like have you tried any of those other things? And how do they compare to affiliate marketing?
- [12:04]
C
Okay, I'm the queen of like shiny object syndrome. So I'm always like, okay, what else do I need to do? I need to be on this social media but never created a course. I've thought about it, but I just have not. And I've never written a book. I'm just.
- [12:20]
But I mean one day, yeah, AI can write it for me and write my course for me.
- [12:26]
B
Me.
- [12:27]
C
Yeah. I don't think there's anything wrong with like diversifying. I'm all about diversifying. I just think that the affiliate link is a really good thing you can do as you're trying to get monetized. Because it's encouraging to be earning while you're still not earning from a Google payment. Right. From adsense. And yeah, there's a million ways you can make money with YouTube on YouTube and I don't think there's anything wrong with trying at all.
- [12:51]
B
This is huge. I think this is actually a cool unlock. I hope for you know, someone, if you're listening that you, you don't have to go just create a course or write a book or a membership site. Like I'm thinking about Dan the really like this is the easiest path I think for creators to start making money even before the platform pays them because the overhead there's like none, none.
- [13:13]
C
And remember YouTube is a search engine. So especially if it's product related if they are searching for a certain product. But again, like I said, like, let's say you're into gardening. I listened to a recent podcast where she was the gardener. Why not have an idea list of like your top garden, you know, material? Like this is how little I garden top garden materials. I don't know the gloves you use the soil you like and you just have it there. And again, you don't care if they buy the gloves or the soil. You just want to get them to Amazon. And usually once people click to Amazon they realize, oh, I forgot to buy medicine for my kid or whatever. Like, you know how many times you just are on Amazon, you're like, oh, I forgot I needed xyz. You know.
- [13:52]
B
You know when you're thinking about the videos that you're going to make, how do you think about titling these videos? Because if you're objective, right, like if you've got like this product you're going to review or multiple products you're going to review. That's a great idea. Multiple links for a video. But how do you go about the title thumbnail for this sort of a video? Like, do you want to have the specific product name in the title? If you're thinking about search, like, how do you. Yeah. How do you approach that?
- [14:17]
C
Yes, if it's a pro, a popular product, then I will definitely have the name of the product in the title. If it's not as popular, I might actually leave the name out and just try to go for like more of an SEO people just searching. And sometimes you get a multiple affiliate links. So sometimes I'll have. So a lot of times I'm being paid by the brand to do the video, especially with Amazon. So. And it's not, it's not the Dyson vacuum, it's the off brand China brand vacuum that will probably be on Amazon for six months and then it's discontinued. So I might say, you know, affiliate link to this vacuum and then also Amazon affiliate link to other vacuums. Generic. Like and I will put the link to just when you put the search bar of vacuums on Amazon. So that way I don't. Again, I'm just trying to get them to shop.
- [15:04]
B
Yes. Okay, so that's the ninja strategy there. And I, you know, we're about to get into. I want to hear your blueprint because we're at like just the time of year, I would imagine you can confirm for me. But like seasonality has got to be a big thing, right? Like we're going into Christmas, New Year's. Is that a typical high point of the roller coaster?
- [15:23]
C
Absolutely. So content creators like myself make most of their money in Q4, which is right now.
- [15:29]
B
No way. Okay. And that's just due to what more people are shopping. Black Friday. Okay. Right on. So. So for your content creators, like, like yourself, you got the strategy. Q4 really is like your Super Bowl. It's like, you get really specific about that. And we think the same thing at Think Media. It's like what we encourage people to is like, just as a content creator in general, man, Quarter four is like the Super Bowl. It's so funny. I was talking with a buddy in just like different industries and like, how things are different. And he was telling me that he was like, oh, yeah, you know, we're starting to land the plane on the year and like the last couple months are just dead for him. He's an electrician and that's his, you know, his trade and stuff. And so it's like, yeah, we start to kind of like go down. People are traveling. Not as many projects. It's cold. And so it was like, wow, it's so wild. We're ramping up over here. And like in the creator economy, it's like, oh, no, we're actually just gearing up because so many people. Yeah. Or just online, just like myself. You know, it's like looking for things you're thinking about the next year. You got Christmas gifts on your mind. So that's. Yeah. Powerful strategy.
- [16:30]
C
And even another pro tip, let's say you're really good. Like, your videos are so crisp and beautiful and your sound and your then put affiliate links to your microphone, to your lighting, to your camera. It's actually something I don't do that I probably should do it. Mine would be like, here's my phone, my iPhone, because I film on that a lot. But I do have box lights. I do have a whole studio in my house. And you can put affiliate links to those too. So then you never know who's buying. And a lot of those are high ticket items. If you use a really expensive camera and someone checks out with that, it starts earning a nice amount of money.
- [17:06]
B
That's huge. And you know, speaking of like crispy setups and stuff, actually like a quick behind the scenes note on how we're even doing an episode. Like, this is. We're actually. We aren't even in the same place right now. Right, Dan? Like, where are you at right now? You're in.
- [17:18]
C
I'm in San Diego.
- [17:18]
B
San Diego. Yeah. Okay, so I'm here in Tennessee in this whole conversation, right? Like it's still. It's kind of like we're in the same place still in the same studio. It's because we're recording this interview on Riverside, who's also the sponsor of today's episode. And so we've started doing a lot more podcast style content and remote interviews like this. And so we needed something that felt like a studio, even if we're just working from our laptops and traveling around. Right. And Riverside basically became our hub. So you can use it to record, to edit, to host, even publish your videos all from one place. And it keeps the workflow simple and helps you stay consistent even when life gets busy. So it's kind of cool. You can even record up to 4k all the nerdy stuff, right? Keeping things clean. You got separate audio and separate video tracks for each person. So that just means like if I bump the microphone or I don't know, deanne just gets so excited and screams like and clips the microphone. It's all okay because there's multiple takes and multiple files for everything in your editor or yourself can kind of piece things together. So the cool part is we just don't have to juggle a whole bunch of apps. And Riverside has a built in editor too. So we're just talking about the timing of the year. If you're thinking about getting into content creation, thinking about reviewing. Right. Some products like, man, you can get inside something like Riverside and you can actually edit the video by the transcript. It's one of my favorite new hacks. Like instead of just walking through the video, you can look at the transcript and pull out words and make things appear how you want them to. And you can export everything, even create reels, shorts, TikToks, all from the same dashboard. It's pretty crazy. So hey, if you've been thinking about starting a podcast, doing remote interviews even from your phone, we honestly can't recommend Riverside enough. So if you just use the Code Think Media at checkout, you'll get one month free of their pro plan. Includes everything I just talked about. So again, that's Code Think Media for one month free. And we'll have the link for you in the description and show notes below. All right, let's get even more tactical. Deanne, you were coaching small creator, new creator, new to affiliate creator to get their first Amazon commission, like by January, the next 30 days or so. What would the simple game plan be?
- [19:26]
C
Create a video that converts. So you want a video that People are searching for whatever the product is. And if you're in a niche, you probably know what people are searching for. But I would create a specific video with your goal to get them to buy that product. And try not. Maybe don't try to be too salesy, but you can be like, what are the benefits of it? Why has it changed your life? And maybe just pick something that like, legit has changed your life. Like, you can't imagine living without this product. Because if you can give that kind of testimonial, then people are going to be like, oh, I think I need that.
- [20:00]
B
That's huge. I love that tip right there. Because I think a lot of pushback that I've heard, deanne, and I'd love to hear how you've overcome this and how you navigate this is a lot of people don't want to be salesy, just use that language. It's hard for them. Maybe there's no background like that. I know your background lends itself, I think. Well, my background actually was in acting and so I think there's a lot of similarities in our stories of like, this whole on camera thing isn't really spooky, you know, but what can feel spooky is trying to talk about something in a way to get people to click a link. And I think a way easier to. Way to go about that is to make sure the thing you're talking about you actually just freaking love. Right? Or like you enjoy or at least can stand by. So, like, what's your criteria there? Especially for someone new? How do you. Yeah, is it okay for people to just like, look around their house and like. Or look around their setup and their niche and be like, oh, I use this all the time. Is that on Amazon or is that somewhere.
- [20:50]
C
Absolutely, that's where I would start. I would start with something that you could not live without, that your passion is going to come through. And then when you do your review, I'm being pretty calm on this podcast that a lot of times I crank up my energy and just if you can show like your hype, it will really portray it through the screen. And I think that that is huge. And if you're, if you're faking it, people can tell that too. So just know, like, you want to be as authentic as you can be. Now sometimes, yes, I am sent products where they don't blow me away and I have to still do the review, but I try to just do like the Oreo cookie method, like positive, maybe something I would change and then Positive. So I'm still not. Yeah, but some. But if it's something that I'm like, you have to have this, then absolutely. I think it's going to lead to more sales, at least more clicks.
- [21:39]
B
That's huge. I love that authenticity and how you're talking about it. How do you verify, you know, I'm just thinking about someone who's like, okay, looking around their house and they have something that they use a lot in their niche or their channel. How do you, like, verify that that's actually worth talking about? I guess, like, you know, product validity or like, you're making sure that this is something people are looking for or searching for. Because I guess the last thing you want to do is try to put a whole bunch of effort into a video for a product that not a lot of people are interested in. It was just you. So, like.
- [22:07]
C
Yeah, that's so true. I mean, I guess so you want to see if something is a top seller. That always helps. Or something is trending. If you are into like trending products. But you know what? I wouldn't put the focus on the money. I think just start with just because, like, let's say I review, I don't know, like a lip gloss. I'm going to make like a dime on this thing, but that's okay. Again, I don't care if you buy the lip gloss. I just want you to shop on Amazon. So don't focus on the money. Don't. I think if you just kind of release that and just focus on what you're passionate about, that's going to be a good start. And then if you want to get really strategic. Absolutely. Like, you can start seeing, like, what are people searching for and what doesn't. Have a video done in this category and can I fill that need and then go from there?
- [22:55]
B
That's huge. I'm curious just from your background, you know, your TV background, like, you have any on camera tips, you know?
- [23:01]
C
Oh, gosh, millions. Yes.
- [23:03]
B
Yeah. What are some of your favorites?
- [23:04]
C
Well, one of my biggest tips for if you are doing a product review.
- [23:08]
B
Yeah.
- [23:08]
C
Is to smile at the end. Because I used to, like, kind of have my journalism face on and just be like, and this is a great face cream. Well, that does not convert to sales. So now I'm like, it looks like it.
- [23:21]
B
Yeah.
- [23:21]
C
Yeah. Why? She says why? She's so mean. So it's like, I love this face cream and I think you're going to love it as well. And just like any kind of puts people at ease and it really helps to convert to sales. Again, I wouldn't say I'm a salesy person at all. In fact, I don't like to have to sell anything. Like I don't, I don't love that. That's not my gift. But being on camera was a gift that I think I'm just very calm, like about being on camera. I don't get nervous, I don't fear. It's. But you tell me to like take a photo as a model and I'm like, oh, I'm so awkward. Like where do I put my hand? But on camera, I think just really relax and just be yourself again. Smile if you, unless you're talking about something horrible, then have a sad face. Don't smile and be talking about someone dying or something.
- [24:14]
B
Yes.
- [24:14]
C
But yeah, and then if you're sitting, like don't slouch because it like you can have really bad posture. So I always just try to make sure if I'm sitting, I'm so standing up really straight or standing up, I'm sitting up really straight. That kind of gives you confidence and gives you also like an authority look. And then what other tips? Lighting. If you're, especially if you're a female, you know, good lighting makes all the difference. So good lighting. Film in natural light. You can always go outside. But like when I go outside, if I'm like in the middle of the day and I can tell like the sun's just beating down, it doesn't look good, I'm not going to film right then. It's there. I'm gonna wait.
- [24:50]
B
That's really good. I want to call out one thing I think you do well in your content, which is I know that this has been intentional, but it's also just like actually you is any product you're doing or you're reviewing or anything that you're. Yeah, anything that you're trying to share with people, it's like you are actually doing it. And that's what a lot of your videos do, right? Is like they on YouTube, like they actually show you running an experiment with this product. Day one, day four, day three, whatever it is. Like you're actually going through it. So you are showing up like without the makeup or without the thing. Like you're showing up in perfect. You're showing up as just who you are. Just a fellow human trying some stuff out to see if it works to help some other humans try some stuff out to see if it works. It's just like a very service based approach to the content. So I want to, you know, throw that back to you. What made you decide to like go that way with your content as opposed to. I do see this a lot, like people kind of just sitting and holding up the product and talking about it, but I don't actually see you even doing anything with it. Like, I think that's kind of important.
- [25:47]
C
You know, I agree and maybe I'm doing it wrong. Maybe I just need to stand here and hold the easier to make a lot easier than like stabbing my face with micro needle. But, but I want to try it. I think that I'm, I'm very naturally curious. So for me, I don't want to tout something unless I've got actually tried it and seen some results. And a lot of times it is my first time using it and I say that I'm just like, okay, well let's see if there's immediate results, let's see what happens. And I think that, that if I'm going to be on camera trying to give you a product review, but I'm not actually reviewing the product, what's the point? Like, I can't stand when people do that. I'm like, well then what are you doing? You're just hoping. And I've seen people do that. I've seen people do really expensive products on Amazon and they have zero value to their content. But again, they're just hoping that someone happens to click a link. And I think that's cheating kind of. So I just try to be, I try to be real. That's my thing. I'm just like, if it works, awesome. And if it, if I can't see results, I say it. I'm like, okay, it's been two weeks and my results are really minimal. Or you know, and do I think in my head I'm probably not going to get a lot of sales? Yeah, I do think that. But I also don't want a lot of returns either because when you have a return, it actually goes against you that you, you lose the money you gained. So I'd rather just be honest than, yeah, be fake.
- [27:14]
B
Okay. I want to maybe go back in time just for a quick second and I want to talk about how you do call to actions in your video. So like, you know, if you've got your links in the description, how do you, what's the language you use? Like will you say, like, how do you talk about a product when you say link in description? Or if you want to try this out? Like, what's your language around being you know, open and honest. Hey, like this would be an affiliate. This is an affiliate link. Like. Yeah, what's, what's some language you've used?
- [27:42]
C
Absolutely. So always make sure you do check the little box that it is a product. Like what is it? I don't remember ad or whatever the box is. And I do say, okay, so if I've been sent a product, I disclose that every single time that I've been sent the product so that people know that. And otherwise if it's just something I bought on my own and I'm reviewing it, I might say I put an affiliate link in the description if you want to get it. A lot of times I don't even mention that I probably should do more call to actions. But again, I try to not be a hard sell. I try to be a little more of like a lighter sell.
- [28:18]
B
Yeah, right. Kind of open handed, like. Yeah, yeah, for sure. No, that makes a lot of sense in this. Okay, what do you do like after. How do you analyze things when you're doing this? Strategy? Because it's for a lot of people, it's enough to just open your YouTube analytics, you know, like respect. You could get lost in the sauce. Right. But even for. And I don't have a lot of experience with this either, like the Amazon side of things like tracking stuff. How often are you looking at analytics on Both platforms like YouTube and in Amazon and you know, like, how much due diligence do you do? There's to be checking and seeing how the two are affecting each other all day, every day.
- [28:55]
C
Hey, you can see your sales come through in real time and you can see, you can make your affiliate links specific to different channels. So I can see like where they're coming from. And I'm. Look, I'm not like doing, I'm not at the peak of my mountain yet. Like I wish I had like five pages of just pure sales coming in every day. It's not like that, but I get excited when I'm seeing like even little sales throughout the day. So I do love to check it. And then, um, because I'm an Amazon influencer, I'm also in this program called Creator Connections. And that also earns. So whenever there's a product being bought, I can earn extra commission as well.
- [29:33]
B
Okay, wow. Can we. Let's talk about these two programs here in just a second. You said there. What was that? Creator Connections. And then there's. Yeah, like I'm, I'm learning too. Like, fill me in. What is that? And then how does that relate to Amazon influencers and like the levels that are in there.
- [29:50]
C
Yeah, there's like a whole world. But if you have enough of a following and they don't say what that following is or anything, but you can apply for Amazon Influencer, you can apply for associate and influencer at the same time if you want. And then once you're an Amazon influencer, you just have a lot more opportunities. You can go live on Amazon and earn money. You can, you can always do the affiliate linking and then you can also do on site videos. So all my product review videos go on on site, which hopefully ends up on a product page. If people watch and then they buy, I earn commission on Amazon. On Amazon, that's like a big. That When I first started in the program and started doing that, it was like the biggest money maker. That was like 2022. And then it kind of dropped a little lower, I'd say end of 2023. I used to coach people on how to like do this because it was so profitable. And then I kind of took a step back and I was like, you know what? It's not as profitable as it used to be, so I'm not gonna like, dive as hard into it. But still, money to be made there. And then in the last, like, year Amazon year, year and a half, Amazon launched this thing called Creator Connections. And now the brands pay you extra, anywhere from 10 to 50% commission.
- [31:04]
B
Whoa.
- [31:04]
C
On top of what you're earning from Amazon commission?
- [31:08]
B
On top.
- [31:08]
C
On top. And the money is still paid out through Amazon, but I'm pretty sure the brands are the one footing the bill for that. And that is my new, like, money maker. That's how I'm making the majority of my money.
- [31:22]
B
Wow. Okay. And so.
- [31:23]
C
But it all connects in a weird way. Yeah.
- [31:26]
B
Yeah. This is a whole. It's a whole world, like you said.
- [31:29]
C
And people that tell you it's a get rich quick scheme are lying because it is hard work. Even affiliate linking, it is fun, hard work to really grow it. But again, if you're doing the videos already on YouTube, it makes zero sense not to have an affiliate link. You might as well. It's like, you know, you're at a fishing. I don't fish. But like, you're at a fishing pond and you're not putting your, like, okay, this is a horrible analogy.
- [31:55]
B
I was like, what can you put? Because I don't know.
- [31:57]
C
Yeah, you're not gonna, you're not gonna catch anything if you don't try, you know?
- [32:00]
B
Yeah. There it Is, yes, so true, so true. Okay. Wow. Well, I mean we might just need to do a part two interview and dive deeper into this whole that's happening off of YouTube, but to stay on YouTube and how these two things connect. I'd love to like ask you what are some of the biggest mistakes maybe you made starting out or that you see people make having coached people and stuff. Like, how long does it take for this thing to work? Like is it really like if it's the right video, it's the right link, you could see instant, instant quote unquote results. Or is it, is it ups and downs? Is it like more of a long haul? What have you experienced?
- [32:36]
C
Yeah, I think YouTube in general, you're in it for the long haul because you can put a video up and the first week it gets like no very little views, but a year later it pops off. Yes, well, great, like, and then it's going to work great when your affiliate link sitting right there ready for everyone. So I would say be patient with it, but know that you don't need a huge channel at all. And we have like our company, we have a company, my husband and I, and that we have a very neglected channel that really needs some love. It's like on life support. But I threw a bunch of Amazon affiliate links onto some of these products and it's in like kegerators and that type of space and every now and then I see the little link come through the purchase and they're like big items. So you don't need a huge channel, you just need the link. Just try it and see what happens and then you can thank me later and.
- [33:29]
And be like, you earned me so much money.
- [33:31]
B
Hey, that's right. Oh man. Okay, so this is, this is fire. Thank you so much. Deanne. I'm wondering if you're, if you're kind of listening and you're thinking, okay, I mean I need a more step by step plan. I need help with not just the whole YouTube strategy, but this affiliate link thing is interesting. We put together something pretty special for you. If you're listening right now for a limited time, you go to think media sale.com we have just bundled together our, some of our best parts of our courses and new resources, AI tools that we've put together in this pack for you to help you grow a profitable YouTube channel faster. So you know, depending on when you're listening, you'll see everything from some of our YouTube starter courses to camera and tech trainings, thumbnail breakdowns and some advanced programs. With our AI tools to help you come up with titles, to help you come up with ideas. So if you've been on the fence about investing in yourself, hey, this is probably the thing to get. Pair this with the strategies we've been talking about here, man. Maybe we get some income coming in, like, quicker. So you can head to thinkmedia sale.com to see what's available right now. Okay, so you know, Dan, I would love to land the plane here by asking you one, one last question. Okay. Because we've, we've covered so much. So like, for the creator who's listening, who's say at the 200 subscriber count isn't monetized, probably feeling burnt out, feeling like it's too late. What's a quick pep talk maybe you'd have about, hey, why don't you try some affiliate income stuff? Why don't you try this affiliate marketing thing? What would you tell that person instead of waiting on adsense, where should they start? What would you encourage them with?
- [35:05]
C
Yeah, do it. Oh my gosh. Get in there. You got this. And just try it. It's so easy. You can sign up again. I'm not even being paid by Amazon to like, promote this. They should. Amazon sent me my little thing.
- [35:18]
B
You're like, that's the next step for you.
- [35:20]
C
Yeah, no, you know what? They've blessed me so many times, so I'm good. But thank you, Jeff Bezos. But yeah, I just would say just do it. Don't wait. You know, adsense will kick in. Your channel will get monetized. Trust me, I had like two of the, like, slowest growth channels and then finally it got monetized and now they're doing way better. But try this while you're in that process and keep creating quality content, but put affiliate links and you'd be surprised at just the extra income it's going to earn you. And you can use these affiliate links on all your social media. So don't be afraid to try it. You got this. Hang in there. If I can do it, you can do it.
- [36:00]
B
So, yeah, let's go. Thanks so much, Deanne. Hey, could you shout out your stuff? Like, where could people find you if they even wanted to? Just take a look at, you know, what you're doing, how you're doing it. You know, kind of like study from someone who's a little further along. What are some channels and some resources?
- [36:14]
C
You could point people just like throw them all at you. Okay, well, only if you are over the age of 35 and a woman and into anti aging skincare, come hang out on that channel. And I say that because I just, like, imploded my channel and tried to get all the men off of it.
- [36:31]
B
And what's that channel like, how would I find it?
- [36:33]
C
Oh, it's Deann Gustafson. So that's that channel. So, yeah, if you're into skincare, come hang out with me over there. And then Amazon, if you want to see, like, what a video looks like, you can go to my storefront. It's hard to find these things, believe it or not. What would be the best way?
- [36:52]
B
If you give us a link. If you could find it, we could put it in the description.
- [36:54]
C
It's Amazon.comshopXYZ. it's too hard. You know what? If you find me or on Instagram, I'm d. Instagram, great. It has my link tree. You can find all my links. That's probably the easiest. And you know what? Follow me or don't follow me. My Instagram is like my kids and like birds that are around my house that are so cute. So it's. Yeah, I love it.
- [37:21]
B
Thanks.
- [37:22]
C
To be all about, like, followers. And now I'm chill. Like, you can follow me or not follow me.
- [37:27]
B
Hey, that's actually a good note to end on because a lot of us are out here obsessing about followers and views. And hopefully today, if you're listening podcast, you might have just caught a glimpse of a way to create content to where, like I said at the top of the episode, you don't have to be relying on big views. Views can be down, income can be up if you're plugged in to the right strategy. Hey, if you got value added today, come on, would you let deanne know? Like, rate, share, review wherever you watch or listen. This is the Think Media podcast. I'm Nathan Eswine and I can't wait to connect with you in a future episode.