Authority Site vs Affiliate Site... Which is Better?
Published on: December 5 2022 by Miles Beckler
Authority Site vs Affiliate Site... Which is Better?
Table of Contents About Authority Site vs Affiliate Site... Which is Better?
| startTime | durationTime | text |
| 00:00:00 | 00:00:05 | an authority site can do affiliate |
| 00:00:02 | 00:00:08 | marketing and an affiliate site can grow |
| 00:00:05 | 00:00:10 | into an authority site the main |
| 00:00:08 | 00:00:12 | difference in my personal opinion is |
| 00:00:10 | 00:00:15 | that an affiliate site is pretty much |
| 00:00:12 | 00:00:18 | going to be and limited to a review |
| 00:00:15 | 00:00:20 | website your goal with an affiliate site |
| 00:00:18 | 00:00:22 | is to essentially gain the attention |
| 00:00:20 | 00:00:24 | people looking gain the attention of |
| 00:00:22 | 00:00:26 | people looking to solve a specific |
| 00:00:24 | 00:00:28 | problem or who are looking for a |
| 00:00:26 | 00:00:31 | specific product that solves a problem |
| 00:00:28 | 00:00:33 | and then you are pre-selling and that's |
| 00:00:31 | 00:00:35 | really the extent of what you're doing |
| 00:00:33 | 00:00:37 | so you're reviewing and you're |
| 00:00:35 | 00:00:38 | pre-selling in this process you need to |
| 00:00:37 | 00:00:40 | make some informational based posts |
| 00:00:38 | 00:00:43 | because that's what we use to get the |
| 00:00:40 | 00:00:46 | links back to you then the authority |
| 00:00:43 | 00:00:49 | site is where you're really positioning |
| 00:00:46 | 00:00:50 | the brand or the individual okay and |
| 00:00:49 | 00:00:51 | obviously it could be a personal brand |
| 00:00:50 | 00:00:54 | like this is the miles bethleher channel |
| 00:00:51 | 00:00:56 | right like i am the brand in many senses |
| 00:00:54 | 00:00:58 | uh but with my mom with my wife it's ask |
| 00:00:56 | 00:00:59 | angels okay so it's we've now kind of |
| 00:00:58 | 00:01:00 | got her name into it a little bit but |
| 00:00:59 | 00:01:03 | for the first five years she really |
| 00:01:00 | 00:01:07 | didn't have her face on the website um |
| 00:01:03 | 00:01:10 | but it still positioned her brand as an |
| 00:01:07 | 00:01:11 | expert who could be trusted in a space |
| 00:01:10 | 00:01:14 | now |
| 00:01:11 | 00:01:16 | the what happens from this point is the |
| 00:01:14 | 00:01:18 | big difference okay and what you |
| 00:01:16 | 00:01:21 | actually get with an authority site is |
| 00:01:18 | 00:01:23 | it opens you up to a completely separate |
| 00:01:21 | 00:01:24 | world of monetization it really opens |
| 00:01:23 | 00:01:27 | you up to |
| 00:01:24 | 00:01:29 | more monetization opportunities to the |
| 00:01:27 | 00:01:30 | multiple streams of income and there's a |
| 00:01:29 | 00:01:32 | lot of people throwing around the word |
| 00:01:30 | 00:01:33 | passive income you probably know that i |
| 00:01:32 | 00:01:35 | think it's a total lie it's just a |
| 00:01:33 | 00:01:37 | phrase people throw around to try to |
| 00:01:35 | 00:01:39 | sell you stuff um it always takes work |
| 00:01:37 | 00:01:42 | in this business i actually had i let go |
| 00:01:39 | 00:01:44 | of a teammate today who just |
| 00:01:42 | 00:01:46 | stopped performing and you know that's |
| 00:01:44 | 00:01:47 | active work this ain't passive right we |
| 00:01:46 | 00:01:49 | always have to stay on it things happen |
| 00:01:47 | 00:01:51 | with our servers even if you're you're |
| 00:01:49 | 00:01:53 | hiring and outsourcing everything from a |
| 00:01:51 | 00:01:54 | team those people are going to disappear |
| 00:01:53 | 00:01:57 | there's just always active work so what |
| 00:01:54 | 00:01:59 | i'm all about is residual income |
| 00:01:57 | 00:02:01 | recurring income and multiple streams of |
| 00:01:59 | 00:02:04 | income i like when my income is coming |
| 00:02:01 | 00:02:06 | from a gigantik variety of sources if i |
| 00:02:04 | 00:02:08 | had an affiliate site that only got |
| 00:02:06 | 00:02:11 | income from amazon i'd be a little |
| 00:02:08 | 00:02:12 | worried so affiliate sites we're going |
| 00:02:11 | 00:02:13 | to tok about how you can get multiple |
| 00:02:12 | 00:02:16 | streams of income within an affiliate |
| 00:02:13 | 00:02:19 | site but on the actual authority site |
| 00:02:16 | 00:02:20 | side uh so my wife sold services on hers |
| 00:02:19 | 00:02:22 | she actually did one-on-one kind of |
| 00:02:20 | 00:02:25 | sessions with people we sell a lot of |
| 00:02:22 | 00:02:26 | digital downloads mp3 digital downloads |
| 00:02:25 | 00:02:28 | we sell |
| 00:02:26 | 00:02:30 | physical products that we've created at |
| 00:02:28 | 00:02:33 | this point in time |
| 00:02:30 | 00:02:34 | she sells video courses video training |
| 00:02:33 | 00:02:37 | courses |
| 00:02:34 | 00:02:39 | and she does extremely well as an |
| 00:02:37 | 00:02:41 | affiliate and the reason she's able to |
| 00:02:39 | 00:02:43 | sell all of those different things and |
| 00:02:41 | 00:02:45 | we didn't start by doing all of them |
| 00:02:43 | 00:02:47 | right like this is a 10-year path that |
| 00:02:45 | 00:02:49 | i'm kind of summing up in four sentences |
| 00:02:47 | 00:02:51 | for you um but the reason why she's able |
| 00:02:49 | 00:02:54 | to sell so many different things is |
| 00:02:51 | 00:02:56 | because she and her brand are positioned |
| 00:02:54 | 00:02:58 | as the authority why are they positions |
| 00:02:56 | 00:03:00 | the authority because she shows up damn |
| 00:02:58 | 00:03:02 | near everywhere she gets she literally |
| 00:03:00 | 00:03:04 | reaches about five million six million i |
| 00:03:02 | 00:03:05 | can't total it up i've tried to total it |
| 00:03:04 | 00:03:07 | up um she reaches something like five |
| 00:03:05 | 00:03:09 | million six million people per month |
| 00:03:07 | 00:03:11 | with her messages now that that's the |
| 00:03:09 | 00:03:13 | long form messages the the youtube the |
| 00:03:11 | 00:03:15 | blog and the short form stuff the |
| 00:03:13 | 00:03:16 | instagrams and the facebooks and the |
| 00:03:15 | 00:03:18 | pinterest pins so literally like five |
| 00:03:16 | 00:03:20 | million plus people |
| 00:03:18 | 00:03:22 | but really what positions her as the |
| 00:03:20 | 00:03:23 | expert is when somebody goes to google |
| 00:03:22 | 00:03:26 | and searches in like what's the |
| 00:03:23 | 00:03:27 | spiritual meaning of finding a feather |
| 00:03:26 | 00:03:30 | and her blog post shows up in the number |
| 00:03:27 | 00:03:32 | one spot now we're not selling feathers |
| 00:03:30 | 00:03:34 | in that situation right like that is an |
| 00:03:32 | 00:03:37 | informational post that is something |
| 00:03:34 | 00:03:40 | that a true expert on the whole world of |
| 00:03:37 | 00:03:41 | spirituality is going to put out and |
| 00:03:40 | 00:03:43 | when people who are interested in her |
| 00:03:41 | 00:03:45 | space continue to search for different |
| 00:03:43 | 00:03:47 | things that they're interested in on |
| 00:03:45 | 00:03:48 | different platforms right they're on the |
| 00:03:47 | 00:03:50 | itunes store they look for angel |
| 00:03:48 | 00:03:51 | messages or they're over on pinterest |
| 00:03:50 | 00:03:53 | and they're looking up this that the |
| 00:03:51 | 00:03:55 | other angel cards they're on youtube |
| 00:03:53 | 00:03:58 | they look for angel card readings and my |
| 00:03:55 | 00:04:01 | wife shows up everywhere on all of these |
| 00:03:58 | 00:04:03 | platforms and she's got massive volumes |
| 00:04:01 | 00:04:06 | of content the |
| 00:04:03 | 00:04:08 | default thought is wow this girl's got |
| 00:04:06 | 00:04:11 | it figured out this girl has got it |
| 00:04:08 | 00:04:13 | going on she she really is an authority |
| 00:04:11 | 00:04:15 | and or an expert in this space that |
| 00:04:13 | 00:04:17 | increases their likelihood to |
| 00:04:15 | 00:04:19 | essentially listen to her but more so |
| 00:04:17 | 00:04:21 | that increases the likelihood of them |
| 00:04:19 | 00:04:22 | getting on the email list at which point |
| 00:04:21 | 00:04:24 | they go in and they start to get to |
| 00:04:22 | 00:04:25 | really know like and trust melanie |
| 00:04:24 | 00:04:27 | because she sends a lot of heartfelt |
| 00:04:25 | 00:04:30 | stuff a lot of honest stuff through her |
| 00:04:27 | 00:04:33 | email list and that is the open door now |
| 00:04:30 | 00:04:34 | an affiliate site by contrast to first i |
| 00:04:33 | 00:04:36 | mentioned before we can tok about how |
| 00:04:34 | 00:04:37 | to build out uh multiple streams of |
| 00:04:36 | 00:04:39 | income and it's essentially through |
| 00:04:37 | 00:04:42 | different affiliate networks okay so if |
| 00:04:39 | 00:04:44 | you're just 100 solely reliant on amazon |
| 00:04:42 | 00:04:45 | you want to take a look at and you have |
| 00:04:44 | 00:04:47 | traffic so you can apply to these other |
| 00:04:45 | 00:04:49 | ones you want to take a look at some of |
| 00:04:47 | 00:04:50 | the other places that you might be able |
| 00:04:49 | 00:04:51 | to find products that amazon doesn't |
| 00:04:50 | 00:04:53 | have |
| 00:04:51 | 00:04:56 | margins that might be better for you and |
| 00:04:53 | 00:04:59 | or prices that are better for them |
| 00:04:56 | 00:05:00 | so cj.com is an affiliate network that's |
| 00:04:59 | 00:05:04 | huge they have every product under the |
| 00:05:00 | 00:05:06 | sun um avant link av a nt link probably |
| 00:05:04 | 00:05:08 | one of the leaders but one of the least |
| 00:05:06 | 00:05:10 | known they're they're difficult to get |
| 00:05:08 | 00:05:13 | into because they really they actually |
| 00:05:10 | 00:05:14 | deny like 60 or 80 of the affiliates |
| 00:05:13 | 00:05:17 | that apply to them they're in the |
| 00:05:14 | 00:05:20 | outdoor space camping um anything |
| 00:05:17 | 00:05:22 | outdoor related sports fitness all of |
| 00:05:20 | 00:05:24 | those types of products that's really |
| 00:05:22 | 00:05:25 | where they do really well share a sale |
| 00:05:24 | 00:05:26 | obviously you've probably heard of |
| 00:05:25 | 00:05:28 | clickbank and all of those other things |
| 00:05:26 | 00:05:30 | so as an affiliate you can get the |
| 00:05:28 | 00:05:31 | different income sources from the |
| 00:05:30 | 00:05:33 | different networks and then there's the |
| 00:05:31 | 00:05:35 | advertising income right so you can also |
| 00:05:33 | 00:05:38 | put advertisements on the space and so |
| 00:05:35 | 00:05:41 | there's made for adsense types made for |
| 00:05:38 | 00:05:43 | ads websites and that's kind of a paired |
| 00:05:41 | 00:05:44 | business model now the benefit for the |
| 00:05:43 | 00:05:46 | affiliate side |
| 00:05:44 | 00:05:48 | is that you can kind of get started even |
| 00:05:46 | 00:05:49 | if you don't know where you want to go |
| 00:05:48 | 00:05:51 | right so if you haven't been playing a |
| 00:05:49 | 00:05:52 | game for 10 years and just geeking out |
| 00:05:51 | 00:05:54 | on this one game to where you're an |
| 00:05:52 | 00:05:55 | expert or if you haven't been juggling |
| 00:05:54 | 00:05:56 | for years and years you just think |
| 00:05:55 | 00:05:58 | juggling is the coolest thing in the |
| 00:05:56 | 00:05:59 | world and you just want to share your |
| 00:05:58 | 00:06:02 | love for juggling with the world or |
| 00:05:59 | 00:06:03 | racing drones or or horseback riding or |
| 00:06:02 | 00:06:05 | yoga or fitness or |
| 00:06:03 | 00:06:06 | whatever it is and you're like i just |
| 00:06:05 | 00:06:08 | want to choose i just want to promote |
| 00:06:06 | 00:06:10 | stuff right um that's where affiliate |
| 00:06:08 | 00:06:13 | marketing becomes a great entrance point |
| 00:06:10 | 00:06:15 | but as you're moving into that world you |
| 00:06:13 | 00:06:17 | can always think about how could this |
| 00:06:15 | 00:06:19 | become something more so you know that |
| 00:06:17 | 00:06:20 | i've got my affiliate case study that |
| 00:06:19 | 00:06:21 | i've been going on or maybe you don't so |
| 00:06:20 | 00:06:23 | i've been doing an affiliate case study |
| 00:06:21 | 00:06:25 | started a brand new website uh four and |
| 00:06:23 | 00:06:28 | a half months ago or so the reason i |
| 00:06:25 | 00:06:29 | chose this website was because yes i'm |
| 00:06:28 | 00:06:31 | starting as an affiliate i'm really |
| 00:06:29 | 00:06:33 | starting focused on reviewing the |
| 00:06:31 | 00:06:35 | specific products it's about i see a |
| 00:06:33 | 00:06:37 | vision of how this could become much |
| 00:06:35 | 00:06:39 | more i see how i can turn it into a |
| 00:06:37 | 00:06:40 | little bit of an educational company i |
| 00:06:39 | 00:06:43 | see some courses that i could eventually |
| 00:06:40 | 00:06:45 | create to help people so when people buy |
| 00:06:43 | 00:06:46 | a physical product they actually want a |
| 00:06:45 | 00:06:48 | result you've probably heard the whole |
| 00:06:46 | 00:06:50 | like nobody wants a drill people want |
| 00:06:48 | 00:06:52 | holes and things right like that's kind |
| 00:06:50 | 00:06:54 | of a sales bit so the idea is uh you buy |
| 00:06:52 | 00:06:55 | a big old flat screen tv you want to |
| 00:06:54 | 00:06:57 | hang it on the wall well i gotta drill |
| 00:06:55 | 00:06:59 | into a stud i don't got a drill so i go |
| 00:06:57 | 00:07:00 | buy a drill you really want the drill |
| 00:06:59 | 00:07:02 | you want the hole in the wall but you |
| 00:07:00 | 00:07:04 | don't want the hole in the wall you want |
| 00:07:02 | 00:07:06 | the actual tv mounted on the wall it's |
| 00:07:04 | 00:07:08 | the products products product theory i |
| 00:07:06 | 00:07:09 | got a video on that there so when i |
| 00:07:08 | 00:07:11 | looked at it when i decided to go down |
| 00:07:09 | 00:07:14 | that route that's one of the kind of |
| 00:07:11 | 00:07:15 | main criterias for me is okay so i can |
| 00:07:14 | 00:07:16 | start this as an affiliate website is |
| 00:07:15 | 00:07:18 | this something that could turn into a |
| 00:07:16 | 00:07:21 | full-on authority and become one of the |
| 00:07:18 | 00:07:23 | most trusted websites in that space that |
| 00:07:21 | 00:07:25 | could not only help them connect with |
| 00:07:23 | 00:07:27 | the things that they want because i'm |
| 00:07:25 | 00:07:29 | reviewing things for sure |
| 00:07:27 | 00:07:31 | but eventually help them get how to use |
| 00:07:29 | 00:07:33 | the things and those things create a |
| 00:07:31 | 00:07:35 | result how to get that result how to do |
| 00:07:33 | 00:07:37 | better at those types of things and and |
| 00:07:35 | 00:07:38 | for me it was a it was a yes across the |
| 00:07:37 | 00:07:40 | board |
| 00:07:38 | 00:07:42 | so that's why i went in that direction |
| 00:07:40 | 00:07:44 | so i know it's a bit |
| 00:07:42 | 00:07:46 | um |
| 00:07:44 | 00:07:48 | it could be considered confusing right |
| 00:07:46 | 00:07:49 | because an affiliate site could become |
| 00:07:48 | 00:07:51 | an authority site and an authority site |
| 00:07:49 | 00:07:53 | can do affiliate marketing but there are |
| 00:07:51 | 00:07:56 | countless affiliate sites that do |
| 00:07:53 | 00:07:58 | nothing but just affiliate reviews and |
| 00:07:56 | 00:08:00 | they're super niche um if you go search |
| 00:07:58 | 00:08:02 | for keyword phrases long tail keyword |
| 00:08:00 | 00:08:04 | phrases like um best blender for green |
| 00:08:02 | 00:08:06 | smoothie i bet you'll find a website |
| 00:08:04 | 00:08:08 | that's like best green smoothie |
| 00:08:06 | 00:08:10 | blenders.com and that site there |
| 00:08:08 | 00:08:11 | probably isn't gonna be a major brand |
| 00:08:10 | 00:08:13 | they're probably using stok photography |
| 00:08:11 | 00:08:15 | they're probably not trying to build |
| 00:08:13 | 00:08:17 | themselves up as the smoothie queen but |
| 00:08:15 | 00:08:19 | at the same time on the first page of |
| 00:08:17 | 00:08:22 | google you could probably find results |
| 00:08:19 | 00:08:24 | there of people who are like fitness |
| 00:08:22 | 00:08:27 | experts or diet experts or weight loss |
| 00:08:24 | 00:08:29 | experts or even cooking experts who are |
| 00:08:27 | 00:08:31 | standing in that power and they're |
| 00:08:29 | 00:08:34 | trying to build brand and the power of |
| 00:08:31 | 00:08:36 | brand is so valuable and that's what you |
| 00:08:34 | 00:08:37 | see with literally like the coca-colas |
| 00:08:36 | 00:08:40 | and the apples and all that like their |
| 00:08:37 | 00:08:42 | brand is so powerful that people across |
| 00:08:40 | 00:08:44 | the world know it recognize it and just |
| 00:08:42 | 00:08:46 | go for that one because they're branded |
| 00:08:44 | 00:08:48 | for it right people just default choose |
| 00:08:46 | 00:08:50 | the one that they identify with and what |
| 00:08:48 | 00:08:54 | you as an authority site give people the |
| 00:08:50 | 00:08:58 | opportunity to do is to kind of um build |
| 00:08:54 | 00:09:00 | that identity versus i have a question |
| 00:08:58 | 00:09:02 | what's the best solution that one great |
| 00:09:00 | 00:09:04 | thanks for helping me solve the problem |
| 00:09:02 | 00:09:05 | that's what an affiliate site does and |
| 00:09:04 | 00:09:07 | there doesn't you don't have that |
| 00:09:05 | 00:09:09 | long-term potential out of it both are |
| 00:09:07 | 00:09:11 | great there's a time and a place for |
| 00:09:09 | 00:09:14 | both i think there's more long-term |
| 00:09:11 | 00:09:16 | potential value in building things up as |
| 00:09:14 | 00:09:18 | an authority site personally i'd rather |
| 00:09:16 | 00:09:20 | go all in on one major authority site |
| 00:09:18 | 00:09:22 | than build out four or five affiliate |
| 00:09:20 | 00:09:25 | sites because that one authority site |
| 00:09:22 | 00:09:27 | can go into directions and areas and |
| 00:09:25 | 00:09:30 | product lines that an affiliate site |
| 00:09:27 | 00:09:31 | just can't do right there's um i mean |
| 00:09:30 | 00:09:33 | straight up like i could i could make a |
| 00:09:31 | 00:09:35 | line of hats and i could probably sell a |
| 00:09:33 | 00:09:36 | fair number of hats i'm always wearing |
| 00:09:35 | 00:09:38 | freaking hats it's part of my brand at |
| 00:09:36 | 00:09:40 | this point i'm just kind of lazy to do |
| 00:09:38 | 00:09:41 | it but like that's the kind of stuff i'm |
| 00:09:40 | 00:09:44 | toking about like gary vaynerchuk right |
| 00:09:41 | 00:09:45 | the garyvee brand like dude's selling |
| 00:09:44 | 00:09:47 | shoes and wine but he's teaching |
| 00:09:45 | 00:09:49 | marketing now i know there's overlap on |
| 00:09:47 | 00:09:51 | the wine because of his old school story |
| 00:09:49 | 00:09:53 | um but shoes like he's just selling |
| 00:09:51 | 00:09:54 | shoes because people like him and |
| 00:09:53 | 00:09:56 | they're like i want to rep the garyvee |
| 00:09:54 | 00:09:58 | stuff because he's an authority and |
| 00:09:56 | 00:09:59 | people associate and they want to rep |
| 00:09:58 | 00:10:00 | that and they want they want to kind of |
| 00:09:59 | 00:10:03 | display |
| 00:10:00 | 00:10:04 | that i'm one of the identity i identify |
| 00:10:03 | 00:10:06 | with this guy i'm one of these people |
| 00:10:04 | 00:10:09 | right so so that's the real power behind |
| 00:10:06 | 00:10:10 | it um i think a big part of why my wife |
| 00:10:09 | 00:10:12 | and i are so successful is we really |
| 00:10:10 | 00:10:14 | went all in on her one brand for a very |
| 00:10:12 | 00:10:16 | long time it took us five plus years to |
| 00:10:14 | 00:10:18 | really crack that um 10 grand a month |
| 00:10:16 | 00:10:20 | mark and then we're still working we're |
| 00:10:18 | 00:10:22 | still doing the same business practikes |
| 00:10:20 | 00:10:23 | day in and day out on her business 10 |
| 00:10:22 | 00:10:24 | years later and a lot of people will get |
| 00:10:23 | 00:10:25 | going over here like oh that's cool and |
| 00:10:24 | 00:10:27 | i'm going to do that one and i don't do |
| 00:10:25 | 00:10:30 | that one when you really focus your |
| 00:10:27 | 00:10:32 | energy in on one thing for 10 years |
| 00:10:30 | 00:10:34 | magic happens and and you're gonna need |
| 00:10:32 | 00:10:35 | to be making money for the next 10 years |
| 00:10:34 | 00:10:38 | anyways whether you decide you want to |
| 00:10:35 | 00:10:40 | commute and go to a cubicle and deal |
| 00:10:38 | 00:10:42 | with that or work retail or or drive |
| 00:10:40 | 00:10:44 | trucks or whatever as you do |
| 00:10:42 | 00:10:47 | 90 of us watching this video need to do |
| 00:10:44 | 00:10:48 | something for money um i just wanted to |
| 00:10:47 | 00:10:50 | do something that a could get me to the |
| 00:10:48 | 00:10:52 | point where i could make millions with |
| 00:10:50 | 00:10:53 | it because the desk jobs i was working |
| 00:10:52 | 00:10:55 | were absolutely going to cap out at 100 |
| 00:10:53 | 00:10:57 | grand a year and i'm like well how can i |
| 00:10:55 | 00:11:00 | get a hundred grand a month how do i get |
| 00:10:57 | 00:11:01 | two 300 grand a month why not if if it's |
| 00:11:00 | 00:11:03 | possible why not work within a system |
| 00:11:01 | 00:11:05 | that could get that um and then the |
| 00:11:03 | 00:11:07 | freedom right the time frame lifestyle |
| 00:11:05 | 00:11:08 | freedom uh i'm i'm kind of wrapping up |
| 00:11:07 | 00:11:10 | one of the houses i've got turning into |
| 00:11:08 | 00:11:11 | an airbnb i'm probably gonna go to asia |
| 00:11:10 | 00:11:13 | for like two months and i'm gonna keep |
| 00:11:11 | 00:11:14 | working i'm gonna work my ass off while |
| 00:11:13 | 00:11:16 | i'm there but i'm just gonna |
| 00:11:14 | 00:11:18 | avoid snow and cold and go hang out by |
| 00:11:16 | 00:11:21 | the beach in asia and drink and eat thai |
| 00:11:18 | 00:11:22 | food in thailand because it's |
| 00:11:21 | 00:11:24 | great it's the best food in the world |
| 00:11:22 | 00:11:26 | maybe mexican food is pretty damn good |
| 00:11:24 | 00:11:28 | so that's what i got pretty much at this |
| 00:11:26 | 00:11:28 | point |
