You ever try to build a campfire with damp wood? That’s kind of what most affiliate marketers are doing, they pile on effort after effort, funnel on top of funnel, without realizing the base isn’t dry yet. Won’t catch. Or maybe it does for a second, just long enough to tease you, then fizzles.
That’s what this pyramid thing is about. Not just another “model.” It’s more like the structure that stops you from stacking chaos on top of burnout. A layered way to build, without having to burn out first.
So here’s the pyramid. Not perfect. Not shiny. But it works, and it doesn’t crumble the second you take a break.
1. The Mindset Foundation: Where You Either Show Up or Shrink Back
Let’s get the awkward part out of the way, if your mindset’s a mess, your strategy doesn’t matter.
And I don’t mean the “rah-rah” Instagram-reel kind of mindset either. I’m talking about the stuff that creeps in late at night, when you’re wondering if your last blog post was stupid, or if people are secretly laughing at your emails.
You’ve gotta build from the inside out. Otherwise, you’re just parroting tactics you don’t trust yourself to use.
Shift the lens: Instead of “Will this work?” ask, “How can I make this mine?”
It’s subtle. But massive.
(Side note: most people skip this layer because it doesn’t look productive. It feels slow. But it makes the rest go faster, like buttering a pan before the eggs hit it.)
2. Audience: You’re Not Talking to Everyone, So Stop Writing Like You Are
You’re not a billboard. You’re a person. And people buy from people who see them.
So the second layer? Audience connection. Not followers. Not traffic. People.
I once wrote emails for six months that got a total of 3 replies. Three. You know what finally changed? I stopped writing like I was in a marketing class and started writing like I was in someone’s inbox. Like a real person, saying real things.
Find your humans. Speak like you’ve had coffee with them. Be oddly specific, like you’re whispering instead of yelling across the internet.
Because once they feel seen? They’ll stick around. Even if your funnel is a little messy.
3. Content With a Pulse (Not Just SEO Frankenstein Stuff)
This is the glue. The invitation. The part where people decide if you’re a nice-to-read or a need-to-hear.
Content isn’t just a tool. It’s your handshake. Your story. The echo of your voice in rooms you’ve never entered.
But most people create content like they’re checking boxes. “Write 3 blog posts. Post on IG. Use keyword X.”
Forget that.
Write the thing you wish someone had told you a year ago. Record the audio version of your inner monologue. Ramble a bit, people like that. It’s human.
And that kind of content? It doesn’t just sit there. It spreads.
4. The Offer Layer: AKA, You’ve Gotta Have Something Worth Clicking
Okay, here’s the weird truth: people don’t really care about your affiliate link.
What they do care about is whether your recommendation feels honest. Whether it fits what you just said in your content. Whether it sounds like you actually use the thing, or just slapped it in there for the commission.
Make your offers feel like an extension of the conversation, not a commercial break.
“Oh hey, you liked this piece? Cool, this is what helped me with it.”
Simple. Honest. Effective. That’s the layer where trust becomes income.
5. Traffic, But Only Once the Rest Doesn’t Suck
Weird that traffic’s last, right? But honestly? It has to be.
Driving traffic to a broken system is like throwing party invites to people for a house that’s not built. They’ll show up, get confused, leave and never come back.
So then, once you’ve got the core stuff working, you get loud. You learn Pinterest. You experiment with TikTok. Maybe you even pay for ads (if you’re feeling brave or just reckless enough).
But now, every click matters. Because there’s somewhere for it to go.
All of this to say: most folks are hustling to build staircases to nowhere.
This pyramid? It’s not magic. But it’s stable. It’s thoughtful. It gives your momentum something to rest on, instead of constantly pushing uphill.
And look, if you’re halfway through and some layers feel wobbly? That’s okay.
Rebuild. Realign. That’s part of the process.
Because what you’re building isn’t just a funnel or a campaign. It’s a system that can hold your growth.
And that, that changes everything.
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