An affiliate network acts as an intermediary between the merchants and their affiliates. In some cases, a network is not necessary, but some companies choose to work with a network to add a layer of trust.
By making connections with professionals and people with shared interests, you can use your LinkedIn profile to promote your affiliate products in a long-format post or by sharing a link to an article on your blog.

You've probably heard people promote affiliate marketing by saying something like "earn money while you sleep." While that's a distinct possibility, we wouldn't be doing our job if we let you believe that affiliate marketing doesn't take work. Affiliate marketing is absolutely one of the best ways to generate passive (or nearly passive) income online, but it's not going to happen if you don't go about it the right way. Fortunately, this affiliate marketing guide includes everything you need to leverage affiliate marketing so you can start waking up to a bigger bank account morning after morning.
Before you get into the thick of things, you need to select a niche that you are comfortable with. It is best if you have some formal learning in it, but it is perfectly all right to be a newbie to the sector, as long as it is a topic that you like researching on and writing about. To be an affiliate marketer, you need your own platform – a website or a blog where you can post links and advertise your chosen products.