First proper post here, here’s my philosophy on making money online

[vambrose]

One thing I have learned after 23 years of marketing online is that leverage beats hustle every single time.

Most people try and do everything themselves. They build a product, create the funnel, run ads, chase SEO, keep up with algorithm changes, and then burn out when traffic dries up. Selling on your own is brutally hard,... especially long term.

That’s why I’m a big believer in affiliate and reseller leverage.

Instead of spending money on ads or worrying about SEO, keywords, or the latest traffic tricks, I have built an incentive structure that motivates other people (usually more experienced in their field of marketing) to promote for me. So in my own membership site, I built a tiered affiliate and reseller system. Affiliates can join for free (its a member exclusive) and earn 50 percent commission. No barriers, no friction, just incentive.

Resellers earn 100 percent commission, but they pay a monthly subscription for the license. They keep every sale they make, and I get recurring income for providing the product and the license to sell it for 100% commission.

There is also a reseller pro level (an upsell in the sales funnel), this allows them to promote both the main membership and the reseller license itself, again earning 100 percent commission. That creates a powerful loop where resellers recruit other resellers, and everyone wins.

I spend ZERO on marketing. I don’t worry about adapting with trends, platforms, rule changes, or traffic sources. The resellers handle traffic, positioning, and promotion in ways that suit them, and they pay me for the privilege of doing so. My job becomes product quality, backend systems, and making sure affiliates and resellers are happy and supported.

So, if you’re trying to grind everything yourself, consider this shift in mindset. Stop asking “How can I sell more” and start asking “How do I get more people selling for me”.

Leverage changes the entire game.

 

[Sofiabacklinks]

Solid mindset shift. Building leverage through affiliates/resellers is way more scalable than trying to control every traffic source yourself product incentives > nonstop hustle.

 

[vambrose]

Appreciate that. That was exactly my thinking, incentives scale better than effort. Out of curiosity, have you used affiliates or resellers yourself, or mostly handled traffic in-house?

Solid mindset shift. Building leverage through affiliates/resellers is way more scalable than trying to control every traffic source yourself product incentives > nonstop hustle.

 

[johnnysbacklinks]

Good points, at the end of the day having teams of people going out there and doing the selling for you is a LOT easier then having to do all that yourself. True leverage!

 

[vambrose]

Good points, at the end of the day having teams of people going out there and doing the selling for you is a LOT easier then having to do all that yourself. True leverage!

Exactly. One person pushing traffic has a ceiling, a team doesn’t. Once incentives are right, the system does the heavy lifting instead of you. Also.. some marketers are shocked when they see/hear that I give 100% commission... but in my opinion, anything lower doesn't have that same pull of allowing them to think "for X amount per month, I can essentially sell this and keep all profits myself".. however what I do to ensure I benefit from ALL sales/referals.. is to push upsells and downsells... invite all to become resellers themselves.

 

[NotableMoney]

This is the core principle of building a true business asset, not a job. You've successfully shifted from being the sole revenue generator to creating a system where your product is the monetizable opportunity for others. This leverage model is infinitely more scalable and sustainable than any solo traffic chase.

 

[vambrose]

This is the core principle of building a true business asset, not a job. You've successfully shifted from being the sole revenue generator to creating a system where your product is the monetizable opportunity for others. This leverage model is infinitely more scalable and sustainable than any solo traffic chase.

Well said. That shift really clicked for me back in 2016, about 6 months after I launched my membership site. I started off trying to get members myself, which was not only a slog, but it cost me in marketing... Once I shifted it up and focused on leverage instead, it’s been successful ever since (and I haven't had any marketing costs).

 

[NotableMoney]

Well said. That shift really clicked for me back in 2016, about 6 months after I launched my membership site. I started off trying to get members myself, which was not only a slog, but it cost me in marketing... Once I shifted it up and focused on leverage instead, it’s been successful ever since (and I haven't had any marketing costs).

Precisely. You identified the pivot point where the business model itself becomes the primary customer acquisition channel. That's the hallmark of a self-sustaining asset.

 

[Ryzenx]

interesting. best of luck

 

[alangstudio]

This resonates a lot.
Leverage through affiliates/resellers shifts the bottleneck from traffic to systems, which is where most long-term businesses actually win or lose.

 

[vambrose]

interesting. best of luck

Thank you. I've actually been doing it successfully for over 10 years, and I expect it will continue to hold up as IMO the philosophy is solid and tried and tested (but you never know what's around the corner with online marketing!)

This resonates a lot.
Leverage through affiliates/resellers shifts the bottleneck from traffic to systems, which is where most long-term businesses actually win or lose.

Exactly. Traffic problems are usually just system problems in disguise. Once the backend is solid, leverage actually works instead of breaking under scale.

 

[ads studio]

One thing I have learned after 23 years of marketing online is that leverage beats hustle every single time.

Most people try and do everything themselves. They build a product, create the funnel, run ads, chase SEO, keep up with algorithm changes, and then burn out when traffic dries up. Selling on your own is brutally hard,... especially long term.

That’s why I’m a big believer in affiliate and reseller leverage.

Instead of spending money on ads or worrying about SEO, keywords, or the latest traffic tricks, I have built an incentive structure that motivates other people (usually more experienced in their field of marketing) to promote for me. So in my own membership site, I built a tiered affiliate and reseller system. Affiliates can join for free (its a member exclusive) and earn 50 percent commission. No barriers, no friction, just incentive.

Resellers earn 100 percent commission, but they pay a monthly subscription for the license. They keep every sale they make, and I get recurring income for providing the product and the license to sell it for 100% commission.

There is also a reseller pro level (an upsell in the sales funnel), this allows them to promote both the main membership and the reseller license itself, again earning 100 percent commission. That creates a powerful loop where resellers recruit other resellers, and everyone wins.

I spend ZERO on marketing. I don’t worry about adapting with trends, platforms, rule changes, or traffic sources. The resellers handle traffic, positioning, and promotion in ways that suit them, and they pay me for the privilege of doing so. My job becomes product quality, backend systems, and making sure affiliates and resellers are happy and supported.

So, if you’re trying to grind everything yourself, consider this shift in mindset. Stop asking “How can I sell more” and start asking “How do I get more people selling for me”.

Leverage changes the entire game.

Excellent observation! My recommendation is to put your energy into establishing frameworks and connections that enable other people to handle the sales. Motivate affiliates and resellers instead of attempting to do everything on your own; leverage will multiply your efforts much more efficiently than hustle alone.

 

[Aroc25]

This is interesting and practical. I will surely put it to use.

 

[vambrose]

Excellent observation! My recommendation is to put your energy into establishing frameworks and connections that enable other people to handle the sales. Motivate affiliates and resellers instead of attempting to do everything on your own; leverage will multiply your efforts much more efficiently than hustle alone.

Exactly. That’s why I went with 100% commissions. On the face of it, it sounds mad, but once you have a proper funnel with upsells and downsells behind it, it becomes a really strong system. The incentive is right at the front where it matters.