Ashley Kaoukis: How She Built An Affiliate Marketing Business With TikTok

by | Aug 21, 2022

Meet Affiliate Ashley! She is an affiliate marketer based in British Columbia, Canada that launched her business just 4 months prior to our interview with her, in April of 2022. In such a short span, she managed to grow her business to a point where it has replaced her full-time income, thanks in part to massive growth of her TikTok to 80,000+ followers!

We thank Ashley for sharing her experience with us, and hope that her success is an inspiration for many of you with aspirations to start your own business. So often we find that the hardest thing to do is to get started, and we hope Ashley’s story is the extra nudge you need to JUST START 🚀

Meet Affiliate Ashley!

Ashley K

How Did You Get Started With Affiliate Marketing?

When the Covid-19 pandemic started, I went on CERB (Canadian Emergency Response Benefit) as most people my age did. I received bi-weekly payments from the government to live as most of us could not work.

Receiving this money changed my view on working. It made me realize that I loved having the freedom to do what I wanted throughout my day instead of rushing around to multiple jobs and working crazy hours. When CERB ended, I looked for ways to make money online.

After spending lots of money trying dropshipping, I started to feel defeated in my search for making an online income. As I was scrolling online, I discovered a woman my age claiming she was making thousands per month doing affiliate marketing.

I thought “if she can do it, why can’t I?” That was when I started affiliate marketing. 

Why Did You Choose Affiliate Marketing?

I chose affiliate marketing after trying other ways to make an online income. I found that it was great for beginners, and it costed way less compared to dropshipping. I loved the idea of creating content and promoting products!

Do You Recommend Affiliate Marketing For Aspiring Entrepreneurs?

Affiliate marketing is great because anyone can do it and it doesn’t cost much to run the business. I believe it could benefit anyone that wants to start making an online income or even some extra cash each month on top of the job they already have. Affiliate Marketing could be a long-term stream of income or a stepping stone for your next ventures. 

What Can You Tell Us About Your Income? 

It didn’t take me long to start making money with affiliate marketing. I received my first small commission after two weeks of starting and I started to make a full income with it after my second month.

I wake up to commissions on a regular basis and receive commissions while I’m doing the things I love with the people I love. I think that’s what is so cool about affiliate marketing and other passive income streams. You are working in your own time and the money just comes. 

How Did You Gain So Many TikTok Followers?

After a little over a month of posting 3-5 times a day on TikTok, I had a video go viral! I went from 1500 followers to over 80k over a few days. That proved to me that consistency and hard work pays off!

What Do You Love Most About Running A Business?

I love having the freedom to do what I want throughout the day and to be wherever I want. Running a business gives you a great sense of independence and a feeling like you are capable to do anything (because you are)! I enjoy having control as I am the boss, even if it is daunting at times. 

What was a turning point for you starting affiliate marketing?

When I first started affiliate marketing I thought “posting on social media and showing my face, what?!” You automatically fear that others will judge you, especially the people you know. I started posting videos on Pinterest in hopes that people I knew wouldn’t see my content.

After posting for a week on Pinterest, I realized that TikTok is the platform where you can grow the fastest and have videos go viral. I realized I had nothing to fear and that by not posting on Tiktok and Instagram I would be jeopardizing my success with affiliate marketing. If I let fear run my life, I probably wouldn’t do anything. You need to trust yourself and stop caring about what others think because all you are trying to do is better yourself. 

What Advice Do You Have For Aspiring Affiliate Marketers?

My biggest advice is that consistency plus action equals results! You can’t expect overnight success and you have to get the ‘get-rich-quick-scheme’ ideas out of your head. They do not exist, and if they do, they are most likely not sustainable.

If you are really looking to make an online income, it will take hard work, consistency, and time! When you stop comparing yourself to others and their success, you will find more energy to put into your own business and find even more ways to make an online income. Don’t give up! If you truly want something, you will get it. 

What Brings You The Most Joy In Life and/or Business?

All I want in life is to be happy. I try to find joy even in hard times. I have many hobbies and interests that I do daily and that is why finding a way to make an online income was so important to me.

The fact that I can work on my own time is so freeing and allows me to do all of the things I want! I will be traveling this fall in South America and am looking forward to seeing how my business will evolve while I am traveling. 

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