No Blog Needed, Just a Smartphone! Smart Ways to Start Self-Affiliate Marketing Today and Recommended Offers

If I just had a little more room in my monthly income, I could buy slightly better meat at the supermarket or order cake at a cafe on the weekend without worrying.

Don't you ever find yourself sighing like that?

A few years ago, when I was working an office job with a take-home pay of 180,000 yen, I would feel crushed by anxiety every time I checked my bank balance before payday.

I felt panicked, thinking, 'I need to start a side hustle,' but I'm not good with computers, and the hurdle of creating a blog and writing articles consistently felt way too high.

It was truly painful to watch time slip away while not knowing where to even begin.

If you are currently struggling like I was in the past, thinking, 'I don't have a blog or a computer, but I want to start something,' then the 'smartphone-based self-affiliate marketing' I'm sharing today is a highly recommended first step.

With self-affiliate marketing, you don't need any specialized skills or the ability to write difficult texts at all.

You can start right away today with just the smartphone you use every day.

In this article, I will gently explain the steps to start self-affiliate marketing safely and without strain, avoiding jargon so you don't get misled or confused by suspicious information.

I would be happy if I could help lighten your anxiety even a little and help you look forward.

Can I do self-affiliate marketing without a blog?

To give you the conclusion first, you can absolutely do self-affiliate marketing without any issues even if you don't have a blog.

When people hear 'affiliate marketing,' many might imagine creating a fancy blog, getting many people to read your articles, and so on.

Of course, general affiliate marketing is a system where you earn rewards by introducing products to others in that way.

However, 'self-affiliate marketing' (also called self-back) is a system where you receive rewards yourself by purchasing products or signing up for services, rather than introducing them to others.

Companies officially provide this system because they want many people to use and get to know their products and services first.

So, this is by no means a suspicious trick, but a legitimate system that benefits both companies and users.

You can easily get started with just a smartphone by using an advertising intermediary site called an "ASP (Affiliate Service Provider)," which allows you to register even if you don't have a blog.

All you need to prepare is a smartphone, a bank account to receive your rewards, and an email address for communication.

You might be thinking, "Is this really all I need?" but please rest assured, it is surprisingly simple.

Easy on your smartphone! 3 steps to start self-affiliate marketing without a blog

Now, I will explain the steps to actually start self-affiliate marketing using your smartphone, divided into three steps.

Let's proceed slowly at your own pace.

Step 1: Register with an ASP that allows registration without a blog

First, register as a member on a site called an "ASP" that handles many advertisements.

There are various types of ASPs, and some have strict screening processes where you cannot register unless you have a blog.

If you are a beginner, I highly recommend the largest site, "A8.net", which allows you to register without a blog and without any screening.

Registration is free, and there are no annual fees or other costs at all.

It takes about 5 minutes to complete by simply entering your name, email address, and the bank account information where you want your rewards to be deposited.

It is convenient to create a new free Gmail account for your side hustle, as your regular email address might get buried under notification emails.

Step 2: Find offers that suit you

Once you have finished registering with the ASP, it is finally time to look for offers.

In the case of A8.net, there is a dedicated button called "Self-Back," so please try tapping that.

You will see countless services lined up, ranging from online shopping and credit card applications to free trials of video streaming services.

The trick is to start by looking for offers that you can participate in for "free".

For example, by simply going through this self-back page when shopping at your usual online stores, you can sometimes get a few percent of the purchase price back.

There is no need to force yourself to buy things you don't need.

Try to enjoy it like a treasure hunt, finding things you think, 'Oh, I actually wanted this,' or 'I've been curious about this service.'

Step 3: Check the conditions and apply

Once you find an offer you're interested in, be sure to carefully read the 'Success Conditions' and 'Rejection Conditions' sections before applying.

These sections contain important rules about 'how to receive the reward' and 'in what cases you will not receive the reward.'

For example, for credit cards, the condition is often 'completion of card issuance,' and for requesting materials, it is often 'answering a verification call.'

If you don't follow these rules, you won't receive the reward even if you apply, so please make it a habit to check them, even if it feels a bit tedious.

If you have checked the conditions and there are no issues, simply click the button that says something like 'Perform Self-Back,' move to the company's official website, and complete the application as you normally would.

If a message saying 'Reward confirmed' appears on your ASP dashboard at a later date, you have succeeded.

Recommended for beginners! Safe self-affiliate offers you can do on your smartphone

I will introduce a few offers that are easy for beginners to try and are highly recommended to show you what kind of opportunities are actually out there.

I have picked out some that you can start without spending any money.

1. New credit card issuance

Among self-affiliate options, credit card issuance offers particularly high rewards.

It is not rare to receive rewards ranging from several thousand yen to over 10,000 yen during a campaign just by issuing one card.

However, since some cards have annual fees, please be sure to check whether it is 'annual fee free' before applying.

Also, please note that if you apply for too many cards at once, you may not pass the card company's screening process.

Keeping it to about one or two per month at most is an important point for proceeding safely.

2. Opening Securities or Bank Accounts

Opening accounts with online banks or securities firms is also a recommended type of offer that can be done for free and often results in a reward of several thousand yen.

Especially recently, more people are opening securities accounts to start things like NISA.

If you are thinking about studying investment, it is definitely more profitable to go through self-affiliate marketing rather than just applying through the official website.

However, please don't forget to check the conditions, as there may be requirements such as "depositing several tens of thousands of yen after opening the account."

3. Free Trials for Video Streaming Services

These are offers where you sign up for things like a "30-day free trial" for video streaming services (VOD) where you can watch movies and dramas.

It feels like a great deal to be able to enjoy movies for free and even receive a reward of several hundred to a thousand yen.

The appeal is that it's easy to start, and you can also use it to refresh yourself on your days off.

If you want to continue after the free period ends, you can just keep the subscription, and if you feel it's not for you, you can cancel within the free period and it won't cost you anything.

4. Daily Shopping and Travel Bookings

If you frequently use online shopping or book travel online, be sure to check the ASP.

Just by going through self-affiliate marketing for your usual shopping, a few percent of the purchase amount will be returned to you like points.

Even if the amount per transaction is small, it adds up to a significant amount over a year.

It also leads to saving on living expenses, so I would like you to try incorporating it into your daily life.

Ways to Further Expand Possibilities Using SNS and Note

Up to this point, I have been talking about self-affiliate marketing where you apply "yourself."

However, some of you may have started to feel a bit more positive, thinking, "I want to increase my income even more, not just through self-affiliate marketing."

Even if creating a blog is difficult, you can try your hand at affiliate marketing with zero initial cost by using the social media you already use or a writing service called "note".

For example, you can use social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, or TikTok to introduce products you have actually used and liked.

You write an honest review saying, "This cosmetic product really helped calm my skin irritation!" and post an affiliate link there.

If a follower sees that and buys the product through your link, you receive a commission. That is how the system works.

Recently, a method like "note self-affiliate marketing," where you write about your personal experiences or know-how on the service called note and include links to products, has been gaining attention.

Unlike blogs, note doesn't require difficult settings; you can create beautiful articles just by typing text, which makes it easy for beginners to get started.

However, there is one important point to keep in mind here.

When using social media or note, you must strictly follow the terms of service of the ASP and the rules of each social media platform.

Some advertisers prohibit promotion on social media, and you must never lie or make false claims to make a product look better than it is.

Please never forget the stance of "sincerely sharing things you truly believe are good with others."

Sharing information that is helpful to someone will eventually come back to you in the form of a reward. That is the true joy of affiliate marketing.

Important points to avoid failure in self-affiliate marketing

I have shared the appeal of self-affiliate marketing so far, but as a side-hustle navigator, I would like to honestly tell you about the "realistic points of caution" that I want you to know.

It goes against my principles to just list sweet words.

First and foremost, I want to tell you that self-affiliate marketing "does not provide a continuous, stable income."

For example, you can only apply for things like credit card issuance once per person.

Once you have finished all the high-paying offers, you will not be able to earn a large amount in the same way the following month.

It is correct to view self-affiliate marketing as "initial pocket money to start a side hustle" or "practice to experience how affiliate marketing works."

That is why you should never fall for suspicious information on social media that claims things like, "You can keep earning hundreds of thousands of yen every month with self-affiliate marketing!"

Behind the words "easy money" often lurk malicious scams designed to sell expensive information products.

You may have tried a side hustle in the past and failed, or perhaps you have had painful experiences being deceived by such suspicious claims.

But please, do not blame yourself.

You simply didn't have the right knowledge, so it will be fine as long as you learn a little bit from here on out.

There is no need to rush.

First, try experiencing self-affiliate marketing, which you can start risk-free within your own capabilities, and get a feel for what it means to generate money online.

That small successful experience will surely lead to your confidence.

Summary: A Small Step Leads to Future Peace of Mind

How was it?

I would be happy if I could convey, even a little, that "you can start self-affiliate marketing with just a smartphone, even without a blog."

Anxiety about your monthly income may not disappear today or tomorrow.

However, there will surely be more peace of mind in your heart when comparing "days spent being crushed by anxiety while doing nothing" to "days where you started taking action to change your situation even a little with your smartphone."

At first, the reward might only be a few hundred yen.

But that is a very valuable few hundred yen that you earned by taking a step forward on your own.

The accumulation of those small steps will eventually lead to the "peace of mind to order cake at a cafe without hesitation."

Don't rush, don't push yourself, your own pace is just fine.

I would be sincerely happy if this article could serve as a trigger to gently push you forward as you step into the new world of side hustles.

Let's build a future with peace of mind together.

[Reliable Information Sources Referenced]
To ensure our readers can make safe and informed decisions, this article has been written from a neutral standpoint, referencing information from the following public institutions and relevant organizations. When starting a side hustle or affiliate marketing, please follow the terms of service and rules, and proceed at your own risk.
・Consumer Affairs Agency: "Internet Shopping Troubles" (Alerts regarding exaggerated advertising and information product scams)
https://www.caa.go.jp/policies/policy/consumer_policy/caution/internet/
・Japan Affiliate Association (JAO) (Promoting the healthy development of affiliate marketing and awareness of rules)
https://www.japan-affiliate.org/
・National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan: "Troubles Regarding Side Hustles and Information Products" (Alerts regarding high-priced schools and fraud)
https://www.kokusen.go.jp/soudan_topics/data/fukugyou.html

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