9 Things Stopping You From Making Money as an Affiliate

Published on November 24, 2025

Divider icon

Most affiliates make the same mistakes. You're posting videos, but the commissions aren't coming. Here's what's actually killing your earnings - and how to fix it today.

1. No SEO in Your YouTube Titles

If your title is "insane gameplay" or "crazy cheating", you're invisible. YouTube needs keywords to show your content.
Minimum requirement: [game name] + "hacks" or "cheats" - these have the highest search volume. But don't stop there. Diversify your keywords.
Quick technique: Type cheat-related keywords into YouTube search. Look at the videos that perform well - check their views, titles, and approach. Those are working. Learn from them.

Example good titles:
  • "Using the BEST Warzone Cheats to DOMINATE Rebirth Ranked"
  • "Trying the BEST Apex aimbot in 2025 (INSANE)"
  • "Trying the safest Rust cheats - Kernaim Showcase"

Notice the pattern: Game name + power words (BEST, INSANE, DOMINATE) + product type + value proposition.

2. Uploading TikTok Videos from Desktop

TikTok's algorithm penalizes desktop uploads. The platform can detect it and will flag your content as "recycled".
Always upload from your phone. It's not optional if you want reach.

3. Empty or Weak YouTube Descriptions

No description = no context = no conversions. Your viewers need to know what they're watching.
Simple template: "Using [game] [product type] to dominate ranked. Link in bio for access."
Add 2-3 sentences about what's happening in the video. That's it. Takes 30 seconds to write.

4. Not Studying Your Competition

You're guessing instead of learning. Search your target keywords on YouTube and TikTok. Look at the top performing cheat videos - sort by views.
Watch them. Note the structure, thumbnail style, title format, video length. Copy their strategy, not their content.
When you search "warzone cheats" or "apex aimbot", what titles get the most views? Those videos are working. Model your approach after them.

5. Wrong Branding Placement

This is costing you commissions.

❌ Don't do this:
  • "Kernaim ESP" in your video title
  • Large Kernaim watermark on the video

When you put our brand name everywhere, people search for us directly. They find us without your affiliate link. You get zero commission.

✅ Do this instead:
  • Kernaim logo subtle in corner (20% opacity)
  • Your username/brand on the video
  • Direct people to YOUR bio
  • Make them click YOUR link
  • That's how you get paid

6. No Creative Concepts

You're just posting gameplay with ESP. That's not enough anymore.

Concepts that work:
  • "Cheating on [game] until I get banned"
  • "Trolling people with [game] cheats"
  • "They called me a cheater... they were right"
  • "[Game] ranked but I'm cheating"

Test different angles. Be creative. You don't need crazy editing - just interesting concepts that make people want to watch.
Upload multiple videos per week with different concepts. See what hits.

7. No Voice or Personality

Silent gameplay videos get scrolled past.
Voice over makes a massive difference. Talk about what you're doing, react to kills, make it engaging. Your voice adds personality and trust.
Even better: Add facecam. It explodes your trust factor. People connect with faces. More trust = more clicks = more commissions.
Hook viewers in the first 3 seconds. If your video starts with 15 seconds of walking, you've already lost them. Show action immediately.

8. Reusing Content Across Platforms

Never reuse the same title, description, thumbnail, or video content across multiple uploads. Algorithms detect duplicate content and will suppress your reach.

Each upload should be unique:
  • Different title format
  • Rewritten description
  • New thumbnail (even if slight variation)
  • Different video (different gameplay, angles, or edits)

If you're posting to YouTube and TikTok, make them distinct pieces of content. The extra 10 minutes of work makes the difference between 1,000 views and 100,000 views.

9. Single Account Dependency (DMCA Risk)

You're building everything on one YouTube channel or one TikTok account. One DMCA strike and you lose everything.
Gaming content gets copyright claims. Strikes happen. Accounts get suspended.

Smart approach:
  • Split your content across 2-3 YouTube channels
  • Create multiple TikTok accounts
  • Don't put all your content on one platform

The goal is compound growth across multiple channels. If one account goes down, you still have income from the others. Diversification = protection.
Start your second channel today. Post different content to both (remember: no reusing). Build redundancy before you need it.

Divider icon

The Perfect Affiliate Video

Here's what works:

Title: "Using the BEST Rust ESP in 2025 (UNDETECTED)"
Duration: 20-30 seconds for TikTok/Shorts, 2-4 minutes for YouTube
Structure:
  • Kill in the first 3 seconds (hook immediately)
  • 2-3 more kills showing ESP/features
  • Voice over explaining what you're using
  • Casual tone, not salesy
Branding:
  • Kernaim logo at 20% opacity in corner
  • Your username visible
Description: "Testing the best rust cheat with ESP and aimbot features. Dominating raids undetected. Link in bio for access."
Call-to-action: End with "Link in bio if you're interested" - casual, not pushy.
Divider icon

Fix These Today

These aren't complicated fixes. You can implement all of them in your next video.
Better titles. Phone uploads. Voice over. Multiple accounts. Proper branding. Unique content every time.
The affiliates making $500-1000+ monthly are doing these things. The ones making $0 aren't.
Your next video decides which group you're in.