u/KittenIel03

I was drowning in unpaid bills and debt while working my daily routine. I was desparate for a side hustle to earn extra allowance/income, so I decided to give Tiktok and Shopee affiliate marketing a shot.

At first, aaminin ko pure grind at nakaka frustrate. I spent endless hours editing videos and trying to DM brands one by one for deals, only get 200 views. What actually changed the game for me was when I stopped overcomplicating things.

○ Sticking to one tight niche: Mas madaling basahin ng algorithm at mas mabilis mag trust ang audience kung malinaw ang content mo.

○ Work smart on brand deals: Instead of manual cold outreach na nakaka-burnout, I started using affiliate platforms like ShopSlayer and Seller Center to directly join active campaigns.

○ Focusing on hooks over edits: Simple live photos and raw product demos with 3-second hooks actually converted way better than over-edited clips.

Slowly but surely, the commissions started building up until every single extra peso went straight into paying off my balances.

Sa lahat ng naha-hassle or feeling stuck sa affiliate journey nila, DON'T LOSE HOPE! Build good content first, stick to your niche, and don't rush the selling part. High effort and right strategy pay off.

Unti-unti rin lalabas ang results! ✨️🌟

I recently started exploring Tiktok affiliate marketing as a side hustle, and honestly, I thought you could just post products and eventually people would buy. 🥲 Turns out, It's not that simple lol.

One thing I am figuring out now is how smaller content creators actually find brand deals. I tried looking for brands and campaigns manually, but it can be pretty time-consuming to search for them and reach out one by one.

Lately, I've been checking out creator communities and affiliate marketplaces too. I came across ShopSlayer while looking for campaigns, and it caught my attention since it has opportunities specifically for Tiktok affiliates instead of relying entirely on cold outreach.

I am also exploring Shopee affiliate marketing and focusing on improving my Tiktok content, especially hooks, product demos, and choosing products that actually fit my niche.

For those who have been doing Tiktok/Shopee affiliate marketing for a while, what worked better when you were starting out?

Focusing on one niche or testing different products first? 🤔

I don't know if it's just me, but lately I have been realizing that my 30s feel very different from what I imagined.

When I was younger, I thought by this age I'd have things figured out. Stable career, decent savings, a solid group of friends, maybe my own place, and some kind of clear direction in life.

Instead, it feels like I'm constantly maintaining things.

Work. Bills. Family. Health. Relationships. Trying to save money while still actually enjoying life. Trying to improve myself without being completly exhausted by the end of the day.

Maybe growing up isn't finally figuring everything out. Maybe it's just getting better at handling uncertainty.

For those of you, What's something about 30s that surprised you the most?

I don't know if it's just me, but lately I have been realizing that my 30s feel very different from what I imagined.

When I was younger, I thought by this age I'd have things figured out. Stable career, decent savings, a solid group of friends, maybe my own place, and some kind of clear direction in life.

Instead, it feels like I'm constantly maintaining things.

Work. Bills. Family. Health. Relationships. Trying to save money while still actually enjoying life. Trying to improve myself without being completly exhausted by the end of the day.

Maybe growing up isn't finally figuring everything out. Maybe it's just getting better at handling uncertainty.

For those of you, What's something about 30s that surprised you the most?

I'm in my 30s now, and I randomly remembered my very first job interview.

Back them, I genuinely thought, "if I prepare rnough, I'll probably get hired." I bought decent clothes, practiced common interview questions in front of a mirror, arrived early, and gave it everything I had. When they said, "We'll contact you," I actually believed they would.

Now, after years of applying, I've gone through more interviews than I can count. Some went really well. Some felt average. A few even ended with the interviewer saying things like, "We'll be in touch soon," or "You did great".

Then... nothing...

No rejection email. No feedback. Just pure silence.

I've reached the point where I don't even celebrate a good interview anymore because I've learned that a good interview doesn't always mean an offer is coming.

Looking back, I kind of miss that version of myself who believed every interview could change everything. It wasn't ignorance, it was OPTIMISM.

I still prepare the same way. I still research the company, practice my answers and show up on time. But these days, after every interview, I immediately move on and send more applications instead of waiting for a reply.

Maybe that's just what job hunting teaches you.

For those who've been searching for a while, especially if you're also in your 30s, did your mindset change too? Or do you still get excited after every interview?