I recently read an article in Forbes magazine online that dated back to 2014. It covered some of the myths about affiliate marketing. One of the key points that I read was that affiliate marketing requires work and effort to make it a successful business.
That is certainly something that I can attest to as my introduction to affiliate marketing has shown me.
But the hard work did not have to be a strain.
And it all became much clearer when I figured out how to learn about affiliate marketing in a structured learning environment.
It was a matter of finding the best online teaching platform and support available.
Where to look for good training
Finding how to learn about affiliate marketing properly was not my initial priority. However, in hindsight, this was my first mistake.
I started created my first few websites with no real knowledge of what I was doing and pretty quickly gave up.
Giving up was easy but not very satisfying!
I guess I didn’t really know where to look for good instruction. But I was pretty convinced at the time that any offers on the internet were scams because I had tried some programs that made me hand over money without actually knowing what they were.
Oh, such a bad move!
Anyway, I want to focus on the positive side of the internet. And believe me, there are a lot of positives.
It didn’t take me long to find the source.
Amongst my google searches, I came across reviews on a program called Wealthy Affiliate. There were a lot of good reviews and very few negatives. Actually, I can’t recall any bad ones.
How to learn about affiliate marketing
The first requirement of the Wealthy Affiliate program was to sign up for their free account. OK, so quietly, this freaked me out straight up because my experience of “FREE” accounts was not good so far.
But, to their credit, when I sign in there was no request for credit cards or Paypal account details.
What I did get was access immediately to a program that provided 2 WordPress website templates to work with and a step by step guide on how to get them active immediately.
But I still need to learn about affiliate marketing.
The Wealthy Affiliate ‘starter membership’ also offers access to the first full training module (10 written lessons and video tutorials) that provided all the ‘juice’ you need on how to learn about affiliate marketing.
Additionally, I got access to the co-founders of the program who were able to answer some of my initial niggling questions and give me some guidance on how to create a business using an affiliate marketing model.
Expecting to start any business for free is just not an option. Realistically, if you expect everything for free, then you will not succeed.
The Upgrade
Wealthy Affiliate does require you to upgrade to their premium membership if you want to venture further.
But logically, if you want to get access to the whole suite of training modules and classrooms, including their 7 phase “Affiliate Boot Camp” training, their constantly updating video training library and their 24/7 support, you need to expect to pay a little bit for it.
But the good news is that they don’t carry on with the “upselling” that is so prolific in other training platforms. Everyone pays the same – either monthly or the discounted annual fee, that makes you a premium member.
As a premium member, you have full access to all the facilities available.
So technically, my entire affiliate marketing business platform costs me just $359 per year – or $1.80 per day. I used to spend four times that each morning on my take-out coffee on the way to work. (Ouch … that’s a revelation in itself).
I do, of course, need to purchase domain names and any external advertising. But they are the only costs for a business that returns so much more.
So Back to The Training
The point of Wealthy Affiliate offering the initial free access is simple.
They back their product and feel confident that once you experience their training and support you will want to continue.
The free training begins with the “Get Started Here” button that takes you to their foundation course – the Online Entrepreneur Certification.
Click this link to take you to the first lesson so you can see for yourself.
I Am Still Using the Training Modules
I have been connected to the Wealthy Affiliate program for over 15 months now and, although I have run through the courses already, I still find I refer to the training often.
There are times I need to re-learn an aspect of affiliate marketing, like content marketing or PPC (pay per click) marketing or maybe some advice on SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).
Additionally, the premium membership gives me hosting for up to 50 websites and unlimited access to the keyword search tool.
So to me, the greatest revelation in my quest for how to learn about affiliate marketing is just how much difference a professional platform is in determining your success online.
Put in terms of a “bricks and mortar” type business, Wealthy Affiliate is the Location, Location, Location. If you are at the right place, you have a foot up already ahead of the competition.
So my suggestion to you, if you are looking right now for a legitimate online endeavour, is to go ahead and create a free starter membership at Wealthy Affiliate. And without fear of losing any money, fill in the account information and connect with the community inside and ask them what they think in the live forum.
When, How and What?
Check out the training and see how easy it is to create a website, then learn how to make it look professional, full of content and creating a lasting income.
“When” to learn about affiliate marketing is NOW! “How” to learn about affiliate marketing is through Wealthy Affiliate education courses. “What” to learn about, is as much as you can!
Go for it!
