@khairole asks: can you show me the best place to learn how to do affiliate marketing?
Sure! There are tons of resources, but it can be difficult to decide where to start and which is best to study.
It's worth mentioning too that it's an ongoing learning process, as the industry is constantly evolving.
I have been an affiliate for more than 10 years, but am still learning and testing new things every single week. I can give you some specific starting points, and also share places you can stay on top of changes and new ideas...
The Handbook
First, you're going to need a guide to study that gives you all the necessary basic info about affiliate marketing. Something that walks you through the options, the steps, and gives you examples and resources so that you can create your first affiliate site (or first profitable affiliate site).
While there are a lot of reports and ebooks out there on the topic, many of them teach you one very specific method but leave a lot of basic questions unanswered.
I have one affiliate marketing guide that I study and also recommend: The Super Affiliate Handbook by Rosalind Gardner. I continue to study it myself even though I originally read it about 6 years ago, as Rosalind is constantly providing updated editions to her readers. You can log in anytime and download the new updates - there have been 2 in the last 6 months months alone.
It is very newbie friendly, detailing everything you need to know to get into affiliate marketing - but also chock full of resources, ideas and examples for those of us that are seasoned affiliate marketers. To get an idea what to expect, see my detailed Super Affiliate Handbook Overview.
I actually waffled over spending the $47 on the Super Affiliate Handbook way back when. And yes - that's comical now, considering what an incredible investment that was in myself and my business. I was able to completely change my business model and ultimately my lifestyle over what seemed like an "expense" at the time. 😛
Getting Your Questions Answered
You will no doubt have questions along the way as you get started in affiliate marketing, or work on revising your affiliate sites for higher traffic & sales.
You'll need a source where you can ask those questions, and feel confident you'll get a timely and accurate response. Everyone seems to have advice and opinions, and some will defend them to their death - even if they are wrong.
I have a discussion forum you will find friendly and resourceful. The main forum is public and free, and also includes a Job Board if you need freelance work or if you need to outsource certain tasks to complete your affiliate site.
Here is the link to register & join us:
http://www.selfstartersweeklytips.com/members/
I moderate the SSWT Forum personally. Wrong answers get corrected and discussed, so you don't have to worry about being mislead or sent down a rabbit trail. My Elite Members are also active in the main forum, and are very quick to share resources and help out the newer members who are just getting started.
Elite Members are part of my own Private Brainstorming Group. It's a very active community, and we work together on each of their individual business models and projects. They have access to a private section on the SSWT Forum where we discuss things in greater detail, have ongoing case studies and monthly challenges, and weekly brainstorming & accountability meetings.
If you're interested in joining our group, you'll find details here.
Free Topic-Specific Tutorials
I have several tutorials here on ClickNewz that teach different aspects of affiliate marketing in detail. This Affiliate Marketing Tips series is a great starting point:
- Getting Started in Affiliate Marketing
- Choosing Niches for Affiliate Sites
- Types of Affiliate Sites
- More on Affiliate Site Development
- Using Pen Names on Niche Affiliate Sites
- Getting Traffic & Making Sales
There are a lot of other great tutorials here at ClickNewz that will prove helpful as you create your affiliate sites including a tutorial on choosing keywords & phrases, an outline for how to write a blog that gets traffic & makes sales, a tutorial for writing product reviews, a web page optimization checklist, ways to optimize online store type sites, the best placement for affiliate links for highest conversions...
This list is by no means exhaustive, or even complete, but a great starting point for learning affiliate marketing and getting the specific help you'll need along the way.
If you need help, or you're looking for a specific resource, just ask!
Best,
p.s. I do hope you'll join us at the SSWT Forum if you haven't already. It's a super friendly and very resourceful community, and a great place to get your site reviewed or to get specific questions answered. Make sure you post and say Hello once you get registered 😉
About Lynn Terry
I'm glad to hear you recommend the Super Affiliate's Handbook. I just ordered it and can't wait to dig into it!
I do recommend it, and have just read it again myself recently - I absolutely love it! I think you'll find this to be one of the best guides out there on the topic 😉
You know, I bought Rosalind Gardner's book way back in 2003. Her book is still hidden somewhere on my iBook that I bought way back in 2002, so I guess I'd better dig it back up... I forgot I had it 😛 I hope that old laptop will still start-up!
But I DO have a question if you don't mind:
Lynn, do you know if there are any "updates" to the "Super Affiliate Handbook"? I'm sure I no longer have the ClickBank receipt, but I could make a YouTube video showing that I have it.
Any advice / comments? Thanks!
Gary
@GanderCo
Yes there have been a lot of updates since 2003, LOL. Just get in touch with Rosalind's support desk and see if they can help you out 😉
Thanks Lynn!
Hey wait, this is a new comment box. Ok, hope I'm doing it right.
Gary.
P.S. What plugin is this Lynn? Is it a free or paid plugin, or can you just Twitter me a link that will answer this so you don't have to?
Thanks!!
The two new comment plugins are KeywordLuv and TwitterLink Comments. Enjoy!
hi,
I’m glad to hear you recommend the Super Affiliate’s Handbook.
I can vouch for the Elite forum. Definitely one of the best places to be if you want to be with serious internet marketers! As for the book... perhaps a great Christmas gift for myself? 🙂
Sounds like a good idea to me 😉
Great Blog, Design And Layout
I Love The Top Quality Information On Offer
I Will Also Visit Again Very Soon
Thank you Mark 😀
@khairole who asked: "can you show me the best place to learn how to do affiliate marketing?"
I think you just found it! Look here and also on the SSWT site http://www.selfstartersweeklytips.com and you will find a lot of good articles and also people to help you.
Great post! I am just starting out in community management/marketing media and trying to learn how to do it well - resources like this article are incredibly helpful. As our company is based in the US, it?s all a bit new to us. The example above is something that I worry about as well, how to show your own genuine enthusiasm and share the fact that your product is useful in that case.
Showing genuine enthusiasm is as simple as having genuine enthusiasm for your brand or product. Unless I misunderstood your question?
Hi Lynn,
You are the second person in the last 10 days that I've seen recommending the affiliate handbook.
There must be something good about it then. I'll check it out soon.
I've just discovered your site and there are a lot of good things to read here.
Are you using the Affiliate theme?
I like your theme and if it's the Affiliate theme it'll be another reason for me to get it.
Vance
Hi Vance,
Awesome guide - you'll love it 😉
My theme here at ClickNewz is a custom design, but I do have AffiliateTheme and am going to use it on affiliate sites I'm launching in 2010. Comes with great support & bonuses, by the way.
You waffled over the price at the time but are glad you invested in that ebook - I am a total newbie and need to educate myself on these things, but I don't know about buying an ebook first. It does sound like a lot of money.
That's what is funny to me now, considering what I consistently earn as an affiliate marketer 😉
There is a physical version of the book as well, but I highly recommend you get the digital version (ebook) as you can log in and download updates anytime they are available. I first read it about 6 years ago, and just downloaded the new version and read it again a couple of months ago - definitely a long term benefit for the one time investment.
Don't sell yourself short, Lynn! Your blog is an excellent source of affiliate marketing training. In fact it's one of the places I tell people to go when they are looking for information on the subject.
Thank you DeAnna - I agree, as I post quite a bit on the topic here at ClickNewz... but since that question came from one of my readers, I thought I should share some additional resources (my own, in fact) as well. 😀
While I am sure those are great links, they are also very self serving finacially. Most of the great knowledge in affiliate marketing comes where people that are not pushing their own content for commercial gain can get together and talk without someone constantly trying to sell them something. Check out places like http://abestweb.com and other forums where you can learn and not get pitched to all of the time. Disclaimer: I have no association with AbestWeb besides being a forum member there.
Um, there were 12 FREE tutorials and a link to a free discussion forum... LOL 🙄
Thanks for dropping the link to aBestWeb though. Another great forum for affiliates to check out for sure. I am a member there as well, and attended one of their affiliate conferences in vegas a few years ago.
Hello Lynn, Great information on getting started in affiliate marketing. I will be using some of your tips. I always wondered why I don't get the traffic and therefor the income! I really like the idea of brainstorming on the affiliate marketing forums. I'll be practicing what you preach!
Thanks again,
Butch
Thank you Butch! On traffic & sales, definitely see this post as well:
http://www.clicknewz.com/2174/affiliate-marketing-tips-traffic-sales/
😀