I’ve been a full-time blogger for almost a decade and I help bloggers like you make consistent, reliable income online so you can work at home, be your own boss, and spend more time doing what you love (just like I do).
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With 42.7% of internet users using AdBlock worldwide, how on earth can you earn passive income from your website?
Short answer: Affiliate marketing.
With affiliate marketing, you can promote products relevant to your niche without owning any product or service. However, the industry is increasingly competitive, with more than 57.55% of marketers struggling to make $10K annually.
So in this expert guide, I’ll reveal legit ways to learn affiliate marketing in 2023 using free and paid methods.
No, learning affiliate marketing can be tricky, especially for a beginner. You must research a low-competition niche, develop a content strategy, research a profitable affiliate product, and promote your affiliate link. All these steps require skill, effort, and patience.
However, things can get more manageable if you learn SEO before affiliate marketing. Based on my experience, it takes 6-12 months to learn affiliate marketing and earn a sizeable income, provided you implement the strategies you learn through YouTube videos, courses, or books.
Should You Learn Affiliate Marketing?
Yes, you should definitely learn affiliate marketing, as it’s one of the most effective ways to make money online. No wonder 84% of online publishers use affiliate links to monetize their traffic. An overview of the affiliate marketing industry reveals that the market is set to grow to $15.7 billion by 2024.
People no longer like annoying ads but are interested in researching before buying products or services. And here’s where you can help without any additional cost to the buyer.
Benefits of Learning Affiliate Marketing
Here are the three proven benefits of learning affiliate marketing in 2023:
Beginner-Friendly Model: You don’t need to own products or services to earn from affiliate links. No need for an office, equipment, or rent either. All you need is a website with SEO-friendly content.
Passive Income: With your affiliate website, you can earn while you sleep. While getting initial success via this route takes time, things get easier as you understand and implement your learnings on your blog. You can take affiliate marketing as a side hustle and turn it into full-time later.
Scaleable model: With affiliate marketing, you can promote products of multiple brands and earn six figures. Affiliate-focused websites like Wirecutter are sold at $30 million, with star marketers clocking to $200 million net worth.
The simplest way to learn methods and strategies of affiliate marketing is by reading blogs (just like this one!). We have a free blogging course and tons of quality affiliate marketing guides to help you earn passive income quickly!
Besides Blogging Tips, you can also check Google’s own documentation on how to write product reviews and publish people-first content. These are official guides on what Google expects from an affiliate site. If you follow them, Google will reward you with higher rankings!
2. Take Courses
You can also opt for free and paid online courses to learn affiliate marketing. There are tons of beginner-friendly classes on Udemy, Coursera, and other platforms.
Star affiliate marketers like Matt Diggity also have their own customized courses. We’ve handpicked five free and six paid courses to help you get started!
The biggest benefits of an online course are:
One-to-one doubt solving
Getting access to a unique community
Structured learning with insider tricks and tips.
3. Watch YouTube Videos
YouTube is affiliate marketers’ biggest and most free learning resource. You’ll find many quality channels dedicated to digital marketing and hours-long free courses to help you get started.
To make your work easier, we’ve shortlisted six affiliate marketing youtube channels to follow for expert guidance.
In addition, you can reach out to successful marketers in comments or during the live stream and follow and implement their strategies to bring results DIY.
4. Talk to Experienced Affiliate Marketers
You can learn affiliate marketing basics through blogs, videos, and courses.
But to know practical insights on the untapped niches, most profitable products, and secrets to higher conversion rates, you need to talk to experts who are into this industry for a long time.
The best way to talk to experienced affiliate marketers is through Facebook private groups like Affiliate SEO Mastermind. Here you’ll find many successful yet helpful marketers who will guide your affiliate journey. You can ask questions, share your experience and build your network.
Other than Facebook groups, you can also reach marketers on LinkedIn.
5. Learn Through Experience
You can have all the help in the world, but if you don’t put your learnings into practice, you can never learn. So the best way to learn affiliate marketing is through your own experience.
Let’s say you learnt how to find a profitable affiliate niche by researching domain marketplaces like Flippa.
So execute the steps on your own and see if you can find a good niche. If you face difficulty, seek help on Facebook groups or LinkedIn.
Knowing and executing strategies sounds simple, but here’s where many people fail. First, they don’t want to take the pain of learning something outside their comfort zone. And later complain about all sorts of things.
Affiliate marketing isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. So you need to be patient and aim for long-term growth. We’re here for your help!
Where to Learn About Affiliate Marketing
You need a useful launch pad to build profitable sites registered with affiliate programs. We’ve shortlisted the best free and paid routes to kickstart your blogging career:
Where to Learn Affiliate Marketing for Free
You’re already learning about affiliate marketing from one of the best blogging resources on the planet, Blogging Tips!
Besides this, here are some of the best free courses and YouTube channels for beginner affiliates:
Free Affiliate Marketing Courses
Online courses benefit beginners as they give a structured framework. You can understand the A to Z of what needs to be done to evaluate whether affiliate marketing is worthwhile for you.
Here are some best free online courses we came across:
1. Udemy’s Affiliate Marketing Course for Beginners
Udemy’s free affiliate marketing course is one of the most popular courses, with close to one lakh students enrolled and 74% four-star ratings or higher.
People have found the 2-hour video lecture simple for beginners, with live examples, to understand the subject deeper. You’ll get a 42-minute lesson on building an affiliate website and free downloads at the end of the lecture.
However, there’s no scope for live Q&A or direct messages with the instructor.
2. Authority Hacker Free Webinar
Authority Hacker, run by Mark and Gael, is the most reputed marketing brand in the world. You can opt for their free webinar for the best niche ideas and keyword research strategies.
You can ask questions during the free webinar (unlike the Udemy course) and get discounts on their paid courses. Watch their podcast on YouTube or Spotify to glimpse their in-depth strategies!
3. Great Learning’s Affiliate Marketing Course for Beginners
This Great Learning course is similar to Udemy, but you get the perk of a completion certificate to add charm to your LinkedIn profile.
It is a 1.5-hour video lesson where you’ll learn the basics of niche selection, building an affiliate site, and avoiding common beginner mistakes.
4. Ahrefs Affiliate Marketing for Beginners Course
Ahrefs has recently launched a complete affiliate marketing module on their YouTube channel where they explain every minute detail of this business model in 1-2 minute bite-sized videos with cool animations.
You can watch these videos on the go and develop a strong understanding of building an affiliate site for success. You can also read their marketing guides on their company blog for advanced guides and insightful case studies!
5. Voluum Affiliate Academy
The ad tracker software company, Voluum also launched a free affiliate marketing course two years ago on their portal.
This course offers special deals from Zeydoo, Mobidea, and other brands to set up and grow your affiliate website.
You’ll get easy-to-understand videos and reading resources to learn the basics of affiliate marketing.
Affiliate Marketing YouTube Channels
There are lot of BS around affiliate marketing, so here are six top channels that share nothing but legit tactics for higher commissions:
1. Affiliatemarketingmc
Affiliate Marketing Dude is a 10-year-old channel dedicated to affiliate marketing and making money online guides.
There’s an entire playlist of 18 videos of live streams, tutorials, and general explainers on niche selection, keyword research, and other relevant topics.
I particularly like their detailed live streams where he takes questions from subscribers and answers specific queries!
2. Miles Beckler
Miles offers no BS, simple explainers on all things affiliate.
You can find 17 detailed videos on this affiliate marketing playlist where he discusses the basics of blog monetization, SEO tactics, and the latest happenings in this ever-growing industry.
He also offers a free affiliate course on his website!
3. Project Life Mastery
Stefan James’s channel Project Life Mastery is about life management and business strategies. Still, he has a dedicated playlist of 48 videos discussing the basics, case studies, and rules for beginners.
He regularly replies to comments and offers a free course as well. In addition, he shares legit tactics like promoting products you found helpful in a simple, easy-to-follow format.
4. Kevin David
Kevin, “The Unemployed CEO,” regularly shares business strategies to build passive income streams.
Though he mostly shares guides on Amazon FBA business, he does have a few good affiliate marketing tutorials where he teaches how to find profitable products.
You can also check out his exclusive Facebook group for more money-making secrets!
5. Amit Mishra
If you’re a Hindi speaker, you’ll love the simple guides of Amit Mishra, a successful SEO consultant running over 20 websites.
There are 48 quality videos on his affiliate playlist on topics like best affiliate programs, case studies, and tips to run social media ads to boost affiliate income.
He explains things calmly and relaxedly without any shady upsell or money fads.
6. Income School
If you want to stay ahead with SEO updates, Google algorithm changes, or effective conversion strategies, look no further than Income School!
They’ve detailed affiliate marketing tutorials for beginners and real-life case studies on growing and flipping profitable affiliate websites.
You can submit your website for review, connect them on their Facebook page, and whatnot!
Affiliate Marketing Books
Affiliate marketing isn’t a new-age business model. Its first example dates back to 1989 when William J. Tobin patented affiliate management for his PC Flowers & Gifts.
Written by experienced marketers Ted and Paul, affiliate marketing for dummies is one of the best beginner-friendly books to learn niche research, find profitable affiliate programs, and learn to use the best tools for affiliate marketing effectively.
Buyers loved how the book is jampacked with in-depth information through simple, easy-to-understand chapters!
2. Affiliate Marketing Secrets by Chandler Wright
Wright’s 2019 book, ‘Affiliate Marketing Secrets’ offers an A-to-Z affiliate marketing tutorial for beginners.
He gives examples and tactics to earn over $10K in affiliate commissions. He guides readers to be ethical in marketing practices and shares the latest tips and trends.
You can preview 29 pages of the book, including its table of contents, on Google Books.
3. The Complete Guide to Affiliate Marketing on the Web by Bruce Brown
The book opens with the affiliate marketing case study, so you immediately know what value you will get.
Then, the author, Brown, goes deep into affiliate marketing principles, writing compelling sales copy, and optimizing your website for buyers and search engines.
Even if you’ve zero knowledge of SEO, you can follow this book to grow your first affiliate website.
4. From Nothing by Ian Pribyl
Ian Pribyl is a self-made digital marketer, and in this book, he teaches everything you need to know to make money from internet marketing.
There are bite-sized lessons with screenshots and bullet points, so you can easily understand them without any marketing degree.
In addition, many positive reviews on Amazon describe how easy it is to implement the book’s strategies for real results.
5. Affiliate Marketing by Mark Smith
Mark Smith walks you through a step-by-step guide explaining the ins and outs of affiliate marketing and the roles you must take to get started.
It’s a short book presenting a general overview for absolute beginners.
6. Affiliate Marketing by Noah Gray and Michael Fox
Gray and Fox answer all the dumb questions on affiliate marketing, including how long your content should be, making it a stellar resource for any internet newbie.
The duo teaches niche selection, content creation, and best SEO practices for higher rankings. You also get a good list of affiliate programs to sign up for your first website.
7. Performance Partnerships by Robert Glazer
At less than $1, you get a detailed guide that explores the past, present, and future of affiliate marketing.
Glazer discusses lesser-talked topics like conflicts and increased regulation in this industry.
Many positive reviews appreciate the author’s depth, accuracy, and storytelling approach to teaching a legit business model.
Affiliate Marketing Paid Courses
You can watch endless YouTube videos, but nothing beats a paid course. They offer structured learning with meaningful exercises, one-to-one doubt-clearing sessions, and community support.
Here are the six best-paid affiliate marketing courses that are worth the money:
1. Authority Hacker’s The Authority Site System
The guys at Authority Hacker are constantly building high authority affiliate websites and share the tactics they personally use in their 192+ video lesson course.
They share legit and actionable strategies with readymade templates to get started from day 1.
Mark and Gael, the instructors of this course, are highly respected in the marketer space for their genuine efforts.
2. The Affiliate Lab by Matt Diggity
Matt Diggity includes everything you need to know for affiliate SEO in 2023. It covers basics to advanced lessons like:
How to set up your WordPress website
How to select niche selection (and avoid Amazon affiliate program)
How to build backlinks without getting penalized
How to make SOPs for writers
How to make P/L statements for website flipping
This course is a one-stop solution for a beginner to an advanced affiliate marketer.
3. Passive Income Geek
Morten Storgaard’s course is the most budget-friendly and value-packed course on the planet, where he demonstrates building a site from scratch.
His affiliate marketing strategy focuses on free tools to build websites without expensive SEO tools or backlinks.
This makes it accessible for anyone to buy and follow his course. However, it’s a relatively new course, so case studies are limited.
4. Income School Project 24
One of the most popular affiliate marketing courses, Project 24, teaches how to grow a profitable blog or YouTube channel. They set an ambitious target to create an online business within 24 months using actionable strategies.
You get access to a structured course and an engaging P24 private community. However, you need to incur a recurring annual expense to continue with course access.
5. Fat Stacks Bundle
Jon Dykstra’s online course is aimed at beginner to advanced marketers looking to monetize their blogs with affiliate marketing and display ads.
They’ve modules from beginner website setups to outsourcing content creation in text and video formats. However, it would be best if you used paid tools and themes to implement some of his lessons in the course.
6. Pat Flynn’s 1-2-3 Affi
Flynn teaches how to monetize your existing traffic to get affiliate sale. There are no modules for traffic growth (as Flynn assumes you already know) and email marketing, but he offers practical tactics for better conversions.
Frequently Asked Questions
We walked you through different quality resources to learn affiliate marketing, but if you still have questions, we’ve got you covered here!
Can You Learn Affiliate Marketing for Free?
Yes, you can learn affiliate marketing without spending a single dollar.
There are many quality blog resources (like this one!) where you can learn the basics of website development and monetization to advanced stuff like case studies.
You can also refer to YouTube channels like Income School and Matt Diggity to keep yourself updated on the latest trends in the affiliate marketing industry.
How Long Will it Take to Learn Affiliate Marketing?
Learning affiliate marketing from the free and paid courses listed above can take six to twelve months. Income school sets a target of 24 months to build your online presence.
The key here is to implement the lessons you learn, be patient with the results, and seek constant feedback from the community to grow your money-making skills.
Wrapping Up
Learning affiliate marketing takes time and effort but certainly pays off in the long run.
People constantly look for valuable products, and with helpful and insightful content, you can help them in their buying journey and earn commissions.
The best way to learn affiliate marketing for free is through Blogging Tips, followed by YouTube channels like Income School and Matt Diggity.
You can also go for structured courses like The Authority Site System to get a readymade launchpad for your affiliate marketing career.
By Sue Dunlevie
I’ve been a full-time blogger for almost a decade and I help bloggers like you make consistent, reliable income online so you can work at home, be your own boss, and spend more time doing what you love (just like I do).
