Alexis Kestler
A company sends you an email about an affiliate marketing training program. You wonder, “what exactly is affiliate marketing, and why does it require training? The following affiliate marketing tips can help you get started.
Affiliate marketing provides a form of performance-based merchandising, which allows businesses to reward its associates for each visitor they direct to their website. The affiliate marketing game has four key players:
- The merchant or retailer is the business that sells the product
- The network provides the affiliate with a list of appropriate merchants, based on the predominant themes of their website. The network also tracks performance and pays the affiliate.
- The affiliate is also referred to as the publisher of the cooperating website, as well as the recipient of the commissions.
- The customer is the person who buys the product.
A well-designed affiliate marketing plan benefits both the merchant in search for an affordable advertising plan, and affiliate publishers, who want to monetize their blogs. The constantly-evolving process, however, is complex. If you know nothing, or relatively little about it, it behooves you to sign up for an affiliate marketing training program. In contrast, if you are already affiliate marketing savvy, some of the affiliate programs have their training programs. Here are some examples of both types of training.
1. Affilio Blueprint
Affilio Blueprint, often listed as one of the best affiliate marketing training programs, provides 12 modules, which teach you physical product niche marketing, info product niche marketing, authority model marketing, SEO, list building, PPC and CPA marketing. The company also offers bonus chapters on content marketing, guest blogging and other social media strategies. Designed for affiliate marketing novices, Affilio Blueprint provides user-friendly videos and free WordPress themes, making it the ideal way to learn affiliate marketing basics.
2. Udemy
For those who like to try before they buy, Udemy offers the ideal affiliate marketing training program, especially for those interested in the Amazon affiliate program. Before you commit to the training, site owner Luis Azcarate allows you to preview the different videos, which emphasize topics such as selecting products, creating affiliate links, domain name selection, WordPress installation and promotion.
3. Wealthy Affiliate University
Wealthy Affiliate University also offers users a free “starter account,” which allows them to test the waters. Even better, they offer 24-hour support. Their proficiency-based affiliate marketing training programs provides options for novice, intermediate and advanced marketers. When you join this training program, you reap the benefits of interaction with other affiliate marketers, as well as bespoke plans created for your specific needs, making it easy for you to learn affiliate marketing.
4. University of San Francisco Advance Affiliate Marketing
When you are ready to take your website monetizing campaign to the next level, the University of San Francisco offers and eight-week, online, affiliate marketing training program. The comprehensive program includes topics such as legal and ethical considerations, leveraging your affiliate channel for other areas of your business, selling executives on the affiliate marketing idea and more.
5. Econsultancy
If your business or vacation plans deliver you to London England, Econsultancy conducts one-day affiliate marketing training programs. The course covers topics such as integrating SEO and affiliate marketing strategies, dealing with competition, trademark issues and monitoring results.
6. Dekh.com
Dekh.com is an interesting site, in that it provides detailed information for both affiliates and merchants. A constantly-updated blog, along with a detailed series of guides and infographics provide a comprehensive overview of affiliate marketing. Best of all, most of the information is free.
7. Affiliate Summit
Affiliate Summit offers two, three day affiliate marketing training conferences. In 2014, one will take place in Las Vegas, and the other in New York City. These affiliate marketing boot-camps provide an effective means of networking with other marketers and learning new skills.
8. Commission Junction University
Commission Junction, one of the older and larger affiliate marketing programs, also offers an annual, three-day affiliate marketing training conference in Santa Barbara, California. Commission Junction University, as it´s called, offers educational sessions, plus networking opportunities.
9. Clickbank
ClickBank, another one of the larger affiliate marketing programs, provides a detailed blog, chock full of helpful tips. Even better, they offer a free download of their ebook titled Monetize Your Blog with ClickBank.
10. Linkshare
Linkshare, yet another affiliate program, offers an annual conference, online webinars, a monthly newsletter and online tutorials. It’s the ideal affiliate marketing for dummies program.
