I’ve taken a lot (I mean, a lot) of courses about affiliate marketing (and I teach one for beginners, too), and I can honestly say that there are some great ones, awful ones and everything in between. But what I won’t say is that this or that one is “the best affiliate marketing course” out there.
Why? Because everyone has different wants, needs and expectations from a course.
But I will say this: I think at least one of the three courses I compare below could be the best for you! Let me explain….
The first two courses I’m recommending in this post are somewhat comparable in the actual information they teach. The thing is, one is taught almost exclusively in text (with 2 videos in the bonus section), while the other has almost exclusively taught via video, with some text in their bonus section. They’re essentially flipped!
So, part of what would make one the best affiliate marketing course over the other is largely decided by you and how you best learn.
Do you love to read or watch/listen? Knowing how you’ll best absorb (and then utilize) the information should help in your overall decision.
There is a price difference, too. But I’m sure you’ll see why when you read about what is included in each. In a perfect world I would hope that cost wasn’t a factor, but the truth is, it is for many people.
Finally, the last course I’m including in this list is about affiliate marketing, but in a very niche way. It’s completely different from the other two, but it’s seriously one of the best affiliate marketing courses I’ve ever taken, so I had to include it on the list!
Let’s get to it, shall we?
TOP PICK:
123 Affiliate Marketing
by Pat Flynn
I personally chose Pat Flynn’s 123 Affiliate Marketing course my top pick for several reasons. One is, frankly, Pat Flynn is probably the most honest, ethical, helpful and inspiring entrepreneurs online today. Plus he’s made over $3.5 Million from affiliate marketing alone, so he REALLY knows his stuff. Pat is awesome!
His course is, too. It’s almost exclusively video based, and teaches you authentic affiliate marketing in a step-by-step way to authentically and ethically make more money.
I love Pat’s down to earth, friendly way of teaching. (It’s a lot like his podcast!) But he also covers all the bases and uncovers ways to do affiliate marketing that I’ve never heard of anywhere else.
Not only do you get 23 lessons in 5 different modules (which you can read all about at the bottom of this page), plus checklists and email templates, etc., Pat also includes a bonus that is practically priceless: he holds live office hours every week, where you can go and ask him questions about anything in the course, struggles you’re having, etc.
Seriously, I have no idea what Pat would charge for one on one coaching/consulting (thousands of dollars I’m sure!), but you essentially get that for FREE with this course.
And there’s a Facebook group where you can go and ask your peers questions, celebrate wins, and connect with like-minded entrepreneurs. It’s awesome!
I also love the “recipes” that Pat provides. Without giving too much away, these recipes are practical, action-oriented worksheets that will help you not only sell some of the most popular products and/or services available with affiliate marketing, but he gives each different rating scales, so you know the potential upsides AND downsides before you even get started.
Even better… Pat has allowed me to offer you his EPIC Guide to Affiliate Marketing for free!
When you download this guide, you’ll also be invited to a webinar hosted by Pat. If nothing else, watch that webinar!
In it Pat teaches sooo much and even shares one of his most effective ideas for affiliate marketers (no matter what you’re offering on your site!) that NO ONE ELSE is sharing!
2nd Pick
Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing
By Michelle Schroeder-Gardner
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner created Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing, and let me tell you, Michelle also knows her stuff: she makes over $50k a month with affiliate marketing alone. Impressive!
Michelle’s course is also very comprehensive and includes a workbook, Facebook group, worksheets and more.
Just like 123 Affiliate Marketing, you can work through Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing at your own pace. The difference is, almost the entire course is text-based. So be prepared to read — a lot.
And while the information is super valuable and informative, it’s (in my opinion, anyway) written in a dry way, almost as if it was a paper for a school project or something. (Which is a stark comparison to Pat’s friendly, casual, uplifting videos.)
It’s also less expensive than Pat’s course, but it left me wanting more, which is why I went ahead and took Pat’s course after this one, anyway.
That said, if its price is more comfortable for you, and you enjoy learning via reading, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing may be the best affiliate marketing course for you.
Alternate Pick:
Pin Practical Influence
by Redefining Mom
So Pin Practical Influence by Monica Froese (aka Redefining Mom) may not look like it belongs in this list. Is it even about affiliate marketing?! Well, yes, yes it is.
In fact, as a person who looooves Pinterest, this may have been the most exciting affiliate marketing course I’ve taken, because it teaches you specifically how to use affiliate marketing on Pinterest itself.
In fact, in some cases, you don’t even need a blog or website to use affiliate links on Pinterest! How cool is that?
But there are a lot of rules and things to learn, and this course covers them all. Plus she gives helpful real-life examples for you to model (not copy, of course!) It’s a 90 minute course, so it’s quick enough where you can start implementing the strategies today!