As a new internet marketer, I know it can be frustrating trying to find high quality free affiliate marketing training. When I first started out, I spent tons of time searching for free and low-cost programs, and trying to piece together information from various blogs.

My problem was simple: before I had proven to myself that it is possible to earn money with affiliate marketing I was reluctant to spend a dime to educate myself, fearing that I would be buying into one of the many scams out there. I was desperate to find something free (or insanely cheap) to test out first, and then if it seemed trustworthy, I’d be willing to buy into it.

One day a few months ago, a friend (another online marketer) emailed me that Wealthy Affiliate, one of the leaders in the space, had just opened up their basic membership as a free option.

My Initial Reaction to the Free Wealthy Affiliate Training

Honestly, my initial response to my friend was,  “I’ve already figured out how to market online!” I’d been working online for years, but mostly with other, larger companies as part of a marketing team or strategist. Most of the marketing I’d done had been related to social media or paid search campaigns like Google Adwords, and I hadn’t really done too much work with long tail search engine marketing.

Needless to say, I was skeptical. Since it was free I went ahead and signed up anyway.

I was right in assuming the free training they provide is geared towards a beginner, targeting individuals who:

  1. Have never started an affiliate site before, or
  2. Have tried 1 or 2 sites, but have yet to ‘crack the code’ of how to make sites really successful.

However, as I began to work my way through the program, I realized just how valuable the training can be even for someone who has already launched multiple websites. If you already know the basics, you might skip the first few lessons, but the 2nd half of the training would be a good review of key concepts, and I guarantee you’ll pick up some useful tips.

Why I EVERY Marketer Should Join the Free Program

Excellent Introductory Material

Firstly, this is by far the most comprehensive FREE affiliate training I have found.

The basic membership (the free one) walks you through the process of getting a site up and running quickly, and introduces a lot of the key concepts involved with affiliate marketing, including:

  1. How the money flows with affiliate networks, and the role of affiliate sites within the internet marketing landscape.
  2. How to choose a niche that has a good chance of becoming profitable and providing you with long term passive income.
  3. How to use keywords effectively to target long tail search phrases, giving you the potential to target nearly unlimited traffic levels.
  4. What to look out for when signing up for an affiliate program and how to find the programs that are right for your website.
  5. What you need in order to develop high quality content for your site, and how that content will help you convert sales and generate a profit.

Easy to Follow Process

The other aspect I love about the Wealthy Affiliate free membership is how it makes the process of starting an affiliate site accessible to anyone.

  • You don’t need to have any online marketing experience. I’d worked online before, but the concepts presented are clear enough for anyone, even if you’re starting out for the first time, and the methods taught are applicable for beginners and experts alike.
  • You don’t need to know anything about programming or obscure technology. Wealthy Affiliate has a site-builder that will get your WordPress blog setup and configured in just a few minutes.
  • You only need a goal, and the determination to pursue it! This is absolutely the most important part of being successful online. Having a specific goals and taking action towards it is what separates the success stories from those who “almost” did it.

With each lesson, the training includes, specific, actionable steps that walk you through the process of applying the concepts to your own website.

With affiliate marketing, there’s no better way to learn than to sit down and build your first site, and the free training gets you up and running with that site in less than a week.

Strong Supporting Community

If you follow this blog consistently, you already know that I think it’s really important for anyone just starting out to have a strong support network to rely on. Like any new endeavor, you will encounter challenges; you will have questions, and you will have days where you think about giving up.

Having a community gets you past these moments, so that you can get your site to the point where you begin to earn some revenue. Participating in the Wealthy Affiliate community puts you in the middle of a group of people who have already experienced those challenges, and know what it takes to overcome them.

Taking the Leap

For a free program, I’m not sure how much more anyone could want. It’s an incredible offer and doesn’t cost a dime. It doesn’t even require a credit card submission to hold your spot like so many other “free” programs out there.

The free course is enough to get you started and lay the groundwork for a profitable affiliate business.

After you complete the free affiliate marketing training, there is a premium membership available with further lessons and materials. This is great for anyone who is ready to take their business to the next level, and ramp up to the point where you’re generating consistent, significant monthly income.

Many of Wealthy Affiliate’s members make a full time living online (myself included), and the program will work no matter how much time you’re willing to commit.

Regardless of whether you eventually opt for a full course, the free program is definitely a must-use resource! But don’t take my word for it, you have to see for yourself!

Click here to get started!