How to Choose the Right Affiliate Marketing Course

Choosing the right affiliate marketing course can be a daunting task. But don't worry. I am here to help you choose.

After all, if you choose the wrong course, this could spell disaster. And I don't mean that the course is bad, but you might not be well suited to execute the type of training in the course. 

You see, not all affiliate marketing courses are the same. Some teach affiliate marketing through blogging, while others teach only paid ads, email marketing, or even marketing on social media or YouTube. And don't even think about teaching yourself!

Many people choose based on price too. I get you want to buy something that doesn't cost much, but if it's the wrong course for you, it will be a huge waste of time.

You need to choose one that works for you.

For example, if you hate writing, you might want to choose paid ads instead, which means much less writing!

Why Listen to Me?

It's because over the last decade (longer than that now actually) I have bought close to 50 affiliate marketing courses - and counting. I've studied them all and applied what I have learned. I can now easily spot a good course from a bad one and know what to look for.

On top of that, the courses I like have helped me generate 6 figures in affiliate marketing commissions each year. So yes, with the right course you can make money, you just need to apply yourself.

So let's dive in and help you find a course that fits.

So to start off, let me get into the details about the different types of affiliate marketing that you can do and the best courses based on my experience for each.

Affiliate Marketing Courses That Teach How to Create a Blog or Website

Many affiliate marketers use a blog to promote their affiliate products. These courses teach you how to create a successful blog that attracts readers and converts them into buyers.

You'll learn how to create high-quality content, optimize your blog for search engines, and promote your affiliate products effectively.

In my opinion, this is the best type of affiliate marketing. This is because it's the most passive. When your pages rank and get traffic on Google, people will engage with your content, likely click on your affiliate links, and make purchases.

The only downside is that this type of affiliate marketing takes time. It takes time for your website to rank in the search engines, and you likely won't make any affiliate commissions for months.

In fact, you should be prepared not to make any money at all for 3-6 months. Most people need instant gratification, and this might not be the best option for you.

That said, if you're willing to put in the work to build your blog or authority website, it can be quite lucrative.

If you are not great at writing content, don't worry. AI is here to help. With AI, you can have the content created for you, but you'll need to make a lot of edits and fact check.

AI has really changed the game when it comes to content writing. You no longer have to hire expensive writers and can do the writing yourself, even if writing is not your strong point.

I prefer using Jasper AI - it's one of the best AI writing tools out there.

The Courses I Recommend for Affiliate Marketing With a Blog or Website

UPDATE: Some of these courses have been discontinued. I am leaving them up just in case you'd like to read more about these courses and maybe why they have simply gone away.

• The Authority Site System
• Affiliate Lab
• Savage Affiliates
• Blog Growth Engine
• Scale Your Travel Blog
• Passive Income Unlocked

I am a member of all of these courses and they all are fantastic. Your decision will be based on the different price points. The cheapest is $90 and the most expensive is $2497.

I know that's a massive difference, but clicking the links above will bring you to my individual review of each so you can decide what's best for you.

Each will open in a separate window for easy viewing.

Affiliate Marketing Courses That Teach Paid Ads

If you're interested in using paid advertising to promote your affiliate products, these courses are for you. You'll learn how to create effective ad campaigns on platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads.

You'll also learn how to track your results and optimize your campaigns for maximum ROI.

What's great about this type of affiliate marketing is that you don't have to write much. Your focus will be on creating landing pages with your sales offer. You can even use Jasper to do the copywriting for you, so that you won't have to think of catchy headlines or ad copy.

In my opinion, the best course for paid ads is Commission Hero by Robby Blanchard.

Affiliate Marketing Courses That Teach Email Marketing

Email marketing is a powerful tool for affiliate marketers. This type of course teaches you how to build an email list, create effective email campaigns, and promote your affiliate products through email. You'll also learn to measure your results and optimize your campaigns for better performance.

Like with a course on paid ads, you won't need to write much. Your focus will be on creating emails that offer value and get readers to click your affiliate links.

For email marketing, I recommend Igor Kheifets. He's one of the top affiliate marketers that only focuses on email marketing. Check out his eFarming Webinar here to learn more.

Affiliate Marketing Courses For YouTube

YouTube is another popular platform for affiliate marketing. These courses show you how to create high-quality videos that attract viewers and effectively promote your affiliate products.

You'll learn how to optimize your videos for search engines, create effective thumbnail images learn how the YouTube Algorithm works, and more. This will lead to more traffic and exposure to your affiliate links.

Your affiliate links can be displayed in the video, but the most popular way is in the description box. How often have you heard a YouTuber say, "Check out the link in the description box below!"? That's where you'll put your affiliate links.

But there's another bonus with doing affiliate marketing on YouTube.

Apart from making commissions with your affiliate links, you can also get paid by the YouTube Partner Program where you will make money from views.

However, a lot of people are too shy to go on camera but there is a solution. You can create what are called Faceless YouTube Videos. This is where you use existing videos (fair use) and create your own videos with them through editing. You don't need to be an expert in video editing because you'll be taught step by step how to do this.

Two of the best courses in my opinion to make money with affiliate marketing on YouTube is:

• Tube Mastery and Monetization
• Bye 9 to 5

Free vs Paid Courses – Which Should You Choose?

This is one of the most common questions I get — “Should I just stick to free tutorials on YouTube or invest in a paid course?”

The honest answer is: it depends on where you are right now and how serious you are about making this work.

Let’s break it down 👇

Free Courses — Great for Getting Your Feet Wet
If you’re brand new to affiliate marketing and just trying to understand the basics — things like what affiliate links are, how commissions work, or how to choose a niche — free content is a good starting point.
YouTube channels like ODi Productions, Income School, and Miles Beckler actually share solid beginner tips.

The downside?
You’ll get information overload. You’ll have ten different “gurus” telling you ten different strategies, and it’s easy to end up more confused than when you started. There’s no clear structure — and no one keeping you accountable.

Paid Courses — Great for Structure and Results
Once you’re ready to take affiliate marketing seriously, a paid course is 100% worth it.
A good course gives you a step-by-step roadmap to follow, saves you months of trial and error, and often includes access to private communities where you can get feedback and help when you’re stuck.

Another big advantage? Paid courses are usually updated more often. Free videos tend to go stale fast because the creator moves on to the next topic, while paid courses evolve with the industry.

A Good Middle Ground
You don’t have to go all-in right away. Start by learning some basics for free, then invest in a course once you’ve decided which direction you want to go — blogging, YouTube, paid ads, or email marketing.

👉 My advice:
If you’re serious about building an income from affiliate marketing, don’t be afraid to invest in your education.
Just make sure you pick a course that matches your personality, goals, and budget — not just the one with the flashiest sales page.

What Do You Want to Achieve?

Before you start researching affiliate marketing courses, it's important to identify your goals.

What do you want to achieve through affiliate marketing? Are you looking to earn a full-time income or just some extra cash on the side? Do you want to promote products you're passionate about or are you open to any niche?

Knowing your goals will help you narrow down your search and find a course that aligns with your interests and needs. It will also help you set realistic expectations for yourself and your affiliate marketing journey.

Here are 11 benefits when taking an affiliate marketing course.

Common Mistakes People Make When Choosing a Course

Even though affiliate marketing courses can be life-changing, a lot of beginners make the same mistakes when choosing one — and I’ve made most of them myself early on 😅.

Here are the biggest ones to watch out for:

1. Choosing Based on Hype or Promises
If a course promises that you’ll make thousands in just a few weeks, run the other way. Real affiliate marketing takes time, testing, and consistency. The best courses teach you skills — not shortcuts.

2. Ignoring Your Personality and Learning Style
Just because a course works for someone else doesn’t mean it’ll work for you.
If you hate writing, a blogging course will feel like torture.
If you don’t like being on camera, a YouTube course isn’t the best fit.
You have to choose a method that matches your strengths and interests — otherwise, you’ll burn out fast.

3. Falling for Flashy Lifestyles Instead of Proven Results
We’ve all seen the ads: Lamborghinis, beach laptops, and “I made $50K last month” screenshots. Don’t fall for that.
Instead, look for instructors who show real proof — case studies, student testimonials, or their own websites generating consistent traffic and sales.

4. Not Checking for Ongoing Support
A good course doesn’t end after you hit “complete.” You’ll want one that offers a community, coaching, or at least regular updates. Affiliate marketing changes fast — a course that hasn’t been updated in 3 years is basically useless now.

5. Thinking Cheaper Is Always Better
I get it — you want to save money. But buying the cheapest course just to “try it out” often leads to disappointment. I’ve done it myself, and those courses usually just rehash free YouTube content.
Sometimes spending a bit more means access to expert mentoring, better templates, or an active community that can help you grow faster.

6. Not Taking Action After Buying
This is the biggest one of all. You can buy the best affiliate marketing course in the world, but if you don’t implement it, you’ll never see results.
Don’t binge-watch — apply what you learn. Small, consistent steps beat perfection every time.

How to Spot Red Flags or Scammy Courses

Unfortunately, there are a lot of affiliate marketing “gurus” out there who are better at selling dreams than teaching real strategies. I’ve wasted money on more than a few of these over the years, so I want to help you avoid the same traps.

Here are the biggest red flags to watch out for 👇

1. Fake Income Proof or Screenshots
If the course creator constantly flashes earnings screenshots without any context or proof of where the money came from, that’s a huge warning sign.
Many fake gurus use “ClickBank test accounts” or Photoshop to fake income results. A legit instructor will usually show real campaigns, traffic sources, or even their active websites.

2. No Refund Policy or Hidden Terms
Any course that refuses to offer a refund or hides the policy in the fine print is a risk.
While some high-ticket coaching programs don’t offer refunds (which is fine if they’re transparent), a good course should always be upfront about the terms.

3. Pressure to Buy Immediately
“If you don’t join in the next 15 minutes, you’ll miss out forever!” — that’s classic fake scarcity. Real educators don’t need to pressure you to buy. They let their course speak for itself.

4. Overly Flashy Lifestyle Marketing
You’ll see the rented cars, big houses, and “laptop on the beach” videos — it’s all part of the illusion. The truth is, most legit affiliate marketers are working from a home office, not a resort in Bali.
Look for creators who are actually teaching, not flexing.

5. No Real Student Success Stories
If you can’t find any real testimonials, case studies, or success stories — skip it.
Legit courses will often have interviews, screenshots from students, or even a private group where you can see active results being shared.

6. Lack of Transparency About What’s Inside the Course
Before buying, you should know what the modules cover, what the strategy is, and who the course is really for.
If the sales page is super vague (“learn the secret system that makes me $10K/month”), that’s a bad sign. A good course will be clear about what you’ll actually learn and how it’s delivered.

👉 My rule of thumb:
If something feels too good to be true, it usually is.
Stick with creators who are transparent, show real examples, and teach strategies you can verify.

How to Evaluate Affiliate Marketing Courses

When evaluating affiliate marketing courses, consider the following factors:

Course Content: Does the course cover the topics you want to learn? Is the content up-to-date and relevant?

Instructor Expertise: Is the instructor an expert in affiliate marketing? Do they have a track record of success?

Course Format: Is the course delivered in a format that works for you? Do you prefer video, audio, or text-based content?

Student Reviews: What do other students say about the course? Are there any common complaints or issues?

Price: Is there a similar course with a good reputation for less money?

Guarantee: If you don't like the course, do they offer refunds?

Updates: Do you need to pay for a new version of the course when updates are made or are updates for life?

Upsells: Does the course have any upsells after you make the purchase? For some (including myself) this can be very off-putting. I really hate upsells!

These are just some of the guidelines to consider when choosing a course but they are the most important. Use these when evaluating. Or, you can just go with my suggestions as I've fully vetted them already!

How Long Does It Take to See Results from a Course?

This is one of the most misunderstood parts of affiliate marketing. People buy a course and expect to make money within a few weeks — and when that doesn’t happen, they assume the course “doesn’t work.”

The truth is, the timeline depends entirely on your effort, consistency, and the strategy you’re following.

Here’s what I’ve seen after taking dozens of courses myself 👇

If You’re Blogging or Doing SEO
Expect to put in at least 3–6 months before seeing any real traction. Search engines take time to trust your site, and ranking for keywords isn’t instant.
But once it starts to click, it’s one of the most passive ways to make affiliate income. You can make money even while you sleep — it just takes patience upfront.

If You’re Running Paid Ads
You can start seeing results much faster — sometimes within a few days — if you know what you’re doing.
The downside? You can lose money just as quickly if your ads aren’t optimized. That’s why I always recommend beginners learn the basics first before throwing cash at paid traffic.

If You’re Doing YouTube
YouTube is a long game too, but videos can gain traction faster than blog posts. If you’re consistent, optimize your titles and thumbnails, and stick to one niche, you can see results within 2–4 months — and the growth compounds over time.

If You’re Focused on Email Marketing
You can start earning fairly quickly if you already have a small list or traffic source. But building that list from scratch takes time — so plan for at least 2–3 months before things start to move.

👉 Bottom line:
Most successful affiliate marketers didn’t make serious money overnight. It takes time to learn, test, fail, and adjust.
If you commit to one course and give it 6–12 months of consistent effort, you’ll be miles ahead of the majority who quit after week two.

Consider the Cost

While cost shouldn't be the only factor in your decision, it's important to consider how much you're willing to spend on an affiliate marketing course.

Some courses may be more expensive than others, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're better. I bought some real duds that were expensive, while some cheap ones were great.

Many courses will have the option to pay in installments. Be sure to check what the final price is after all the installments are paid and compare that to the one-time fee. If it's a lot more money,

It would be more worth it to buy a one-time fee option. But this is all up to you and your finances.

Remember, you are investing in yourself here. The money will be well spent because the results could be life changing. Imagine being able to quit your job and be a full-time affiliate marketer?

How to Get the Most Out of Any Course You Buy

Buying the course is the easy part — the real challenge is sticking with it. I’ve seen so many people buy a course, watch a few videos, and then never log back in again.

Here’s the truth: even the best affiliate marketing course won’t work unless you do.

Here’s how to actually get results 👇

1. Pick One Course and Commit to It
Don’t buy five different courses and bounce between them. That’s a guaranteed way to get overwhelmed.
Stick with one solid course, trust the process, and don’t jump ship just because someone on YouTube said they made $10K with a “new secret method.”

2. Follow the Steps Exactly as They’re Taught
A lot of people get creative too early and start skipping steps. Big mistake.
If the course tells you to set up your niche site first or test your ad copy before scaling — do that. You can tweak later once you’ve mastered the basics.

3. Take Action Every Day (Even if It’s Small)
Watching videos doesn’t make you money. Implementation does.
Whether it’s writing one blog post, recording one video, or setting up one email — small, consistent actions add up.

4. Track Your Progress
Keep a simple spreadsheet or journal of what you’ve done and the results you’re getting. This helps you see patterns and stay motivated when things feel slow.

5. Join the Course’s Community or Facebook Group
If the course has a student community, use it! Ask questions, share wins, and help others.
You’ll learn a ton just from seeing what’s working for other people — and it keeps you accountable.

6. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
Most course creators actually want to see their students succeed. If you’re stuck, reach out to their support team or coaching group. You’d be surprised how many issues can be fixed with a single question.

7. Treat It Like a Real Business
Affiliate marketing is not a hobby — it’s a business. Give it the same attention you’d give any other job.
Set deadlines, stay consistent, and don’t quit when it gets tough.

👉 My advice:
If you go through the entire course, take action after every module, and stay patient — you’ll eventually start seeing results.
It might not happen overnight, but it will happen if you stay the course.

Recommended Courses (Update Coming Soon)

Over the years, I’ve reviewed and tested dozens of affiliate marketing courses — but since the industry changes fast, I’m currently updating this section to reflect which courses are still active and worth your money in 2025.

Several popular programs like The Authority Site System, Affiliate Lab, and Blog Growth Engine have closed, so I want to make sure I only recommend up-to-date alternatives that deliver real results.

👉 Check back soon — I’ll be updating this page with my fresh 2025 course lineup, including new programs that cover blogging, paid ads, YouTube, and email marketing.

In the meantime, you can browse all my verified reviews here: Best affiliate marketing courses updated list.

💡 Want to know when I update my list of the best affiliate marketing courses?
Join my free newsletter and I’ll send you the new list the moment it’s live — plus honest reviews that help you avoid scammy courses.

Conclusion

Choosing the right affiliate marketing course can be daunting, but it is essential to your success as an affiliate marketer. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can be confident that you are making an informed decision.

However, if you don't want to do the research yourself, then I've got you covered.

I've bought close to 50 affiliate marketing courses over the past decade and I've learned a lot from digesting all the training. With my experience, I can easily spot a trash course from a good one.

You'll notice that I don't recommend every affiliate marketing course under the sun on my list. For example, I don't think Wealthy Affiliate is worth the money so I won't recommend it. There are many others that I simply won't recommend.

So head on over to my recommended courses and see which one works for you based on the type of affiliate marketing that suits you best.

Remember, you can choose affiliate marketing with a blog, paid ads, email, or YouTube. Choose one that you are most interested in, then see my recommendations.

Related Articles