Wealthy Affiliate is the subject of much controversy among affiliate markers. So in this article, I will be explaining to you what Wealthy Affiliate Program is really about, and what is available in it.
What is Wealth Affiliate and how does it work?
Wealthy Affiliate is an affiliate marketing learning platform and community. They teach their members to do affiliate marketing primarily by building websites and using free traffic.
Wealthy Affiliate has two main courses for affiliate marketers.
Online Entrepreneur Certification
Their first course is called Online Entrepreneur Certification (OEC). It teaches you how to:
1. Create website(s)
2. Write and post articles on the website(s) consistently
3. Get those articles to rank in search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing. In so doing, people searching for information in those search engines will discover those articles (This is called free traffic)
4. Sign up to affiliate programs and networks
5. Promote the offers of those affiliate programs and networks in the articles on the website(s)
6. And Get paid commissions by the affiliate programs or networks anytime someone pays for/buys any of their offers
This is the summary of what Wealthy Affiliate’s first course does. Most Wealthy Affiliate members sign up for this course, and some earn consistent income from applying the OEC.
Affiliate Bootcamp
Now, to their second course: The Affiliate Bootcamp (AB)
This course teaches members how to get sign-ups for the Wealthy Affiliate program. They get paid commissions by Wealthy Affiliate for doing so. Members are taught to do this by using website(s) as well. So the process is quite similar to that of the OEC. Just that this time around, it is Wealthy Affiliate that you’re trying to “sell” on your website, instead of offers from other affiliate programs and networks.
One advantage this course has is that members could also promote Wealthy Affiliate by other means apart from websites which is not so easy to do in the case of the OEC.
Some members use simple word of mouth to family and friends. Others use social media. Others use YouTube. Just any platform that they’re comfortable with. Whatever the means used, once people sign up for Wealthy Affiliate Program (free membership) and then upgrade to Premium or Premium Plus membership, the member who referred them receives commissions from Wealthy Affiliate.
The Wealthy Affiliate members who do the Affiliate Bootcamp are far less than those who do the OEC. As part of the Wealthy Affiliate program, there’s more training in addition to the OEC and AB courses.
So in essence, this is what the Wealthy Affiliate program offers from the ordinary point of view. But is that all that’s available?
NO WAY!
What else?
Wealthy Affiliate has numerous under-exploited resources that you hardly hear of. It’s only very few Wealthy Affiliate members who make use of those resources. I am one of such members, and so I’m able to explain to you what I mean.
In addition to the OEC and AB, there is an abundance of online business education and training available in the Wealthy Affiliate Program/community for those who are creative. What am I saying? In order to get bigger results, you do not rely only on Wealthy Affilate regular courses.
Creativity Pays
For example, as part of their Premium and Premium Plus memberships, members have the possibility of creating multiple websites. Some smart members don’t use all those sites to promote affiliate offers or the Wealthy Affiliate Program. They approach local businesses in need of websites, propose to create and host their websites, and in most cases, manage the websites for them – all of which is taught in the Wealthy Affilate training.
One such client pays more than what the membership costs at Wealthy Affiliate. So a member who has several clients would be earning much in profit from this kind of creativity.
There are others who are professionals in their career. Based on what they learn at Wealthy Affiliate, they’re offering consultation services relating to their careers to clients from around the world. Another sure way of making good money!
There are also others who are making money from a YouTube channel they learned to start from extra training provided in the Wealthy Affiliate Program; etc.
My Case
In my case, I’m involved with a niche where information and guidance are greatly in demand. So in addition to applying what is taught directly on Wealthy Affiliate, I’m deveopping a series of e-books to be sold to my niche audience and have plans of creating a paid membership group (apart from my Youtube channel). These are not taught in Wealthy Affiliate but the training and education provided in the Wealthy Affiliate community have made me to be able to do these things.
Unlimited Possibilities
So these are some of the “unconventional” things that Wealthy Affiliate members who think outside the box are involved in. As long as you are creative, the possibilities are unlimited in the Wealthy Affiliate Program.
The few who have realized this are either already crushing it or on the road to doing so. Unfortunately, most people including members don’t see or think in that direction.
How to succeed with Wealthy Affiliate
At Wealthy Affiliate, you either stick to and apply the core courses consistently, or you become creative.
In the first case, you have to be patient, persistent and hardworking. Because it’s going to take you some time to succeed.
Unfortunately, people are generally too busy, not patient or don’t want to write on their website(s) consistently. This has caused most Wealthy Affiliate members not to apply the training as they should and are therefore not succeeding in making money.
If you’re not in tune with Wealthy Affiliate core courses, then the better option for you will be to use your acquired knowledge to build that unique online business you have in mind.
To succeed with the Wealthy Affiliate program, you must apply the one or the other – or both!
Criticisms
Wealthy Affiliate gets a lot of criticism. People want to be on a platform where everyone claims to be making much money. I’m not sure if such a space exists online! As a matter of fact, most money-making platforms’ members hardly make money. Wealthy Affiliate’s case appears alarming because their membership is massive (They claim over a million members). But the reality is most platforms’ members do not earn any income online, including many of those who say they do.
Reasons for Criticisms
Those who criticize Wealthy Affiliate either didn’t work hard or long enough to succeed, were not creative or were already advanced in affiliate marketing (they feel that the core courses are too basic). What such people forget is that there are many below their level who may actually need it.
A lot of such marketers were once at Wealthy Affiliate. They believe they outgrew the platform and therefore left.
This does not mean that there ain’t advanced marketers at Wealthy Affiliate. Sure there are. There are a number of them who have so many referrals that they earn in the thousands every month.
Other Avantages
In spite of the criticisms, there are other advantages Wealthy Affiliate offers (apart from what I’ve already mentioned).
For example:
- Their subscription is minimal for what’s available to benefit from. (That’s the reason behind their massive membership)
- Those new to online business can learn the basis of how to make money online (Many other programs generally meant for more experienced online entrepreneurs start you off assuming that you already know that)
- There are thousands others who have already gone through the Program ahead of you and most are willing to help answer questions you may have whenever you have difficulty.
- Free traffic: i.e. getting people to buy without you paying for ads. (Paid traffic is quite expensive and it requires a certain level of experience. Or else you lose a lot of money using it)
- Wealthy Affiliate community is not just for making money. Everyone uses the program as they please. There are members there who don’t care about making money. They seem to have found a kind of leisure activity where they can blog about anything you can imagine – which others believe should not be a part of a Make-Money-Online program. But that too is the Wealthy Affiliate platform.
Get indepth explanation on all aspects of the Wealthy Affiliate Program in this detailed Wealthy Affiliate review.
Who could Wealthy Affiliate serve?
So from the point of view of someone who is either new to online business or who does not have much money to spend on their business, the Wealthy Affiliate Program could be a great starting point. And if you can think outside the box, Wealthy Affiliate can serve you even better.
But you have to be committed to creating your success. Things won’t work out if you don’t make them to.
To Summarize!
To summarize, I would say, if you’re willing and able to write articles for a relatively long time before you begin to reap the fruit of your hard work; or you have another way of promoting affiliate networks or the Wealthy Affiliate Program, then choose one of the mainstream courses. OEC in case you see potential in a niche of your choice. Or AB in case you think promoting Wealthy Affiliate is a better option.
But if you’re not into both of these, then use the abundance of info and education to CREATE YOUR OWN – like I’m doing!
Your aspirations may not match what the Wealthy Affiliate program offers, but you can use what is available in it to create your own success. That’s what makes you an entrepreneur.
So this is what the Wealthy Affiliate program is really about.
You decide!
I’ve given you sufficient information about what Wealthy Affiliate is about and how you can use it. You can go ahead now and make an informed decision if the Wealthy Affiliate program is the right fit for you. If that is the case, then click here to sign up!
Thanks for reading my article. In case you have questions and comments concerning Wealthy Affiliate, leave them in the comment area, and I’ll be glad to respond to them.
I wish you the very best in your online business endeavors!