It’s tough to find books where the case studies and logic can be applied directly to affiliate marketing. I’m a keen reader and I like to get through quite a few books related to sales copy and persuasion techniques. Ever since I found this book, I’ve been shouting from the rooftops that you’d be a sinner not to have read it at least once.

In Ca$hvertising, you’ll discover 207 pages of marketing wisdom and sales psychology insight. There are other books that go deeper, but for affiliates, this is like a bible of case studies and useful examples. It’s actionable information. The sort of shit that you read through and instantly develop exciting new ideas from, chapter to chapter, page to page.

The book is written at a brisk pace and author, Drew Eric Whitman, wastes little time skirting around the edges. The first chapters see you plunged headlong in to The Life-Force 8. I’ve covered this subject in a couple of blog posts and it’s something that should improve all marketer’s creatives once they’re aware of it.

The chapter covers ground on the way that human beings are biologically programmed to respond to certain desires. None of us can escape our biological wiring and a good advertiser is capable of jumping on that human frailty to create more sales and more leads. You’ll find dozens of examples of the logic being put to the test, and many of these are “takeaway” in their nature.

By takeaway, I mean you don’t really have to put much thought in to what you’re being told here. Simply jack the basic principles, give your latest campaigns a makeover and you’re likely to see positive results. I’ve found it easier to target users and achieve success since having this Life-Force 8 drummed in to my head. In fact, I’ve gone one step further and blutacked the eight principles to my wall.

There’s plenty here you can digest in a single sitting but most of you will want to come back to the book many times in the future. I actively speak to several marketers who keep the damn thing by their desk for fear of being naked without it.

You’re probably going to find yourself smirking slightly as you get deeper in to the book. There are many examples of techniques designed to capture a reader’s attention. Some of them are laid out, word for word, almost screaming at the affiliate copycat bastards of the world – “Jack me, jack me!”.

I often see exact paragraphs cropping up on Plenty Of Fish and in media display ads. It’s scandalous how eager some affiliates can be to put theory to the test. But of course, those who benefit most from this book will be those who pay attention to the reasons for why we act as we do. Not those stealing case studies at the first opportunity.

As an affiliate marketer, I often get asked whether I “direct link or use landing pages” when I’m sending traffic to offers. Well, personally, I think this book acts as a fine example of why you’d be criminally insane not to use landing pages. Many merchants out there are far behind when it comes to selling their products. They almost expect us to do the work for them. So that’s exactly what we should be doing. Ca$hvertising is jam packed full of helpful advice for getting the most out of your landing pages.

It covers topics ranging from the easiest fonts to read, to the choice of your headlines, to the location of your calls-to-action. No stone goes unturned. There are minimal trimmings of bullshit and just a lot of really helpful tips for boosting your conversion rates.

I read through the entire book in a day. It’s not a deep read and it isn’t going to challenge you intellectually. It’s fast and fun. You can open a page at random and quite happily get by reading in a non-linear order.

Whether you’re an affiliate marketer, somebody involved with advertising on a more corporate level, or simply the owner of some shit you plan to sell – this is a gold mine of valuable knowledge. Get some brains in you and pick it up today.