Let me start, in keeping, by talking about the WORST affiliate marketing forums. Ironically, they happen to also be the most popular. You should understand the pyramid concept behind forums. The bigger they get, the worse the content tends to become. Unless you’re in the business of slinging shitty false dreams to other newbie marketers, you will want to steer clear of the larger Internet Marketing boards. They attract useless advice, the same rehashed “success formulas” and people who miraculously don’t make a single dime of profit outside the “make money online” niche.

The biggest offenders are The Warrior Forum and Digital Point. Both have minor redeeming qualities in the form of occasionally useful buying/selling sections (if you’re looking to outsource), but make no mistake, these are cesspits of bold promises and eternal letdowns. If you spend your days trawling these boards hoping for the one golden nugget of information that propels you towards riches, take a good look in the mirror and slap yourself in the face. Your attitude is all wrong.

These forums recycle the same whimsical bullshit. You can expect topics like “Where do I get the best backlinks?” followed by some dude with a paedophillic avatar answering “By using the social media”. This is usually followed by a stack of posts thanking said idiot while offering some other utterly useless advice of their own.

I’m not exaggerating. The majority of the topics, bar a few actually useful posts that as a newbie you’ll never be able to recognize from the trash, are a complete joke. Stay away from them.

Now that we’re on the same page. Let’s take a look at some Internet Marketing forums that actually deliver solid info. This shouldn’t take us long.

Aff Playbook

Aff Playbook, previously known as PPV Playbook, is one of the best forums to learn about Internet Marketing in the world today. It was one of the first to introduce a subscription model, and has really flourished in the last couple of years.

There’s an awesome selection of case studies, full of helpful info that you just don’t see splashed around on any of the free Internet Marketing forums out there.

I’m willing to bet that of all the Internet Marketing forums, Aff Playbook has the highest average earnings per member. I don’t know that for sure. But it seems pretty likely given the thousands of dollars I know several active members to be producing on a daily basis. You will need to subscribe to gain access, and I don’t even know if I should be referring newbies. But hey, check it out. Give it a shot.

>> Visit PPV Playbook Forum

Stack That Money

Stack That Money is a private community for CPA affiliates which houses some of the most vocal contributors to our industry. It’s packed to the rafters with excellent case studies, competitions and follow alongs.

I post there regularly, and it really impresses me to see the calibre of advice that gets given away. The community is driven by publishers who are making a lot of money, and they share many of their best strategies.

If you are interested in getting involved with mobile, or Plentyoffish, or Facebook… Stack That Money is an excellent learning playground. Slightly expensive, but highly recommended.

>> Visit the Stack That Money Forum

WickedFire

There are two ways of looking at the WickedFire community. On one hand, you have a bunch of highly intelligent and very successful marketers who DO make a lot of money. And on the other, you have a bunch of loose cannon pricks who will bite your hand off at the slightest mention of a topic that breaches whatever happens to be making them money at the time.

I find WickedFire to be quite polarizing. There’s so much alpha male jostling that it can be hard to filter the good information from the red herrings and general bullshit. It’s an intimidating place for a newbie so think twice about registering if you aren’t adept at choosing your words around posters who get their kicks out of taking poor gullible bastards for a meatspin.

Don’t expect “money knowledge” to be handed to you with zero posts. If you can prove to the community that you have something to offer, without stepping on the wrong egos, there’s some good working relationships to be established here.

WickedFire has an excellent buy/sell area where you can do business with some very talented freelancers, most of whom are extremely well versed in all things affiliate marketing.

>> Visit WickedFire Forum

Affiliates4U

I’ll probably get shot down for recommending the Affiliates4U Forum, but I don’t agree with the reputation it often gets tagged with. If this place can be accused of anything, it’s that the general community is a little corporate-heavy. You’ll find a lot of affiliate managers recruiting to their networks, and merchants seeking advice at the top end of their business.

I like Affiliates4U for the simple reason that it’s not plagued by the egos and drama that you’ll find elsewhere. It doesn’t have the stupidity leaking through the walls that you’d associate with Warrior Forum, but it DOES have a lot of people in powerful positions within their companies. I’ve done a lot of private networking on this forum, and I’ve been introduced to some great opportunities that have become staples in my business.

Don’t expect as much discussion of techniques relating to what it’s like to be an affiliate in the trenches. Use this place to spread your wings and gain a broader view of the industry, while developing some relationships with influential people that can help the growth of your business. I’ve always been a strong advocate of affiliates removing themselves from their own side of the story and looking at our industry from all perspectives. Reading the concerns of merchants, affiliate networks and other small businesses is a great way of digging your head out of the sand. It gives a sense of direction for what we can do to make sure affiliate marketing doesn’t disappear overnight in a cloud of scandal.

>> Visit The Affiliates4U Forum

Whatever problems you come across in this industry, the forums above should hold the answers or some perspective from people who’ve been there and got the t-shirt. But part of being successful means that you’re busy taking action today, and tomorrow, so that you have something to show for your “research”. If that’s what you call reading blogs like this.

Remember that there’s no success formula. No shortcut to millions. No golden nugget of information waiting to be read. The only way you can make this industry work for you is by being busier, smarter and more proactive than your competition.

So on that note, what are you waiting for? Get out there and make some money.

Thanks for checking out My Affiliate Toolbox. I genuinely appreciate it. If you have any questions, drop me an email on finch (at) finchsells dotcom.