Wait… why books?
While the internet can be a great place to learn about a topic, I find myself looking to books more recently to learn about a topic. It helps to filter out some of the noise, and as long as you’re reading from a trusted author, you know the information will be relevant.
In the world of affiliate marketing, you might think books aren’t a great place to find great information. You might be surprised to learn that the essentials of the business model remain the same, so a book is a great resource you can go back to time and time again.
That said, here are 5 books I think are a great addition to any affiliate marketer’s library (in no particular order). Read on to learn more!
1. Evergreen Affiliate Marketing
As author Nate McCallister points out, finding good information about affiliate marketing is hard. His goal with this book was to teach readers things that last, regardless of the state of the economy.
The book is broken into sections, each focused on a different aspect of the affiliate marketing business. It serves as a great framework to base your own business on, as well as giving you some ideas on how to expand your business.
2. Affiliate Marketing for Dummies
The “For Dummies” series has been a staple of bookshelves for decades. The affiliate marketing entry is an excellent addition to aspiring marketer’s collections.
The authors are both successful in the field, so their advice is something you can trust.
This book explains the process of affiliate marketing, what to look for in a program, how to write great content, SEO, legal & tax considerations, and more topics you’ll need to build a successful affiliate marketing business
3. $100M Offers – How To Make Offers So Good People Feel Stupid Saying No
$100M Offers isn’t focused solely on affiliate marketing, but more how you can build a wildly successful business with focus, effort, and some psychological knowledge.
The book is split into 5 sections – each focused on a specific aspect of highly successful offers. What’s to learn for affiliate marketers here? How to provide value, and make an offering to your audience that’s highly enticing to them.
While it may be more focused on businesses that offer their own products, the advice is still highly applicable to affiliate marketers.
4. Building a Story Brand
Hear me out on this one. Building a story brand is one of those books that changes how you think about the story your business tells its customers. “If you use the wrong words to talk about your product, nobody will buy it.”
The focus of the book, as you might have guessed, is on the power of using stories to improve how you communicate with customers and grow your business. Author Donald Miller does this through what he calls the “seven universal elements of powerful stories”.
In a world where niches are saturated, you have to stand out from the noise. Building a human connection with your readers through expert storytelling is a great way to do that.
5. Email Marketing That Doesn’t Suck
While it definitely shouldn’t be the first place you start, eventually you’ll want to build an email list to direct people to your offerings. Problem is, most email marketing really does suck – this book sets out to help you not suck at it.
Author Bobby Klinck uses his background in law to show how the old-school rules for email marketing just don’t work today. His approach shows you how to do it right, teaching the 5 phases of email marketing and how to infuse purpose into your message.
Bonus – The Copywriters Handbook: A Step By Step Guide to Writing Copy That Sells
Writing is still one of the easiest ways to get started in the affiliate marketing space. A blog with a deep backlog of content is the backbone of many affiliate marketing businesses.
Great copywriting is key to great blog posts, and this book is an excellent resource on the subject. It covers topics from headlines, to lead magnets, to making your copy clear, concise, and compelling.
Of course, good copywriting also comes with consistent practice. But the information in this book is a great place to start, and come back to, on your blogging journey!
There’s More Where That Came From!
So that’s 5 recommendations for you! Of course, there’s TONS of books on the subject of affiliate marketing and related topics. These a just some of the ones I think would be most helpful to those who are just starting, and looking to narrow the scope of their study!
A word of note. Don’t let analysis paralysis stop you from getting started. It’s easy to do tons of research, watch videos, read books and blogs, and feel like you’re being productive. Problem is, you’re not actually producing anything.
Start before you feel ready. Read book #1, take the frameworks it covers, and get started. You can always learn more as you go, in fact, that’s a big part of being successful. But if you let the fear of the unknown stop you, you’ll never reach your goals.
So get out there, and good luck!
