An online community to help support your affiliate marketing business is an asset all entrepreneurs should consider having. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned marketer, having the support of like-minded people can be invaluable.
Hi, my name is Suzanne and I am an affiliate marketer. My goal is to help support new and experienced marketers to become more successful online. And I definitely recommend a community for success!
This is my community and I love it!
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Why An Online Community Can Help You Succeed
The Business Dictionary describes the community as:
“Self-organized network of people with common agenda, cause, or interest, who collaborate by sharing ideas, information, and other resources.”
Have you ever been part of a group with a particular characteristic in common? Think about the different social circles you are part of. Are you a member of a sports team, a church, a school? How about Facebook, Twitter, etc?
These are different communities in your everyday life. They form a support group for you. They are places you can go to for:
- advice
- help
- support
- sharing ideas
- networking
Anything really, that would help you become more successful in that particular environment.
Think about school for a minute. We’ve all been there at one time or another. Learning something new can be intimidating, so having people we can go to for support is necessary for our success.
Can you imagine learning the math skills that are taught in schools these days, without the help of teachers and other students going through the same lessons?
The same goes for entrepreneurs who are learning to succeed with online affiliate marketing. The methods to become successful are always changing, as companies like Google continually change their algorithms.
What worked five to ten years ago are no longer relevant today. Having a community of people who you can ask questions or who discuss changes they’ve come across can be a very valuable time-saver.
Our strengths can help another’s weaknesses and vice versa.
Some people find it beneficial to bounce ideas off others or have others give feedback when needed. You can become so focused on one idea that fresh eyes can sometimes pick out things that need correcting.
Getting a positive response can be so uplifting that it encourages you to keep going, even when you feel discouraged.
What Do Successful Communities Have In Common
CMX And Leader Networks did an extensive study to determine what makes a successful community. These are some of their biggest findings.
#1. Online Communities Help Increase Member Trust.
When you use an online product, software, or service, isn’t it comforting that they provide a community of members who can interact with each other?
When you run into a problem and need troubleshooting ideas, talking with other members can get you up and running quickly. The cost of this value alone pays for itself!
Communities not only create trust, but they also cement it!
Knowing that the company cares enough for its members to provide an asset like this, builds trust with not only the company but with the founders on a personal level.
#2. Online Communities Build Competitive Advantage.
Online communities have become an important feature for brands that want to remain competitive. And their desire to focus on member satisfaction helps to create new and improved product ideas for their platforms.
Communities aren’t just a competitive advantage, it’s a competitive necessity!
This is a big advantage for those of you who are part of these online communities. Not only do you benefit from continually added features, but if you choose to promote these communities, you have great leverage over other, similar platforms.
#3. Successful Communities Have Founder Support And Interaction
56% of online communities have strong executive support. This shows you that the majority of communities are successful because of their founder’s willingness to see this as a major asset to their companies.
On the flip side, 31% of communities fail because of a lack of internal support and resources.
The most successful communities have a dedicated community manager!
So finding an online community that is thriving will have a dedicated manager or founder who interacts with its members, both listening, advising and acting upon suggestions.
#4. A Successful Community Has Member Engagement
How often have you been told the service you bought into has its own community, but then discover it’s barely active? There are maybe 2 or 3 members logged on at a time, or you can never reach the founders. It’s very frustrating!
An active community of like-minded people is crucial to the survival of any online community!
Researching before opting in is necessary to ensure you are getting what is promised. If you see growth in a community, it shows that it matters to its members and is delivering solutions to their problems.
#5. The Type Of Software Program Or Platform Is Very Telling
Does the community you’re a part of have its own dedicated platform, or is it simply a Facebook Fan Page? Successful communities will put an important emphasis on the type of platform they choose for their members.
Long-term success is influenced by the platform developed!
Personally, when I see an advertisement which states they have a large, private community and I find out it’s just a Facebook page, I’m very disappointed. Anyone can create one of those. It shows me that the product or service creator is taking the lazy way out!
So Where Do I Find One Of These Communities?
Are you looking for a community that covers a wide variety of topics and information, or a specialized community suited to your online needs?
As an online marketer myself, I require a community that will support all types of online marketing strategies as well as being able to network with other members.
When you search online for these types of communities, you will find many websites offering their help and support. Many come with forums that you can scroll through to find answers to your questions.
Unfortunately, this is time-consuming and often has outdated information. Another disadvantage is having to wait hours, or days, to get an answer to a question you posted. That can be very frustrating when you have to wait to fix or improve upon your website.
Here are some wide range communities I’ve researched:
- forum format (public viewing)
- must register to post questions
- upgrade to “War Room” for $97/year for resources
- forum format (public viewing)
- must register to post questions
- upgrade for $67/year for few resources and access to private areas
- $199/year for “Affkit” tools for images, email, calculator, sounds, etc.
- forum format
- cannot access anything without $99/month membership
There are several online training platforms that have their own communities as well. This greatly depends on what type of training you are looking for.
Affilorama (Email Marketing only)
- in-house forum format
- very quiet forum
- free membership is very limited
- $1425 in upsells for training and resources
Please read my Affilorama review
Chris Farrell Membership (Email Marketing Only)
- in-house forum format
- very quiet forum
- $37 per month membership for access to resources
Please read my Chris Farrell Membership review
Wealthy Affiliate (All Online Marketing Strategies)
- the in-house live chat platform
- active platform with over 800K members
- over 32K interactions per day
- $49/mo or $349/yr membership for training, tools, website hosting, etc.
Please read my Wealthy Affiliate review.
Of course, you can look around online to get any support or information you need, but the only problem with joining various forums or looking at different websites is that they all offer different types of information and advice. What one site may suggest, another will suggest something different.
I always find it amazing how many answers there are to the same question online. Remember when I said it could take a long time to get answers? It’s so time-consuming!!
Can I Save You Some Time?
I want to share with you the community I am a part of. We are all like-minded people, in that we are all affiliate marketers looking for success. We help each other answer our questions, often with many responding to one query.
My absolute favourite part is that it includes a live chat that’s available 24/7/365 day a year. That right! It’s because this community has more than 1 million members, from all around the world.
You can be online at any time of the day or night, and you will get an almost immediate response. No waiting hours or days for answers to your questions.
Not only is there a community, but there are also many more benefits to help you build a successful business.
They provide all the training, tools and technical support you’ll ever need.
The best part is that you can join for free, no credit card needed.
If you’re just starting out, this is the absolute best teaching platform out there. If you’re already a successful marketer but would like to keep up with all the changes in the industry, or just want to be part of a like-minded community, this is the place for you.
Give it a try! You have nothing to lose, it’s free! And you have everything to gain.
What community are you a part of? Let me know in the comments below.
If you know of anyone looking for a marketing community, please share.
Your friend,
Suzanne
Hello Suzanne,
I can agree with you about having a community where you can share thoughts and communicate at all levels with other community members. In business, I found out that the lack of one small detail or information can create a big problem going forward.
When there is a community where you can discuss the problem and someone has the answer to your problem, it is smooth sailing.
I am always surprised by how many others struggle with the same issue as you. And when you mention your problem, everyone benefits by being able to read the responses. It’s the best way to be able to move forward in business.
Thanks again,
Dorcas
Hi Dorcas, thanks for stopping by!
You are so right. I tried working by myself when I first started online, and it sucks! lol.
It’s lonely and as you said, there’s no one to discuss your problems with.
When I first started with Wealthy Affiliate, I was incredibly impressed with their community. Not only are there thousands of people online at any given time, but the level of experience was also vast.
If I could make you a recommendation, find yourself a mentor in the community who you can get to know well and get their help from. That was one of the first things I did, and it made a HUGE difference in the success of my business.
Then when you’ve gained enough knowledge, you can turn around and help someone who needs it.
Hoping your business is sailing smoothly, lol.
Suzanne
Hey Suzanne,
Thanks for this article.
For years, I have tried to start up on my own in the online market, but being alone and without any support, I often found it difficult to understand my mistakes and find the strength to go on.
I have personally joined Wealthy Affiliate, and since I made this decision, a whole new way of opportunity has opened up before me.
Not because there was less work, on the contrary! But because the community helps me to move forward when I’m stuck and supports me when I need it.
What I really appreciate is how quickly everyone responds. This is super helpful when you’re stuck on an issue and need an immediate answer. The live chat platform is perfect for this!
Thanks again,
Katie
Hi Katie, and thanks for commenting.
It’s good to hear that you’re a fellow WA member. It’s an amazing platform, right?
I’ve been a member since 2011, and will probably be there for life, lol. They have so many benefits, and the community is one of the big ones.
Even when you’ve reached your goals (not that I don’t keep creating new ones…) there’s always something new to learn from fellow members, or reaching out to help others. And the friendships I’ve made around the world are priceless.
You’ll have to reach out to me in live chat. I’m on every day, lol. Let’s chat!
Cheers,
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
This is just such a great post and a reminder of why communities are so important. A community is like a family, and yes, they will support you and help you all the way.
So whether it is a family community, or working or business community, the support you get from them is invaluable.
As a fellow member of Wealthy Affiliate, I really appreciate the community there. Not only is it right on the platform, but it is also always very active. Any time I have a question, I get an answer very quickly.
That is very important when you are starting out and need help often. There’s nothing better than getting a quick reply so you can move on to your next step.
They also have “live chat” which means I can talk to someone in real-time and have a conversation. I have a mentor there that I can chat with when I need help.
Thank you again!
Thanks so much for commenting. I so happy you enjoyed my post.
I agree with you! Community is important and the one we have access to on Wealthy Affiliate is the “bomb”, lol.
Seriously, they are fantastic. I’ve made friends around the world. Which is really handy if you happen to be a night hawk like me and looking to talk to someone in the middle of the night…
We have members around the globe, so there’s always someone available at any time of day or night.
Best wishes to you,
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
You have written about a very relevant topic of community hand-holding for affiliate marketers. I am a member of Wealthy Affiliates currently and after reading your post, being in the WA community makes much more sense to me.
The initials steps in any new enterprise are very intimidating. You don’t know which direction to move into and what you are supposed to do when.
WA community ensures that there is help at hand every time and questions where you get stuck are answered real quick. I fully agree with you on bouncing off ideas and getting encouraging comments – they keep you going for a long time.
Finding the founder member for critical help is important but once they have developed a reliable second line, does it matter?
Thanks again!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Working online can be a lonely business, so being part of a like-minded community is important for many reasons.
What I particularly appreciated in the beginning, was finding someone (or someones) who were much more advanced than me, and having them mentor me along.
And now that I’m further along and have more experience, I can return the favour and help mentor the beginners just starting out.
It’s always been amazing how active this community is as well. I’ve been part of other groups on other platforms, and you could hear “crickets”, lol. There’s nothing more frustrating than having to wait days for a response.
If you’re not part of the Wealthy Affiliate community, then you need to find another that’s active and helpful!
Cheers,
Suzanne
Being part of a community of like-minded entrepreneurs is critical for success in my opinion. Like you have stated, when it comes to online marketing, strategies used a few years ago are now outdated. Without an active community engaged in this process daily, knowing which way to go can be confusing.
But when you are part of a community that is all working on the same page but for their own unique niches, having someone answer your questions in a timely manner and point you in the right direction,is priceless.
Thank you, Robert, for your comment. You are spot on!!
The Wealthy Affiliate community is certainly one of a kind. I’ve looked at many others online, and nothing comes close.
What I appreciate is the pay-it-forward attitude everyone has. If someone has discovered a technique that worked for them, they share it with the community rather than keep it to themselves.
And it’s just as important for me now as it was in the beginning. Even experienced marketers need encouragement every now and again, lol.
Cheers,
Suzanne
Love having a place solely for affiliate marketers to come learn and share ideas with one another!
Hi Corey,
You’re so right! This is one of my favourite things about Wealthy Affiliate. That and it’s a live chat!
Cheers,
Suzanne
Hi, Suzanne. I agree with you that support from a community can give a big difference in our results. Thank you for giving other community reviews. Thank God I found Wealthy Affiliate as my first love community for learning an online business. This is a really great community where the members love helping other members by answering questions, sending a message through PM, etc. The WA leaders has succeeded in building great learning system.
Hi Melani,
Thanks for commenting. Yes, the community here at Wealthy Affiliate is very helpful. It’s an asset to know there are so many successful people here we can go to for help and advice.
Thanks again,
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne
Comunity is the answer to the problem. I think no program, not even the best and most expensive one can really answer every question. Working together with 800.000 people though makes the chance of finding a satisfying answer a lot easier.
I work with Wealthy Affiliate already and have experienced loads of advantages working in a community.
Great info Suzanne
Hi Stefan,
That’s for sure. I’d much rather rely on someone within the community than spend time searching online for those answers. They’ve helped me out time and again!
Cheers,
Suzanne
Your advice on how a community can help like-minded people who are wanting or have a online business is excellent. The best by far to me is “Wealthy Affiliate” I see no other coming close and adhere to everything you say about community.
Hi Maurice,
Yes, the like-mindedness community is truly an asset. In researching other teaching platforms, I never come close to seeing a community like this one.
Thanks for commenting,
Suzanne