Affiliate marketing forums weren't invented by millennial marketers. In fact, forums were created prior to dial-up Internet service and served as a precursor to the World Wide Web’s current form. People have been creating threads and answering them with messages about business, marketing, money, etc. only using pen and paper, making their feedback available for whole communities to see.
If you think social media networks are today’s latest invention, they aren’t and date back as far as the 70s. There were simply no profiles and “likes” involved.
So, why the quick history lesson? Affiliate forums—or any forum for that matter—originate from bulletin boards and share the same old community-driven philosophy. Today, it’s just a lot easier to browse, post, and share content than it used to be, thanks to smartphones.
Since they are, for the most part, a hub for shared intel about specific topics, forums still play an important role online. Before we share our 8 favorite affiliate forums, we thought it would be interesting to point out a few things that make them still relevant and valuable despite the popularity of social networks.
Forums Vs. Social Networks
Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and online communities are a dime a dozen. Unfortunately, they don’t offer the same anonymity level as forums – something vital if affiliates don’t necessarily want to point out all of their hobbies or interests. It’s also great if you want to get feedback on a given marketing aspect without people knowing what business or industry you work in.
Anonymity has its perks
In a sense, joining a forum is a fresh start without the judgmental luggage social networks often bring. You’re not Rob from accounting, but someone with a (mostly) unknown identity. That alone is a considerable advantage over social networks, where publicly disclosing your personal life might be met with criticism.
Discuss the pros and cons of promo tools for marketing campaigns without the fear of a competitor using the information you’ll receive. Get suggestions on the type of offers to display using a banner on your blog, and get answers on how to boost your SEO score without spending money: all by starting threads or answering messages, and getting valuable input from other members of the forum.
A tailored community for you
Another great thing about forums compared to social networks is that independent people run a forum. By having independent forum management, admins can shape their communities in any way they want. Rules from Reddit, for instance, can become rather stingy while a forum will be more permissive in some areas since there are no shareholders or global policies to take into account.
Finally, forums are more unique. If you take a look at Facebook, one of the biggest networks there is, everything is so homogenous that nothing sticks out. On the other hand, forums are customized and provide a unique user experience. Remember that, unlike a social media network, people don’t join them every day. And for those who don’t have a CPA network yet, we encourage you to join one, as they could have their own forum as part of their platform for affiliates to discuss.
Sick of the corporate canvas? Forums can be a breath of fresh air. Here are the 8 essential affiliate forums you should subscribe to in 2022.
1. affLIFT
Established: 2018
Cost: $20 USD/month
Language: English
Although a tad young (4 years), it edges the competition to be, in our humble opinion, THE affiliate forum to join. As for its credibility, you just need to look at its founder, Luke King, who was an active and successful performance marketing executive for more than 14 years. Surely today, the man is an affiliate marketing encyclopedia to himself!
affLIFT is set up to consider the most important concerns and interests of affiliate marketers. Discuss ads, types of offers, marketing tools and CPA networks through a number of threads that are constantly updated by community members. There is no fat to cut. Everything is there.
What really edged affLIFT to the top of this list data and their numerous case studies. For us, data analysis and real-world applications are two things that we believe all affiliate marketers should understand in 2022.
Affordable premium membership is always a bonus. Join for only $350 for a lifetime to access case studies, affiliate courses for beginners, and guides and so much more!
While registration is free, you can upgrade your membership anytime later to access premium forum content. affLIFT currently has over 100 free public threads. However, if you purchase premium access, you get affiliate guides, follow alongs, and much more.
Beginner or pro, affLIFT should be on your radar as the premier destination.
2. AffiliateWorld Forum (STM Forum)
Established: 2011
Cost: $99 USD/month
Language: English
StackThatMoney, otherwise known as STM, is one of your best bets to grow as an affiliate. Comprised of the most successful affiliate marketers from a number of networks in the world, STM is a real premium community. Yes, it’s private and yes, the investment is nothing to scoff at, but in return, you get incredible quality content saving you thousands down the road… as they say, knowledge is power.
Compared to free forums, the information you find on STM comes from experts in their respective niches: great minds that master SEO strategy for organic traffic, affiliate managers who work for reputable CPA networks, and new affiliates who post on topics you’d be excited to learn from.
The monthly subscription acts as a filter to only let through committed affiliates who already have experience or are looking for help to perfect their marketing campaigns.
3. AffiliateFix
Established: 2011
Cost: Free
Language: English
AffiliateFix is probably the biggest, most important affiliate forum in the world right now. With 400+ posts per day and more than 100,000 active members, the sheer amount of information shared within is enough to keep you busy for a long time. All of this knowledge is available for free, making it a must for affiliates.
Perhaps more importantly, the community at hand is both respectful and insightful. Whether you’re looking to hone your business management skills or just need general advice because you just got started in affiliate marketing, everyone’s covered.
4. Warrior Forum
Established: 1997
Cost: Free ($97 USD for the War Room)
Language: English
One of the first and longest-running communities, Warrior Forum is a one-stop shop for anything related to online marketing. There’s a sea of posts you can browse and peruse to learn more about the forum and the forums’ rich history.
With over a million members and more than 700,000 threads, professionals who work in the digital marketing industry have more than they bargained for.
Learn about verticals and types of offers that pair well with your traffic sources. Read about what worked well for affiliates on their ads and give your own advice based on your success stories!
Most online marketers have joined over the last two decades because it’s always been among a handful of excellent communities out there.
Beware of shylocks
The caveat to WarriorForum’s popularity is that a lot of threads get lost. It’s also where you will find a boatload of self-proclaimed “gurus” that will try to take you under their wing. Unfortunately, this is mostly a waste of time since their experience can never be proven. So always be wary of any too-good-to-be-true offers to partner up with people. Stick to case studies and don’t be afraid to dig!
5. GFY
Established: 2000
Cost: Free
Language: English
GoFuckYourself or GFY for those in the know is the #1 resource for adult affiliates, period. The Sell & Buy forum is particularly useful if you’re looking to offload domains, to sell traffic links or buy quality content. Most of the users are old-timers that have 10+ years of experience in the industry.
Opinions run wild on GFY
That said, if you’re easily triggered or have strong political views, you’ll love to hate this forum. Aesthetically, the graphics feel like a blast from the early 2000s, but for better or worse, GFY remains a top affiliate forum despite its shortcomings and is major OG in the adult forum world.
6. iAmAffiliate
Established: 2013
Cost: $49.99 UDS/month
Language: English
Developed by iAmAttila, iAmAffiliate is a forum created for affiliates who want to transition from side hustle to a fully sustainable affiliate marketing business. It’s not that ambition is you know how and where to get answers to your most pressing questions. The best place for that is a forum that is designed to get you to make you succeed.
On iAmAffiliate, you find more than posts, threads, and messages. You’ll access 7-figure case studies, step-by-step tutorials, and exclusive courses on a number of trending topics: SEO content strategy, top offers, social media marketing, ad networks, and time management.
These are the best affiliate forums available for you to browse online! They all have their pros and cons of course, but they all have the most important thing you need on your journey as an affiliate: community.
We know that you will find a forum that is a perfect fit. Once you have decided, we strongly suggest you join, read, start threads, and comment through messages. Who knows, someone out there might have an answer quicker than you think.
Do you know other forums or communities other affiliates should use? Tell us in the comments below!
