What makes someone a true super affiliate? How do you find the right affiliate marketing guru to help you become a super affiliate marketer? Overall, finding an affiliate marketing guru to show you the ropes can be challenging.
Not because there’s a lack of people you can learn from. It’s hard not to get lost amongst the many (often self-proclaimed) super affiliates. Still, finding the right source of reliable information can help you become one of those super affiliates yourself.
The affiliate marketing industry reached $14.2 billion in 2023 and continues to grow at roughly 10% per year (Statista, 2024). With that kind of growth, learning from experienced affiliates who have already navigated the landscape gives you a meaningful head start. Others can teach you to avoid the wrong choices and mistakes they made.
To measure how your own campaigns perform across networks and traffic sources, publishers use wecantrack to consolidate conversion data from 450+ affiliate networks into a single dashboard.
Table of Contents
That said, choosing a Super Affiliate Guru
The right super affiliate guru for you is someone who gets you motivated and energetic when you are listening to them or reading what they wrote.
Whether you are looking for one-on-one coaching or just someone to follow on their blog or YouTube, learning from your affiliate guru of choice needs to get you thinking: “Let’s build this up.” Becoming a super affiliate calls for dedication, patience. The ability to keep putting in the work without seeing immediate results.
Be critical about who you learn from. Meanwhile, ask yourself:
- Does this person share real data and case studies, or just motivational content?
- Are they in it to share their wisdom, or is selling an expensive training program their primary revenue source?
- Do they have a track record of verifiable results?
- Is their advice specific and actionable, or generic and vague?
Keep in mind: no one can guarantee you success in affiliate marketing. Super affiliates making promises that sound too good to be true? Chances are they are just that. According to industry data, about 57.55% of affiliates earn under $10,000 per year. The top 9% earn over $50,000 monthly (Statista, 2024). The gap comes down to niche selection, traffic volume, and optimization.
Super affiliates stand out by their relentless focus on audience engagement and value. They go beyond promoting products to building genuine relationships with their audience, working directly with advertisers. Employing their own team.
8 That said, super Affiliate Rockstars
Here are our 8 favorite super affiliate rockstars (in random order). They’ve made this list by repeatedly putting out great content and proving that they truly are today’s affiliate marketing rockstars.
| Affiliate | Type | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| STM Forum | Community | $99/mo | Paid traffic affiliates |
| Income School | Course + Community | $449 one-time | SEO-focused bloggers |
| Pat Flynn (SPI) | Blog + Podcast + Courses | Free + paid courses | Beginners, passive income |
| ShoeMoney | Blog + Book | Free + book | PPC and marketing history |
| Charles Ngo | Blog + Courses | Free + paid | Performance marketers |
| Wealthy Affiliate | Training community | Free + $49/mo | Complete beginners |
| Nick Loper | Blog + Podcast + Books | Free | Side hustlers |
| Zac Johnson | Blog + Podcast + Udemy | Free + from $56 | All-round affiliates |
1. STM Forum
STM is a community that focuses on building a network of like-minded people to inspire and motivate each other. It is one of the biggest and most renowned affiliate marketing communities.
StackThatMoney, or STM Forum, was launched in January 2011 by Lorenzo Green, Besmir Bregasi. Stackman. Their goal was to create a networking hub providing case studies, how-to guides. Information on topics related to affiliate marketing. The forum has since merged with the Affiliate World Conference brand and now operates as Affiliate World Forum.
What they offer
You can check out some free content and blog posts on their website. The real value is in joining the community. For $99 a month, you get access to a massive library of relevant content across 52,175+ threads and 433,238+ posts, including:
- Advanced step-by-step tutorials for every traffic source and vertical: native, Facebook, Google Ads, pop, push, ecommerce. Everything in between.
- Tips and strategies that can turn your campaigns from -100% ROI to +500% ROI.
- Case studies with detailed numbers that you can replicate yourself.
- Masterminds for all skill levels, from newbies to people making $XX,XXX/day in revenue.
- Networking opportunities that can turn your campaigns from losers to winners. Teaming up with someone can make your life at least 2x easier.
- Strategies used by veterans that you will not find anywhere else.
If you sign up and don’t feel that the forum is a good match, you can request a refund within the first 7 days, no questions asked.
2. Income School
This is a prime example of two super affiliates who have mastered affiliate marketing by stepping in the mud, buckling down. Getting things done. Now, they have a scalable, flexible, and profitable affiliate marketing company.
They continually crank out and rank new websites and prove time and again that their system works. Income School was established in January 2015 by Jim Harmer and Ricky Kesler.
Notably, in 2018 they launched their flagship course, Project 24, named after the goal of creating an online business that can replace your day job and provide you with a full-time income in 24 months.
Although Jim left in 2021 to pursue other interests, Income School and Project 24 continue to grow from strength to strength.
Free resources
You can follow Income School on YouTube and learn from Ricky and Jim in easy-to-watch, high-energy videos on all important topics for an affiliate marketer. Their prime focus is on SEO, writing blog posts, and starting a YouTube channel.
Paid program, Project 24
Looking to really commit? Then you should check out their Project 24 program. For $449 you’ll get access to:
- Jim and Ricky’s 60-step program to build a profitable niche site and YouTube channel
- A community of like-minded people also working to build affiliate businesses
- Courses and videos to learn what you need to know
3. Pat Flynn (SPI)
If we had to name one true super affiliate rockstar, it would probably be Pat Flynn. Like so many other people, he was forced into affiliate marketing by the hardships he faced in his career.
Smart Passive Income (SPI) was founded in 2008 by Pat Flynn as a personal blog. Pat graduated from college with an architecture degree and loved his job at the architectural firm he was working for.
Unfortunately, the 2008 economic crisis hit the architectural industry hard, and he lost his job. He decided to focus all his attention on online marketing. As his blog grew, he hired other people with the same vision to work with him.
Therefore, free resources
Smart Passive Income has plenty of free educational material to explore. Pat also has a YouTube channel with many inspirational videos to guide you toward becoming a super affiliate. You can also find his podcast, The Smart Passive Income Online Business and Blogging Podcast.
Paid courses
There are also paid, high-quality courses to choose from if you want to delve deeper into a subject.
4. Jeremy Schoemaker (ShoeMoney)
Jeremy Schoemaker is another story of someone who went from unemployment to becoming a true affiliate marketing superstar. In short, the ShoeMoney blog grew to be an icon in the affiliate marketing world. You should definitely check it out in searching for your mentor.
2003 was a turning point in Jeremy Schoemaker’s life: he met his wife, started his blog. Lost 200 pounds through gastric bypass surgery.
“From selling washers and dryers at Sears to managing multimillion-dollar pay-per-click campaigns, I have been exposed to so many types of marketing. I use this experience now to focus on my own company and hope to make it one of the most profitable online businesses there are.” (Jeremy Schoemaker)
In ShoeMoney.com, Jeremy shares his ups and downs in online marketing. The blog reached a daily readership of over 30,000 people at its height, though traffic has declined significantly since then.
Free resources
On the ShoeMoney blog, you can find useful articles on SEO, marketing, business, and affiliate marketing. It is a deep library of information and inspiration where you can easily spend a few hours browsing, reading. Learning.
Paid resources
Jeremy also wrote a book, Nothing’s Changed But My Change: The ShoeMoney Story. In it, he tells about his journey and how he became a top affiliate marketer.
5. Charles Ngo
Charles Ngo is one of the thought leaders and super affiliates in the affiliate marketing world. His story is similar to that of many others on this list. Not an exceptional student, he got stuck in a meaningless job after graduation. His quest: to become the Asian James Bond.
We don’t know about 007, but he did manage to become a highly successful super affiliate. You should definitely check him out.
Free resources
Charles’s blog has plenty of informative articles on affiliate marketing and building your business.
Paid mentorship
Want Charles as a more in-depth mentor? Check out his website for available courses and resources on how to build a profitable affiliate marketing business.
6. Kyle & Carson (Wealthy Affiliate)
The ultimate goal of any affiliate is to become wealthy, right? That’s the purpose behind Wealthy Affiliate: an initiative to help other people succeed online in the same way Kyle and Carson had already experienced success.
They built a complete affiliate training community to help people get started, expand their business. Reach their personal goals, whether that is a passive income of $100 or $100,000 a month.
Wealthy Affiliate was co-founded in 2005 by Kyle Loudoun and Carson Lim. It has become one of the largest online training communities for affiliate marketers, with 2.6+ million members across 193 countries.
“You cannot make people love a service, you have to create a service that people love.” (Kyle Loudoun)
Free tier
If you want to get started in affiliate marketing, their free subscription might be a good place to start.
Paid community, from \$49/month
Are you looking to really level up your skills, motivation, and success? Then, the Wealthy Affiliate community is the place for you. Here, you can come in contact with Kyle and Carson themselves and spar with hundreds of thousands of people in various stages of their affiliate marketing journey.
Subscriptions that allow unlimited community communication start at $49 a month.
7. In short, nick Loper (Side Hustle Nation)
Many affiliate marketing rockstars started out with their affiliate website as “a side hustle”. The dream is to make that side hustle into your main cash source. If you are looking for a super affiliate to help guide your way, Nick is worth checking out.
What is riskier, asks Nick. Should you start a side business or rely on your job as your only source of income? As many people in these times can attest, a day job is not as assured as it often seems.
Side Hustle Nation was founded in 2013 by Nick Loper, author of seven books on side hustles, entrepreneurship, marketing. Productivity.
It won the Plutus Award for Best Entrepreneurship Blog/Podcast in 2016 and 2018. The Side Hustle Show has been downloaded more than 70 million times, and Nick has over 100,000 email subscribers.
“My aim is to help you build something you care about, generate income outside of your day job. Therefore, build more financial freedom and security into your life.” (Nick Loper)
Free resources
Nick has a blog and a podcast with plenty of useful and inspiring content to get your own super affiliate motor running. He doesn’t solely focus on affiliate marketing. Super helpful and practical ideas on other ways to make extra cash online can also be found here.
Nick’s response to this article:
8. Zac Johnson
Zac Johnson is a veteran super affiliate of affiliate marketing. He has over 25 years of experience making money online and is mainly fascinated by the many different ways people keep finding to make a living online.
He started out by making $0.01 affiliate income on CPC campaigns. Now he earns substantially more. However, and perhaps he is that one affiliate superstar that you have been looking for to teach you how to do the same.
Zac Johnson launched his blog ZacJohnson.com on March 17th, 2007, and runs a successful podcast, Rise of the Entrepreneur.
He is also an instructor on Udemy with multiple courses. Tens of thousands of students have enrolled in at least one of them.
Free and paid resources
Zac has a blog and a podcast where you can find helpful content. He also has some practical step-by-step approach frameworks that you can buy at a reasonable price (starting at $56).
Moving Forward
There is no shortage of successful affiliate marketers and super affiliates willing to share their wisdom. Finding the ones that give you the energy and motivation to reach the same level of success will make a difference in your affiliate marketing journey.
Meanwhile, read the backstories of the super affiliates that we have mentioned in this list and discover which of them speaks to you. Perhaps there is some overlap with your own story that helps to motivate you.
Once you have found your direction, the next step is tracking your results. wecantrack helps affiliate publishers consolidate data from 450+ affiliate networks into a single dashboard. Then, you can see exactly which content and campaigns drive revenue.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a super affiliate?
A super affiliate is an affiliate marketer who consistently earns significantly more than the average affiliate. While about 57.55% of affiliates earn under $10,000 per year, super affiliates typically earn $50,000 or more per month. They stand out through a combination of deep niche expertise, high-quality content, strong audience relationships, and data-driven optimization. Super affiliates often work directly with advertisers, negotiate custom commission rates, and manage their own teams.
How much do super affiliates make?
Earnings vary widely. Top-performing super affiliates earn $1.5 million or more per year (Statista, 2024). The top 9% of affiliate marketers earn over $50,000 per month,. 15% By contrast, report annual earnings between $80,000 and $1 million. The income gap comes down to niche selection, traffic volume, and optimization. Affiliates in finance, SaaS. Overall, health niches tend to earn more due to higher commission rates, with SaaS programs offering 20-70% commissions compared to 1-10% for physical products.
How do you become a super affiliate?
Start by choosing a profitable niche where you have genuine knowledge or interest. Build a content-driven website and focus on SEO as your primary traffic strategy,. 70% Of affiliate marketers consider it the most effective approach (Authority Hacker, 2023). Create product reviews and how-to guides, which account for 78% of affiliate content that converts. Track your performance across all networks and channels to see what works. Use tools like wecantrack to consolidate data from 450+ affiliate networks. Therefore, most importantly, commit for the long term: 40% of affiliate marketers have been in the industry for over five years before reaching significant earnings.
Is it too late to start affiliate marketing?
No. The affiliate marketing industry reached $14.2 billion in 2023 and is growing at approximately 10% per year (Statista, 2024). However, by 2026, the industry is projected to reach $12 billion in the US alone. New niches continue to emerge, and the shift toward AI-driven search, video content. Therefore, mobile optimization (which now accounts for 62% of affiliate traffic) creates fresh opportunities for newcomers. As a result, the key is choosing a niche with less competition and building genuine expertise rather than trying to compete in saturated markets.
What makes a good affiliate marketing mentor or guru?
A good affiliate marketing mentor provides practical, actionable advice based on their own verified results. Look for mentors who share real data, case studies with specific numbers, and transparent accounts of both successes and failures. Be cautious of anyone who guarantees specific income levels or pushes expensive courses as their primary revenue model. The best mentors typically offer free content (blogs, podcasts, YouTube channels) that demonstrates their expertise before asking for payment. Communities like Affiliate World Forum also provide peer learning and accountability alongside expert guidance.
