Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing Review (Updated) by Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Course Name: Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing

Instructor: Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Price: $197 (or two payments of $105)

Overview

If affiliate marketing sounds like a magical way to earn money while sipping margaritas on a beach, this course might be for you—though it won’t provide the margaritas.

"Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing" is a self-paced online course created by Michelle Schroeder-Gardner, who claims to pull in more than $50,000 per month from affiliate marketing alone.

That’s more than many people make in a year, which is why this course has drawn plenty of attention.

The course is geared toward bloggers, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to monetize their online presence through affiliate marketing.

It’s all text-based, meaning no awkward videos to pause halfway through while you try to figure out what’s happening.

You can read it at your own pace, whether that’s over a weekend or stretched out longer than your New Year’s resolutions.

Content and Structure

"Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing" is split into six modules, each aimed at building your affiliate marketing know-how from scratch—or improving it if you’ve already dabbled. Here’s a closer look:

• Module 1: What is Affiliate Marketing?
  Think of this as the "Affiliate Marketing for Dummies" section. You’ll learn what affiliate marketing is, how it works, and why it’s a big deal in the online world. Spoiler alert: it’s all about getting paid for recommending products.

• Module 2: How to Find and Apply to Affiliate Programs
  Michelle guides you through the process of selecting affiliate programs that actually make sense for your niche. You’ll also learn the art of applying to these programs without looking like you’ve just started Googling "what is an affiliate link?" five minutes ago.

• Module 3: Follow the Rules
  Because nobody wants to be slapped with legal issues, this module focuses on compliance. It explains the fine print, like disclosing affiliate links to your audience and not doing anything that would make the Federal Trade Commission raise an eyebrow.

• Module 4: How to Get Your Readers to Convert
  This is where things get spicy. You’ll learn strategies for turning casual readers into people who click your affiliate links—and actually buy something. No Jedi mind tricks required.

• Module 5: Strategies to Promote Affiliate Links
  Michelle shares her tried-and-true methods for getting your links out there without being pushy or annoying. Think Pinterest, email marketing, and subtle placements that don’t scream, "Buy this now or else!"

• Module 6: Rinse and Repeat
  The final module focuses on scaling up your efforts. Once you’ve mastered the basics, Michelle helps you streamline your approach, expand your reach, and—if all goes well—grow your income.

The course also comes with bonuses, like a workbook to track your progress and a private Facebook group where you can ask questions, swap tips, and maybe even find someone to commiserate with when you realize affiliate marketing is harder than it looks.

Who Is Michelle Schroeder-Gardner?

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner is a self-made success story, which means she’s the type of person who makes you wonder why you’ve been scrolling social media instead of building an empire.

She runs the blog "Making Sense of Cents," where she shares personal finance advice, side hustle tips, and a hefty dose of affiliate marketing wisdom.

Michelle started her blog in 2011 as a hobby while working full-time as a financial analyst.

Fast forward to today, and her blog reportedly generates over $100,000 a month, with about half of that coming from affiliate marketing.

She’s been featured in major media outlets like Forbes and CNBC, which is basically like being crowned royalty in the blogging world.

What makes Michelle’s story compelling is that she’s relatable—she didn’t come from a background of wealth or marketing expertise.

She started small, learned along the way, and turned her knowledge into a course that promises to help others follow in her footsteps.

Of course, her level of success isn’t guaranteed for everyone who takes the course.

But if you’re willing to put in the work, Michelle’s straightforward teaching style and real-world experience might give you the boost you need to start earning more from affiliate marketing.

And hey, if nothing else, you’ll at least learn what an affiliate link is, which is more than most people can say.

Price

"Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing" costs $197, which might make you question your life choices. For those who hate parting with that much cash all at once, there's a payment plan—two installments of $105. So, for the mathematically challenged, yes, that’s $13 extra for the privilege of paying later.

The course is designed by Michelle Schroeder-Gardner, a blogger who reportedly makes over $50,000 a month from affiliate marketing. At the very least, she knows how to sell this course.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Proven Expertise: The creator, Michelle Schroeder-Gardner, isn't just some random person shouting "affiliate marketing!" into the void. She’s built a blog empire and knows her stuff. Her personal success lends the course credibility.

• Covers the Basics Thoroughly: For beginners, this course is a treasure trove of foundational knowledge. It covers everything from selecting affiliate programs to increasing conversions, while also teaching you how to disclose affiliate links without sounding like a robot.

• Lifetime Access: You get lifetime access to the course and its updates. No pressure to cram it all in one weekend—you can take your sweet time and revisit as needed.

• Self-Paced: The content is entirely self-paced, making it convenient for those juggling jobs, kids, or an unhealthy obsession with Netflix.

• Private Facebook Group: Students gain access to a private Facebook group, a safe haven where you can ask questions, share wins, or cry about conversion rates.

• Ethical Approach: Michelle emphasizes transparency and ethical practices, so you won’t feel like a sleazy salesperson hawking dubious products.

Cons:

• Pricey: At nearly $200, it’s not exactly cheap. For newbies still Googling “What is affiliate marketing?”, this might feel like a steep investment.

• Not Video-Heavy: If you’re someone who learns better from videos, tough luck. The course is primarily text-based, so it feels more like reading a really long how-to blog post.

• Some Generic Content: While the basics are solid, some parts of the course may feel a bit surface-level for those seeking advanced tactics. If you’ve already dabbled in affiliate marketing, you might not find groundbreaking insights.

• Extra Costs: The course doesn’t cover expenses for tools, hosting, or marketing software you might need to implement the strategies. Be prepared to fork over more cash down the road.

• Lack of Individual Feedback: You won’t get direct feedback from Michelle herself, which is fine unless you were hoping for a personal mentor to hold your hand through the process.

Should You Buy It?

Whether this course is for you depends on where you are in your affiliate marketing journey. If you’re a total newbie who prefers written content and has no idea where to start, this course is a solid option.

It provides a well-rounded foundation and avoids the gimmicky, too-good-to-be-true promises you’ll find elsewhere. Plus, Michelle’s personal success is inspiring, so it’s nice to know the methods work if you put in the effort.

On the other hand, if you’re already knee-deep in affiliate marketing, you might find the content too basic.

Similarly, if you’re a visual learner, the text-heavy format could feel like a chore. In that case, you might want to explore other courses with more video content or one-on-one mentorship.

My Conclusion

"Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing" isn’t a scam—unless you count the fact that Michelle makes you wish you’d thought of this first.

The course is created by someone who actually practices what she preaches, and she’s upfront about the fact that success requires work, patience, and maybe a bit of luck.

While it’s not perfect (seriously, where are the videos?), it’s a great starting point for beginners looking to dip their toes into the affiliate marketing pool.

If nothing else, you’ll walk away with the tools and knowledge to start making money—eventually. Just remember, affiliate marketing isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme.

Think of it as planting seeds for future money trees. But if you’re expecting an overnight windfall, you might as well buy a lottery ticket instead.

And hey, if all else fails, at least you’ll have a lifetime pass to the course.

You can always revisit it while sipping your coffee and pretending you’re a blogging mogul. Because nothing screams success like "I'm still trying."