In this episode, Mark interviews Andrew Hansen live from London about Forever Affiliate success rates. This conversation follows the candid discussion in episode 067 about the hard truth of affiliate marketing and the listener responses covered in episode 068.
What You Will Learn in This Episode
- Andrew Hansen's perspective on Forever Affiliate results from the product creator's side
- Why people who buy courses often fail to follow through
- The honest reality of affiliate marketing success rates
- How to evaluate course recommendations with full transparency
Episode Summary
Mark sets up the interview with full disclosure: this is a product creator being interviewed by someone who made money promoting the product, and Andrew is a personal friend. Mark has worked with Andrew since late 2007 when Andrew released his Niche Marketing on Crack product.
Mark asks Andrew the hard questions about Forever Affiliate. For the people who bought the course and did not succeed, why did they fail? What has Andrew observed about success rates? These are uncomfortable questions for any product creator, but they continue the transparent conversation that started in episode 067.
The interview reinforces a theme from the previous two episodes: taking responsibility for your own judgments and assessments is critical. No course, no matter how well-designed, can guarantee results. The variable is always the person doing the work.
What Has Changed Since This Episode
Mark recorded this in January 2014. Andrew Hansen went on to launch Rankings Institute, an SEO-focused course that complemented Forever Affiliate's site-building training.
The affiliate marketing course landscape has evolved significantly. In 2026, successful affiliate marketing training programs emphasize brand building, content authority, and diversified traffic sources rather than the niche site formula that dominated in 2013-2014. Programs like Authority Hacker's Authority Site System represent the modern approach.
Transparency about course success rates has improved. The FTC has increased scrutiny on income claims in course marketing. Many modern course creators now publish completion rates and student outcome data, something that was rare when this episode aired.
Andrew Hansen transitioned away from the Forever Affiliate model and has since focused on other business ventures. The core principles he taught — keyword research, content creation, and organic traffic — remain foundational to affiliate marketing, even as specific tactics have changed.
Resources Mentioned
- LNIM067 — Forever Affiliate Update and the Hard Truth
- LNIM068 — Forever Affiliate Truth: Listener Response
Listen and Subscribe
Listen to Late Night Internet Marketing on Apple Podcasts or subscribe at latenightim.com/internet-marketing-podcast/. Have a question for Mark? Call the digital recorder at 214-444-8655 or leave a comment below.
Excellent podcast Andrew and Mark. You guys covered the topic well, and the questions were fair and in-depth Mark. Let me ask a question. No one debates it is harder, or at least vastly different to attain success today than 3 years ago. Andrew mentions his oldest website making money presently is 2009. So…
What percentage of people “looking to buy” get their relevant buying information from something other than G? I’ll say more than we think. Firstly, they’re are much more likely on a mobile device and may never consider G, right? They buy their product based on a question they asked on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. I wonder how relevant this business model is, or is becoming – – someone going to G and typing in “Get 6 pack abs”. Thanks again.
Enjoyed the honest questions and answers. I was one of those people
that declared one of my sites as a failure too soon. About 4 months
into it I had built all of the recommended backlinks and done it the
recommended way. I had some decent traffic coming in and some rankings,
but no sales. Others in the FA private Facebook group said don’t give
up just yet and I didn’t completely give up on that one, but I did let
it sit dormant for about 4 months.
Fast forward to
about 3 months ago and I decided to continue building some backlinks
through additional comments and much to my surprise, I got not just 1,
but 2 sales in a week. I got another sale 2 weeks later and just got my
4th sale from that site last night while I was sleeping.
As
everyone said when you asked for feedback, there is no question that
the Forever Affiliate course itself is well worth the cost of the
program, sales or no sales. But with those 4 sales, the commissions
brought in are also double what I paid for the course.
Not all of your sites will be a success, but if you are getting rankings and traffic, don’t give up too soon!
Chris S. Hi Chris – I’m so glad to hear about the sales coming in for your site!! I definitely hear not to give up too quickly also – lucky for me I’m patient. I’m looking forward to the webinar next week.
See you on twitter!