Looking to become a pro digital marketer? You’ve come to the right space. Here’s the deal on JP’s course:
1. What is Affluent Academy?
The name alone, Affluent Academy, can lead to early confusion.
Interestingly, seems like there might be multiple courses under the “academy” umbrella.
However, not entirely true.
There is but one Jordan Platten’s Affluent Academy.
So, let me break it down for you…
Affluent Academy is a course that aims to teach you to create a successful social media marketing agency.
But, what does that mean exactly?
It is simpy a business model of managing paid online advertisements for other businesses.
2. Who is Jordan Platten?
Jordan Platten is the founder and CEO of Affluent.co, a digital marketing agency and online digital marketing e-learning business.
Jordan, also an author and speaker, comes from Norwich, United Kingdom.
By mastering the social media marketing platform, Jordan and company have put their skills to use to increase sales for clients worldwide.
It gets better.
The uptick in sales equals millions of “new money” dollars.
New money = happy clients = fat money for Jordan and co.
If that’s not enough…
While dominating the digital marketing and online education industries, Jordan also authored the book The 15 Minute Agency.
True story. But there’s more.
You are probably wondering…
Exactly what did it take for Jordan to achieve this level of success?
Great question. Follow me….
So It Begins…
Jordan, with what he describes as an ordinary childhood, came from a family of 6.
Claiming he had “everything he needed, but not everything he wanted.”
Surprisingly, Jordan recognized at a young age that hard work would get him far in life.
He set his sights high.
While overseeing events for nightclubs at just 21 years old, Jordan also attended college.
Here’s the crazy part…
Too many late nights and skipped classes caused the college to kick him out.
It gets worse…
For the next couple of years, Jordan just skated his way around various jobs.
None of those jobs felt right.
He was left feeling deflated and unfulfilled.
Jordan would move on when boredom hit; always ready to hit the next “better” job.
Even better, he was consistently a top sales performer.
But to Jordan, his earnings were not enough to satisfy the desire of being his own boss.
You know, creating his own destiny.
He knew there had to be an easier way.
If only he could find the “magic pill” to leverage himself.
Only then could hire “himself”, and thus, experience financial and personal freedom!
Keep reading…
Making Money Moves…
Needing to make something happen and fast, Jordan chose to follow the path laid out by a trusted friend.
Surprisingly, this friend had kicked his 9-5 job to the curb after starting a social media marketing agency.
Jordan wanted to know more.
Sinking in all of his savings, Jordan was on a mission to learn everything he could about the industry.
After getting results within a few short weeks, Jordan quit his sales job.
He was all-in on establishing a full-time social media marketing agency.
You might be wondering if this was a risky move?
It could have been…
However, Jordan’s agency went from $0 to $10,000 a month in social media marketing contracts – in just 90 days!
That success brought Jordan to the next level of his game…
Yep, there’s more.
Raising the Bar…
Armed with success in the online social media marketing industry, Jordan ventured into an online training business.
It was his desire to share the knowledge that made him so successful, so quickly.
Jordan wanted to help others achieve success – and ultimately be able to kick their jobs to the curb.
It didn’t suck that he would make a lot of money doing it.
It was the ultimate win-win.
In 2017, Jordan started his first online training academy, the Social Media Marketing School.
Growth was rapid – scaling up to a six-figure income in a mere 6 months.
Jordan loved the program.
His students loved the program.
No wonder it was hailed “one of the fastest growing online training programs in the world”.
Through one-on-one training and personal branding lessons, Jordan has mentored 1000’s of students.
Then suddenly, Jordan had a re-branding epiphany.
He came up with the idea of using the term “affluent” to describe his academy – flowing freely in abundance.
Fast forward to December 2019, Affluent Academy was born.
Let the re-branding begin!.
Think about it…
At just 26 years old, Jordan had amassed an impressive list of achievements:
- Created a 6-figure social media marketing agency
- Generated massive amounts of new revenue for clients worldwide
- Taught 1000’s of student in an online e-learning academy
- Published his first book – The 15 Minute Agency
- Grew his social media following: Facebook 18k, Instagram 37.2, and YouTube 120k
I’ll bet you’re asking yourself, how does this all work?
Let’s check it out.
3. How does Affluent Academy Work?
According to Jordan and Affluent.co, Affluent Academy is “the most comprehensive program on how to build a digital marketing agency”.
And if that’s not enough…
Affluent Academy guarantees to teach you all you need to know to be successful.
Jordan gives you steps and tips as you work through the material – here’s 5.
Jordan’s 5 Tips to Establish an Agency
- 1. Obtain a business license
- 2. Learn the necessary skills
- 3. Teach you how to get clients
- 4. Explain the client fulfillment process
- 5. Teach you to scale up your agency
So, why are these steps important?
Jordan wants you to achieve a successful 5-figure a month agency.
And lastly, to do it while working from anywhere in the world.
The course will guide you through the process of finding and signing clients.
Simply put, just follow Jordan’s “unique multi-platform strategy”.
But, what does that mean for you?
Regardless of your current experience level or other full-time time constraints, you too can be successful.
You may be wondering how…
Affluent Academy wants you to see results for your customers by “stealing” the very same methods they use with their own customers.
Let’s just call that a good thing!
My Take-Aways from Jordan’s course
- Course is comprehensive and very well organized
- Allows you unlimited, life-time access to online materials
- Modules are locked online to prevent downloading/piracy
- 11 modules – 100+ lessons including homework and quizzes
- Passing grade of 75% required to advance
- Access to Jordan’s private Facebook “Mastermind” group
- One-on-one support with Accountability Coach or Jordan
- Weekly Q & A sessions with Jordan via Facebook group
- Online access to full sales scripts, contracts, and funnel templates
- 30-day guarantee on results – although buyer beware!
**There are a few red flags in the “guarantee” policy that you will want to check out before you buy.**
**Exclusive extra for paid students**
**50 fully-qualified agency leads in your chosen niche and location.**
Leads are also available for purchase directly from the company.
4. Is Affluent Academy Legit or a Scam?
Affluent Academy is a legit course.
It’s probably the only player in the social media marketing e-learning industry to offer a 30-day guarantee.
What does that mean for you, you might ask….
Want to make sure you see results – and within 30 of completing the first 5 modules?
Simply ask for an Accountability Coach, and you’re on your way!
Once the challenge is accepted, the accountability coach will monitor and guide you through the process of locating and closing your first or next paying client.
Pretty lofty promise there, Jordan…
I don’t know, yo!
Affluent Academy boasts a 98.4% success rate.
But wait, there’s more.
A second “guarantee” on the website.
However, it does not align with the “main” guarantee.
This really makes me question the validity of the Affluent Academy refund policy.
I totally get what you’re thinking – and I agree.
You should cover yourself by reaching out to Jordan and Co. before you buy.
5. How much does Jordan’s Course Cost? Any Specials?
Affluent Academy carries a price tag of $149.
However, there is a “limited time special” of $947.
But, then there is this…
A new training course, released in October 2020, is offered free of charge.
The new course title?
“How To Launch & Scale An Agency To 5-Figure Monthly Profits Without Any Previous Sales or Marketing Experience”.
What do ya know ’bout that?
Seems too good to be true. Free?
When compared to other social media marketing courses on value and price, Affluent Agency falls right in between the following courses:
6-Figure Facebook Ad Agency by Billy Wilson $500 course cost
Facebook Ads Ninja by Kevin David $1997 course cost
So, just because the course and layout are sexy and fresh –
The price falls into between a couple of other successful players –
Does that mean it is the best out there?
Let’s keep checking it out, shall we?
Pros of Affluent Academy
6. Real-World Success in Social Media Marketing
Jordan brings more to the table than just a training course.
He has actually walked-the-walk.
Jordan started a very successful social media marketing agency.
So here’s the deal –
I feel he has earned the right to show others how to start a agency.
In addition, he continues to offer his marketing services to clients around the world.
His track record includes millions made in “new” revenue for his clients.
These facts alone give Jordan legit street cred….
7. Guaranteed Results
Jordan and his team are pretty revolutionary when it comes to offering a results guarantee.
NOTE: Although the option for a refund is possible, it could be a hassle to get them to pay up.
So, what does it take to get that guarantee?
The process is labor-intensive and includes:
- Establishing 5-day goals
- Cold-calling a minimum of 10 businesses per day
- Loading information into Lead Tracker Program
- Weekly meeting with coach to identify progress and struggles
Jordan believes these activities will guarantee a client within the first 30 days.
His success rate agrees.
8. Lifetime Access to Comprehensive Course Materials
Affluent Academy offers unlimited lifetime access to the online materials.
By now, you should know that each module is arranged in tidy and consecutive order.
The design is to give you maximum results.
You can only progress to the next once one is completed.
There are quizzes and passing grades required to advance.
The website is easy to navigate.
The program includes extras to keep your agency organized:
Lead Tracker Program – enter all information about your prospective client
– set ticklers to remind of you of upcoming tasks
– follow-up on to-do activities with each client.
PipeDrive – creates a clickfunnel for clients and potential clients.
Pipeline Organization CRM – customer retention management
Digital Marketing Plan – database to monitor each marketing plan
Lifestyle Calculator – get and keep a handle on your monthly expenses to set reasonable income expectations.
Using the provided tools will keep your business moving forward and upward.
9. Facebook Members Page & Weekly Q & A with Jordan
Jordan believes in keeping his students and agency owners up-to-date on the latest and greatest news and tips.
Why is that important, you wonder?
Business and technology change so often.
As such, Affluent Academy gives each student access to their private Facebook “Mastermind” page.
Benefits of a Facebook Group:
- Stay current on the latest industry news
- Share success stories
- Get first-hand input from Jordan and top earners
- Inspirational quotes from Jordan
Facebook users sound off on their Affluent Academy results:
BOOM! Facebook user sees success after 2 months…
Kelly DeFord appreciates Jordan Platten...
Charlie Lyles put in the work to land a client...
There are weekly Question & Answer sessions with Jordan and team, however I did not see access to previous call recordings logs.
Cons of Affluent Academy
10. Wonky Work-Life Balance
Social Media Marketing for clients is a labor-intensive, hands-on operation.
So, what does that mean for you?
Jordan sells his program that an agency can operate from anywhere in the world.
He also suggests holding in-person client meetings.
Sadly, most in-person meetings are on-hold due to Covid-19 restrictions.
CDC says:
**Wash Your Hands – Social Distance – Wear a Mask**
But, let’s move forward, shall we?
Jordan has an Affluent Outreach Formula that is a how-to “squeeze” out a yes or no from every contact.
In case you might be asking yourself…
It is a simple 4-step formula.
Jordan’s Affluent Outreach 4-Step Formula
- 1. Cold call each lead every 2 days
- 2. Add leads into automated email system to schedule 5 follow-up emails
- 3. Send direct messages to company owners personal profile Instagram page
- 4. Send video audits to business owners highlighting issues with social media presence
It will take a lot of time and effort to execute Jordan’s plan.
It will be a full-time plus job of maintaining multiple businesses social media accounts.
Just so you’re aware…
It could end up taking up more of your time than your old 9-5 gig.
11. Niche Research Client Specific
Jordan goes into great detail on how to select your niche that you want to specialize in.
Once you have settled on a niche, you need to start seeking out specific clients.
But, before you contact them, you should do some pretty intensive research:
Client-Specific Research Criteria
- See what they are about and if they are successful at it.
- How do they present themselves on social media?
- Do they have a social media presence and established following?
- What type of advertising (if any) are they currently doing?
- Will the services you offer be able to help them?
Next step, create a “visual audit”.
Simply put – visual audit is a video showing what you do and how it can help generate more customers/revenue.
Is that all you need to know? Not quite…
This is all fairly easy albeit time-consuming.
However, the information that you spend hours gathering is ONLY relevant to that specific client.
Unlike some of the other online marketing opportunities available, such as my #1 choice of lead generation, the information about XYZ Co. will NOT apply to ABC, Inc.
With lead gen, you start creating the leads and then sell them to a client.
No worries – I’ll give you more lead gen info below.
Just know – for social media marketing – you will have to do this same research process on every client you intend to approach.
Basically, you will be working for free – until you get one of the many clients you are pursuing to say actually commit and say YES!
Now we are winning!
Doing research on potential clients will eventually pay off.
So consider it a must-do task in all aspects of online earning.
However, with lead generation, you research the niche as a whole instead of a specific client – meaning your info applies to many businesses within a niche.
12. Steep Learning Curve
Even though Jordan and company have laid out a well-put-together, comprehensive course – if you are starting at ground zero, the learning curve will be steep.
So, think about it –
Jordan guarantees success even if you have no experience nor ever been a sales person.
But it seems that scaling a new agency to 5-figures so quickly might overwhelming to a newbie
On the other hand…
If you have some experience in online marketing, sales, or even just social media knowledge – you will probably fair better than most.
Because the learning curve is pretty steep – you will want to take your time going through the course materials.
It’s important to take notes, do the homework, marinate, rinse and repeat.
Remember, after you have completed the first 5 modules, Jordan offers you an Accountability Coach.
You know, in case you need someone to hold your feet to the fire while you start cold-calling and researching.
13. Overcoming Objections
Objections are part of doing business.
You will have to overcome them on the regular, no doubt.
However, with social media marketing, you’re dealing with intangibles.
You know, you don’t have an “actual” product or result to show.
You’ll be dealing in hypothetical and I-think-I-can models.
Kind of like – If I do this, this will be the result.
If we do that, we’ve seen this happen before.
Ummmmm….well.
It’s easy to see where a client might be skeptical of your proposal, and want you to “prove” it.
In other words – overcome their objections.
Be prepared – they will throw a bunch of them at you.
KEY TAKEAWAYObjections will take a bit of homework and sales finesse to overcome. You will need an arsenal of “whys” to combat their “buts”. Be prepared for a lot of NO’s before you get a YES.
You might be asking yourself – Is the juice worth the squeeze?
Obviously, it can be.
I just know there is a lot less resistance in lead gen compared to social media marketing.
I come prepared with guaranteed sales on a silver platter.
Concluding Thoughts
14. Do Jordan’s Students Actually Make Money?
Jordan’s courses are legit, he has a proven track record that you can, in fact, make “real” money with social media marketing and his Affluent Academy training.
I found plenty of testimonials from his students to verify they are indeed successful.
But is that just one side of the story?
I don’t think so.
I didn’t come across any scathing reviews.
Nothing really that negatively calling Jordan or his Affluent Academy a fraud.
So, there’s that.
Keep in mind that Affluent Academy was just released in January 2020.
Time will tell if more students achieve success.
On the plus side, the Affluent Academy website says there are “1000’s of happy students”.
15. Who’s a Good Fit for Affluent Academy?
You will be a good fit for Affluent Academy if you are extremely:
- 1- Passionate
- 2- Resilient
- 3- Active Listener
- 4- Problem solver
- 5- Empathic
- 6- Relationship-driven
- 7- Accountable
- 8-Goal-Oriented
Jordan says over and over in his Affluent Academy modules that in order to be truly successful in creating and scaling your own agency, it will take these 3 things:
Jordan’s 3 Keys to Success
- Hard Work
- Determination
- Perseverance
Do YOU have what it takes to succeed in social media marketing?
16. What alternatives are there to Jordan’s Affluent Academy?
Overall, I feel that Jordan and company have done a decent job with Affluent Academy.
Basically, what he offers to those that are really serious about success – an Accountability Coach and a 30-day guarantee – can you really lose?
Let’s strip it down to bare bones for a sec…without those perks, Affluent Academy is pretty much just like all of the others – but wearing fancy clothes.
Billy Willson – 6-Figure Facebook Ads
Kevin David – Facebook Ninja
There are some other decent alternatives out there if social media marketing is where it’s at for you…
– 6-Figure Facebook Ad Agency – Billy Willson ($500)
– Facebook Ads Ninja – Kevin David ($1997)
You can see my reviews on those courses here.
Pros and Cons of Affluent Academy
The Good and Bad of Jordan’s Course
Pros
- Real-world Success in SMMA
- Guaranteed Results
- Lifetime Access to Comprehensive Course Materials
- Facebook Members Page and Weekly Q & A with Jordan
Cons
- Wonky Work-Life Balance
- Client Specific Research
- Steep Learning Curve
- Overcoming Objections
Parting Thoughts on Affluent Academy
All-in-all, it seems that Jordan Platten has a solid course going on with his recent rebranding.
Some might consider it a bold move to strip your previous success – Social Media Marketing School – and completely rebrand yourself – Affluent.co and Affluent Academy.
Jordan’s new look is edgy and clean. His discipline and commitment is evident in the photos he has strategically placed on the internet and social media.
He steers completely clear of the usual tactics used by many to “sell” their lifestyle and success.
One fancy car, one smaller impressive home. All clean lines and minimalist.
I feel that lends credibility to his course, and when combined with his successful agency in current operation, feels very much like a legit operation.
How Does Affluent Academy Stand up to Others? Like Lead Generation?
18. Scale
Social Media Marketing vs Lead Generation are night and day when it comes scalability.
Why?
Being able to scale-up is an important factor in any business – getting to the next level is the goal.
As a social media marketing agency owner, scaling up will be more challenging compared to lead generation.
Once an Affluent agency has 6-7 paying clients, more manpower will be needed to maintain multiple social media accounts.
This will cap the income at low 5-figures per month.
In the case of lead generation, one person can easily maintain 30-40 digital real estate rentals before needing to add additional employees.
It is also much easier and more-cost effective to utilize virtual assistants with lead generation, as the business is all conducted via the internet and telephone.
19. Time
The time-commitment required varies greatly between a social media marketing agency and a lead generation agency.
For every client that a social media agency wants to pitch, there are days of prep work to identify how you can help them overcome their obstacles.
When you finally get a “Yes” from a prospective client, the follow-up is intense.
Jordan recommends an on-boarding process that include before kick-off meetings, kick-off meeting, one week post-launch call agenda, one week post-launch follow-up call, end-of-month call agenda….and on and on.
An Affluent Academy agency is very hands-on and labor intensive.
Lead generation is more like mailbox money – set it, check it, rinse and repeat.
While it does take some time to rank on Google for lead generation, once ranked, the leads practically sell themselves.
Jordan’s Affluent Academy Works, but Generating Leads is Better. Here’s Why:
Local Lead Generation
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