Affiliate Marketing Secrets

if i have an excellent video online, which is about the same niche as the forum, that – or a real good article in the same niche, but they have a link to my blog and they refer to my blog in the article itself in an anchor, and in the video by simply referring to it. how likely is it i can find a forum owner that will let me put the video/article on display on the forum – for free?
i know every forum is different, but would it be difficult, would most forum owners be against it?

for example: from finding a domain, finding a niche, traffic, lead generation, etc.? What seems the most daunting to you as a new online business owner.

what is affiliate marketing? how can i earn money from affiliate marketing? i am not a website owner.