Affiliate Marketing And Social Media (A4UExpo)

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Let’s Get SocialAffiliates and Social Media

Lee McCoySocialMediaGeezer

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• Affiliates + Social Media = Monetizing Buzz

• Affiliates have been doing “Social Media” since Web 0.1

• Social media is just one commission generating option that competes for your:– Time– Attention– Money

It’s All About BuzzIt’s All About Buzz

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• Wikis• Social Networks• Presence Applications• Video Sharing• Photo Sharing• Virtual Reality• Events Management

• News Aggregation• Livecasting• Episodic Online Video• Media Sharing• Social Bookmarking• Online Gaming• Social Shopping

Wikipedia lists 15 types of Social Media sites:

But where’s blogging?

Not All Social Media is Created Equal!

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Not all types of social media will be relevant or suitable

What’s Right For You?


Vidcasting• Do you like the limelight?• Can you justify the time?• Do you have the product

knowledge?

News Aggregation• You’ve got to monitor it• Is it easy to monetise?• Not easy to get enough users

early on.

Virtual Worlds• Huge Budget• Unbelievable Technical Skills• Too long term a project?

Podcasting• Too time intensive?• Suitable for product

engagement?• Can you be bothered?


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Which Are Profitable?Social Networks

106 of them (Wikipedia)

The Easier Options

Blogging Social Bookmarking*

* Different Reason

The Easier Options

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But Why Social For Affiliates?

Think of all the pressures you’ve been under:

But Why Social For Affiliates?


Merchant Squeeze:• No direct PPC• Brand Name restrictions• Numpty merchant rules• Agencies learning fast, leveraging our

innovations

Competitive Squeeze• Many more affiliates pushing up PPC

costs & building sites• The bigger players are getting bigger• Exclusive deals are harder to get

(everyone wants them).

Google’s PPC Squeeze:• PPC Restrictions (1 advert per

URL)• Minimum Bids• Landing page criteria

Google’s SEO Squeeze:• Gone are the 50,000 pages in a

lunchtime.• Need to build long term strategies• Can’t do big cross-linking anymore


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Advantages of Social Media

Proliferation of information• You don’t have to be a journalist or a big

staff. • Use Google News Alerts, NewsNow or

Technorati

Ease Of Publication• Anyone can blog• Easy to look like an expert• Anyone can start a Facebook group• Anyone can use Twitter or submit their

RSS feeds

Rewards Are There• Innovate to Success

Consumers Hate Marketing• They’re getting blind to adverts• They’re suspicious of traditional

methods

Consumers Digest Social Media Tirelessly

• They actively seek product reviews from their peers

• They’re eager to tell their story• Search: “City link are crap”

It Offers and Alternative• If you can’t risk PPC, or don’t like

design try social media

There are so many reasons (can’t fit them all on)

Advantages of Social MediaAdvantages of Social Media


Advantages of Social Media

Proliferation of information• You don’t have to be a journalist or a big

staff. • Use Google News Alerts, NewsNow or

Technorati

Ease Of Publication• Anyone can blog• Easy to look like an expert• Anyone can start a Facebook group• Anyone can use Twitter or submit their

RSS feeds

Rewards Are There• Innovate to Success


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Be An Opinion-Former

So …

At The End Of The Buying Cycle

So …

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Let’s Look At Some Examples

Blogging In Detail:• Easy to set up• People love buzz and opinion• Easy to get links• Benefit of social bookmarking• Basics of SEO are there• Great for niche offerings• Build up a head of steam before events

Blogging In Detail:• Short-term Adsense / Shirt / Ticket Sales• Long-term travel sales (if we qualify)

My Football Site (Chuffing Ruskies)

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Using Buzz / Creating News

Effect of Buzz• Created page about the new England Football

shirt before to launch• It was fake• Massive links through out football forums• Loads of traffic (2500 extra visits in just 1 day)• Generated sales• Encouraged links off forums• Helped SEO

My Football Site (Chuffing Ruskies)


Effect of Buzz• Created page about the new England Football

shirt before to launch• It was fake• Massive links through out football forums• Loads of traffic (2500 extra visits in just 1 day)• Generated sales• Encouraged links off forums• Helped SEO


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Missy Ward & Shawn Collins say:• They setup WeViews.tv with video content to leverage

affiliate sales because they saw it’s impact on traffic generation and interaction on their Affiliate Summit site.

• They say affiliates should use video content if they have an opinion

Videos on YouTube and Revver get preferential treatment on Google.

• They get comments back• Only takes an hour per review to do• Missy suggests Sony Vegas Movie Studio 8• Use TubeMogul to submit your video to loads of online

video seach and viewing sites• DON’T JUST THINK OF YOUTUBE!

Interaction & True Social Media

Adding Video Content & Encouraging Responses: WeViews.tv

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAp_z8OJYMU

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Example: iSaved CashBack UK• One of few UK affiliates giving FaceBook applications a go• They saw Facebook as an opportunity to “engage web savvy

people who are likely to purchase online”.• Using this app as a trial and will look to create others• Advise other affiliates to thoroughly research other

applications before doing their own• Take a look at http://adomics.com for ideas and get the

Facebook API documentation• Do a thorough spec for your developers• By the end of Sept’ 2007 there were 5366 apps• Only cost them £4k and 5 weeks• Hard part is marketing it – first mover advantage• Rock you has a Facebook marketing offering• Incentivising the viral element with £10 deposit

Leveraging FaceBook

If you want to play with the big boys, try FaceBook Applications

Leveraging FaceBook

If you want to play with the big boys, try FaceBook ApplicationsExample: iSaved CashBack UK

• One of few UK affiliates giving FaceBook applications a go• They saw Facebook as an opportunity to “engage web savvy

people who are likely to purchase online”.• Using this app as a trial and will look to create others• Advise other affiliates to thoroughly research other

applications before doing their own• Take a look at http://adomics.com for ideas and get the

Facebook API documentation• Do a thorough spec for your developers• By the end of Sept’ 2007 there were 5366 apps• Only cost them £4k and 5 weeks• Hard part is marketing it – first mover advantage• Rock you has a Facebook marketing offering• Incentivising the viral element with £10 deposit

Leveraging FaceBook

If you want to play with the big boys, try FaceBook Applications

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Example: Pleo Toy Appreciation Society• Linked to from the blog• Gives ways to buy the Pleo• Has photos• Others can communicate and discuss• They can invite people in• Quick way to get a user base

Want Something Lower-Key?

Facebook Groups – an easy way to obtain and keep users:

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Example: ZiiTrend.com• A Social event predicting network• Used it to drive traffic to Austria-2008.co.uk• How likely is it that England will qualify for the

finals.• You can add your own news stories• Build up a niche following

Think Outside The Box

There are loads of other ways to promote your sites

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A guy dominated the Google SERPS with Social Media:• 8/9 out of 10 positions taken by 1 guy• Used Squidoo• Zanga• Blip.tv• Clip Marks• MyblogLog• Hub Pages• Blue Dot

Still Not Convinced?

The Silver Surfer Halloween Costumes Domination

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip-eBjlEJGg

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Summary

Why should affiliates try social media?

• It can generate loads of traffic

• You can dominate the SERPS

• You can increase click rates to merchants

• You can increase conversion rates

• It’s the future of Google Algorithms

• Your competitors are doing it

• It’s fun!

Business

Affiliate Marketing And Social Media (A4UExpo)