Social media has changed the way we communicate with one another in both our social and professional lives. It has also changed the way many of us make a living online. It would be quite ignorant indeed to deny the effect that the ubiquity of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn (amongst others) has had, even on business practices that have existed and thrived for decades. For relatively modern practices such as affiliate marketing though, the change has been night and day.
Affiliate marketing and social media go hand-in-hand because the success of both is judged by popularity, links and content and if you're an affiliate marketer who has yet to fully embrace the social media age, you're really missing out.
That's not to say of course, that social media is the 'be-all-and-end-all', (in fact many successful affiliate marketers look down on social media as a promotional avenue) but it can help your affiliate campaign reach a wider audience with a minimal amount of effort.
Especially if you're just starting out in the increasingly competitive field.
It's free – Yes it is, completely 100% free at that. Of course many sites will demand extra for 'premium' features, but it's doubtful you'd ever need to use these features. All you need to do is create an account, add some friends and family (so you don't come across as a complete 'billy-no-mates') and start following people who share your interests, interests that might make them more liable to click on your affiliate links.
The numbers – It's becoming increasingly rare to meet anyone who doesn't have a Facebook or Twitter account or who doesn't watch YouTube videos in their free time. Social media has also become even more present in our daily lives with the growing ubiquity of smartphones and tablets, which allow users to access their social media profiles from practically anywhere and at anytime.
Freedom – Managing your own social media account can be done in your own time and regular updates could take mere minutes out of your day once the profile is properly setup. Best of all, these platforms are designed to be fun to use, so it won't even feel like you're working, even though you are actually being deceptively productive with your time (unless you decide to get lot in a 'FarmVille' spiral of course).
Links are tolerated – Whilst Google is constantly tightening its reigns when it comes to link placement, social media generally allows users to post as many links as they want without fear of penalisation. Of course this doesn't mean you should go overboard (you don't want to alienate your followers), but it does mean that you can be a little less picky with which links you choose to post and when you choose to post them.
Target audiences can be reached with ease – Social networking sites are generally designed to allow users to share their likes and dislikes and discuss common experiences and grievances. Facebook in particular has a range of 'pages' and 'groups' that can be joined and posted in.
For example, if you're selling a video game from a certain website, you could 'like' that game's Facebook page. This page will be followed only by people who are actively interested in the game, so if you post your link, chances are you'll get at least one 'catch'. Thanks to social media, making interested users aware of products is easier than ever before.
Paying for likes doesn't work – You'll probably be inundated with ads from companies telling you they can net you hundreds, nay thousands of 'likes' for your page, simply by paying them a one-off sum. Whilst hundreds of likes can add an element of legitimacy to your page, buying 'fake' likes can actually do more harm than good. Facebook uses an 'EdgeRank' formula to determine whether or not your posts are shared on users news feeds, this means posts that have been liked, commented on and shared. Likes that come from fake accounts won't be liking or commenting on your posts, because they are essentially empty accounts.
Don't be afraid to ask your friends – The best way to make your page seem legitimate from the get-go is to ask your friends and family to like your page with the 'invite friends' option.
Share the wealth – Instead of posting relentlessly without reciprocating (which will result in your followers growing sick of and potentially unfollowing your page), take some time to follow them and share their posts or tweets. Speak to them too and let them know you're an actual person and not a 'bot', as they are much more likely to share your posts if you engage with them and show an active interest in them.
Don't neglect the others – By 'the others', we of course mean social media sites besides Facebook and twitter. Using more niche networks might allow you access to an audience you wouldn't get anywhere else. 'Pinterest' and 'Instagram' for example are networks largely populated by young girls, so are perfect platforms from which to launch a beauty of cosmetic product affiliate campaign.
Competitions – Finally, try running little competitions where the 'best' or 'wittiest' comment wins a small prize. This will incentive's more people to check out your links and will create a buzz around your page.
About the Author: This article was sourced and written by Amy. Amy is involved online marketing and specialises in affiliates
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| Copyright and Designed by Bishal Biswas. |
That's not to say of course, that social media is the 'be-all-and-end-all', (in fact many successful affiliate marketers look down on social media as a promotional avenue) but it can help your affiliate campaign reach a wider audience with a minimal amount of effort.
Especially if you're just starting out in the increasingly competitive field.
Why social media and affiliate marketing are such a good fit?
It's free – Yes it is, completely 100% free at that. Of course many sites will demand extra for 'premium' features, but it's doubtful you'd ever need to use these features. All you need to do is create an account, add some friends and family (so you don't come across as a complete 'billy-no-mates') and start following people who share your interests, interests that might make them more liable to click on your affiliate links.
The numbers – It's becoming increasingly rare to meet anyone who doesn't have a Facebook or Twitter account or who doesn't watch YouTube videos in their free time. Social media has also become even more present in our daily lives with the growing ubiquity of smartphones and tablets, which allow users to access their social media profiles from practically anywhere and at anytime.
Freedom – Managing your own social media account can be done in your own time and regular updates could take mere minutes out of your day once the profile is properly setup. Best of all, these platforms are designed to be fun to use, so it won't even feel like you're working, even though you are actually being deceptively productive with your time (unless you decide to get lot in a 'FarmVille' spiral of course).
Links are tolerated – Whilst Google is constantly tightening its reigns when it comes to link placement, social media generally allows users to post as many links as they want without fear of penalisation. Of course this doesn't mean you should go overboard (you don't want to alienate your followers), but it does mean that you can be a little less picky with which links you choose to post and when you choose to post them.
Target audiences can be reached with ease – Social networking sites are generally designed to allow users to share their likes and dislikes and discuss common experiences and grievances. Facebook in particular has a range of 'pages' and 'groups' that can be joined and posted in.
For example, if you're selling a video game from a certain website, you could 'like' that game's Facebook page. This page will be followed only by people who are actively interested in the game, so if you post your link, chances are you'll get at least one 'catch'. Thanks to social media, making interested users aware of products is easier than ever before.
Affiliate Marketing Campaigns Tips:
Paying for likes doesn't work – You'll probably be inundated with ads from companies telling you they can net you hundreds, nay thousands of 'likes' for your page, simply by paying them a one-off sum. Whilst hundreds of likes can add an element of legitimacy to your page, buying 'fake' likes can actually do more harm than good. Facebook uses an 'EdgeRank' formula to determine whether or not your posts are shared on users news feeds, this means posts that have been liked, commented on and shared. Likes that come from fake accounts won't be liking or commenting on your posts, because they are essentially empty accounts.
Don't be afraid to ask your friends – The best way to make your page seem legitimate from the get-go is to ask your friends and family to like your page with the 'invite friends' option.
Share the wealth – Instead of posting relentlessly without reciprocating (which will result in your followers growing sick of and potentially unfollowing your page), take some time to follow them and share their posts or tweets. Speak to them too and let them know you're an actual person and not a 'bot', as they are much more likely to share your posts if you engage with them and show an active interest in them.
Don't neglect the others – By 'the others', we of course mean social media sites besides Facebook and twitter. Using more niche networks might allow you access to an audience you wouldn't get anywhere else. 'Pinterest' and 'Instagram' for example are networks largely populated by young girls, so are perfect platforms from which to launch a beauty of cosmetic product affiliate campaign.
Competitions – Finally, try running little competitions where the 'best' or 'wittiest' comment wins a small prize. This will incentive's more people to check out your links and will create a buzz around your page.
About the Author: This article was sourced and written by Amy. Amy is involved online marketing and specialises in affiliates
Hello Brother, You idea about affiliate marketing is awesome. You are also right that we should not pay for getting likes because they are useless and you won't get anything from here except the numbers of like. For a better engagement yes I look forward for your bundle of tips. Thanks for a nice share.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and leaving a wonderful and valuable comment. It's really one of the most worse affiliate marking mistake is by buying likes and promoting a brand, yet it gives no value other than just a show off piece of ten of thousand of likes and followers, yet if a person even has 100 genuine and active followers then it could be above the level of those thousand of fake followers.
DeleteThanks and have a great weekend.
- Bishal Biswas
Amazing Article.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, stay tuned for more inspiring articles :)
Delete