Today at Common Cents, we're going to discuss something that exists anywhere where people express their opinions, from the humble message boards to the top technical blogs to social networking sites like Gather.com - a marketing tactic that you at the keyboard can profit from by helping to promote the things you already enjoy. That's right, this week, we're talking about Affiliate Marketing and You.
Affiliate marketing is, to put it briefly, a method by which an individual or company (the affiliate) helps to promote a product, typically in exchange for a flat fee per lead or sale thus generated, or for a percentage of the revenue of sales incurred, or in some cases just for convincing people to click. For example, Amazon.com has a relatively easy-to-join affiliate program, and sells a very wide selection of products from books
How does it work? Those three links are perfect examples - they're affiliate links. When you click on them and visit the site (in this case, Amazon.com), the site in turn tracks who brought you there - affiliate links are particular to each affiliate (and sometimes to each site). By sharing your affiliate link, you essentially invite others to click through to the site you are an affiliate for - and if they happen to find what you point out to them interesting enough to purchase or sign up for it, you get paid.
So how do you get people to click on your links once you have them? You could just run around annoying everyone by demanding that they buy things from your particular link, but you're likely to at best ostracize your friends and neighbors, and at worst find yourself blacklisted wherever you go. The best way to go about it is to write a review about a product -- not only are you providing information, but if people are interested (or sometimes, even if they click through to the website, and go buy something else from that website instead), you get the credit for bringing that customer in. You get paid, the buyer gets something they wanted, and everyone wins.
The key to reviewing, in turn, is to remain objective - not only must you discuss the things you liked about a product, but also the things you didn't like. In fact, sometimes you may benefit from reviewing things you didn't like -- perhaps the reasons you dislike something are the reasons someone else would like it. As long as you provide balanced reviews that inform the reader, you can establish yourself as a trustworthy source of information. More people will be interested in your recommendations, and will read your reviews even when they aren't normally interested in the topic just to see your perspective.
Gather.com does not disallow affiliate links, or reviews of products that include affiliate links; however, they (and the community at large) strongly disapprove of 'reviews' that exist specifically to push an item without any informational value to them, or worse, that grossly misrepresent the product or service they're 'reviewing' in order to generate leads or sales. Provide as much information as possible when performing a review, and if you are trying to encourage people to sign up for a service you are currently using, describe your experiences with the service -- including any problems you have had. Nothing strikes the wrong chord like someone who posts, in rapid succession, how angry they are that they haven't been paid by XYZCashmaker, and how everyone should sign up for XYZCashmaker because they're giving away ten dollars for each new member.
Affiliate marketing gives armchair enthusiasts for practically anything the opportunity to put their enthusiasm to work for them -- writing reviews gives others an informed perspective on their experiences, and if they buy the products or join the services in question, the reviews help the enthusiast buy more of what they enjoy. What's not to like?
Austin Cushing, Money Correspondent:
Austin's column, Common Cents, published twice monthly to Gather Essentials: Money, is focused on life below the poverty line and other topics that are of importance to those living paycheck to paycheck.
Austin Cushing is an eccentric writer, consultant, programmer, poet, photographer, and Microsoft-certified database administrator, currently working as an IT consultant. He writes from personal experience and personal opinion, and enjoys finding the humor in even the darkest aspects of the world. In addition to his column, he maintains Gather groups on a diverse range of topics, from gaming to political discourse, and manages a number of popular Gather groups.
You can find all of Austin's Common Cents columns at http://commoncents.gather.com. Keep up with Austin's other postings and Gather activity by joining his Gather network -- just click here and select the orange "Connect" button on the left-hand side of the page.
Food for Thought:
My personal favorite affiliate marketing program is through Amazon.com -- if someone buys something through a referral link, I get 4% of the sale in cash that gets directly deposited quarterly ... or, I can choose to spend the money on things I'm buying from there, like video games
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Comments: 23
Anything that can save people money will work!
It's especially useful if you have a friend who's buying something big and doesn't mind using your affiliate link -- they get their big-screen TV, and you get some of the money.
In some cases, though, you can't use your own affiliate links to get an effective discount on goods -- so read the Terms and Conditions carefully!
Thanks Austin
Good information. Regarding reviews I would rather have someone focus on what they disliked about the product. The ads for the product will tell me all the positives. I want to know if the positives hold water.
i agree with linda. tell me the bad along with the good. then let me decide if i want to try something & form my own opinion.
negative feedback to companies should be used as a learning tool to improve a product. :)
It common cents indeed. Thanks Austin.
I've signed up for the Amazon affiliate program, as well. I haven't got much of a chance to use it as I haven't been able to keep myself in the mood to write any reviews lately. Which is bad because I really have nothing but time! =)
Maybe I'll get back into that.... I really do enjoy reviews.
Thanks for the quick info on affiliate marketing. You put everything in such simple terms!
Interesting post! Thanks for sharing this.
I totally agree with Chelle M. you have really cleared up a few things i didn't quite understand, thanks for tip about Amazon, I will check into that! It amazes me how much a few clicks can add up over a year. I never really push my links or sites in fact I refuse to post my links here at Gather just because I didn't really know the T.O.S.l on that, anyone can have them but got to ask for them or just run up on them surfing.
I havetried hard to learn a little about SEO I have gotten a little better results using what I can figure out on my own as I am married P.O.W.( Prisonor Of Wife) not allowed to spend money since the "Guitar Incident", but that's off the subject.
Thanks agaiin.
10
I use Amazon. I don't make a mint, but considering what little I put into the actual marketing part, it is fine.
Very informative. Thank you.
This applies to how they are promoting the fiasco, called Healthcare Changes:
ABC TURNS PROGRAMMING OVER TO OBAMA; NEWS TO BE ANCHORED FROM INSIDE WHITE HOUSE
Tue Jun 16 2009 08:45:10 ET
On the night of June 24, the media and government become one, when ABC turns its programming over to President Obama and White House officials to push government run health care -- a move that has ignited an ethical firestorm!
http://www.drudgereport.com/flashaot.htm
great one, thanks!
I used to be a part of Affliate programs. But, I find that it's very difficult to bring traffic in and it's a waste of my time.
I do happen to like Amazon. But, have only bought books from them.
Reviews will always be an important and necessary part of an informed consumer's buying decisions. With countless hundreds of millions of websites and an estimated 87 million marketers around the world, consumers finding diamonds in the rough can be like one looking for a grain of sand on an endless beach. For very small businesses, the most effective future answers to sales will be moving beyond SEO's and Affilate Marketing. That's what we're doing now.
I read a lot of reviews for other sites, but I think i will just stick to gather exclusively, Maybe review the products Gather endorses, or the companies that sponsor us.
Certainly interesting information. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing this great information. I've done similar programs through a couple of different web sites. I wish I had more time to dedicate to them. But they are handy for a bit of cash or incentives. Peace
I am heavily involved in affiliate marketing myself. While it's very easy to get into, it is something you have to maintain if you are going to be profitable. There has been a huge surge lately as people lose their jobs, they are all trying to get in to AM.
Nope, I've never been involved in anything like that.
Thanks Austin, I am considering some products at the moment, but I have to try them first and discover first hand if I really benefit from their use. I like your suggestion of writing a review of the product. that way others can be informed of the benefits and possible negatives, and then are free to decide for themselves if there is value in it for them.