Maintaining Subtlety in Social Media and Affiliate Marketing
February 9, 2012 by Daron Babin
Filed under Affiliate Marketing, The Classroom, WMR Blog
The development of social media has been a huge boon in the world of affiliate marketing. Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter make it easier for affiliate marketers to reach out to larger audiences, often with a noticeably smaller time commitment. However, some marketers fail to understand that simply logging in to a social network will not ensure success.
Social media is a tool that can be used to make great gains in the field of affiliate marketing. But as in any type of tool, the misuse of social media can bring about some terrible results. Unfortunately, a number of affiliates are privy to a variety of mistakes while advertising on social networks. Over time, seemingly small mistakes can cost affiliates big time.
While audiences are able to look past certain mistakes, there is one thing that they are rarely willing to forgive: excessive enthusiasm. This concept may initially seem counter-intuitive. Aren’t affiliate marketers supposed to remain positive at all times? The answer is yes, affiliates should maintain a positive outlook in their dealings with present and future customers. But there is a big difference between displaying a positive demeanor and browbeating audiences with a message.
There’s an old cliche that bears repeating: “It’s not what you say; it’s how you say it.” This cliche certainly applies to affiliate marketing. Two different affiliates can provide the exact same message and get completely different results. The content of the message is not nearly as important as the delivery. And the right amount of subtlety is everything when it comes to providing a decent delivery.
The problem with social media is that it leaves less room for mistakes. There is a lot less room for recovery in a Tweet or a Facebook status than there is in a blog post. On Twitter, you only have 140 characters available to get your message out there. There is little room for mistakes. While a direct and concise message is a necessity on Facebook and Twitter, it does not give you license to be brash. This will only turn visitors off of your site. Instead, you’ll have to work all the harder to craft a message that is both direct and subtle.
Subtlety is most needed when inserting links into text. On a blog or website, it is easy to get links in the right place without giving visitors the wrong impression. This is a little harder on a Twitter feed, where there is less room to work. Instead of turning your Twitter account into a big advertising feed, simply use the site to post links to your blog or website. Use the Twitter or Facebook page to introduce the topic that will be covered on the blog. If visitors like what they see on your blogs, they’ll be more willing to click through the ads.
A modicum of subtlety is helpful in any business, but this is especially true for affiliate marketing. Don’t just fire off random links and tell visitors to click on them; provide some sort of material that will interest them. Social media works best with affiliate marketing when it is used as a tool for gathering audiences. Use that tool carefully and you’ll find yourself with a targeted audience that is willing to listen to what you have to say.
Location3 Media To Host Returning PPC Rockstars Podcast on WebmasterRadio.FM
February 8, 2012 by Daron Babin
Filed under WMR Blog
PPC Rockstars returns tomorrow to WebmasterRadio.FM at 1pm Eastern and 10am Pacific with brand new hosts, Location3 Media VP Alex Porter and director of paid search Jared Schroder.
Alex and Jared will discuss the Pros and Cons of Brand Terms or also known as Tradename Terms. Why, When and How much to bid for them as they cover the long-debated question of whether or not marketers should bid on their clients branded keywords.
“Im really looking forward to sharing some of the hard-won lessons Jared and I have learned over many years in paid search. Location3 Media has been in this game from the beginning and were constantly adapting to changes and advances, so its exciting to be able to discuss whats happening next,” said Porter.
Every week , Alex and Jared will feature breaking industry news, in-depth analysis and insider tips, all with their Brasco-approved unique brand of humor. They will feature exclusive guests from the biggest names in search and global brands, along with the latest developments in Google AdWords and Microsoft AdCenter.
“With increased competition, call tracking integration and expansion into the mobile and social space in 2011, PPC continues to be an essential part of every internet marketing campaign,” said Jorge Hermida, WebmasterRadio.FM director of programming and production. ”Since 2008, PPC Rockstars has been, and will continue to be, an educational and informative resource for listeners looking to improve their PPC performance.”
Alex and Jared take over the hosting duties from David Szetela, who hosted the popular radio series for 94 episodes from 2008-2011
Affiliate Marketing Post-Panda: How to Thrive in the New Affiliate Marketing World
February 8, 2012 by Daron Babin
Filed under Affiliate Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, The Classroom, WMR Blog
Did Google’s “Panda” update destroy the Internet? For some affiliate marketers, it appears so. After Panda, many successful affiliate marketers suddenly found their rankings tanking, and as a result their income dropping. Yet, others are still thriving, and even bringing in greater numbers than before the change. Understanding Panda and what these changes mean is the key to thriving in the new world governed by Google.
Who Was Hurt by Panda?
The Panda update was designed to make search results more useful to the user. Before Panda, all you had to do to get site after site filled with Google ads and weak content was search a popular keyword string. It took several clicks or advanced searching techniques to find the quality content you wanted. Panda changed this, because the new algorithm lowers the ranking for sites with thin content, while sites with relevant, quality content soared to the top. For the user, this was a welcome change. For the affiliate marketer relying on poor content, the change destroyed a once lucrative income stream.
How to Thrive in Post-Panda Affiliate Marketing
If your affiliate sites were hurt by Panda, all hope is not lost. With a few changes to your marketing and content, you can improve your rank again and start bringing in profit. Panda did not kill affiliate marketing, but your poorly written site is hurting your efforts. A few tweaks and a change in focus is what you need to thrive post-Panda.
Focus on engaging, authoritative content. Content that contains research, analysis, and reports is going to rank better than rehashed gibberish. Original content is also essential. If your content is similar or identical to the content on several other sites, even if they are your sites, you need to change it.
Remove low quality pages. Take the time to analyze the various pages to find those with a huge drop in traffic. Separate the pages with high-quality, unique content from those with auto-generated pages, placing the poorer quality pages on a separate section that is blocked from crawling or deleting them altogether. You may find that your ranking improves drastically in a very short period of time with this step.
Optimize your site for social media outlets. Do you have Twitter and Facebook share buttons on your articles? If you do not, add them to make it easy for your readers to share the posts you are writing. Google is watching the social media giants to see what users are viewing as relevant content, so the more ways you give your readers to share your web pages, the better your results will be. Of course, getting shares from readers requires valuable, engaging content.
For years, content has been king on the Internet, and in reality Panda has not changed this. Content is still king, but affiliate marketers can no longer push their sites to the top with cheap, auto-generated, or copied content. Instead, the content Panda awards is unique, authoritative, and relevant. In the end, by focusing on making the content that Panda will like, you will turn your page into a trusted resource, and this will only increase your affiliate marketing income.
Mobile Presence Reconnects with Listeners Starting Wednesday February 8th.
February 8, 2012 by Daron Babin
Filed under WMR Blog
Mobile Presence, the weekly mobile marketing radio series that examines all things mobile from devices to software, services and SEO, returns with new episodes on WebmasterRadio.FM.
“When Mobile Presence first debuted in February 2009, the mobile marketing industry was a billion dollar business and now on pace to reach a $100 billion by 2015, not to mention a smartphone customer base that bought over 400 million phones in 2011 those facts reflect an unquestionable need for WebmasterRadio.FM to bring back “Mobile Presence” said WebmasterRadio.FM’s Director of Programming and Production Jorge Hermida.
“This radio show will provide listeners with a new way to connect and learn about new advances in mobile application development and marketing. Listeners can choose from a variety of online live and stored sessions,” said Thomas Castleberry, Chief Operating Officer at SkyWire Media, Inc. “We are thrilled to be a part of and discuss mobile technologies, our extensive experience, and our patented mobile solutions with the Webmasterradio.FM listeners.”
The premiere episode will feature new hosts Nicole Hurley and Joe Walczak offering helpful tips for Deploying a Successful Mobile Marketing Strategy.
“Internet Marketers should recognize that with the rapid expansion of mobile phones and smart devices, their messages can and will be heard faster with quicker responses from their customers when utilizing mobile technologies, “said Hurley. “This means their messages will need to be clearer and more concise with value propositions the consumers can act on immediately.”
Mobile Presence will air every Wednesday at Noon Eastern / 9am Pacific.
Make Your Blog an Interactive Social Media Hub
February 6, 2012 by Daron Babin
Filed under The Classroom, WMR Blog, social media
Bloggers often feel that it is sufficient to provide regular and timely content to their readers. What they often overlook is the need to blend their social media networks into their blogs. While it may be great to have well written content, unless people are finding, reading and sharing it, you might as well be talking to yourself when you blog.
Why Social Media Matters
There have been numerous accounts of how Google’s Panda update impacted blogs, writing sites and even high-powered websites. Many of these sites screamed that their content was original, timely and relevant. However, Google went a step further and rated content based on how much traffic it was able to attract. Today, bloggers who fail to share their content on their social media sites will typically find their traffic staying at the same levels for days, weeks or even months at a time.
Incorporating social media
Bloggers often feel that incorporating their social media activities into their blogs means they are going to have to learn how to do all types of fancy programming and that it has to be time consuming. This is no longer the case since social networking sites have made it easier than ever to link blogs to social media accounts. There are several options available, some depending on the platform that the blog is created on including:
• Plugins – WordPress platforms work best with high-quality plugins. These are generally created by independent programmers and available for a small fee or donation to the developer. These plug-ins vary from those that will allow readers to share content with others to those that will automatically notify social media sites of new posts.
• Badges – Many of the popular social media sites offer users the ability to obtain code directly from the site and insert it into individual blog posts or along side-bars. These badges link the readers directly to the bloggers social media sites. These are especially good for those who maintain fan pages on Facebook, Groups on LinkedIn or have an active Google+ account.
• RSS Feeds – Perhaps one of the most overlooked tools for bloggers is the RSS feed. These feeds allow bloggers to do numerous things including (a) setting up an interactive newsletter, (b) making a “sticky” post of social media feeds or (c) feeding new posts directly to social media accounts.
Today, webmasters must prepare their blog and social media campaigns carefully in order to draw attention to their websites. Whether a business is providing services or products, all of the pieces must be carefully integrated for maximum success. Not too long ago, many business owners felt that having a website to display their products or services was enough. Today, this is not the case as users are growing more demanding and Google as well as other search engines are putting a higher emphasis on the value of social media.
Best Bets for February 2012
February 4, 2012 by Daron Babin
Filed under WMR Blog
Marketing Nirvana (February 6th) Host Brad Geddes helps up as we learn how to track phone calls with David Szetela, whom you may remember from his time at Clix Marketing as well as the original host of PPC Rockstars.
Market Edge with Glenn Engler (February 7th) Scheduled guest is Chase Garbarino, the Co-founder and CEO of Streetwise Media, a new media company in Boston that operates Pinyadda.com, a social news aggregation platform, and BostInnovation.com.
Mobile Presence (Season Premiere-February 8th) New hosts Nicole Hurley and Joe Walczak discuss offer some helpful tips to Deploying a Successful Mobile Marketing Strategy.
LPO:Landing Page Optimization (February 13th) Learn more about usability and conversion rate optimization as host Tim Ash interviews with Advanced Common Senses Steve Krug, plus Tim discusses internet marketing and website conversion rate optimization with Vertical Measures CEO Arnie Kuenn (February 27th).
PPC Rockstars Back on Tour While Mobile Presence Reconnects
February 2, 2012 by Daron Babin
Filed under Uncategorized, WMR Blog
Mobile is ready to make its Presence known again on WebmasterRadio.FM and the PPC Rockstars are going back on the road.
Mobile Presence returns Wednesday February 8th and PPC Rockstars on Thursdays beginning in late February.
SkyWire Media Sales Executive Nicole Hurley and Senior Account Manager Joe Walczak will take over hosting duties of Mobile Presence every Wednesday at Noon Eastern/9am Pacific.
Location3 Media VP Alex Porter and director of paid search Jared Schroder will host PPC Rockstars on Thursdays at 1pm Eastern/ 10am Pacific.
Stay tuned to the blog as we showcase each series and ask the respective hosts what to expect on each series next week.
News Blurbs: Say WebmasterRadio To Smartphone and Listen; SEO 101 Back; Returning Shows Update
January 6, 2012 by Daron Babin
Filed under Uncategorized, WMR Blog
-Mobile Listeners of WebmasterRadio.FM via the Tune In application can now use a new feature called Car Mode that offers a voice search button to easily search and tune in to our live stream in seconds. Just hit the button and say Listen to Webmaster Radio and our live stream loads right up.
-A number of our radio shows will make their way back this month. Here is an overview:
SEO 101-returns January 9th with scheduled guest Stefan Spencer, author of The Art of SEO to look at what to expect in SEO in 2012.
Ecom Experts is tentatively scheduled to return from an extended holiday break on Monday January 9th.
Office Hours- Vanessa Fox is scheduled to return with a live episode on Wedensday January 18th.
Affiliate Marketing Insider returns with new host Cresta Pillsbury on Thursday January 19th.
-Brasco, your lovable gracious and humble radio producer is looking for your votes in the 2012 Shorty Awards, which honor the best of social media, recognizing the people and organizations producing real-time short form content on across Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, Foursquare, and the rest of the social Web. If you would like to nominate Brasco for a shorty award, please nominate him in the #radio category by clicking here. You can also catch his campaign video on YouTube where he begs and pleads for you vote.
Archives of Search Pulse and The Alternative Back Online
January 4, 2012 by Daron Babin
Filed under WMR Blog
Search Pulse (hosted by Barry Schwartz (Search Engine Roundtable and Rustybrick) Ben Pfeiffer (Rank Smart Search Marketing) and current SEO Rockstars host Chris Boggs, and The Alternative (hosted by Webcology hosts Jim Hedger and Dave Davies) have finally been restored on on our website and via iTunes.
These restored audio archives are part of an ongoing process following the migration of the WebmasterRadio.FM website after being hosted on a secure content management system.
With over 5,000 shows produced since 2004, our archivists have worked diligently to bring back some of our most popular programming that we have featured on the radio network. Some of those programs that have returned due to the archive restoration project included Net Income, The Shoemoney Show, The Hook with Katie Kempner and Good Karma.
Search Pulse, which we commonly referred as The Pulse, featured a weekly roundtable discussion on current search topics that received the most buzz from within the search community.
The Alternative was solo-hosted by Jim Hedger that began each week with a look at search engine news segments with Dave Davies, followed by interviews with guests that helped us discover the alternatives in search engines, advertising, revenue and verticals. The Alternative would cease production in the summer of 2007, but Jim and Dave would return in October of that year with Webcology.
PubCon 2011 Coverage Featuring a New WebmasterRadio.FM Show Host
December 22, 2011 by Daron Babin
Filed under WMR Blog
WebmasterRadio.FM roving reporters made their way to the Webmaster World PubCon 2011 Conference last month, and our interviews from the show are now available inside the Specials section or our website.
Superior Affiliate Management CEO Cresta Pillsbury and COO JP Diaz spoke with speakers, attendees and exhibitors to get their take on the annual Internet marketers November pilgrimage to Las Vegas.
In related news, Pillsbury will be taking over hosting duties for the returning Affiliate Marketing Insider radio series beginning Thursday Janjuary 19th at 3pm Eastern Time.
Now, on to the interviews…
Search engine marketing and social media expert Tony Wright discusses Integrated Marketing Communications and how he helps clients create a competitive advantage, boost sales and profits, save money, drive traffic, and promote a brand.
Real World Winning Tactics for Content Creation and Marketing and Linkbuilding discussion with Vertical Measures President Arnie Kuenn.
WeBuildPages is Now Internet Marketing Ninjas as we find out with Jennifer Van Iderstyne, Sales and Marketing Manager with Internet Marketing Ninjas.
Discussing the change of the marketplace in online marketing as Cresta speaks CJ Millar, the Senior Director of Client Management from Teknicks, a Full service interactive enhancement.
PubCon 2011 Giveaways and Takeaways as Cresta Pillsbury and JP Diaz from Superior Affiliate Management take to the tradeshow floor to get a few words with some of the exhibitors and attendees.
