Topics of discussion included the latest insider knowledge on advantages and benefits of using the Google Content Network, today’s search engine optimization strategies and trends, and the future direction of affiliate marketing in general.

Today’s show also included a roundtable discussion about the hottest topics in affiliate marketing, including sponsored tweets, video marketing, and the recent cancellation of Amazon affiliates in Colorado.

Be sure to listen to the entire podcast here: http://www2.webmasterradio.fm/affiliate-wire/2010/03/18/future-direction-of-affiliate-marketing-seo-strategies-and-content-network/

The Skinny

While it’s not perfectly obvious what these terms stand for, what is 100% clear is that the Web is changing faster than anyone can foresee, making it one of the single greatest new frontiers of human communication in human history, and “Web 2.0 and “Web 3.0″ are important parts of how we define and understand that process of change.

What’s Web 2.0?

Web 2.0 has been a reality for awhile now. Web 2.0 is defined by social networking and increased levels of engagement and user interaction with the Internet. In theory it’s more democratic, helpful, responsive, and useful than the original Web ever was. And it isn’t just a fancy academic term either. Over the years it’s put some meat on the bone.

In today’s online world there are clear examples to support the claim that Web 2.0 is in full effect. Take for example social media giants like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and other popular platforms. The existence of these are all strong proof that social structures and behaviors are permeating the once highly-mechanical and rudimentary framework that characterized the early days of the Internet.

When the term Web 2.0 burst onto the scene in the early two thousands, it meant little more than an idea about how the Internet would become more like our everyday lives, with higher levels of participation and interaction. Nowadays the term Web 2.0 encapsulates the culture of social media participation itself.

The War For Web Territory

Web 2.0 is generally considered the idealistic enemy of over-the-top, in-your-face banner ads and scrumbly marketing websites of all ilk around the globe. Think of Web 2.0 as an army of quality content and genuine human interaction tools battling bravely against all-out guerilla marketing and advertising in the war for control of the vast territory that is today’s Internet.

On the one side you have warriors of substantive, quality driven content and interaction who want to use the Internet to practice the freedoms of open communication and free sharing of information. (In some ways Google has become the Big Brother enforcer of this particular side of the argument.)

On the other side you have the online marketers and advertisers who want to lather the page with ads, offers, incentives, and branding that never ends.

What Does This Mean For Affiliate Marketers?

Not to say that affiliate marketers are on the way out by any means. There’s actually more opportunity for online business now than ever before. What it does mean, however, is that affiliate marketers who want long term success are going to have to adapt to the way they market to their prospects.

Gone are the days of clunky, grammar-handicapped, GIF-saturated sites and kinder-styled landing pages with bad electronic music bleeping in the background (much to our dismay!). The early days of Net style have already become the fodder for too many office jokes to count.

Design sense and social savvy are now key factors in building successful campaigns that CONNECT to the users emotions and interactive sensibilities. Afffiliate marketers in a Web 2.0 world have to offer real value (i.e., original content) to their consumers, not just cheap short-term solutions.

Luckily, in the end it seems Nature manages to strike a balance between the two forces of quality vs. profit, and what you get is a charging juggernaut called Web 3.0.

What’s Web 3.0

Web 3.0 is a term that’s recently entered the digital conversation. Essentially it’s the next projected future destination of the online environment; what’s anticipated to be a continued move toward greater social integration of social media channels – one that allows users higher levels of inclusiveness, all-in-one usability, and the interlinking of various online personas into a single cohesive identity.

Web 3.0 also means a stronger sense of online community with lots of cool new tools to use. It means an environment where advertisers are more in synch with the consumer. So if effective advertising truly is the skilled dissemination of information, then Web 3.0 is the raddest thing to be ONLINE.

Online users and consumers want just a few simple things, whether it’s Web 3.0 or Web 250.0. They want to find what they’re looking for, get solutions to whatever problems they’re having quickly, easy access to helpful information, and a chance to experience adventures into the world of online fascination and inspiration (this is shaping up to be primarily online video sharing).

New internet uses don’t mind spending money, as long as it’s justified. They don’t just want you to sell them something, they also want you to entertain them and add value to their lives while you’re doing it (BTW – That’s where quality content becomes so critical).

That means there’s a ton of fierce competition online, and those who differentiate themselves by providing the very best content will be better positioned to capture sales in the world of Web 3.0. More integrated, more responsive, and more socially savvy than ever before.

Here are a few of the choices available to affiliate marketers today to usher their business into the future:

• Blogs
• Micro-blogs
• Social networking sites
• Social bookmarking sites
• Article marketing
• RSS/Atom feeds
• Forum participation 
• Submitting reviews to other sites
• YouTube videos
• Photo-sharing sites
• Pay-per-click advertising on search engines
• Online stores
• Free autoresponder ezines
• Local directories

Start looking into some of these strategies and test out how they might help you gain the competitive edge of 3.0. Until next time, the Internet is a community of the brightest minds, so market to them that way!

YouTube
Yahoo! Video
AOL Video
Google Video
MySpace Video
blip.tv
Vimeo
Bolt
ClipShack
Crackle
DailyMotion
Metacafe
Motionbox
OurMedia
Revver
Spike
Stickam
Veoh
Viddler

Here’s a great article on the subject in Forbes, written by Edelman Digital’s Director of Insights Steve Rubel. Rubel’s slant is that the days of dominant corporate URLs might well be on the way out. Many companies are moving away from their traditionally square and stuffy home sites, electing to invest more money and effort into building powerhouse social media strategies instead.

Rubel goes on to warn, however, that this attempt to get “hip and cool” could backfire if companies aren’t careful. In trying to make the transition from white collar to collared Ts, companies run the risk of appearing fake – something all affiliates should avoid at all costs in their PPC ads, social media writing, and sales creative!

You can read Rubel’s full article here http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/07/facebook-twitter-social-networking-marketing-cmo-network-steve-rubel.html

In general, it seems the world is moving away from a corporate model of communication that’s remote and hierarchical toward one that’s more socially democratic and “human savvy”. By that we mean communication that speaks to people in the same way they relate to each other in their every day social situations, and not as they relate to remote ideas like “brand” or “Incorporated.”

That’s why Facebook has been so incredibly popular. It’s about seeing and interacting with actual people, not just veils of copy and graphic design. It has an added tactile element.

Even though social media is a great new frontier it has some drawbacks, too. One of the pitfalls in Social Media Marketing is that in a “virtual social experience” there’s the risk of misunderstandings and faux-pas. Smart marketers can mitigate these kinds of blunders by developing well thought out strategies (a.k.a., online etiquette & manners) and thus maximize the opportunity for revenue growth though their various social media channels.

So what else should affiliates be thinking about?

In Social Media spheres, too much salesmanship will turn people off. Nobody can deny there’s a basic human aversion to being hammered with advertisements while you’re trying to hold a meaningful conversation with friends, and the same rules apply to social media sites. There’s a time and a place for responsible advertising, a line that shouldn’t be crossed if you want to gain the attention and respect of your audience. If you’re sensitive to that boundary then your advertising will hit the bulls-eye a lot more often.

Take for example contextual advertising on Facebook. Those ads that pop-up in the right nav based on key information you’ve put in your profile walk the delicate line between too-hard-a-sell and bang on make-money-like-rain. The challenge for today’s social media marketer is to know how to walk that line with skill… Not always an easy task!

Why? The line isn’t static. It changes based on the demographic you’re marketing to. Some demographics might be more likely to be offended by crazy, in-your-face ads. On the flip side, if you’re ads aren’t arresting enough, then the ROI won’t justify the budget. The line between “cool” and “cool” is also determined by the affiliates ability to gauge what sort of language their prospects use. These are just some of the considerations you’ll want to make as an affiliate marketer using social media to promote products and services.

Developing an effective Social Media presence and persona should be on every affiliate’s hit list in 2010. When you’re designing, testing, implementing and maintaing your social media campaigns, remember: Being natural, approachable, genuine, and TARGETED is the new credo when marketing online!

What’s your take? We’d love to hear what you think.

As you probably already know, video is the latest and greatest Internet craze. Two of our affiliate managers recently attended SES San Diego and walked away with a serious case of USE MORE VIDEO on the brain. If you’re an affiliate and you’re not using video then you’re missing out on a colossal opportunity.

Here are some stats & facts on just how hot video really is right now:

According to SES presenter and SEO mighty guru Greg Jarboe, video is WHERE IT’S AT NOW (and down the road too) in terms of online promotions. The crazy thing is, he says it’s still an incredibly untapped strategy from an affiliate marketing perspective.

Here are some dizzying numbers Greg shared. Youtube is now the #1 search engine behind Google. Americans watched 13 billion YouTube videos in December 2009 alone. Americans watch double the amount of video in comparison to the amount of online searches conducted. Whoah! If that isn’t a clue to get on the video bandwagon then nothing is…

So how can affiliates use video’s mass appeal to their advantage? It’s such a great way to drive mass traffic to your webpage with only a small initial investment. If you create a compelling video, people will pass it along and generate traffic and buzz at no cost to the advertiser.

What’s the number one thing to consider when creating a video? Personality.

Elements like humor, parody, satire, and entertainment-antics make video MUCH MORE effective. Too many online marketers create videos that are either overwhelmingly self-promotional or as dry as a stale Melba toast cracker.

Either way, the point of marketing videos today is NOT to put viewers to sleep, it’s to WAKE THEM UP. Avoid boredom at all costs! People are already bored enough, they don’t want you to make them even more bored! Which begs the question, what constitutes boring? Tons of meaningless product details read out in a mellow monotone voice. That’s the modern definition of boring. Lack of personality will kill the power of this potentially explosive medium every single time. Compared to almost every other online medium, video is the most sensory rich format, meaning it involves sound and motion and emotion, and appeals to the basic human faculties of sense perception that inspire attachment and reaction. The top viral videos are glowing examples of this fact.

Make your videos simple, fun, and engaging. Explore ideas that identify and bring out the specific personality of the product you’re promoting. You can use sketch comedy or impromptu consumer interviews. Put your product or service in action and in context within your video. Think of it like a TV commercial stripped down to the creative essence. Making people laugh or inspiring them to watch more will make your video potentially viral and ultimately drive oceans of extra traffic/conversions – all done for street cheap!

Remember, in terms of video, you don’t need a lot of money to create great promotional content that sells itself. You just need to shake people up with your personality.

In this installment, Bobbi discusses the challenges of doing business today in our industry, positive trends and developments, and how RevenueWire took pro-active measures to adapt to new FTC guidelines. Watch the video here: http://blog.mediatrust.com/.

MediaTrust makes online direct response advertising efficient for advertisers, agencies and publishers by connecting impressions to performance, and as a Inc. 500 member is recognized as the 9th Fastest-Growing Private Company In America.

What Are Sponsored Tweets?

Sponsored tweets are a new trend of advertising on Twitter. Various platforms that connect advertisers with Tweeters have popped up like crazy. These services allow advertisers to create sponsored conversations on Twitter, and Tweeters to earn money for “spreading the word.”

If you’re looking to monetize social media, then sponsored tweets is definitely where the industry is at right now. The sheer volume of Twitter users means a virtually unlimited revenue stream, and there’s a mob of hungry advertisers chomping at the bit to leverage the followers of the most popular tweeters.

Tell Me More!

Here’s a great in-depth article (at PBS.org) about how to make the most of sponsored tweets http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2009/10/8-tips-to-make-sponsored-tweets-work289.html. Be sure to read it, it’s cutting-edge stuff. The article also talks about the different services/platforms you can use to monetize your tweets, how they work, and how you can protect your neck while using them.

What’s The Controversy Surrounding Sponsored Tweets?

There’s some inherent controversy around the idea of marketers capitalizing on a free social media service, similar to the issues that arose around Facebook advertising. It’s primarily an ethical argument that will likely get derailed by the power of the gravy train. The reality is that sponsored tweets are here to stay, so affiliate marketers who want to stay competitive should be seriously considering it as a new addition to their online marketing mix.

What Kind of Revenue Can Sponsored Tweets Generate?

On the low end of the scale some users report making between 10$-20$ per tweet and up. Not too shabby. On the blow-your-mind side of the scale, Internet money master ShoeMoney announced he earned $15,000 from sponsored ads on his Twitter account last month alone. That’s some serious clip. Lesson? Sponsored tweets definitely can’t be ignored.

Our Recommendation?

Do some more research on the different platforms you can use, and then make sponsored tweets part of your affiliate marketing mix. It’s where the future’s at!

**Note: If you’re getting confused by the lingo, the term sponsored tweets is both a larger subject matter concerning the monetization of Twitter, and also the name of a specific platform serving this niche (SponsoredTweets).

1. You HAVE TO HAVE a Website.

Having your own website url is not only recommended, it’s absolutely code-red necessary. Without a professional, well-designed, legit looking website to promote your products you’re pretty much doomed to digital oblivion.

Why? Your website is the hub for all your marketing efforts. It’s the engine that drives the juggernaut. It’s the face and personality of your business. It conveys the credibility, value and trust that’s so integral to making any sale, especially online where human contact is limited. It represents your style to the buyer. It’s your storefront and your cash register. It’s 100% indispensable.

That’s why you need it to be top-notch, user-friendly and uber attractive to your prospects. It should have a keyword rich domain name. It should be what marketers call “sticky.” The design has to be optimized to encourage visitors to click on your links and ultimately make a purchase. There also has to be strong calls-to-action, targeted messaging, intuitive navigation, simplicity of information and proper placement of everything important to the purchase path above the fold. Trust badges and awards, a well written About section, and easy to find contact/support information need to be readily available too.

Here’s an added tip. You can bolster your site value with original content. Articles add dimension and depth to your sales pitch. Avoid canned content at all costs. The more insightful and targeted your content, the more value it gives to the consumer and the more likely they’ll be to stick around to learn more about what you’re selling.

Original content also moves you up in the Search Engine Rankings and establishes you as a reputable endorser of the product or service you’re promoting. If you plan on being in affiliate marketing for the long run, original content is a great way to build long-lasting customer relationships. If you’re not a writer and are struggling to find original content there are affordable sites you can use to commission the articles you need (e.g., http://www.constant-content.com).

Remember: Before you get started creating your awesome affiliate website, take the time to get to know your customer’s needs, wants and likes. Build the insight you gain into your design and layout and you’ll likely see conversions spike. Fail to take into account your customer’s preferences and your business will pay the price. It’s as simple as that.

2. Providing Incentives Will Drive Your SALES HIGHER.

Since affiliate marketing is such a competitive space affiliates are always looking for new ways to optimize their conversions. Adding incentives to your product/service is a classic way of juicing up revenues. “Buy this one and get this other one for 50% off” is a brand of business psychology that has wide appeal and proven results for progressive merchants and affiliate marketers around the globe.

One of the key ways to incentivize as an affiliate is through up-sells. If you can find products and networks that build those up-sell packages for you, then all the better. Up-sells are a proven effective in the online world because they capitalize on contact with a targeted consumer who is already in the buying frame of mind. By offering the prospect something of complementary value to the product they’re already in the process of purchasing, at a discounted price, the affiliate can increase their commission without having to invest more marketing money and effort. It’s a brilliant business strategy when done with skill.

***Other incentives affiliates should look for are contests through affiliate networks with exciting, engaging prizes.

3. Building Quality Links Will Drive More Traffic and INCREASE CONVERSION RATES.

Driving highly targeted traffic to your website is paramount in affiliate marketing. A constant flow of targeted web traffic is one of the most sought after phenomena in the Internet world. Traffic is all about attraction. Attraction is about popularity. Online popularity is measured in how often your links get clicked. It’s just like High School all over again, kids. The more people who hit on your links, the more popular they get and the higher they rise in the rankings.

To improve your link popularity, you can undertake an aggressive reciprocal link campaign. You can do this by submitting original articles (with your website’s link) to respected e-zines, forums and article sites. This will garner exposure and build your backlinks. Make sure you submit your content to reputable, established publications though, or else the engines will cast you in a poor light on the SERPS. It seems that search engines too judge us by the company we keep!

If you’re not doing one or all of these techniques, start today and see the difference it makes.