Social Networking and Affiliate Marketing

Many affiliate marketers have already come across the term “social networking” in the last year or so, but not all of them know what this means. And most affiliates have no idea how to use social networking websites to promote their affiliate products.

Social networking sites are also referred to as Web 2.0 sites. These are simply an extension of the community based websites you probably already use. Forum, discussion boards, and active blogs for instance, are all a form of social networking. They contain groups of people who are all interested in the same or similar topics.

The social networking sites which have become popular lately, tend to integrate a little more interactivity into the mix though. Some of them allow members to broadcast messages to each other; some allow uploading of pictures, videos, or audio files; some have hundreds of different discussion boards for members to talk on; some allow you to save and share your bookmarks with friends; and some even allow you to earn additional advertising or affiliate revenue from the content pages you add to their network.

One of the most important things you need to know about social networking though, is that each site has it’s own individual rules. In some places you might be allowed to link directly to an affiliate product or program for instance, while in others you may be restricted to links which lead to your own blogs or websites only. And there are some places which say you’re not supposed to link to anyplace where you’re trying to sell stuff.

By using social networking sites which allow you to link to an affiliate sales page, your own website, or a blog you run, you can dramatically increase the amount of income you’re making as an affiliate though. As long as you play by the specific rules for the sites you’re using, and you do your promotions consistently and well.

On forums and discussion boards for instance, you can’t usually just go in and post an advertisement. Instead, you need to join the discussions which are already in progress. Try your best to provide helpful and useful content to other members of the board, and be sure to post as often as possible too. In each post, you should have a forum signature which contains a small ad for what you’re offering. Link that signature to your website, blog or affiliate sales page. Then the more you post, the more that signature will be seen. And the more helpful and useful your posts are, the more other members will be inclined to click your links.

If you use a social networking site which allows you to create and share your website bookmark links, then you’ll want to link to your website, blog, and affiliate sales pages of course. Be sure to put a brief description on the links if you’re able to, because this can help entice other members to see what you’re linking to.