Note from Geno Prussakov: Our army of guest bloggers is constantly growing; and today I am happy to welcome our newest blogger, Kyle Kam of Affilorama, an affiliate marketing educational resource I’ve mentioned on a number of occasions in the past. Enjoy his first AM Navigator post below.
In the dawn of social media sites, the competition among these online networks not only relies on having the largest number of users but also on the credibility of information shared through them.
So for affiliate marketing, it is important that strategies will be based on reliable methods in order to gain a reasonable profit. Hence, if you, as an affiliate or an SEO, will be using social media to drive traffic to your websites, the key then is to make sure that your site would be viral with a good reputation.
The launch of Google+, according to Google Social and Mobile Global Marketing Director Rikard Steiber, is not just a launch of another social networking site; it is the launch of a platform that connects the interactions of any Google user around the globe. Hence, it makes your usual Google activities more meaningful.
Steiber further reiterates that the goal of Google+ is to harness social relevance in the inherent search platform Google has created and has dominated over the years. Google+ nurtures the idea of bringing in consumer recommendations, as well as suggestions or reviews on products searched through Google, which initially rely on advertising alone.
On September 17, Google announced that its user-base amounts to 400 million with 100 million active users. Based on these findings, your product, website or blog can earn a good amount of traffic by using Google+.
To optimize the experience more, here are a few tips on using Google+ for affiliate marketing.
1. Make your content worth a “plus.”
Good content is the core of every affiliate marketing strategy. Since Google+ lets users rate your content, it is important that you trigger public interest on your content to make it viral. Creating relevant content is also essential to maintain a good reputation within your Circle.
2. Plan a “Hangout.”
Google+ offers a feature where people within the same Circle can meet up online through a “Hangout.” It opens up discussions on your content or even your affiliate marketing strategies to retain the interest you have built, as well as nurture the trust of your Circle.
Hangout does not in any way replace the concept of creating affiliate marketing forums. But, it can be an alternative tool to collect suggestions and share tips in a more personal, interactive, and real-time way.
3. Keep your competitors close.
It is not suicide to belong to the Circle of your competitor, especially since you belong to the same industry. It is actually a good strategy to provide affiliates within your Circle more choices based on what would fit their needs.
In the event that you think that your competitor fits more the needs of a potential affiliate, do not be afraid of endorsing your competitor instead. You may have lost a sale for now but with the trust you have built, you have a higher potential of gaining more suitable affiliates later.
So are you ready to try affiliate marketing through Google+? Share your thoughts and experiences on this matter through a comment below.
For me the general “put off” issue with g+ is that they dont allow custom urls as FB does. When they do that i guess it will skyrocket as its an excellent brand opportunity + you get (from what they say around) SEO juice
I think you have a point, but I do think that G+ has their own way of when it comes to branding. Let’s just wait and see what they’ll do about it.
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