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Are You Using Affiliate Programs?

If you are not using Affiliate Programs, you should. What I am specifically speaking about is talking about other products and services and then linking to the site. If the client buys the service by clicking your links, you get a commission. I don’t make a huge amount of money doing this, but I do make some. In all cases if I am making a commission from a link click, I will state it to a customer either in writing or when I point them to the link.

For me, the link click is about equal to getting lunch from McDonalds paid by the sponsor, not a big deal, but can add up over time. I only recommend sites that I know are great resources for my clients. If I have not tried out your product, I will not write about it or recommend it.

When I like a product I will actively look on their website to see if they have an affiliate program that I can participate in. I really don’t like when a sponsor hooks up with Commission Junction. My reason is that if you do not generate monthly and quarterly commissions, Commission Junction chops your account which is very annoying. My affiliate business ebbs and flows and I don’t always have months where income is generated.

So if you have a website and you promote products and services, make sure to check to see if you should be getting a free lunch from your sponsor too. It just makes good business sense.

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Who Do You Watch?

So when you want to know what is happening in the world of organic search engine placement who are you watching? Whose words are you hanging on, checking out the techniques, and monitoring their blog and Twitter traffic?

Here’s my list of who I watch to find out what to keep tabs on:

Matt Cutts

Matt is a Google software engineer. He is the voice to the industry for Google. Currently he is in charge of the Google WebSpam Team. He is a high profile blogger and is active on Twitter. You can check out his blog to see if you should be keeping an eye on him. I have to say that some of his blog posts are about his cat and weird stuff, but sometimes he has excellent nuggets and insight into Google that are very important to be aware of to stay at the very top of your game.

Danny Sullivan

Danny is a pillar in my industry. He is the editor of Search Engine Land and previously the creator of Search Engine Watch which was one of the most popular blog/ezines in my industry until he sold it to Jupiter Media and lost control of the content. Danny has excellent insight and is one of my most watched experts. You can visit Search Engine Land to see what you think.

Kevin Marks

Kevin is a new Google Engineer that I am just starting to watch. I haven’t decided if he is important to watch yet, but I am checking out his blog.

Webmaster World News

Although this is not one person, but rather a forum, this is the place to watch new topics surface. You’ll find out what others think about new algorithms that search engines have rolled out, hot topics, trending topics, and personal commentary. All the major search engines have forum monitors to see what the professional community is saying about them and problems. They post answers, take threads to higher ups and allow professionals to have open commentary with them there in the forum. I find it an indispensable assets. When you see a drop in SERPs you can find out if a new search algorithm has hit and what the early impact is on website. You can visit Webmaster World News to see what you think.

I am a free member, but you can pay a subscription there if you want. I post under the name Nancy99 on Webmaster World. You will frequently see my posts there under the AdWords topics.

If you have someone who you watch, I would love to know so that I can follow them too. Just leave their name and link in the comments below.

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Should You Advertise on Facebook?

If you use Facebook, then you will understand my post more clearly. If you have just heard of Facebook or know that it is popular, you may want to consider advertising on Facebook. Due to its reach Facebook may be a good place to advertise your products, but only if you are interested in brand identification.

I have been using social networking for quite a while. I have quickly embraced LinkedIn and Facebook when they arrived on the scene, and I am an active user. I have never clicked a Facebook ad – ever! In fact, as I did research for a client who wants to place ads on Facebook, the web consensus was that the exposure is great but if you want sales use Google AdWords.

Facebook would be considered the content network if we were talking about Google AdWords. We know from years of professional account management that content exposure has its place but is not right for every client. The content network is excellent for introducing a new concept and helping people to know your product’s name, but if you want sales, you don’t want to invest a lot of money for this exposure in this network.

If you feel like you want to ride the popularity curve on Facebook, you may want to advertise, but keep in mind the parameters and set your expectations accordingly. You may get better bang for your buck by investing your personal capital to build your Facebook friend network, create a fan page, and then create a fan group and network for your business instead of paying by the click or thousand impression for an ad. If you do a Google Search on success of advertising on Facebook you will be able to read some real world examples of advertisers and their comments and that they found the results better with Google AdWords.

Don’t take my advice in this area, but take time to review others experience on this topic. I just know that with as many items found on a Facebook page and ad can get lost. I also know that personally as long as I have used Facebook, I have never clicked on a single advertisement, do you? Let me know by leaving your comments below.

Here are a few links to other’s problems with Facebook advertising:

Proctor and Gamble Failure

LinkedIn Answers Comments

Statistical Results from One Advertiser

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Social Networking-You’ve Got to Use It to Love It

I read in the Washington Post recently an article written by a writer who was just now trying out Facebook. She was bemoaning the amount of personal information that was requested and then spun the article into one on identity theft. I have to say that as I read the article it was clear to me that she just did not get it.

In fact I find it incredible to think that someone in the news media would now just be embracing Facebook – wow, talk about being behind the curve! My son and I chatted about the article and our joint perspective was we were mystified that a journalist could have “missed it” so badly and have taken this perspective.

To understand the value and how to use social networking for business you just have to use it. Dive in head first, immerse yourself in it, connect with others, search to find people you haven’t hooked up with for a while, exchange information, share freely – then you’ll get the power! In fact once you do this you will understand how really great and how interesting as well as how integral social networking has become to many people of all ages.

If you don’t share, if you don’t connect, you can have the perspective as the Washington Post writer did, that social networking wants to know too much or that it takes too much time.

From my perspective, I “get it”. I’m using it, and I love it. If you haven’t immersed yourself in it yet to “get it”, you are missing out on one of the biggest changes in our culture since the creation of the Internet.

Social networking is here to stay, so do you “get it”?