Social Media and Affiliate Marketing Connection

I’ve always ran away from having to deal with affiliate marketing as I’ve somehow associated it with  capitalism of the evil kind before. But now that I know better,  I have approached it with a more open mind and have began to see how indeed it can complement your social media addiction and even make an “honest” buck in the process.

To simplify this to the uninitiated, affiliate marketing is quite plainly any business offering an internet-based sales program to opinion makers and marketing persons, to help sell the businesses’  products or services through the marketer’s network. Smart business people know that nothing can exponentially grow their businesses better than a system of tapping  people or organizations to create marketing opportunities for their products through a referral scheme. The proverbial carrot of course is a substantial commission with every sale made through these sales partners. (one could expect hefty ones in the area of 25- 60% ).

This is done mainly through the following steps: 1) Interested parties apply or are recruited to help sell the online products or services 2) Business approves relationships and assigns specific and unique affiliate tracking codes for affiliates/ partners. 3) Affiliates help create marketing opportunities for the products or services THROUGH their online network 4) Downlines are introduced to products or services through various by the affiliates. 5) Business just mails the “check” after sales are completed through the unique affiliate codes or conduits 6) Hopefully, everybody is happy in the end.

I’ve greatly truncated the process but in a gist, this is how the system works for many successful affiliate marketers out there. And this is where we see the whole thing dovetailing so well with the great social media revolution.

In as much as social media operates on trust and engagements, it is not a completely bad thing for social participants to “evangelize” about good products or services through their facebook posts or tweets or links. Thanks of course to the phenomenon of  “tiny urls”, the whole  process need not look too “sales pitchy”.  A mere mention like- “Oh, I thoroughly enjoyed my new gadget (followed by the unique link), why don’t you try it out too. Thanks”  can actually lead to an easy sale for a business, and a much-welcome commis for our avid social media socialite.

Why don’t you try exploring these if so inclined. Check out that tiny footnote in the the home page of your favorite gadget or software product  and look for the inconspicuous “affiliate” text. Then you are on your way to starting your own social media- led business on the side. A little moolah is not at all evil if done in an authentic and helpful way. Otherwise, because social media are  truly accountable and leave a clear “paper trail”, all I can say is that you’ve been warned… and after all, Social Media and Affiliate Marketing done properly is a marriage truly made in “referral” heaven.