There are dozens of social media tools that can help you make more money from affiliate marketing. Here are some of the great ones that you should definitely be using to your advantage.
1. Twitter
Twitter offers great SEO potential for links that you post as well as the potential to find new followers. If you’re an avid tweeter, your follower list will grow. Rules of Twitter success include: follow and be followed, quid pro quo, and, POST. Get into conversations, re-tweet interesting links, talk to others, be helpful, and you can definitely benefit from this great tool.
Even a few minutes a day on Twitter can make a difference. And, you’ll find many tools that you use can automate Twitter posting for you so integration can save you time, like SocialOomph for example.
2. Facebook
Facebook offers some great opportunities to connect with others. Not only can you share links and start Facebook fan pages and discussion groups, but you can share a bit of yourself with your audience.
People like buying from people rather than companies in many cases. This works particularly well if you are in an affiliate marketing niche that’s built on relationships and trust.
3. FriendFeed
The great thing about FriendFeed is that it feeds in a lot of your activities from other online sites. In reality, you don’t even need to login often to benefit from the tool because it feeds your other social activities into this site, helping you from an SEO perspective as well as from a viral marketing perspective.
4. StumbleUpon
StumbleUpon gives you sites to look at based on your surfing activities. Set categories you want to see and vote up or down to tell the tool what other things to show you. Categorize your links so that people who are interested in those topics will stumble upon your links. If they find a link stumbleworthy, they’ll vote it up.
This tool has great potential for helping your links go viral. And, you can build a follower base and share links directly with those people as well.
5. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is definitely a more professional than casual networking tool so some wouldn’t expect to market to customers with it.
But… LinkedIn does several things for you. It establishes you as a professional, it allows you to present your professional abilities, it helps you network and connect with other professionals, and offers you social media tools as well.
With microblogging, networking and industry discussion groups, RSS feeds, question/answer sections, and a place to give and get referrals, it’s a great tool for helping you connect and establish yourself. Just think of the increased potential of your prospective customers looking you up and seeing a professional-looking profile with dozens of professional connections and recommendations.
There are dozens of social media tools that various affiliate marketing gurus and success stories credit with helping them get traffic, get followers, and make sales. Dabble with a few and then, track your results to help you see what works well for you.
I would love to connect with you on any of the above social media sites, you can locate my profiles by clicking on the following links: Twitter Facebook Friendfeed StumbleUpon LinkedIn. What social media tools do you find the most success with?
Sean Rasmussen
Aussie Internet Marketer
Learn Affiliate Marketing with Year Of The Affiliate © 2012
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Sean,
Social media tools are essential to affiliate marketing without them you would have to work so much harder.
I am sure we would all want to work smarter not harder to achieve our success.
.-= Rita Pepper´s last blog ..Victorian Style Beauty =-.
Hi Sean,
So many sites to visit and learn makes me realise just how long this journey is going to be, sure glad to have your footprints to follow.
Hi Sean
After reading this post I realise the benefits of being part of social media groups. In fact, it is more than that , it is crucial for building relationships and opening up infinite lines of communication.
Social media has so many attributes, you can even use some for statistical feedback and all for attracting more traffic to your site.
I will be joining one at a time, and I will be able to give feedback when I start to have occupancy on the sites you have recommended.
I am learning on the run here!
Thankyou
Blessings
Elly
.-= Elly Wilson´s last blog .. =-.
Getting a feel for one site at a time and learning how to best use each one is the way to go Elly. Have fun, social media rocks
Hi Sean,
There are so many great social media tools to help you make money from affiliate marketing. The social networking sites are invaluable for helping you share your message with as large an audience as possible. Many more than you could ever reach on your own.
The key is to be social rather than just do social. You really have to make an effort to interact with the community. You have to take the time to build relationships. For me, it’s a lot easier said than done. But, the rewards are definitely worth it.
.-= Jazz Salinger´s last blog ..Learn and Earn – It’s a Marathon Not a Sprint =-.
I agree with you Jazz, social media is the perfect forum to build relationships and therefore the trust of people to as you share your message. It’s easier to trust people on the internet if you can “get to know” them too.
.-= Melanie Braggs´s last blog ..Building Chicken Coops =-.
These are definitely great social media tools Sean. The true power of these tools becomes even more pronounced if used together. Of course, you don’t want to over do using them as that can get a little overwhelming – both for you and the people you communicate to through the tools.
I have the most interaction through Facebook and while I seem to be using LinkedIn a lot more, I still feel it is a professional social network and choice to use it as one.
.-= Cemil´s last blog ..Scribe SEO Plugin – Making SEO Easy =-.
My favourite Social Media Tool for affiliate Marketing is Twitter. Because I don’t have to write a huge post but just a headline and can refer everybody to the post behind it. But I do get quite some referrals from Digg, which is amazing.
I am a member of LinkedIn since a long time (started it to keep in touch with my old colleagues), but I am not really using it for my online marketing – yet. I would love to learn more about how you are using it. Do you actively contact people that are in your LinkedIn network?
.-= Renee´s last blog ..Self Improvement Books – What Are Your Favourites =-.
This article will give you a bit more of an insight into some methods of using LinkedIn Renee: http://seanseo.com/internet-marketing/how-to-use-linkedin/
Thank you for that link Sean I will be sure to check that one out
Hi Renee
Have you tried installing the wordpress app on your LinkedIn profile? It taps into your blog so people who visit your profile also preview your latest posts!
.-= David Lee´s last blog ..Google Caffeine =-.
Hi David,
no, I haven’t, but an interesting suggestion. I guess I am still struggeling a bit with the “separation” of my past (colleagues with whom I am connected via LinkedIn, old career) and my current/future life (lots of Internet Marketing). I guess I am not so sure if I want my “old life” colleagues to see that close what I am currently doing as the field has changed a bit
.-= Renee´s last blog ..The Best Way To Get Motivated =-.
Using social media tools for affiliate marketing is a free and easy way to get your face and ultimately your product “out there”. Regular use of social media will ensure people will start recognising you and hopefully when they are in need of something you promote, will come and buy from you.
I often use facebook, but to be effective at affiliate marketing, I definately need to start using all of the social media tools.
.-= Jackie Stenhouse´s last blog ..What to Look For in a Child With Anxiety =-.
I am making some use of all the above social media sites.
As for Twitter I find it the most difficult when it comes to the sites ‘user friendliness’.
I find Facebook is where I have had the most use in and the easiest to navigate.
Stumble Upon and Friend Feed are awaiting my attention to work them out for social media use.
LinkedIn – I will be adding this site in particular to my ever-growing ‘must learn hot to use’ list! I have only recently registered. It’s all about perception at this point.
I with you Helen,
I am still getting my head around all of the social medias, but am having fun learning.
Stumble Upon and Friend feed also need my attention. I’m sure I’ll get there in the end.
Cath
Social media is such an exciting way of affiliate marketing and building relationships and trust. I’m using Facebook and Twitter but it’s time to branch out now.
.-= Melanie Braggs´s last blog ..Building Chicken Coops =-.
Whoa! Go the social media tools. There certainly are a lot of tools out there, each with their subtle nuances. I haven’t tried FriendFeed before, but I am an advocate of the other main stay players. I encourage everyone to dip their toes in. You’ve got nothing to lose.
.-= David Moloney´s last blog ..Choosing the Best Domain Name =-.
Hi Sean,
The Social Media tools can be beneficial for Affiliate Marketers. The Social Media sites are also the reason I’m listed on page #1 of Google. This is important for marketing as I have discovered in this article.
If a potential customer wants to know about me before deciding on a purchase I am easily found. Put my name into a Google search and I’m there. A positive profile comes up and this is mostly due to the Social Media sites I belong to.
.-= Jill Brown´s last blog ..Couples Marry at Common Law =-.
Hi Sean,
Thanks for this list of social media sites to use for affiliate marketing! I am a big fan of Facebook & learning about the others you have listed here. After reading this I went & started a StumbleUpon account but got lost in it lol… wierd site that I will have to get used to! : )
.-= jeremy´s last blog ..jlagatule- RT @gurubob- True influence is not forcing people to say yesit is systematically destroying their reasons to say no – GuruBob =-.
Sean,
These are all great social media tools for Affiliate marketing.
Before this competition, I had only heard about most of them. Now, I am taking action and getting to use them. Hopefully in the future, I will be so proficient at them that I won’t even have to think twice.
Cath