Next Generation Affiliate Recruitment - Why What You

Know Doesn't Work Anymore

jonathan miller, sometime thinker in charge, forge business

The affiliate recruitment landscape has changed radically over the last nine months.

Web 2.0, social network research and MySpace are exposing super affiliates where you never knew to look. Learn how to find them here.

What was:

Affiliates were: Sites that owned ‘eyeballs’ Sites with high traffic Sites with high search engine rankings SEM affiliates

What is (becoming)

Affiliates are: Sites that own (mindshare and opinions)

Sites with high relevance Sites with google-stickiness

Why is this important?

Consumers are militant Consumers are demanding Consumers want more information Consumers want the best deal Consumers want to research

Web2.0 affiliates are responding to this demand

But there’s more (unstructured)

Affiliates are becoming purposefully disorganized (read smaller, more mobile, more niche, more guerrilla)

They’re setting up sites on MySpace They’re setting up shop on Second Life They’re posting opinion on Digg They’re building brand on Technorati They’re forming opinions on blogs & Squidoo They’re infecting blogs with track-backs And they’re still doing all the old stuff (mail,

websites, sem, landing pages, yada yada)

So, where to look?

MySpace uncovered Why is MySpace important?

Entire businesses are springing up on MySpace Mavens / Connectors / Salesmen's ‘haven’ Peer recommendations' rule! Rupert Murdock bought it so it has to be important!!

More weekly traffic to MySpace than Google & MSN Source www.Hitwise.com

So, where to look?

MySpace uncovered Why is MySpace important?

Regular ads will still work (but not for long) Boring won’t last in MySpace-Land

Life Insurance….No….(273 friends) Cool Threads….YES.… BeckerSurf…..(13825 friends) Caddilacs….No…..……(no friends! Except Tom) Toyota Prius…..NO…. (363 friends) Suicide Girls…..YES…..(653 480 friends) SMALL-BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURS…..YES…..

(38973 Friends)

So Where to Look?

Digg-ing up more possibilities.

Products and Offers RISERISE and FallFall at the whim (or the hysteria-fed

information manipulation) of the social network members.

Boring doesn’t Last! Bad products / stories get buried! Good news travels FAST!!!

Clever marketers (affiliates) plant digg’able seeds.

To survive offers need to be……..

Rapid-Fire, Fresh, Constantly Changing, UNIQUE, visible, DifferentDifferent,

FreakyFreaky, Interesting, Attention Grabbing, Evoking

Discussion, Emotive….

So Where to Look

The opinion shapers Organized Bloggers????( a new reality) Pay-per-Post = short term win

Own the territory Beware……..you could get burned (lowered trust)

Blog Networks• Unbiased Opinions = higher consumer trust• Higher traffic = higher visibility = higher cost

Blogger Only AD NETWORKS • networks with thousands of members• Mix of high and low traffic

So Where to Look

YouTube / V-blogging Remember the militant Consumers war cry: We’re being Bombarded by content.

“Nobody wants more advertising”

“eNTeRTaIN me” (differentiate your product) Show me something funny / interesting and I’ll buy

(heely’s / motorcycles / shoes)

So, where to Look

In Second Life “I escape here, work here, get entertained

here, so why would I not be willing to transact and buy goods here if it was relevant and a good deal?”

Through someone else's Lenses Do you Squidoo? Mavens & Clever Affiliate’s

do…..

So how do you find them?

Relevance is the key

Deep Dive into “long tail” keywords Research social platforms Engage the high influencehigh influence individuals 1-2-1 engagement rules / post / comment / discuss

They may be highly offended! They may not want your money (if they’re not already in

the game)

Or…….They may have been waiting for you ;-)

How do I know if they’re interested?

Search your competitor brand names Search out obvious affiliate URL’s Check for obvious monetization (not owned by the

platform they’re on)

Investigate: Site Copy Banners Contextual links Direct links Ad references Special Offers

Why will they work with you?

Create a Honey-Pot Unique Content Something to write About Digg everything they say! Video’s / photos / animations / Images / Podcasts /

Contentious Content Shower them in Gifts & be fair with the Money! Peer kudos is what they live for.

Give them friends, digg them, link them, appreciate them!!!!!

Publishers don’t jump at offers and instantly join programs.

Web2.0 publishers are the same. They need to be enticed!!! Invest TIME , TOOLS and MANPOWER Do not SPAM or take a mass approach. Approach only RELEVANT partners where there

is CLEARLY MUTUAL value.

Recruitment is about Relationships

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5 steps to successful 2.0 recruitment

•Competitor Affiliate ResearchCold

•Forge the RelationshipHot

•Personal Follow upWarm

•1-2-1 Contact / Post / Comment / PMs / IM’sNeutral

•Social Networks Keyword Research and TargetingCool

Now you’ve got them…

Build the relationship Regular contact

Phone / email / rss / webservice

Regular payment Optimization & feedback

Setting Up Shop In Web2.0 World

Social Networking The OLD vs NEW

Blogging about your Affiliate Program Creating a network of contributors Getting Influencers to comment & contribute

Setting up your MySpace Affiliate Home Creating a Network of friends It’s NOT EASY!

What Else to DO…….

Comments flames questions?