Lesson 6 - Social Networking for Maximum Benefit

The Affiliate Success eCourse
from White Dove Books

Lesson 6 - Social Networking for Maximum Benefit

Social networking sites aren't just for teenagers anymore. In fact,
social networking sites have evolved into something different
altogether than what they once were. Whilst teenagers are still more
likely to use them, there are now niche social networking sites,
which target people who all share some common interest. This includes
everything from skateboarding to investing!

Social networks are increasingly becoming used by businesses ...

That's right: many businesses are now infiltrating social networks to
advertise in a subtle manner - and get their message replicated
through systems that are already available within the network.

The most prominent social network is http://www.myspace.com, which
boasts a membership base of 1.06 hundred million. If the affiliate
product you are selling has a broad appeal, you could use Myspace to
market your product, as you will be able to reach the largest
audience very quickly.

Now, there are a number of different ways in which you can market
your affiliate product through Myspace. One way is to setup a
profile, purchase what is called an "adder robot," and then begin
adding friends to your list on a daily basis. The robot can add as
many as 300 per day without any problems. Depending on your goals,
you may want to add a personal profile for yourself and then talk
about your business/product on your page; or you may want to simply
create a profile for your business and use that to market your
product.

While you can send out bulletins advertising your product through
Myspace, this is generally discouraged by the Myspace staff and
could lead to you getting banned. So it is probably a good idea to
avoid this. Instead, post related bulletins that don't advertise
your product, but talk about something similar. This will drive
interested visitors to your page, where they can learn more about
the affiliate product you are selling. Note, however, that you will
have to link to a non-affiliate page, as affiliate links are
expressly forbidden on Myspace.

Once you have had some experience marketing to the Myspace crowd,
you may wish to consider looking at other social networking sites.
One other large site is Friendster, which you can find at the
following url: http://www.friendster.com

Look for niche networking sites, which will afford you an
opportunity to address a more targeted audience. A large social
networking site that caters specifically for college and high school
students, for example, is ...

http://www.facebook.com

Whichever sites you decide to use, keep the following in mind: your
goal should be to develop a network of people who share a common
interest and could potentially be interested in your specific
product. For this reason, it is always a good idea to think long
term (i.e. don't do things that are going to get you banned);
instead, concentrate on building your network and introducing them
to your affiliate product.

Thanks for reading - please look out for the next Lesson.

Best wishes,

Will.

www.whitedovebooks.co.uk