Questions about Author SIG, Profile Confusion, and another STUPID Question from a Noob?

8 replies
Ok, another stupid question to rot out the brains of Older members, but bare with me here...

I have a few questions:


Ok, so from what I have read, author sigs cannot contain affiliate links...

So let me get this straight, plain and clear-...


I promote products through clickbank, and basically that makes me an affiliate. That is how I earn my income... Now to do this, I have several of MY OWN websites set up, HOWEVER, they redirect to other people's websites whose products I am promoting...

1. So does that mean, I cannot include xyz.com website in my author sig, because it redirects to the other websites?


As well, I notice people here having blogs and all kinds of things in their author sig... but Presumably you cannot just place a link from article directories which house your articles?

2. What I mean by this... is something like this articlewebsite.com/MY ARTICLES, is or is not allowed in my signature?




3. So if that is the case (no to the above question), does that mean that I CAN instead make a blog, post my articles there, and then put that in my SIG? does that work then, or that is not allowed either?



Now when it comes to my profile itself... it gives one the option to put in their twitter, youtube account and all kinds of things...


4. Now since I am promoting other people's products, does this mean that I cannot put those in my profile description either, as they are affiliate related?


Basically I do in fact have a twitter- I just started relating to my article submission stuff, then I have a youtube, with videos promoting a product (that is not mine, thus affiliate work again)...

5. and where it says URL, as mentioned, I have a few URL's, but all redirect to other websites... so can they be Put there... or no?




And a completely different question altogether is about WSO's...

I am contemplating on making one- and putting it up... and to do that, I need to create a webpage for it as well? because honestly, the only people who would need this WSO would be marketers like in this forum?

6. So is a webpage required alongside a WSO product... or no?





So a ton of really annoying questions, but if someone can please explain these to me; because presumably if I just went ahead and did any of the above, I could be banned... so thanks in advance for any advice/input

Regards-
#author #confusion #noob #profile #question #questions #sig #stupid
  • Profile picture of the author pjlyons1uk
    Hello,

    I speak very much inder correction but my understanding is this...

    You cannot and must not put your affiliate link into your signature on this forum so the 'hoplink' from clickbank must not be entered, however, you place your 'hoplink' to an advert on your website then you can put your website URL into your signature.

    This will help with indexing and also when asked for our fellow warriors and more experinced IM'ers here will review and give genuine feedback on your sites. I don't dare ask for this yet as I'm very much in the learning curve myself.

    Hope that this helps and if you have questions never be afraid to ask all warriors help each other.

    Best wishes

    Pete
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    • Profile picture of the author acrasial
      Originally Posted by pjlyons1uk View Post

      Hello,

      I speak very much inder correction but my understanding is this...

      You cannot and must not put your affiliate link into your signature on this forum so the 'hoplink' from clickbank must not be entered, however, you place your 'hoplink' to an advert on your website then you can put your website URL into your signature.

      This will help with indexing and also when asked for our fellow warriors and more experinced IM'ers here will review and give genuine feedback on your sites. I don't dare ask for this yet as I'm very much in the learning curve myself.

      Hope that this helps and if you have questions never be afraid to ask all warriors help each other.

      Best wishes

      Pete

      thanks, but I still need to know about using my own website, which eventually links back to the affiliate stuff... still confused on that?
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    • Profile picture of the author Andrew G Gowans
      Before worrying about all the rules and regulations, ask yourself a very important question...

      "Why would I want to send traffic I have worked hard to get directly to an affiliate site instead of my own website or blog?"

      Then ask yourself "Would I not want the chance to capture the visitors details so that I can build my list instead of letting someone else build theirs?"

      This forum and article directories such as EZA do us a big favor by insisting that direct links to affiliate sites are not allowed.

      Where you see links to blogs in other warrior's sigs they are totally legitimate. If you have a blog and you know it adds value, tell us about it by placing the link in your sig.

      There are far too many marketers pushing the same affiliate programs using exactly the same methods (that will stir the hornets nest). Be creative, be informative and pre-sell. Take your visitors directly to your own site or blog and use that opportunity to convince them they are about to make the right decision. Do not rely solely on the vendors sales page to do the job for you - most of them won't.

      Andrew G.
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      • Profile picture of the author acrasial
        Originally Posted by Andrew G Gowans View Post

        Before worrying about all the rules and regulations, ask yourself a very important question...

        "Why would I want to send traffic I have worked hard to get directly to an affiliate site instead of my own website or blog?"

        Then ask yourself "Would I not want the chance to capture the visitors details so that I can build my list instead of letting someone else build theirs?"

        This forum and article directories such as EZA do us a big favor by insisting that direct links to affiliate sites are not allowed.

        Where you see links to blogs in other warrior's sigs they are totally legitimate. If you have a blog and you know it adds value, tell us about it by placing the link in your sig.

        There are far too many marketers pushing the same affiliate programs using exactly the same methods (that will stir the hornets nest). Be creative, be informative and pre-sell. Take your visitors directly to your own site or blog and use that opportunity to convince them they are about to make the right decision. Do not rely solely on the vendors sales page to do the job for you - most of them won't.

        Andrew G.

        Honestly I am using ezine articles, and I know where my traffic comes from... all i am doing is promoting a product... and I have articles, videos and all that good stuff up... but for other people's products..

        I am happy with those products...however... this vendor works well for me, I can say.

        The other issue is the kinds of things I sell don't even relate to marketing... as is what this forum is about... so that may also be another bad idea?

        as mentioned as well about the wso... that could be one thing in my signature...
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        • Profile picture of the author pjlyons1uk
          Originally Posted by acrasial View Post

          The other issue is the kinds of things I sell don't even relate to marketing... as is what this forum is about... so that may also be another bad idea?

          as mentioned as well about the wso... that could be one thing in my signature...
          Not a bad idea from my experience with this forum is each other helping and 'brainstorming' and reviewing ideas on how to market a product either your own or affiliate wise.

          Some of the people here are experienced and have years in IM so I use that and any knowledge I can gain to help with my learning.

          Yes WSO's are quite often added to signatures when I look through the forum and see the experinced peoples posts.

          Best wishes

          Pete
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  • Profile picture of the author acrasial
    OK so now... i read all of that good stuff before, but basically it says...

    (5) No Affiliate Links Allowed - Promote Your Own Domain/s Only. It's either this or we have to cut out sig files altogether which we do not want to do.

    (6) Anyone Caught Promoting The Same Site/Offer Will Be Deleted. Program owners are telling their members to come here and make posts to promote their offer in their sig files. This has caused tons of useless messages to be posted and it is clogging up the forum. Anyone caught doing this will have to be removed. This is not an ad forum - it is a discussion forum.

    Edit: We have no problem with someone pointing to their WSO within their sig.

    Edit: Due to certain people trying to find a loophole I needed to add yet another edit. Please do not try to get around these rules by getting your own domain name and simply redirecting it to an affiliate program. You Will Be Removed From Here When Caught.

    If you want to promote an affiliate program do it on your own domain. Your own web site. Not a "pre-made" web site. Your own web site, a real one. Then put THAT web site in your sig file.

    A simple way to stay within this rule is this: Promote Your Own Real Web Site And Do Not Listen To Anyone Who Tells You To Come Here Just To Promote A Site They Created For You.




    Now.... The website is my own, obviously... and it also says that anyone caught promoting the same offer will be deleted..!?

    So does that mean if someone else is promoting this same product through their own website, and I am as well.. that I will be deleted?

    how do I know who is promoting it or not???


    and is there any specifics to what can be used in the links?

    LIke can article links be used?

    or a website for "dog training" for example?


    Or have they restricted the kinds of things that you can promote in your sig?
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