LinkShare Twitter Tool Helps Publishers Monetize Twitter Feeds
October 29, 2009 by admin · 2 Comments
With the holidays around the corner and seasonal online shopping on the rise, the LinkShare TweetShop Tool comes at an opportune time for publishers to share more online and take advantage of increased interest among online shoppers.
In the advent of the Twitter-adoption explosion, this new tool brings a host of new possibilities to our affiliate network that is easy, fun and effective at driving revenue.
LinkShare, a leading performance marketing network provider, today announced the LinkShare TweetShop Tool that enables anyone with a Twitter following to monetize their Twitter feeds, and easily turn customized tweets into an effective shopping tool. Generally available to publishers in its network, this innovation further demonstrates the company’s commitment to creating applications that are Easy, Fast and Open – easy-to-use, fast-to-market, and open across channels – and is the latest feature in LinkShare’s Bento Box, a showcase of new tools and applications.
More than 50 million live Twitter accounts exist today with approximately 4.6 million people using Twitter on a daily basis, according to recent research by RJMetrics and Quantcast. These numbers represent a massive demographic with huge market potential that is largely untapped as few companies today have successfully created ways to monetize Twitter feeds.
Additionally, nearly half of all “value hunters” – a new market segment identified in a recent survey by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates – are searching online for the best deals and promotions. Since this growing segment of online shoppers purchase something online once a week or more(3), they represent a growing consumer base that will be using tools like Twitter to find new products, search for deals, and satiate their everyday retail needs.
“With the holidays around the corner and seasonal online shopping on the rise, the LinkShare TweetShop Tool comes at an opportune time for publishers to share more online and take advantage of increased interest among online shoppers,” said Mark Kirschner, CMO, LinkShare. “In the advent of the Twitter-adoption explosion, this new tool brings a host of new possibilities to our affiliate network that is easy, fun and effective at driving revenue.”
With the LinkShare TweetShop Tool, publishers can easily customize tweets through the user interface which automatically creates a shortened URL that directs an online shopper to the landing page for the recommended object of affection.
Through three easy steps, publishers can turn their Twitter stream into a new revenue channel. Just Pick, Point and Post.
- Pick the item to tweet about.
- Point out the cool-factor.
- Post as an updated tweet without the hassle of having to both find the webpage of that item and shorten the URL to fit into his/her tweet.
In light of the recent FTC rulings regarding full disclosure for endorsements, sponsorships and the terms and conditions that apply to any special offer, LinkShare recommends following common sense guidelines when using its new LinkShare TweetShop Tool, such as those developed by the Performance Marketing Alliance:
- Avoid tweeting false or unsubstantiated product claims
- Never create a fake/spam twitter account just to post new advertisements
- Clearly and conspicuously disclose any connections with the advertiser and/or the affiliate network
- Be creative! If it is an ad, it should sound like one, but go beyond a product pitch
- Don’t abuse it. Daunted followers will stop following you and this will undermine your credibility you have built up in your online community
To check out the buzz on this new LinkShare TweetShop Tool, hear what industry experts have to say and add to the conversation, search and/ or tweet on the following hashtag: #TweetShop.
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Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.
Competition is an integral part of the marketplace — it fuels innovation, controls pricing, and creates better products. What’s not to love, right?
Not so fast, Jedi Knights — competition also has a dark side.
Competition can sink a business — particularly if you aren’t prepared for it. Just because the “force” has been with you thus far, don’t automatically assume that will always be the case. Somewhere, in a galaxy far, far away, a would-be nemesis could be plotting your demise right now.
Whether yours is a small, home-based business or an international corporation, it is necessary to perform a competitive analysis to gain a better understanding of your competitors. This, in turn, will help you formulate more effective strategies to strengthen your position among your customer base, as well as defend and increase your market share.
While I’m certainly no Yoda, below you’ll find a few of my recommendations to aid you in conducting your own competitive analysis.
Know Your Customer
It all starts with the customer. Identifying your ideal customer, their buying habits, and purchase influences should have been paramount in your initial business planning. When you set out to conduct your competitive analysis, be sure to refer to this information, and make any necessary updates as needed.
Create a Customer Profile
- What triggers his decision to buy a certain product or service?
- Where will he go to search for a product or service provider?
- How does he search for the product he needs?
- What features does he look for?
- How does he choose the vendor?
- What is important to your customer – pricing, reputation, image, branding, or service?
- How is he influenced by word-of-mouth?
- What will keep him loyal or make him change brands?
Knowing these things will not only help you develop products and services that will meet the requirements and preferences of your customer but will also give you a very good idea of the who, what, how, and why behind your potential customer patronizing the other vendors and not you.
Know Your Competitors
Now, try to identify your competitors. Be specific as to their names, locations, their sizes, and as much as possible, their market share. Describe their product quality, brand name(s), image and reputation, pricing structure, marketing strategy, available technology, etc. It helps if you create a tabular presentation of the information to facilitate comparison and analysis of the competition. Make sure to include any perceived strengths and weaknesses of each competitor (lack of web presence, limited service area, etc.).
The objective of this exercise is to discover more about the nature of competition and assess how your product or service fares against your competitors’. You may decide to lower your price, or offer extended service plans. Perhaps you could provide online video training that customers could access after purchase. You may simply elect to step up your advertising campaign in order to gain greater visibility. Regardless of what path you choose, determine how your competitors affect your business, identify any potential threats, as well as opportunities.
Resources for Competitor Information
- Their company website (about page, press room, etc.)
- Industry associations they belong to
- Publications they have been featured in
- Media coverage
- Marketing materials
- Generalized search (complaints filed with BBB, etc.)
Benefits of Doing a Competitive Analysis
Whether you are planning an upcoming ad campaign or orchestrating a rebellion, knowing your competition is critical to the ultimate success of your strategy. This exercise will also help you anticipate how your competitors will respond to your action, or predict any initiatives they may take. In fact, you may discover there are elements of your competitors’ business tactics that you can improve upon, and adopt as your own.
Competition has much to offer the market in terms of driving quality, affordability and innovation. For business owners both large and small, a bit of research and a modest time investment can help avert potential threats, while leveraging opportunities to gain market share.
Regardless of what corner of the galaxy you are doing business in — that’s always a good thing.
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June 17, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Some things just never get old — blue jeans, hamburgers, baseball, beer…Warhol?
Seriously.
One of the most influential artists of the 20th century, Andy Warhol was known for his avant-garde paintings and screenprintings. Who doesn’t remember Warhol’s garishly colored celebrity images of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, or Mao Zedong?
In the studio he called The Factory, Warhol took an assembly-line approach to his high-contrast, silkscreens and produced art as a mass consumable, like a t-shirt or a pack of gum.
With all of the advances in graphic design software, it isn’t surprising that an abundance of “one-click Warhol” techniques abound. I find it more than a bit ironic that the man who is quoted as saying, “Art is what you can get away with” has fallen prey to such shortcuts. Sort of makes you wonder if Andy is wailing in his grave somewhere, pulling out the silvery hair from his wig in digust.
No “one-click Warhols” for me, thanks. Thankfully, there are cool, creative types like Deke McClelland out there keeping it real.
For those purist types that are looking for a better way to emulate the evil genius that is Warhol, join Deke McClelland in the final episode of this dekePod series, as he dissects Warhol’s process, and shows you how to use Photoshop to render your favorite portrait in bona-fide Warhol magnificence.
About dekePod
In the summer of 2008, Deke McClelland, computer graphics and imaging expert, launched “dekePod”– a series of often irreverent and sometimes hilarious video podcasts designed to impart Deke’s expert tips with a high degree of retention.
Each dekePod is crafted to engage a creative audience with a fast-paced sequence of commentary and provocative imagery that can draw a smile or outright laughter. The result: a video series with unique production and training qualities unlike any previously seen online.
For more information, visit deke.com/dekepod and youtube.com/dekepod.
Now…go forth and Warhol!
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June 12, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Investing these days can be scary at best. Combine that with the knowledge that Social Security may be nothing more than a distant memory when the time comes for “my generation” to retire, and — well, it’s enough to keep you awake at night.
Lots of folks say investing in gold is wise, and I would tend to agree. But, what if you don’t have a lot of cash to invest? Is there anything that a small business owner with limited cash can do?
The answer is yes! There are actually lots of ways that you can bring in extra revenue — but the one that I want to focus on for today’s Friday File is parked domains.
For a minimal investment, you can pick up keyword rich domain names in any imaginable niche — and, with a few savvy tips and small time investment — you may just be surprised by the results.
Will you be able to retire to Aruba with it? Probably not. But, I can honestly say that I have turned a less-than-ten-buck investment into 3 and 4 figure returns. If that piques your interest, read on.
Legalese Disclaimer: The information contained below is based upon my own experience – all resources noted are the actual ones that I use. Your mileage may vary.
What to Do with Domains?
Here are a few that ideas that I have used:
- Park them with a reputable service
- Redirect them to affiliate programs you are promoting
- Build Adsense websites
- Redirect them to niche sites/mini sites you already own
- Create review sites for targeted niches & promote affiliate products
- List them with a broker to “flip” for cash
- Redirect them to a Squidoo lens
A Bit of Background
If you want to seriously dabble in domains, it pays to do your homework. Magazines like Modern Domainer are recommended to keep up with trends in the industry. I would also recommend following Google Trends, as well as being an avid reader of topics such as Technology, Retail, New Media, Pop Culture, and Politics. Resources such as these (and hard core domainers would tell you this is just the tip of the iceberg) will provide you with insights into hot trends and markets that may be ripe for the picking.
All this to say that if you are looking for a big payday for your Pee-Wee Herman domain, you’ll likely be disappointed — that ship has sailed.
Finding the Deals
There are plenty of tools and services that offer to help you identify recently-dropped names that you can snap up on the cheap (sites like JustDropped.com, DNJournal, and DeletedDomains.com are a few to consider).
If you are looking for an investment-quality domain to hold on to, use with a parking service, develop an adsense site, or redirect to a Squidoo page (more on that in a bit), I highly recommend signing up for my pal Jeff’s newsletter, DNFolio. I have been on this email list for quite a while now, and can personally vouch for this newsletter as one that offers great names, super prices, and excellent service. Jeff also offers regular sales for his subscribers, and that is reason enough to get on the list!
Another place I have found excellent deals is at GoDaddy’s Domain Name Auctions. I don’t recommend going over there without a plan, or you will become quickly overwhelmed. Instead, have a list of 4-5 targeted niche keywords (that you have arrived at by using your research tools noted earlier). Then, conduct an “Advanced Search.” Here are a few of my preferences:
- Limit the characters to 16-20
- Check the boxes to eliminate hyphenated results, and results containing numbers
- Check the box for .com only (again, this is just my preference)
- Check the box for Closeouts
- Enter your keyword where prompted
Of course, these are just some of the preferences I use routinely – you may want to play around with them to see what you can find. If the domains are BUY NOW tagged, you will be able to purchase immediately. If you have to enter a bid, it may take a few days to hear whether or not your bid is the winner. Be sure you indicate you want to receive updates in case you are outbid.
One side note about GoDaddy: They do assess you a renewal fee of approximately $10 that is added to the final cost of the domain. While I am not a big proponent of this, I have chalked it up to one of those “costs of doing business.”
Domain Parking
There are a number of services out there for domain parking, but I like using Parked for mine. They have great service, excellent reporting options, and pay directly via Paypal. There is no charge to sign up for their service.
Squidoo
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, chances are you already know that I truly love Squidoo. So, it should come as no surprise that I have integrated Squidoo into my domaining activities. Particularly for niche markets where there are significant affiliate opportunities, redirecting a domain to a Squidoo page offers a much greater potential for revenue generation. It does take a bit of time to create content and research affiliate programs in order to create a top-notch lens — but, the returns certainly outweigh this small time investment.
One side note about this method: While direct type-in traffic will be redirected to your lens using this method, you’ll still want to be sure to select a keyword-rich name for your lens at Squidoo. For example, if you are generating a lens about Paris Hilton’s purse collection, you might select a name for your page such as http://squidoo.com/paris-hilton-purses.
I want you to understand that these are real strategies that you can be using — and that they do work. In a time when we’re all looking for creative money-making opportunities, this is one that doesn’t require a huge outlay of cash or time — yet offers the potential for big returns. In my book, that is an opportunity worth considering.
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June 4, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Those of you that have been reading this blog (or any of my writing, for that matter) know that I often make reference to my husband being the brains in this dynamic duo.
I tend to get a creative notion in my head, and the wheels start turning — often with more consideration being given to the creative side of the equation than the actual mechanical side. When it comes to fancy scripting, programming or the like, I tend to turn the reins over to John. Being married to an engineer does have it’s perks, folks.
Now that I’ve set the stage, allow me to share some recent history with you.
My most recent projects have been centered around Squidoo. I am working toward the goal of landing “Giant Squid” status by the June 30th deadline. You can learn more about the Giant Squids, and why you’d possibly want to be one by visiting this link.
One of the things that has impressed me most about working with Squidoo is the incredible community of lensmasters. Over the years I’ve worked with lots of groups, corporations, niches and individuals — and I can honestly say that my fellow lensmasters are some of the most helpful, genuine and interesting folks you’d ever meet. And, lest you think I am being overly-saccharine with you, I would encourage you to spend 15 minutes or so on the SquidU discussion forum, and you’ll quickly see exactly what I mean.
Those that tend to be more creative than technical will breathe a sigh of relief when you check out the easy-to-use Squidoo page modules. The point-and-click interface is simple and fun to use. Once you’ve mastered the basics, there is no shortage of bells and whistles, and creative coding that can be added to spice up your lens. Guess who is sharing these pearls of wisdom with you? Why, it’s the veteran lensmasters, of course!
Spreading my wings (or would it be tentacles?) at Squidoo has been a great confidence booster for me in all things technical. I’ve read and studied lots of great materials, and even spent some time doing some trial-and-error coding of my own.
While Microsoft and Apple won’t soon be knocking on my door, I can give my sweet, long-suffering husband a much-deserved breather — at least for a little while.
In fact, I’ve discovered so much during this whole experience that I’ve been working on a book to share them all with you. And, in the spirit of the Squidoo community, I cordially invite all of my fellow lensmasters to send me their best tips and tricks for possible inclusion in the book. In addition to my heartfelt thanks and adoration, I will be happy to give you a plug in the book — either to your own website, or perhaps a lens you’d like to promote.
Speaking of promoting, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention some of the great resources that have helped me as I was learning the lay of the land over at Squidoo. Hopefully you’ll find some time in your own busy schedule to check them out, and discover for yourself why swimming with the fishes (and the squids) can actually be to your benefit.
* Building Social Influence on Squidoo
* Discover BIG Squidoo Profits
* Easy Content Creation Strategies
* One Week Action Plan – see post about this item here
* The Hinge Marketing Method
* The Secret Squidoo Underground
* The Squidoo Bible
* The Squidoo Queen
* Unlimited Affiliate Profits with Squidoo
* Discover the Secrets of Squidoo
* SquidUtils
* Calamari: The Official Squidoo How-To
* The Joy of Squidoo: The Official Recipe Guide
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May 21, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
When you create articles, whether they are for your own site or for directory submission, they should be written with specific keywords and phrases in mind.
A website visitor will most likely arrive at your site after having been directed there by a keyword search on their favorite search engine. By making sure that the keywords and phrases that you use are relevant to your site and niche, you stand a far greater chance of receiving targeted traffic that will be interested in what you have to offer.
If you run into difficulty generating a list of keywords or phrases, don’t worry. There are some very helpful tools available to help you identify the best keywords and phrases to select. One such tool is SEO Book – a service used by large corporations and small businesses alike. Among their most noted clients are PBS.
In addition to their wealth of free tools, Aaron Wall and the team at SEO Book offer a comprehensive program designed to help you dominate the search engines. When you join the program, you’ll receive:
- Feedback from the SEO Book staff
- Private beta test of exciting new tools
- Free access to premium content
- Their exclusive newsletter for SEO beginners: “7 days to SEO Success.“ The 7-part email course is a valuable blueprint for your web marketing – and has been downloaded by 14,271 people.
You’ll learn great SEO shortcuts, activities and tools you should be using to make money from search engine marketing today. To find out more, or to take advantage of the free email course, visit their website.
Looking for Other Helpful Article Writing Resources?
Here are a few of my other great writing resources, harvested directly from my bookmarked favorites:
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