Social Bookmarking Widgets

Social marketing and Web 2.0 are important to your affiliate marketing efforts. I’ve had a lot of success using social bookmarking to promote my web sites and articles. Imagine how powerful it would be if your visitors helped promote your site through social bookmarks too!

I found a couple new widgets that adds a handy bookmark widget to your web sites. They make it super easy for visitors to submit your site to popular social bookmark sites.

Both widgets are completely free, and each give you a snippet of HTML code that you add to whatever pages on your web site that you want the widget to appear.

Add This - http://www.addthis.com/
This widget adds a small button to your web site that can either prompt the reader to “bookmark” the page, or “subscribe” to your site’s RSS feed. It makes it extremely easy for visitors to add the page to their favorites, or add the page to one of several popular social bookmarking sites. It does not allow visitors to e-mail the page to others. I’m currently adding the Add This bookmark button to my Build a Niche Store web sites. I add the widget in the header.php template, so the button automatically appears on every page.

Share This - http://www.sharethis.com/
This widget is similar to Add This, as it adds a button to your site. Unlike Add This, there are not options to bookmark or subscribe to an RSS feed, it only supports bookmarking. It also does not support adding the page to the visitor’s local browser favorites, but it does support all of the most popular social bookmarking sites. What makes Share This stand apart is that a visitor can use it to e-mail the current web page to their friends and family. I’m currently using the Share This widget on my Affiliate Marketing Blog, so you can check it out at the bottom of this post. I added the widget to the blog’s templates, so it automatically appears beneath every blog post.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

January Mid-Month Progress Update

I just wanted to give an update on some of the commissions I’ve earned so far this month through my Build a Niche Store sites. After the first 13 days of the month, I’ve earned $39.40 through my Commission Junction account. That brings my CJ balance up to $72.71 (when you include commissions from last month). I also earned another $13.01 from Amazon’s affiliate program through one of my BANS sites, when someone clicked on the Amazon ad on the page to buy the product.

So just from BANS alone, after only half the month so far, I earned $52.41, with a total balance of $85.72.

Now that small amount of money isn’t going to go very far, and I did have some expenses along the way also (such as web hosting fees). However… and this is the really good part… I’m just getting started here folks! You see I only have four BANS sites up and running, and have only actively promoted one of them. I’m still learning proper online marketing techniques, and so I really believe the sky’s the limit.

Sure, for the amount of time I’ve invested, I could make a ton more cash moonlighting at the local convinience store every evening, but it wouldn’t be as much fun. I’m having a blast learning about affiliate marketing, trying and experimenting with new ideas and strategies, and see how some things work and some things don’t. And even though my CJ balance isn’t that huge, there is a sense of accomplishment whenever I login to check my stats, and see that earnings balance tick upwards by a few more dollars!

Besides, the owner of the local convinience store is probably going to expect me to show up at a certain time, on certain days, without exception. As an affiliate marketer, I can set my own hours and my own goals. If it’s been a tough day at work, and I just want to relax in front of the TV or play with my daughter, then I can do that. If I want to spend 6 hours in the evening working on my affiliate marketing, I can do that too. It’s completely up to me!

As I said, the sky really is the limit. I could probably get a second job making $10/hour… working for the man… burning myself out for a little extra income. Or I can have a blast running my own affiliate marketing business… answer to no one but myself and my family… and potentially earn thousands of dollars each month doing it.

Like I keep telling people who ask, at least I’m trying something that could better myself and my family. Compared to playing video games, or watching TV all night, or going out to drink at the bars three times a week… even if I fail at affiliate marketing (and I won’t) at least I went down swinging… making an attempt to better myself and succeed.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

“Bum” Marketing

One of the best web sites for beginning affiliate marketers is the Bum Marketing Method. This is a site run by a guy named Travis, who is an established affiliate marketer making a seven-figure annual income from his affiliate efforts. (Not too shabby!)

In order to access the information on the site, you have to sign-up for the mailing list. However not only can you unsubscribe at any time (and still access the site), but Travis’ messages are often fun and informative, so you’ll probably want to remain on the mailing list.

When you sign-up and access the site, you get a primer on one of the easiest ways to learn affiliate marketing — article marketing.

Article marketing (a.k.a. bum marketing) is simply researching products or services, writing informative articles about them, embedding your affiliate links, and posting the article to various article directories around the Internet.

Not only do I use article marketing as one of my methods, but it’s been the source for half of my profits to date. Best of all, article marketing is completely free. The only thing you’re out is your time and effort. So it really is a great way to get started.

I don’t want to take too much time discussing article marketing, because that information is explained much better over at Travis’ site. If you’re interested in getting into affiliate marketing, you really need to read the Bum Marketing Method.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!