Comments on: Affiliate Marketing on Twitter – Does it Belong?

By: Tom HD

Tom HD — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:46:52 +0000

I think its okay to allow affiliate marketing on Twitter because if the volume of SPAM gets too high from any one tweeter you can choose to no longer follow them. I have done that on several occasions and have been satisfied with my experience.

By: FlexOffers

FlexOffers — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:19:48 +0000

I believe it can have it’s legit purposes with zero spam. What if I am an affiliate network that wishes to communicate to all my affiliates about a new program or commission change? The affiliates who follow me, will most likely get the info before someone who only relies on newsletter alerts.

By: lawsen

lawsen — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 04:52:19 +0000

wow alot of people have alot to say about this hot topic! as long as you dont spam you will be ok! im thinking about using twitter myself, only time can tell.

By: weight loss affiliate

weight loss affiliate — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:27:46 +0000

I think that as long as you’re not spammy then it will be tollerated by the community. If someone puts. “looking to buy a laptop” then I can’t see anything wrong with sending them a link if it’s relevant.

By: SW

SW — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 04:41:17 +0000

Invevitably, affiliate marketing is going to be pervasive on Twitter. It’s goot big a group of people to be ignored. However, I agree with you up to a point. The problem with Joel’s method is that as you stated it’s a) impersonal and b) that ugly affiliate link won’t sit well with anyone. Surprisingly, Joel has a url shortener not sure why he didn’t use it.
There is also a growing crowed voicing their opinion against ANY type of commercial use on Twitter. To them, anything that’s not a link to news or something non-commercial is automatically labeled as “spam” Spam is way too generalized nowadays. People are posting links on Twitter all day long but, as far as affiliate marketing is concerned, it’s best to bring people to a site or blog and give them something for FREE. Then, in the material that’s given for FREE, they can pitch whatever they want. This assumes that if the person took the time to get something for free, they’re likely to be interested in other things. The notion taht people are just going to click on an affiliate link and buy stuff as part of a numbers game is nonsense. All Joel has to do is what I have done with my viral tool, send them to a blog, to another site, give them something for free and then hope they buy from your gifts and freebies. That way, the complainers won’t be so hard on the marketers. IN summary, there is a right and wrong way to market on Twitter and I have observed the same thing you have, right now it’s done wrong. Some people take Twitter very personal and they quickly complain about spam even when it isn’t. Perception of reality to them. So, marketers have to use common sense and think before they post stuff. Instead of buyers, all they get is a bunch of irate people screaming “Spam!”

By: Gina Jennings

Gina Jennings — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:17:23 +0000

I’m not sure about doing twitter. I have an account but never used it.

I’m sure Twitter has great applications, and is probably working wonders. I just don’t know if I need to be that connected to someone that they have to know what I’m doing every minute of the day.

By: Lawrence Ip

Lawrence Ip — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 08:52:01 +0000

Okay, there really are several sides to the proposition at hand, all of them having value and merit. My first point of agreement is that Twitter as a platform does not fit into the “review” strategy, but rather the “comment upon, here’s an idea” strategy. In other words, I feel that Twitter is all about creating and establishing relationships, and updating followers and the Twitter community in general, to what you are up to. It is in this regard, the communal, that gives rise to concern, as Twitter, as the brilliant device for promoting our opinions and points of view that it is, will be used by marketers, indeed even presidential candidates, to solidify their relationship with their followers. To the very edge of some peoples tolerances. In my instance, the marketers that I follow on Twitter mainly Tweet personal stuff, like yourself Darren, John Reese, Frank Kern and several others. These are people that I want to hear from. This is what I like about Twitter, I also like the fact that if we are launching a new product we have the facility to promote the fact too. But as far as using links in the manner in question… Well, the jury’s out on that one. But I am quite inclined to agree with Brian.

Keep Shining

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 22:00:13 +0000

Though I don’t think this was one of Joel’s better ideas it’s still within his and his affiliates rights to use twitter for promotion. If you don’t like it unfollow the bums and stop whining like little pansies.

By: Lee Chin

Lee Chin — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:17:21 +0000

Well, I definitely think that so long you don’t mislead your readers, sharing something that might benefit them will definitely be helpful.

However, there seems to be so much that you can typed in on the updates on Twitter. Besides, I think Twitter is a great place to share a more personal side of you and build bonds with people.

If too much of affiliates promoting the same messages, it definitely create the “spamyness” on Twitter. It can be quite frustrating if too much of the same messages appearing same time.

But then again, I kindda feel that more of these might to come in the future, especially if more ‘Mentors’ are to pitch to more ‘Students’. So guess we kindda need to start with the root…

- my 2cents

By: Dr. Kangaroo

Dr. Kangaroo — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:53:55 +0000

Twitter will evolve in accordance to it’s users wishes… period!

Whether it’s Joel doing the marketing or someone else the fact is that it will continue to go that way.

Someone like Joel has a few thousand followers, who want to hear what he has to say… duh that’s why they follow him! He would be mad to pass them by and just tell em what he’s having for lunch!

Given that, the people who do not like what he has to say or market can stop following.

I for one do not like the way he throws his political leanings into the ring… and if that was all I was getting from him it would be bye bye Joel… however he has enough to say about other matters that make me excuse his politics.

Isn’t this a bit like if you don’t like what you’re watching use the remote?

So stop following the marketers… and stop following your friends who follow the marketers, and just maybe you should stop following the friends of your friends who follow the marketer… sheesh already!!

Twitter is a marketers’ paradise… get used to it people!

This is Dr. Kangaroo and I’m lookin’ out for the little guy! – gonna test your hype!

By: Ragnar

Ragnar — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 12:48:07 +0000

looks pretty spammy to me, I would consider it spam even if I saw only one of those, and if there is some sort of “report” function on Twitter I’m sure some of them have been “reported” unless only close friends watch what they write there. For me the way it’s done here is just a big no no for a program like twitter.

By: Momma

Momma — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:06:29 +0000

I’m not sure twitter is reliable enough for anything these days… marketing or otherwise…. can you say FAIL WHALE??? LOL

Momma at http://engineeradebtfreelife.blogspot.com/

By: Jill C.

Jill C. — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:27:41 +0000

I come to Twitter to learn and share ideas on how to build my brand, to nurture relationships and to sometimes just have fun! I do very little blatant self-promotion, and my only “promotional” tweets are done when I am doing giveaways or contests of some sort. I do think the above is SPAM and I do not think Twitter is the place for this type of post – just my 2 cents. I think it makes the person look desperate…he would peak my interest more by sharing tips from the book as opposed to blatantly linking to it. Then again, I never respond to any of those types of sales pitches anyway!

By: Lenin Nair

Lenin Nair — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 06:09:52 +0000

This is pure sure twitter spamming. I have never been for spam. particularly when somebody gets traffic and profits for spamming a social network like twitter. It’s downright deplorable and unethical. I hope, Darren, that you don’t support it.

By: Therese Prentice

Therese Prentice — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:30:56 +0000

We have to allow affiliate marketers to use their own discretion when promoting their products. I don’t like to be censored nor do I want to censor anyone else. If I find activities of others offensive then I would simply unfollow them on twitter. I have actually found a lot of great information and tools behind a few affiliate links. Everyone should be allowed to build their online brand, manage their online credibility and reputations they see fit.

By: MMOHIT

MMOHIT — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 01:59:55 +0000

affiliate marketers can use anything for their traffic :)

By: Yu Ming Lui

Yu Ming Lui — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 01:07:46 +0000

If you didn’t tell me who he was and that you liked his work, I would definitely dismiss this as spam. It makes him look awful and denigrates his image. It’s a bad PR move.

By: MLRebecca

MLRebecca — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:04:20 +0000

I’m a huge fan of Twitter, and I wholeheartedly believe it can do wonders for a person’s online presence. That said, I believe every affiliate marketer should create a Twitter account now. So long as you’re abiding by the Terms, your tweeting efforts should help to expand your brand online!

By: Stock Market pundit

Stock Market pundit — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:44:59 +0000

The name of the game is traffic , affiliate marketers were bound to pounce on twitter sonner or later.

By: Amit

Amit — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:27:14 +0000

Twitter is definitely not a place to spam to be honest and what Joel has done would just harm is reputation, common if you want to drive traffic why not buy traffic from Google adwords.