Affiliate Magazine » August 2010 Issue

Write Web Content Worth Sharing – By Nick Usborne

Colleen — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:00:24 +0000

As affiliate marketers, we are often tempted by the lure of high volume, inexpensive content. We figure that if we take a list of a few hundred long tail keyword phrases, we can write an article around each, and then make out like a bandit with free search engine traffic.

Realizing how much work is involved to do that, we may start looking at outsourcing our content writing overseas for $2 a page. We may also turn to automated content rewriting software to churn out pages for even less.

This approach has gained some traction among affiliate marketers because it works – up to a point. Yes, you can optimize low quality content and fool the search engines, most of the time. But you can’t fool your readers.

Readers will recognize rubbish content in a heartbeat. As a result, while a small percentage will click on a link that might make you a few pennies, you can be sure of two things: 1) that visitor won’t return and 2) that visitor won’t tell his or her friends or colleagues to visit your site.

To avoid this, a good alternative is to create fewer pages of content, but of much higher quality. In particular, you want to write content which is good enough and interesting enough to be worth sharing.

In other words, leverage the power of social networking.

Does this really work? Does creating quality content worthy of sharing actually attract more traffic and increase conversion rates?

Yes, it does, according to the folks at Yahoo!:

“Cody Simms, who heads up what is left of Yahoo’s Open Strategy, tells me that early data suggests social links spread through Facebook, Twitter, and Yahoo’s own status updates “can drive an order of magnitude more sharing on Yahoo.” And those visitors are more engaged also. For instance, when people click through from a status update to Yahoo News, Sports, Finance or another Yahoo property, they end up spending at least twice as much time there than the average visitor. For Yahoo, tapping into social traffic is what it’s all about.” (Excerpt from Techcrunch.com. May 17, 2010)

At a time when low quality content is finding its way onto more and more websites, you have an opportunity to separate yourself from the crowd, by creating pages which are helpful, informative, engaging and worth sharing.

You can make a few bucks with cheap content. But you can create a business with quality content that’s worth sharing.

Nick Usborne is the Founder of WebContentCafe.com, the author of Net Words, and New Path to Riches, and has been writing copy and content online since 1995.

Download the entire FeedFront issue 11 here – http://www.scribd.com/doc/29057000/FeedFront-Magazine-Issue-11
FeedFront issue 11 articles can be found here as well: http://feedfront.com/archives/article00date/2010/07

YTCracker: The Life of a Meganerd – By Shawn Collins

FeedFront Staff — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 15:00:14 +0000

…from the Trash 80 to a black Mercedes

I was reading some posts on ppc.bz last fall and there was the audio of a song called Hogg Theme Song by YTCracker. That was my first exposure to what I later found out was Nerdcore hip hop and I liked it.

It had the sound of hip hop, but the lyrics covered nerd stuff like video games and programming. And this guy Bryce Case, Jr., aka YTCracker (pronounced “whitey cracker”), intrigued me. I checked out his Wikipedia entry and found it he’s a former cracker who gained infamy for defacing several federal and municipal government sites in the United States, as well as in private industry at the age of 17.

Since then, he’s made a name for himself in affiliate marketing, as well with his music, record label (Nerdy South Records), and as a DJ.

Recently, I sat down with him to get the rest of the story behind YTCracker.

Shawn Collins: What’s the origin of your name, YTCracker?

YTCracker: In a nutshell, YTCracker (or its various other forms of capitalization I utilize, depending on what mood I am in) is just a catchy infini-entendre that plays off the color of my skin, computer hacking, “youthful technology”, the Kourier girl “Yours Truly” from Snow Crash, the YucaTan Peninsula, and the simulation game Yoot Tower. Conveniently, when people want to know if I am around, they can text/email/IM me with the efficient, six-character message “yt yt?”

As a white nerd coming up in the rap game, I could take the wind out of the sails of many a battle rapper by being self-deprecating from the jump. Sadly, it is somewhat of a misnomer because I am actually only half-white – my dad is close to 50% Choctaw and Cherokee, and my mom is 50% Hawaiian and Chinese.

It is for this reason that YT most likely stands for “Young Trickster,” thereby joining the ranks of other famous rapping Youngs like Young Jeezy, Yung Joc, Young Buck, Neil (Kneel) Young, and the Young Money clique.

SC: Do you think government sites are properly fortified against cyber terrorism threats? How about air traffic, banks, public utilities?

YTC: In another nutshell, no, but not necessarily for technological reasons. The weakest link in any computer system is the moron sitting in front of the keyboard, and as long as there are morons to be socially engineered and manipulated like pawns or college-age girls, the hackers will always have the upper hand.

SC: Did you really learn to program BASIC from age 4? In your song, “meganerd”, you mention the “trash 80″ – did you learn on the TRS-80 as a kid?

YTC: I was a precocious Young Trickster. I loved reading, and my wonderful mother got me started early on with the books, and my dad was a rocket scientist who spent his day designing missiles to fight the Communists. Nowadays, computers are very commonplace, and can be found in almost every home; most kids from my generation didn’t grow up with personal computers, leaving only the alpha nerds like my dad with the hardware. We had a Timex-Sinclair 1000 and a Texas Instruments TI-99/4A, both of which used a flavor of BASIC as their operating system. Since the Sinclair (our first PC) didn’t take any game cartridges, if I wanted to play on the computer, I had to write my own stupid games.

Let’s just say I had more fun than should be humanly possible with the words INPUT and PRINT. Nice life.

SC: What’s so funny about money from your song, “LOL Money”?

YTC: “LOL Money” is my thinly-veiled critique of the “mainstream” rap world. I attempted to capture all of the illustrious intentions of 98% of rap songs I recalled in recent memory. I was just really scientific when I made it, and frankly, I am reckless. With over 100k views, it is my most popular music video. Long after I am gone, it will probably be the thing I am most remembered for. My reputation is ruined. LOL Reputation.

SC: Who are your musical influences?

YTC: I have such an eclectic musical taste that I can’t even begin to enumerate them all. My favorite band is a group of scientists out of the United Kingdom named Pendulum. The cofounder/bassist Gareth is a friend of mine, and he just leaves his gold records lying in prefabricated ornate frames strewn about the floor of his flat. I think that is keeping it real to the max. Who lives like this?

SC: When you were a teenager, who did you like more, Angelina Jolie in Hackers or Sandra Bullock in The Net?

YTC: Angelina Jolie. You get to see her boob, too, so that is no contest.

SC: Mac or PC?

YTC: I’ve become an Apple fanboy in the last few years, but I can’t completely get away from Windows, so I run a virtual machine. OSX is POSIX-compliant, so it helps me keep my operating system polygamy low.

SC: How long have you been an affiliate?

YTC: I’ve been doing Internet marketing in some capacity since I was 16 years old. I started spamming back when you could scrape the entire AOL member directory AND mail a kajillion emails with no rate limits off of a single account. Even though it was as simple as pressing a button, I only did it a few hours a day because I was an idiot. I made egregious amounts of money for a 16 year old, but [insert platitude about a time machine here].

SC: What are you doing in affiliate marketing these days?

YTC: I’m kind of secretive about my dealings within the advertising space and operate exclusively with a select cabal of soldiers. My partners and I frequently joke that we are your “favorite ________’s favorite ________.” Mad Libs were awesome in elementary school.

SC: With all of your skills, why isn’t there a working site for Nerdy South Records?

YTC: There is an old saying that goes “a painter’s house is never painted” or something like that. Sticking with the Mad Lib formula, “a ________’s ________ is never ________ed.” Fill in the blank with something that has to do with me.

Check out ytcracker.com for music and more information on YTCracker.

Shawn is a Co-founder of Affiliate Summit and Co-Editor-in-Chief of FeedFront Magazine.

Guest Posting for Traffic and Links – By Cathy Stucker

Colleen — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:00:14 +0000

Guest posting on other people’s blogs has both short and long term benefits. In the short-term, you’ll garner exposure to a new audience and increased traffic as they click through to your site to learn more about you and what you do.

In the long-term, the links you get will help your search engine rankings, and the visibility and credibility of being featured on many blogs will build your reputation as a leading authority in your industry.

To get the greatest benefit from guest posting, you need a strategy. Here are some ways to make guest posting work for you.

Guest post regularly. Get in the habit of seeking out blogs that can use your content and offer posts to them. Add an entry to your calendar to seek out guest posting opportunities and create content for them.

Post to a variety of blogs. Think creatively to find blogs that are not in direct competition with your blog, but may share an audience. For example, on my blog for mystery shoppers I have run guest posts on topics ranging from online surveys to cheap ink and toner refills to green shopping. I even had a post from a mystery novelist who writes books with a mystery shopper heroine.

Give your best content. Guest posting is not a way to get rid of posts that are not good enough for your own blog. This will be many readers’ first exposure to you, so make sure they see you at your best. Generally, you should not republish your guest post anywhere else.

Ask (nicely) for the links you want. Some bloggers have specific rules about how they link to guest posters, but many are open to using your preferred links. That doesn’t mean you should load up your post with links. Many bloggers will allow you to have two links in your bio, including anchor text links. Some will even allow links in the body of the post. Ask for what you want, but accept that you may not get everything you ask for.

Promote your guest posts. When your posts are published, let people know about them. Post the links to Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites. Bookmark and Stumble the posts. Post links to them on your site. Submit your guest posts to blog carnivals. The more people who see your guest posts, the more valuable they are.

Use your guest posts to build relationships with other bloggers. Submitting a guest post does not have to be a one-time event. It can be a stepping stone in building relationships with bloggers in your niche. In addition to promoting your guest posts, respond to reader comments on the blog and stay involved with the blogger and their audience. Keep the door open for future interactions, such as reciprocal guest posts, joint ventures and more.

Just a little time invested in guest posting can pay big dividends in traffic, search engine rankings and dollars in your pocket.

Cathy Stucker runs a free service to connect bloggers and guest posters at http://BloggerLinkUp.com/.

The Importance of Public Relations – By Mike Sprouse

Colleen — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:00:40 +0000

Most advertising executives and marketers believe nowadays that a successful public relations strategy can play a vital and ROI-accretive role in their company’s success.

From creating a positive corporate image, to reaching out to influencers within the industry or media, public relations can shape how both internal and external stakeholders view the company.

With the speed at which our communication tactics are changing, it is fundamental that your company’s PR strategy remain current and in line with corporate goals.

In today’s business world, immediacy and transparency are two terms that should be of high importance to company executives. Due to the Internet-created 24 hour news cycle of our society, any news that a company makes—whether it is good or bad—can be spread all over the world in a matter of minutes.

With social media, blogs and forums, consumers and affiliates have the opportunity to engage in dialogue with company representatives to share their thoughts and make their voices heard. This is vastly different from a decade ago when public relations were seen as one-way communication, with the companies controlling the message.

The ability of consumers and performance marketers to engage in conversations with company representatives makes it necessary for companies to be transparent. It can be very easy for advertising agencies, networks and performance-based affiliates to be viewed negatively if they are not upfront about their business practices.

Often, companies that are transparent are more successful due to the trust they are able to foster with their internal and external publics.

That said, just having a solid public relations mindset is not enough. Companies must be willing to speak up about the necessity of setting a good example with their public relations strategy. Because misinformation can be spread so easily, having good relationships with media and trusting stakeholders and affiliates can help companies avoid a crisis situation.

Advertising companies and networks must ensure that everyone—from employees to affiliates—is on the same page. If the employees are unhappy about the direction their company is perceived to be heading, morale and production will drop, and this image manifests itself outside company walls.

But if stakeholders and other external influencers are confident in your company, it will be reflected in your brand’s image and return on investment.

By creating and sticking to a strong PR approach, advertising organizations can ensure that they are communicating quickly and efficiently with affiliates. This communication is important to ensure that everyone associated with the company is presenting a unified message.

With so many Web-savvy people engaged with networks and ad intermediaries, the smallest discrepancy or problem can make news, affecting the company’s brand, as well as its finances.

The bottom line is this: PR is more important than ever no matter where you sit in the online marketing ecosystem.

Mike Sprouse is the CMO of Epic Media Group, where he oversees all marketing strategy.

Grow Your Audience Through Podcasting – By Daniel M. Clark

Colleen — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:10:04 +0000

It isn’t as sexy as video. It isn’t as trendy as mobile advertising or social media, If you ask anyone in our industry if they do it, chances are, they don’t.

Podcasting.

Often overlooked and underrated, podcasting is a fantastic way to communicate with your customers and fans, expand your reach and, frankly, have a lot of fun. The best part about it? It’s practically free to do and easier than almost anything else you have in your repertoire.

It’s cheaper, faster and much more simple to produce than video. It isn’t as complicated as getting into the mobile game. It isn’t nearly as time consuming as social media. You don’t have to replace any of those activities—if you’ve got twenty minutes a week and a microphone (you almost certainly do, on both counts) you can be a successful podcaster.

Still not convinced? Wizzard Media announced that 1.4 billion podcast downloads were processed in 2009. They are just one source for podcasts. People are listening. What do you want to say to them?

Choose a Topic

What do you have to talk about? I know there is something related to your business that you can talk about for 20 minutes. Do you release new products every week? Would you like to interview people in your company or in your industry? Choosing a topic shouldn’t be too difficult; even the most esoteric topics have listeners.

Just as with blogging, though, don’t feel that you need to be all business. It is often better to podcast about a topic you’re passionate about. Listeners will get to know you and your bio (which you’ll mention at the start and end of each show) will lead them back to your business.

Plan, Plan, Plan

One key to listener retention is ensuring that listeners know what to expect. Once you’ve chosen your topic, stick to it. If your topic is fine art, don’t spend ten minutes talking about your dog. Listeners won’t stick around waiting for your main topic to come up. You don’t need to be completely inflexible, but vary too wildly and you’ll turn off the listeners you’ve worked to attract.

Part of listener expectations is your schedule. Ideally, you will publish your podcast episodes on the same day(s) every week. Like blogging, content published on a regular schedule is preferred by the people that consume it.

Another key to listener retention is repetition. Not repetition in what you say, but repetition in how you say it. Be yourself, or choose a persona that you can stick with. Consider your topic, and plan your style accordingly. Worried about your voice? Don’t be! Be natural. You’re not Tom Brokaw or Oprah, and listeners don’t expect you to be. Your voice is fine.

Once you’ve got a plan, you’re ready to investigate the technical details of recording, editing, uploading and promoting. The good news is all those things are a breeze once you’ve got your plan in place!

Daniel M. Clark is a co-host of the Geek Dads Weekly podcast (geekdadsweekly.com).

Why Was My Affiliate Application Declined? – By Trisha Lyn Fawver

Colleen — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:00:11 +0000

I hear a lot of affiliates ask this question, wondering why their applications get declined by various merchants or advertisers. As a former affiliate manager, there are a lot of reasons why I might reject an application.

There are many managers out there that are, shall we say, less than stellar in the communications department. Therefore, in an effort to bridge this gap, here are some things affiliates should consider when their applications are declined.

Are my website URLs correct?
I’ve seen instances where affiliates have misspelled their domain names accidentally, added an extra http://, left off the extension (.com? .net?). Many affiliate managers are savvy enough to omit the extra http:// or try adding the .com to see if a website loads, but I know some are not so diligent, so it’s best that you make checking your websites as easy as possible for the affiliate manager.

Have I been declined a lot?
There may be a bigger issue at hand, like problems with your hosting company. If you’re experiencing a lot of declined applications, you should check to ensure that all your sites are up and running properly. Try viewing your website in different browsers (Firefox, IE, Chrome, etc.) to see if something isn’t loading correctly. Some merchants are very sensitive to the content and layout of a site where their advertisements will potentially be seen.

Do I have any unprofessional or questionable content on my website?
Some brands are more sensitive when it comes to the content on a website where their ad will appear. For example, the Apple Store has very strict guidelines relating to website content and where you’re allowed to place banner advertisements. Larger brands tend to have stricter guidelines, and may choose to decline you if your websites do not convey a similar professional image that is on par with the brand. You can consider changing your website to meet their standards or finding another merchant with more lenient standards to promote.

Are all my websites listed in my profile?
Some networks require you to apply to programs for each of your websites, but most simply ask that you to list all of your affiliate sites. It is an affiliate manager’s job to check out the affiliate’s websites to find that good, niche fit. If you’re applying for a software affiliate program and only have your knitting website listed, the affiliate manager may not see a good fit and choose to decline you. Having all your websites listed shows the affiliate manager that you work in different verticals and they can see more potential for appropriate promotions.

There are hundreds of other reasons why you might be declined. It ultimately depends on the merchant and what kinds of affiliates they want to work with.

Always attempt to reach out to the affiliate manager if you’ve been declined for a program you really want to promote. It never hurts to ask for an explanation or a second chance.

Trisha Lyn Fawver is a client support specialist at ForMeToCoupon.com and blogs at TrishaLyn.com.

Boosting Your Traffic and Credibility with PR – By Ali Croft

Colleen — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:00:38 +0000

Public relations is an essential component of any company’s growth strategy, including affiliates. Good PR will raise awareness of your business while building trust with your potential customers, increasing the likelihood that they’ll make a purchase with you. And, with a little time and effort, it’s relatively easy to do some of your own.

In its simplest form, PR is about getting other people to say good things about you. Whether these people are bloggers, reporters or influencers in other realms – like social media and web forums – the key to getting them to write or talk about you is building mutually beneficial relationships. Just like in the real world, people help people they know.

When beginning your PR effort, one of the first things to do is research the influencers in your industry. There’s no bigger waste of time than pitching people who either don’t cover your industry or don’t draw the audience you want to target.

Do your homework – use Google News, Google Blog Search and BackType to see who the influential bloggers, reporters, commentators and Tweeters are and create a list of people you want to target.

Less is more here; the more targeted your list, the better. Start with realistic expectations – chances are that USA Today won’t be interested until they see others on the web buzzing about your business.

Once you’ve got your list, start finding ways to provide value to your targets. Comment on their latest story or offer to introduce them to another expert. Be helpful – don’t just sell yourself.

Sooner or later, you’ll start to develop a relationship, and you’ll have much more luck getting their attention when you have news to share.

The next best thing to do is brush up on your writing skills. There are tips on writing good PR content all over the web. Some of my favorite sites include CopyBlogger and TopRankBlog.

Learn what’s really newsworthy (hint: it’s usually not your newest widget). Put your company news in context with what’s happening in the industry and help tell the bigger story.

Be willing to share data and include other companies as examples in your pitch. Not making it all about you will increase the chances of people taking you seriously.

Learn how to write a news release, which can be sent over a newswire or the web, getting you in front of journalists and web searchers while increasing SEO.

Try offering your targets pre-written articles. Bloggers are always on the hunt for more content, and offering them neutral, non self-promotional guest blog posts targeted to their audience is a good way to build relationships while generating good PR.

Finally, sign up for HelpAReporterOut (HARO). This daily newsletter alerts you to reporters looking for sources for their stories. With your newly minted writing skills, pitch yourself as an expert for articles about your industry.

PR isn’t rocket science. It just takes time. Like in affiliate marketing, research, test and optimize for the best results.

Ali Croft is Director of Public Relations at Just Drive Media.

Mobile Affiliate Marketing: 4 Ways to Start – By Jim Lillig and Liane Carmi

Colleen — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:00:09 +0000

There are four main ways for affiliates to get into the mobile performance marketing arena. Click-to-call, smartphone applications, mobile landing pages, and SMS campaigns provide different channels where affiliates can profit in this growing industry.

Click-to-call campaigns are used with pay-per-call offers. Affiliates who have access to pay-per-call campaigns place ads for tracked phone numbers, and, as the name implies, are paid per call.

In combination, pay-per-call and click-to-call are well-suited for mobile advertising. The one-step call process when a consumer clicks on the ad increases conversions. Banners, text ads, display ads, search ads and mobile landing pages dedicated to displaying the tracked phone number are all great ways to promote pay-per-call offers.

Unlike pay-per-call campaigns, which are not widely available, smartphone applications are probably the most well-known advertising media when it comes to the mobile industry.

Consulting firm Chetan Sharma estimates in a recent study that mobile app downloads will reach almost 50 billion by 2012. This overabundance of impressions available means low competition for affiliates.

It is easy to target the right audience, as most applications are popular with specific demographics, and structured around particular activities. Affiliates can buy ads on applications using services like appdog.com, or Apple’s iAds platform.

Affiliates who favor organic (free) marketing on the Web might be interested in creating mobile sites that attract visitors for specific niches. This is a great time to get involved, as the rules in this industry are still being written!

Mobile search is quite different from regular Web search, so affiliates should take the time to do appropriate research. Also, note that mobile devices vary widely in their display abilities, so be sure to use the mobile preview tool to check your site’s compatibility.

Mobile sites are a great way to build a list, which is why SMS campaigns work so well with this type of marketing. Affiliates who are tired of the low open rates on their emails will be glad to know that on average, according to Nielsen ratings, 90% of SMS messages are opened within 15 minutes.

This gives list builders the ability to target their prospects at a specific time of the day – or even in specific geographic areas. Note that consumers are more sensitive about text messages, so it is important to be very relevant in your SMS marketing.

Click-to-call, application ads, mobile search and SMS campaigns are all great ways to get involved in mobile affiliate marketing. Those who get in on the action today are likely to find themselves profiting greatly from this growing industry.

Jim Lillig, Vice President of Business Development, and Liane Carmi, Project Manager at Offermobi.com, the first US-Based mobile performance network.

Best Practices for B2B Affiliate Marketers – By Todd Bloch

Colleen — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:00:08 +0000

Forrester projects B2B (business-to-business) interactive marketing spending to hit $4.8 billion in 2014, over double an estimated $2.3 billion in 2009. We believe that affiliate marketing will be a big component of that growth.

B2B affiliate programs have taken a back seat in the industry, despite the fact that many B2B businesses already rely on contractors to drive sales offline. Nonetheless, business advertisers have not gained the attention of online affiliates because of long sales cycles, latent transactions, offline conversions and high customer acquisition costs.

That is all about to change thanks to better tracking technologies and creative new ways of structuring programs. Here are several ways that advertisers can collaborate with affiliates to build dynamic, successful programs:

1. Advanced call tracking – Losing qualified leads due to offline channels is a legitimate concern for affiliates running B2B offers. Advertisers can calm these concerns by using a simple call tracking solution. In short, call center agents enter affiliate IDs (presented under the advertiser’s phone number) into customer records during phone calls.

2. Lifetime commissions – B2B businesses often lose money on the first sale but earn profit over the lifetime of that customer. Offering residual commissions on lifetime referral revenue will help affiliates compete. Eliminating the cookie window is a good start, but a cookie is only good if the customer uses the same browser forever and cookies aren’t deleted.

3. Commission structure– It can take months for leads to convert into acquisitions due to multiple touch points, various decision makers and high value purchases. Affiliates want commission on leads, but businesses are concerned about quality. One option is to offer hybrid commissions, paying a modest bounty on leads, but also a substantial bonus for each lead that converts.

4. Batch file reporting – Tracking pixels will not capture every action over the length of a program. Creating a spreadsheet of all actions on a regular basis is the answer. Importing this batch file ensures affiliates garner commissions on all sales the pixel misses, offline transactions and latent conversions.

5. Offline sales force – Remember the Avon women that sold door-to-door? B2B merchants are empowering field sales agents, tele-reps and even cable TV affiliates to promote products and services on a performance basis. Setup, reporting and payouts are all handled via the network platform.

6. Endemic affiliates – Your list of prospects is much narrower than in the B2C world. Proactively uncovering, recruiting and building relationships with niche affiliates with content related to your business is a solid strategy.

Outside of the affiliate arena, it seems B2B marketing has found success in every media channel. For instance, on television with Bloomberg and CNBC, search with Business.com, online content with BizJournals.com or Entrepreneur.com and even print with Crain’s, Inc. magazine and others.

Agencies, program managers and networks can now educate advertisers and affiliates on not only their barriers to entry, but also the available solutions. There are huge, untapped opportunities in the B2B sector, and it is poised to ride shotgun with B2C affiliate marketing.

Todd Bloch is a Director at PartnerCommerce, a B2B affiliate network located in New York.

Use Joomla! to Explode Your Affiliate Income – By Michael Wayne

Colleen — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:00:25 +0000

Joomla is a content management system, similar to WordPress. The primary difference is that Joomla has a lot more built-in features & functionality.

With Joomla’s Extensions, you can turn your site into a social network, membership site, and more in minutes. If you’re looking for a new tool to increase your leads and sales, Joomla just might be the right solution.

The WordPress Alternative
Many affiliates avoid Joomla because it’s more difficult to learn than WordPress, and doesn’t seem to provide great built-in SEO. In reality, Joomla can actually provide equal or greater SEO results if utilized correctly.

There are also many SEO extensions available, such as SH404SEF, that give you granular control over your SEO and rival anything WordPress has to offer. While Joomla does have a bit of a steeper learning curve, there are a ton of tutorial websites available for beginners to help you get up and running fairly quickly.

Modules Make Split Testing Easy
Joomla has an awesome feature called modules, which are content blocks of code, widgets, or applications.

Modules can be placed in multiple preset locations, anywhere in your template. You can create multiple modules that display ad banners or affiliate links and place them virtually anywhere on your site.

The beauty of modules is that they are conditional. You can display them according to section, category, and/or by user state (registered user or guest). This basically provides built-in split testing!

Complete Editorial Control
Joomla provides complete editorial control. You can assign users to user-groups, such as authors, editors, publishers, etc., with ease.

Think of the possibilities: you could install and launch multiple niche content sites, set up unlimited ad modules, and have them display conditionally according to their author, category and/or section.

Also, Joomla enables you to display one set of ads for registered users and another set for guests. Your imagination can run wild with the number of different scenarios you could run to maximize your click-through rates.

List Building & Email Marketing
Administrative account management is built into the core of Joomla. The benefit here is that you’ll always have immediate access to your entire database of users. Joomla’s built-in “mass email” tool can send email blasts to all your users, in plain text or HTML.

You can also target by user groups, such as authors, editors, publishers, etc. It’s a great tool for marketing & connecting with your community – with their permission of course.

Endless Possibilities
Joomla has some affiliate-friendly extensions, including JomSocial, which lets you turn your Joomla site into a full-featured social network, and JoomFish, a tool that enables you to natively translate your site into almost any language.

Used together, they are great tools for targeting by interest or demographics, and for generating additional international traffic.

Joomla is an indispensable tool in my affiliate arsenal and if you give it a shot I’m sure it will be for you as well!

Michael Wayne is a blogger (MikeWayne.com), affiliate marketer, and President of MediaCraft Marketing, LLC.