There’s a huge difference between someone saying that you’re amazing and you saying it about yourself.

On the one hand, you sometimes have to explain your credentials. For instance, if I’m asking you to think about what I’m saying, you might want to know my credentials, my qualifications, where I’m from. That’s why blogs have an “About” page (or at least, that’s the best way to use an about page, in my not nearly humble opinion).

But, there really is a huge difference between explaining your perspective versus outright bragging about yourself. No, you can’t really cheat by restating what others have said about you. That’s still basically going to come off as bragging (to me). And this works on the personal scale as well as the company scale.

Which works better? An ad about how awesome you are, or an ad about how awesome your customer is?

Keep the Conversation Focused on Your Customer

In advertising and marketing and all business communications, think about your customer. One way the iPod won the MP3 war was they came up with a way for customers to think easier about the product. It fits 1000 songs. That was way easier to understand than number of megabytes. Thus, the conversation was from the perspective of the customer.

Think of the old cheesy car salesperson. “Can you see yourself in this baby?” There’s a reason they say that. It works. People think from their own perspective.

In talking about yourself, talk instead about others, if you can.

I really loved what John Andrews was doing with his customer of the day blog posts for his little bistro. (Then again, I just read that John’s shop closed down, so does that make it a bad strategy?) John had the perspective that by praising his customers, they’d feel motivated to return. Seems reasonable to me.

Mick Galuski, who I wrote about as a small town superhero, earns and keeps my business because he customizes his communication to me to make it about my interests. In turn, I praise Mick all the time, and talk with him about business, and give him potential ideas for future efforts.

What This Means to Personal Branding and Self-Promotion

In situations where you’re talking with others, do your best to talk more about them. Learn about them. Ask questions. The smartest people are those who plumb the depths of the other person, and come away knowing them deeply. We seem to fear, as humans, that the other person in a situation won’t hear us. We get worried that we’ll leave a conversation somehow unequally.

Strangely, the most “important” people (in at least the public business sense) I have ever met in my life have all asked me more about myself, and even with me trying hard to turn it around, they were gracious and interesting and still worked hard to know more about me than themselves. People like Vinod Khosla, Seth Godin, Guy Kawasaki, and many more have always started with more questions about me than about themselves.

If that’s how they roll, why wouldn’t you do the same yourself?

It’s certainly something I notice more often when meeting people, or learning more about them on the web. While writing this post, I was distracted twice to do other things, and in one case, I read someone’s about page on their blog and choked on how self-important they seemed (and hey, read mine and call me out if you think I seem stuck-up). The other was a request from someone whose event I once attended, where he spent the first 10 minutes doing a strange “you love me, you really love me” type performance. Great guy. Super smart. Off-putting as all hell to start an event that way.

What do you say?

Chris Brogan is President of New Marketing Labs, a social media agency and education company and blogs on ChrisBrogan.com

Download the entire FeedFront issue 5 here – http://feedfront.com/feedfront-issue5.pdf
FeedFront issue 5 articles can be found here as well: http://feedfront.com/archives/article00category/issue-5

Product Datafeeds go with affiliate marketing like peas and carrots. They first entered the scene almost ten years ago when merchants and the affiliate networks began to make this information available.

Back in the “good old days”, it was easy to build a gigantic website based on the products provided by one or more merchants, using their category structure that would rank very well, very quickly. Eventually search engines became effective at eliminating “Datafeed sites” from their search results. Literally overnight, high-traffic, high-earning datafeed-based affiliate websites fell off the map, closing another chapter in the long, twisted relationship between affiliate marketers and search engines.

Over the years, we’ve had a lot of successes and failures using product datafeeds. As such, we learned a lot about what works and doesn’t work with using retail product data, and being successful comes down to a few simple rules.

Don’t be tempted by “store builder” type scripts and approaches that build a big store out of merchants’ data with “buy now” and “add to cart” buttons that redirect to the merchant. A sure way to get a site de-valued or outright banned from the search engines is to simply republish product datafeeds. Search engines have become very good at identifying duplicate data. When it comes to datafeeds, if it’s too easy, then it’s probably not going to work. There is no (longer) a free lunch.

Do data cleanup – merchants have their own way of naming products and formatting product descriptions. Use tools that will clean up the language that merchants use consistently in their feeds. For example, a merchant may put the same sentence in the beginning of each description. Clean that up. Better yet, write your own descriptions. We never use merchant product descriptions anymore.

Do Automate – It is critical to keep product data fresh. Products change prices and go in and out of stock every day. Write automated scripts that will update product data on a daily basis. Learn some PHP and MySQL skills or hire a programmer on one of the many freelance websites to create tools that will keep your product data clean and up-to-date.

Don’t make a mess – Datafeeds fall squarely into the “enough rope to hang yourself” category. So much easily accessible data allows webmasters to push out vast amounts of product information, provide bad user experiences, publish outdated information, and otherwise pollute the Interwebs. This is the right way to a smacked bottom.

Do something different and valuable – Most importantly, be creative. Mix up product information in a way that’s never been done before. General price comparison Web sites are a dime a dozen. But has anybody ever created a website organizing sports jerseys by number? Get niche and do something awesome! People will use it, love it, link to it, and search engines will reward you with high quality scores and low minimum bids for paid traffic, and even with good natural rankings.

Scott Jangro is a long-time affiliate marketer and a publisher of niche retail community shopping websites. Read his blog at http://www.jangro.com.

Download the entire FeedFront issue 5 here – http://feedfront.com/feedfront-issue5.pdf
FeedFront issue 5 articles can be found here as well: http://feedfront.com/archives/article00category/issue-5

The use of “game promotions” is a popular and effective way for Internet marketing companies to create buzz. Even if it is only a nominal prize being offered, game promotions are effective in making would-be customers aware of your company and persuading them to register to use your products and/or services.

The purpose of this article is to provide a brief overview of some of the legal issues that you should be aware of prior to conducting a game promotion.

Game promotions generally fall into two categories, “games of chance” (commonly referred to as “sweepstakes”) and “games of skill.” “Games of skill” which, if structured correctly, are legal in every state, select their winners based upon the entrants’ skill.

In contrast, “games of chance” are considered illegal lotteries in every state unless one of the following three traditional elements of a lottery is removed: (1) prize; (2) chance; and (3) consideration.

For obvious reasons, the element of “consideration” is most often removed in order to run a legal sweepstakes promotion. To remove this element, an alternative means of entry that does not require the entrant to make a payment or sign up to receive goods or services, and that is accorded equal weight, must be offered.

If you are offering a non-cash prize, applicable state game promotion regulations require that the cash equivalent of any such prize also be offered. In connection with awarding the prize(s), you must maintain a list of all contest winners and make such list readily available at no charge to all entrants.

The list of winners must also be filed with Florida and New York at the close of the contest period (and provided to Rhode Island upon request).

One of the most common mistakes made by many businesses in advertising their game promotions is the misuse of the word “free.” If the consumer is required to incur any cost whatsoever, the game promotion cannot be labeled as “free.”

Another mistake that must be avoided is sending direct or electronic mail that informs the recipient that she is a “winner” or a “guaranteed winner.” Failure to follow these and other rules related to advertising may result in the commencement of regulatory proceedings against your company.

You must also be aware that three states – Florida, New York and Rhode Island – have specific sweepstakes registration and bonding requirements. For example, if the value of all of the prizes in your game exceeds $5,000, Florida and New York require that your game be registered and bonded.

In Rhode Island, the prize threshold for registration is $500, but there is no bonding requirement. To avoid having to adhere to these requirements, you can disallow residents from all or any of these three states from entering your game promotion.

Please note that this is only a brief overview of some of the legal issues surrounding game promotions. Remember to obtain guidance from a licensed legal professional prior to conducting a game promotion.

David O. Klein is a partner in the firm of Klein Zelman Rothermel LLP in New York, New York. Mr. Klein practices Promotional Law and Internet Marketing Law. He can be reached at (212) 935-6020 or via email at dklein@legal.org.

Download the entire FeedFront issue 5 here – http://feedfront.com/feedfront-issue5.pdf
FeedFront issue 5 articles can be found here as well: http://feedfront.com/archives/article00category/issue-5

As with any social media site, LinkedIn.com offers you a great opportunity to present and maintain your desired brand image. Here are some tips for putting your best foot forward on LinkedIn.

Get involved
You will only get from LinkedIn that which you put in, so be an active member of the community. Invite new contacts regularly and respond quickly to requests from others. Don’t just limit your profile to your current position. List all previous positions and you will increase the number of contacts you will make.

Target your contacts and be selective
Just as you wouldn’t enter a room full of people and hand each person a business card, imploring each to “Hire me today!,” you wouldn’t randomly invite people to join your Contact list on LinkedIn. Only invite relevant professionals to join your contact list. Don’t settle for LinkedIn’s templated invitations, either. Instead, tailor your own message to your invitees. For example, after a trade show send a message to the people you met and say, “It was great to see you at Affiliate Summit in Las Vegas. Let’s keep in touch through LinkedIn.”

Be found in all relevant searches
LinkedIn provides you with many opportunities to insert keywords into your profile. You’ll want to pay particular attention to your Summary, which contrary to popular belief is not the place to post your resume. Do searches where you’d want to be found and assess the competition and their keyword count as compared to yours. Make the necessary adjustments.

Ensure recommendations match your message
When you ask for a recommendation, take the time to offer guidance about what kinds of things you’d like the writer to say. If the recommendation contains some of your target keywords, all the better.

Share your expertise by answering questions
By asking or answering questions, you will become a more active member of the LinkedIn community. You will also be positioning yourself as something of an expert in your industry. Make sure your answers are straightforward and thorough. Do not insert sales pitches or requests into your answer. Just the facts, please.

As you develop your presence on LinkedIn.com, remember you’re representing your brand. You want to do things that reflect positively on your brand. You also want to connect with others in your industry. Most importantly, you want to contribute to the community. As you build your identity and your credibility, you will find your brand reaches a strong position within that part of LinkedIn that belongs to you and your target audience.

Wade Sisson is Director of Marketing for PartnerCentric, a full-service provider of affiliate program management and Internet marketing services.

Download the entire FeedFront issue 5 here – http://feedfront.com/feedfront-issue5.pdf
FeedFront issue 5 articles can be found here as well: http://feedfront.com/archives/article00category/issue-5

Web sites need images to break up the text and show your visitors things you want them to see. Taking photos that you specifically want to use on a Web site is different than taking family photos or photos for print production.

First, they don’t have to be huge in size. You simply want an image that is big enough to show what you need, clear and properly exposed. Let’s take this step by step.

Good camera
It doesn’t have to be a DSLR to get good images to use on your Web site. You can use a small camera or even the camera in your phone, as long as it has good optics and exposure settings. The largest size image you want to show on a Web site is about 500×500 pixels, which is very small by today’s camera standards.
But you want that image to be super sharp. If your phone takes blurry underexposed pictures, don’t use it. Most digital cameras are fine for general photography.

If you need to take close ups of products, you will need a better camera, one with a “macro” mode that will let you get close to your subject. Be careful, though, with close up shots that you don’t use a lens that makes the subject distorted (fisheye effect).

And remember that since you don’t need large files you can crop to make the subject bigger.

Hold it Steady
Hold your camera steady when you are taking pictures that you are going to use online. If it is in the evening or at night and you don’t want to use a flash (like night shots in a city for a travel site) lean the camera on a light pole or a mailbox.

Anything that you can set the camera on that won’t move can be used as a makeshift tripod. Even if you have a tripod, some cities and parks don’t allow them to be used in certain areas without a permit.

Good Exposure
For daytime pictures, shooting outdoors in sunlight is usually fine, but avoid shooting directly into the sun. Indoors you want to use a flash to avoid images that are dark or have a yellow overtone to them.

Crop it
Use a photo editing software (most computers come with them now, and there are plenty of free ones) to crop your images and resize them.

The image that comes straight from the camera is WAY too big to use on your Web site. Don’t use the resize tags in your HTML code to make the file fit. Doing that uses valuable bandwidth and slows your page load time.

Open the picture in your editing software and use the crop function to eliminate extra space around your subject. Next resize the image so that it is 500 pixels on its longest edge. Then use File, Save As to save the modified version of your image.

Hopefully these tips will help you take pictures that will spice up your Web site and make a good impression on your site visitors.

Deborah Carney is a professional photographer, affiliate manager and Webmaster; you can see her photography on http://LoxlyGallery.com and contact her about her affiliate programs at http://TeamLoxly.com

Download the entire FeedFront issue 5 here – http://feedfront.com/feedfront-issue5.pdf
FeedFront issue 5 articles can be found here as well: http://feedfront.com/archives/article00category/issue-5

Most of us know that online video is exploding, and want to capitalize on it. But before we think about how, we need ask why.

The only two reasons for posting video online are ego and money. Ego can be the desire for attention, to show-off, make someone laugh or capture snippets of life’s kaleidoscope. If you doubt this, one thing everyone checks after posting a video is the number of views. Views = ego.

Money is straightforward. Some create great content to monetize via advertising. Others use video to directly or indirectly sell something. This makes sense, because an online video can be like a virtual sales person. It’s an excellent way to attract, engage and inform customers.

This combination of ego and money is important to understand. If you are camera shy or uncomfortable “selling”, then video is not for you. Either that or you split the ego/money equation wherein a partner is in front of the camera and you just handle the money.

Also, we should understand the only two reasons people watch video. As Jim Kukral, the BizWebCoach, points out, it’s the same two reasons people use the Internet: information or entertainment – and that’s it.

We need to remember this as we ask the next question:

How can affiliate marketers use online video?

First, we can break up much of online video into two formats: long form and short form. This isn’t just about length of time, but about continuity of attention.

If a person is doing weekly “webisodes” with regular characters, vlogging, or hosting their own show (i.e. Gary Vaynerchuk), I would argue these are long form regardless of how many minutes each video is.
The value of long form is building audience over time and then converting that audience into revenue. This can be from ad revenue, affiliate commissions or speaking engagements in Las Vegas. All of which are viable.

Short form is more granular. It’s about three minutes or less, informs and/or entertains, and can stand on its own (no history or context is needed). This is the vast majority of YouTube videos.

If using short form to sell, there’s some corollary to traditional TV commercials, but you’ve got a little more time and can try the “mini Internet infomercial” route.

This is great if your video is atomic down to the product level (one video = one product). You also have the advantage that the video can be surrounded and enhanced with additional information such as images and text.

Unlike TV though, the screen format is tighter, and I would argue it’s even easier to click away then change channels. This is why you’ve got to keep “inform and/or entertain” in mind!

Lastly, you can try a “hybrid” approach. In this scenario, the videos themselves are atomic and stand alone, but you build a longer continuity of attention by establishing yourself within a vertical.

Ken Price is President and Founder of ShopWatchBuy.com, an affiliate friendly video enabled marketplace.

Download the entire FeedFront issue 5 here – http://feedfront.com/feedfront-issue5.pdf
FeedFront issue 5 articles can be found here as well: http://feedfront.com/archives/article00category/issue-5

Getting the prospect in a “buying frame of mind” helps you maximize the amount of money you draw from your traffic, and you do that with the words you use. Here are three tactics that can bring you immediate and long-term revenue from affiliate programs by communicating more value before sending a prospect to the merchant site.

1. Endorsements

A personal endorsement is the strongest way to pre-sell an affiliate offer, assuming your audience values your opinion. Effective endorsements are sincere and enthusiastic based on real experience with the product or service. That’s not to say that people don’t pitch things just for the money, but that can be a dangerous game that erodes your trust and authority if the product or service is poor.

As with any effective copy, endorsements focus on benefits more than features. You might find that picking out the most compelling benefits is easier in a personal endorsement, because you’ve experienced those benefits first hand. Share how a recommended product or service has changed your life for the better, and you’re naturally talking benefits.

2. Tutorials

Years ago, the easiest way to do really well with content-based affiliate marketing was to release a free ebook loaded up with affiliate links and watch it go viral. That strategy can still work, but generally the content must be much stronger, and the affiliate pitches more subtle. Another long-time strategy is the email mini-course, in which you deliver tutorial-style content by autoresponder that ultimately promotes one or more relevant offers.

These days, producing video tutorials that show how to use a product or service are extremely effective at pre-selling affiliate offers. Remember, teaching and selling are closely related, so “how to” content that naturally gets a prospect more comfortable with a purchase is smart. Plus, you can use broader tutorial content as an “ethical bribe” to get people to subscribe to your blog or a targeted sub-list, which allows for multiple relevant offers to be made over time.

3. Bonuses

Using a bonus or special deal approach is a great way to uniquely sweeten an affiliate offer. You essentially promise to add in an additional item if people buy through your link, or you work out a promotional deal with the merchant that only you can deliver. You then work the extra value into your endorsement, review, or announcement with a great headline and benefit-oriented copy.

You’ll see this strategy used quite a bit in competitive pay-per-click situations, and also during big product launches where lots of people are promoting at once. But it’s a really strong strategy anytime, because it demonstrates that you’re focusing on adding value and delivering great deals to your audience.

It’s All About Value

In each case you’ll see that you’re focusing on the prospect and communicating value before sending the traffic off to the merchant. This can give you an edge in ultra-competitive niches, but also boost your bottom line across all your affiliate marketing efforts.

Brian Clark teaches content marketing and copywriting at Copyblogger.com

Download the entire FeedFront issue 5 here – http://feedfront.com/feedfront-issue5.pdf
FeedFront issue 5 articles can be found here as well: http://feedfront.com/archives/article00category/issue-5

We all know that blogging is one of the fastest and most effective ways for you to have your voice heard. However, blogging is also one of the slowest methods for generating money online.

Not only do you have to establish yourself or your blog, but you also need traffic, readers that interact, and a blog that people actually want to read.

Once you have established your blog, it’s time to focus on increasing the overall value. I recommend you implement the following tips for instantly increasing your blog’s revenue month over month.

Stop Making the Middle Man Rich

There is no reason why you should be giving up 30% or more to a middle man ad serving company. Take advantage of direct sales on your blog and you can rapidly increase your income.

You know what type of advertisers your readers have an interest in. Do not wait for advertisers to contact you, contact them and make a deal.

Residual Income is Awesome

There is nothing better than residual income. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the harder affiliate programs to come by.

If you can generate leads from your blog that will earn you residual income, you will rapidly see a wave of increasing dollars in your pocket every month.

You Must Have a Newsletter

I cannot stress how important it is to have your own newsletter. The majority of your blog visitors will probably come to your Web site once, and most likely will never come back again.

If you can get them to subscribe to your mailing list, not only can you provide them with exclusive content, but they will also receive a notification every time you write a new post. It’s never too early to start building your newsletter list.

Give Your Readers Something Free

An excellent way to make your blog stand out from the competition is to offer a free ebook or service to your readers. You are most likely already writing a blog about a niche topic you know very well, so why not offer your readers a free ebook in exchange for joining your newsletter?

I’m sure you have seen many of these tips before. The difference is that you may not have implemented them yet.

Now that you have finished reading this article, go to your computer right now and make the necessary changes to improve your bottom line.

Zac Johnson is the President and CEO of MoneyReign, Inc. You can read his blog at ZacJohnson.com.

Download the entire FeedFront issue 4 here – http://feedfront.com/feedfront-issue4.pdf
FeedFront issue 4 articles can be found here as well: http://feedfront.com/archives/category/issue-4/

There’s a perception that blogging is just a platform for creating affiliate sites and generating profits with them, which may not be totally undeserved.

A well-maintained blog features frequent and new content, compared to traditional article style websites. Search engines happily send visitors seeking niche relevant content by featuring blogs high in their results.

However, blogging can be much more than just another quick way to create a Web site and pump it full of advertising and embedding affiliate links in the post. That’s just scratching a blog’s potential.

The big money comes when you establish a brand and THEN bank on your brand.

The Power of Branding

In a study conducted by a retailer which manufactured their own lines of car batteries, it found that one product line consistently outsold the others many times over.

This was despite the fact that the batteries had the same specifications and performed the same.

The difference? The brand.

One brand carried the retailer’s name, while the other product line was labeled Die Hard batteries.

The Die Hards flew off the shelves, outselling the ones carrying the retailer’s name many times over.

How does this relate to Internet marketing?

Think about your niche for a moment. Is there a particular influencer or opinion leader that almost everyone listens to?

Is there an Oprah or Martha or Larry King who talks and causes everyone else to listen?

With the power of blogging, you don’t need to have a million dollar budget to achieve the same effect.

Here are some tips to help you break apart from the millions of blogger out there:

• Integrity: Honesty and reputation are two of the highest valued attributes when people were surveyed about role models they admire and respect. The personality and character outclassed even physical appearance and wealth.

Integrity in the blogging context means you’re objective in your posts, it may even mean choosing not to promote affiliate products with high payouts, simply because you don’t agree with the ethics of the industry or the manner in which it is projected.

• See things in a different light: You may have your favorite news channels, which sounds strange because all broadcasters have access to the same news source. What makes it different is the way in which it’s presented.

Being able to understand how everyone else is doing things, and consciously choosing an approach that reflects your personality and gives a fresh perspective to your audience will have them thanking you for your efforts.

Studying some of your favorite blogs and analyzing their style and techniques will give you ideas for enhancing your blogging style.

While establishing a brand with your blog takes more effort than merely publishing keyword-loaded posts, it can generate huge dividends for your profits and your business.

Andrew Wee is the creator of the SecretBlogWeapon.com blogging system and blogs at http://WhoIsAndrewWee.com

Download the entire FeedFront issue 4 here – http://feedfront.com/feedfront-issue4.pdf
FeedFront issue 4 articles can be found here as well: http://feedfront.com/archives/category/issue-4/

One of the keys to running a fruitful affiliate program lies in understanding that not only should there be a robust affiliate recruitment strategy in place, but also a continuous activation of the recruited affiliates into becoming producing affiliates.

Affiliate activation is one of the most frequently overlooked components of affiliate program management, especially by newly launched programs.

Sooner or later, every merchant realizes that success is not measured by the numbers of recruited affiliates, but rather by the numbers of those whom are truly active.

Over the years of experimenting with different ways of motivating affiliates, I have realized that the best way to activate affiliates is to expose them to activation offers in each step of their interaction with the affiliate program.

Just as banners with a clear call to action outperform those that do not, affiliate programs with a compelling call to activation outshine other affiliate programs.

There are three phases of affiliate engagement… the recruitment phase, welcoming phase, and routine phase.

Recruitment Phase

Here you want to motivate affiliates to not only join your program, but also to put up your links and refer their first orders/leads. This can be done by remunerating the desired actions with a tangible bonus or a commission increase.

This should be practiced throughout the recruitment process – from the outgoing e-mails soliciting affiliates to join the affiliate program, to the very text of the program description on the merchant’s website.

Welcoming Phase

Stop your reading here and take a new look at the application approval e-mail that you are currently sending. Do you sound motivating enough for them to set aside their other projects and put up a few links for you? Does it inspire them to start a few new paid search campaigns to generate a couple of orders for your program within an X number of days after signing up?

Convincing calls to activation in the text of the welcome e-mails are like seeds falling on fertile soil. It is evident just from their application that they have intentions of promoting you. They applied, and you approved their application.

Don’t just send them a “welcome-aboard-you’ll-love-working-with-us” message. Offer them a reason to jump right on it, or you may well be put at the very end of that endless merchants-to-develop queue.

Routine Phase

It is the routine that has “an unbelievable power to waste and destroy” (cf Henri de Lubac). Do not waste your affiliates’ time with predictable monthly newsletters. Turn this part of your routine into fun for them. Run especially aggressive monthly activation campaigns for the affiliates that are already in your program, but are not yet performing.

The market of affiliate programs will only continue to grow more and more competitive. If you want your program to succeed, make it stand out, and weave the calls to activation into the very structure of it.

Geno Prussakov is the Founder of AM Navigator, and author of “A Practical Guide to Affiliate Marketing” and “Online Shopping Through Consumers’ Eyes.”

Download the entire FeedFront issue 4 here – http://feedfront.com/feedfront-issue4.pdf
FeedFront issue 4 articles can be found here as well: http://feedfront.com/archives/category/issue-4/