Social networking giant Facebook recently surpassed Wikipedia as the fourth largest Web site in the world while micro-blogging powerhouse, Twitter, reportedly handled 5,000 tweets per minute when the king-of-pop passed. These announcements have businesses scrambling to social Web sites like they were, well, the Holy Grail of marketing success.

Here’s the thing about finding the Holy Grail: what do you do once you’ve found it? Companies large and small, although excited over the promise of social marketing, often have no idea what to do in this new and unfamiliar space.

Certainly, there is no shortage of social marketing gurus, experts and even ninjas (yes ninjas), but you can’t rely solely on these social Sherpa’s to achieve true success in your social quest.

A good or even average social media consultant can help you traverse an unforgiving social terrain by creating a sound social media strategy and implementing best practices.  

However, you can only be catapulted to success if you have something worth flinging into the air.

Success is imminent when you realize that the knowledge necessary to succeed, no matter the marketing vehicle, comes from within. You have intimate knowledge of your offerings. You understand your customer’s wants and needs as they relate to your services.

Most importantly, you know how to speak to a customer, and that is what will ultimately deliver success in the social space.

 Let the gurus obsess over the perfect formula of Re-Tweets to Tweets and which shortened URL gets clicked the most.  You need to spend more time strategizing the creation of valuable dialogue.

Study your customer’s wants and needs, misconceptions and objections, then create shareable contributions that educate and subtly entice. Contributing, educating and subtly enticing – sounds a lot like selling. Despite popular opinion selling is not a bad thing.

There is nothing wrong with using social media to attract and convert customers, just learn to sell in a friendly non-disruptive way. Learn to join the conversation as opposed to interrupting it. You have to sell without selling.

You may be asking, how do you sell without selling? Let me share a little secret with you: it’s not so much a secret as an often overlooked resource.

 I’m frequently asked to recommend books on social marketing. There’s no shortage of books about the intricacies of Facebook and Twitter, but the greatest book ever written on achieving success in the social space was written 70+ years ago.

In my opinion, Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” is the Holy Grail, the secret to social nirvana. This book teaches you to speak, think and write with the intent to persuade. Carnegie’s book teaches you to think like a customer and provide value in order to evoke a desired outcome.

Social websites and ninjas come and go. When you master the skills to think like a customer and subtly entice, your next quest for marketing’s Holy Grail will be a short crusade.  You’ll only need to look inside yourself.

Larry Bailin is the author of the bestselling Internet marketing book, Mommy, Where Do Customers come From? and CEO of Single Throw Internet Marketing.

Download the entire FeedFront issue 9 here – http://www.scribd.com/doc/24376105/FeedFront-Magazine-Issue-9
FeedFront issue 9 articles can be found here as well: http://feedfront.com/archives/article002334

I’ve heard some great responses since my panel, Getting Noticed FAST, at Affiliate Summit East 09, and I wanted to share some of the major points.

Getting Noticed Fast is about effective networking using your personal brand, social media, and face-to-face. My fellow panelists were Trisha Lyn Fawver (@trishalyn), Jen Goode (@JGoode), Stephanie Lichtenstein (@StephARC), and the panel was moderated by Lisa Picarille (@lisap).

Personal Brand
Be consistent with the photos and avatars you use. Avatars appear in blog comments, your Twitter profile, your Facebook page, MySpace, FriendFeed, Disqus, and other social network platforms. Update them when necessary, but remain consistent. If your goal is to look professional, then present yourself that way.

Social Media
Retweet (RT) Tweets you like or mention and credit Tweeters in your Tweets. Join a Twitter directory like WeFollow.com or use it to search for others in your favorite topics and follow them.

Sharing your experiences and expertise will make others want to follow and engage with you. Giving before you get will get you a lot in return.

For Facebook, get your name, brand, or something easy to remember in the URL of your profile. You can find me at Facebook.com/mikebuechele. If your friend lists starts getting out of hand, you can organize them into groups.

Some of my groups are Old Friends, Business Contacts, and Co-workers. Use search to view topics your friends are posting and then comment and share your ideas. Stay at the “top of people’s mind” by wishing your friends a happy birthday from the list on your home page (thanks to Peter Shankman for the idea). Other ideas are to start a fan page and link your blog’s RSS into your profile.

Face-to-Face Networking
I don’t think anything is better than in-person networking. It leaves the best impression on people. Have unique business cards, or give swag like thumbnail drives, stickers, and buttons.
Wear a T-shirt with your blog URL or Facebook/Twitter name on it and give some out to people. There’s a good chance they will blog about you. Make an impression. Nothing beats a handshake.

Bonus Tips
Always say yes to an interview or guest blog post. Stay on top of your niche and blog or share links over Twitter and Facebook.

Follow people already known within your niche and comment on their blogs. There are other social communities like LinkedIn, Blip.fm, Ning, and many more, so find the ones right for you.

Create content in different media. You can use text, audio, and video. Some helpful resources are TubeMogul, Seesmic, and 12seconds for video; and TweetDeck, Seesmic Desktop, and HootSuite for Twitter.

Mike Buechele is an affiliate marketer, and he can be found at MikeBuechele.com and on Twitter at @mikebuechele.

Download the entire FeedFront issue 8 here – http://www.scribd.com/doc/20220412/FeedFront-Magazine-Issue-8
FeedFront issue 8 articles can be found here as well: http://feedfront.com/archives/article00date/2009/10

Facebook’s Terms of Use state you can only have one account and it must be in your actual name, not your business name. However, there is a place set aside to represent and promote businesses called Facebook “Fan” Pages (“Pages”).

The Pages feature is somewhat obscured; scroll down to the foot of any Facebook.com web page and click on “Advertising.”

Here are ten suggestions for promoting your Facebook Page (much of which can be delegated to a trusty assistant/team):

1. Choose a Facebook Username.
Since Saturday, June 13, Facebook has offered usernames on a first-come, first-serve basis for profiles and the Facebook Pages. Details at www.facebook.com/username/.

2. Talk about your Page on Twitter.
Tweet about your Page URL regularly. Preferably not just, “Check out my Facebook Page [insert link].” Rather, offer something enticing like “New Affiliate Marketing White Paper just loaded at my Facebook fan page [insert link].”

3. Create content just for Fans.
Add content to your Page for your Fans they cannot get anywhere else, e.g. videos, tips, special gifts, discussion threads, coupons, etc. (Of course, this content could be repurposed later. You might want to give your fans first dibs though).

4. Conduct weekly drawings.
Run a weekly (or even daily) prize drawing where you draw a Fan’s name at random for a special prize, ideally connected to your business product/service.

5. Play hide ‘n’ seek.
“Hide” something on your Page and encourage your Fans to find it. e.g. a special link, or discount code. Have them tweet their answer to you. The first “x” gets a prize.

6. Promote regular contests.
People love contests and video is real easy to create from computer webcams right onto Facebook. Create a photo and/or video contest. Have your Fans upload their photos/videos to your Fan Page. (Each activity your fans do creates a feed item for more visibility for you).

7. Provide a place for interaction.
Start a thread on your Discussion Board that allows your fans to promote and/or network with one another. For example, invite your fans to submit their own (and/or their favorite) blogs and Twitter IDs.

8. Acknowledge fans.
When new Fans write on your Page Wall, respond by writing back on their Profile wall. (This helps create visibility for both you and your Fans). Also, look for your fans on Twitter and send them an @ message.

9. Send email broadcasts.
Send an email blast to your regular opt-in list inviting them to join your new Facebook Page. Consider offering an incentive to do so. Also, include an invitation to join your Page on your email signature file.

10. Test Social Ads.
Promote your Page with Social Ads. Every time someone becomes your Fan their name and photo may appear alongside your ad. There’s a reason Facebook combines Pages with Social Ads under Advertising. Experiment with a weekly/monthly budget and see what happens.

Mari Smith is a social media consultant, speaker and trainer, and she blogs at http://marismith.com and http://www.whyfacebook.com

Download the entire FeedFront issue 7 here – http://www.scribd.com/doc/17376069/FeedFront-Magazine-Issue-7
FeedFront issue 7 articles can be found here as well: http://feedfront.com/archives/article00date/2009/08

You’ve invested a lot of time and money testing PPC on dozens of offers. Once you believe you’ve found a profitable niche, its time to go global.

Attracting international traffic is relatively inexpensive because few merchants know how to best monetize it. Also, there are large, identifiable international markets to target online. Facebook alone has nearly 10 million Spanish-speaking users worldwide, a million of which are in the U.S.

Experience a New Culture

One of the most valuable assets for anyone marketing to an international audience is personal experience of the target customers’ culture. Fortunately, one of the best perks of affiliate marketing is that in most cases you can work from anywhere in the world.

Take super-affiliate Josh from ScrappyBusiness.com, for example. He was able to travel the globe after just three months as an affiliate marketer. Josh found rental apartments with Internet access on Craigslist, all the while immersing himself in the local cultures.

Build an Offshore Team

Smart affiliate marketers are building strategic offshore teams. Try freelance site Odesk.com or Craigslist to find staff that can help you translate and position your offers for specific cultures. You might be surprised how easy and cost-effective it can be to build a virtual off-shore team of highly motivated, college-educated staff.

“Translate” a New Affiliate Niche

Taking the simple step of translating your copy will dramatically set you apart from most competitors. Using translation software tools or WordPress plug-ins are quick, but they are far from foolproof. These programs have limits, and native translators will ensure you are connecting to your target market with the correct dialect.

Multicultural Inroads

Always keep in mind that many ethnic groups rely heavily on word of mouth to build trust when making purchasing decisions. With this in mind, try personally connecting through social media and by building landing pages that help convey this trust.

Also, consider sponsoring ethnic events, or taking advantage of the lower advertising rates that often exist at media outlets such as local radio stations. The point is to be creative and avoid some of the bigger ad channels that charge a premium for U.S. ethnic targeting.

Finally, know that you’re not going to get it 100% right on the first try. Keep enhancing your cultural knowledge, offers and vehicles to be on the path for international stardom.

Brian Hawkins has worked for two leading SEO agencies prior to his ethnic internet marketing focus as an Affiliate Marketing Manager for Pingo.com’s global telecom affiliate program, which pays up to a $35.00 CPA on Linkshare.

Download the entire FeedFront issue 7 here – http://www.scribd.com/doc/17376069/FeedFront-Magazine-Issue-7
FeedFront issue 7 articles can be found here as well: http://feedfront.com/archives/article00date/2009/08

During the last year or so, there has been a lot of buzz about the success of marketing to social media news sites like Digg, StumbleUpon, and Reddit. The amount of traffic, exposure, and links you can obtain is unparalleled to any other aspect of online marketing.

People have also found that it is a lot harder than expected to get all the benefits social media has to offer, but these quick tips should help increase your success within the top social media news sites.

When creating your profile… don’t be your company or your product

Social media sites want to believe that all content submitted is done so without any benefit to the submitter. When you represent your product or company, you provide the opportunity for users to question the intention of your submissions.

You can be yourself on Twitter and Facebook, but when it comes to social aggregation sites, create a persona that is fun and interesting, and choose an avatar and a name that is easy to remember.

Maintain and build a good profile

Your social media profile says a lot about you as a user. Your name, links, and the activity you perform on a site, are visible from your profile page.

Avoid linking back to your professional or personal sites, use a separate IM and email account, and don’t try to market your brand or product from your profile. When you provide information that links your account to you or your product, you again provide the opportunity for users to question your motives for participating on the site.

It is also important that your stats make you look like a good user. Avoid only voting for your own submissions, don’t submit content from just one or two sources, and don’t add too many friends at once. Top users will look at your profile when they consider whether to befriend you or not.

Don’t submit sub-par content and avoid over promoting

Not every piece of content you produce is worthy of submission to social news sites. Only share your best articles, once content becomes popular, it is the quality of the content that will dictate if people link to you or share your story with others.

When you do submit your content, it is easy to feel like you have to send to all of your friends and relatives to get as many votes as possible. However, this tends to backfire and result in failure more often than not. Social media news sites realize that people will attempt to game their system by artificially inflating vote counts. In lieu of this, sites have spent a large amount of time working on their promotion algorithms to fight off gaming. Of course, sharing and promoting your campaign is good, but try to make it as natural looking as possible.

There are many things you should consider in order to succeed in the top social media news sites, but these tips should get you going in the right direction. Good luck and remember… Be Social.

Brent Csutoras is a social media consultant and speaker, who writes regularly at BrentCsutoras.com.

Download the entire FeedFront issue 6 here – http://feedfront.com/feedfront-issue6.pdf
FeedFront issue 6 articles can be found here as well: http://feedfront.com/archives/article00date/2009/06

In October 2008, Affiliate Summit had a niche one day show at Baruch College in New York City focused on the different aspects of social media in affiliate marketing.

Lots of exciting buzz around Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and making videos but how can you make money from them? How can you use social media effectively within your business? How do you get started? The keynote and breakout sessions tackled these topics head on and gave the attendees lots of useful tips and ideas.

Don Crowther, social media guru and blogging expert, delivered the day’s keynote setting the tone with electrifying energy. He captivated the audience with stats, tips and ideas. This is definitely a session you can watch multiple times and learn something new each time.

Kudos to Kukral. Jim kept the show moving along as the Emcee and panel moderator. He did an excellent job engaging the speakers, keeping them on their toes and on task. Shawn Collins and various other tweeters kept everyone connected with live twittering throughout the show up on the big screen. Good stuff!

The first panel of the day was Gain Friends and Influence, With Video featuring Steve Rosenbaum, CEO/Founder, Magnify.net and Melissa Salas, Director of Marketing, Buy.com. They concentrated on tailoring videos to your audience and selecting the right content while using lots of first-rate examples.
Next up was Social Media Case Studies, presented by Michael Jenkins, CEO/Founder, MarketLeverage; James Keating, VP of Marketing, ShopWiki; and Jivan Manhas, President, Advaliant. These gentlemen detailed the fundamentals of their own successes with social media – how they got started and what makes them profitable.

The third session was Making Social Media Make Money featuring Larry Bailin, CEO, Single Throw Internet Marketing; Shashi Bellamkonda, Social Media Swami, Network Solutions; and Jay Berkowitz, CEO, Ten Golden Rules. They addressed what blogs and podcasts you should be following, as well as increasing return visitors and how to make them want more.

The last session Leveraging Social Networks with Sachin Agarwal, President/CEO, Dawdle.com; Zac Johnson, President/CEO, MoneyReign, Inc.; and Adam Alter, Head of Network Management at Epic Advertising. They talked about setting up ad campaigns, custom banners and creating landing pages. The panel also discussed how to find what works for your site and building profitable relationships.
Thanks to Platform-A for sponsoring the cocktail hour. It was a nice way to wrap up a fruitful conference day.

To cap the night off, folks headed over to Room Service NY for a party hosted by ShareASale to continue networking. What a terrific venue.

I encourage you to check out the videotaped sessions from the show. Don’s keynote and all of the panels are available on AffiliateSummit.tv.

A special thanks to all of our sponsors, including oneNetworkDirect (Platinum Sponsor) and NextWeb Media (Gold Sponsor).

Thanks to everyone that attended, we appreciate you coming out. It was a lot of fun to have a smaller focused show with attendance capped at 300 and only one track of sessions. Next up… Vegas!

Amy Rodriguez is the Conference Director at Affiliate Summit.

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/

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It’s been said over and over that the key to success as an affiliate manager is maintaining good relationships with your affiliates.

The foundation of any good relationship is communication, enforcing the need to be available across multiple channels for your affiliates to get in touch with you.

Making yourself available for your affiliates will increase your effectiveness as an affiliate manager, assist you in preventing fraud, and help to create a lasting bond with your affiliates.

People are all different, and so are their preferences in communications. Broad availability is your best bet. Make yourself available across more than one medium. In your communications to your affiliates, make sure they have multiple ways to contact you at their fingertips.

Your e-mail address, phone number, and physical address should append all messages and correspondence you send to the affiliate so they know immediately how to reach you.

When calling and leaving a message, remember to always leave your phone number – never assume they already have it. If affiliates know how to contact you easily, they will be more likely to get a hold of you before making any wrong moves.

This will help you to keep your affiliates on the straight and narrow with immediate feedback on their promotions ideas.

Communication is dynamic, and in this day and age the number of communication venues is increasing exponentially. Try to stay on that trendy wave and add new ways for affiliates to connect with you as the tide changes.

Create accounts across the popular Instant Messenger channels (AIM, Yahoo, MSN) and across the various microblogging ventures like Twitter, Plurk, and Pownce.

This quick way to get someone’s attention is incredibly easy to monitor with the right desktop applications, and provides affiliates with a way to instantly ping you if they need help. That kind of instant access to you will win over their business.

Social Networks are also a great way to connect with people and interact on a level that’s more human than corporate.

Networks like Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn allow you to connect with your affiliates and share your interests and other ideas. A secure personal relationship with your affiliates will benefit both parties.

As the affiliate manager, your insight into the affiliates’ hobbies will help you to understand how they run their business, and might just give you some unique ideas that you can pass on to them to help you both grow their promotions of your program.

Their insight into your interests will also allow them to make a personal connection and extend some trust to you when you do make those hair-brained suggestions after learning they collect 1970′s McDonalds Happy Meal toys.

Keeping channels open for your myriad of affiliates to contact you will make you an affiliate manager to be trusted, and reckoned with!

Trisha Lyn Fawver is the Marketing Manager for PsPrint.com.

Download issue 2 of FeedFront at http://feedfront.com/feedfront-issue2.pdf
Articles from issue 2 of FeedFront will also be posted at http://feedfront.com/archives/category/issue-2/