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i don't have an issue with it - especially because you use the grinder and i regard you as a coffee lover. in fact, i may use the link and buy one. however, if you were pushing affiliate links in tweets everyday i might think twice about your motives. i also don't think there needs to be disclosure. i can always unfollow someone if i feel uncomfortable about the links. this case it was helpful.
Hi Scott, you bring up an interesting point regarding posting affiliate links in tweets from a non deal-specific Twitter account. I would be curious to know if you lose any followers as a result of including one affiliate link in your tweet. Although I agree with Lisa, since you are a known as a coffee lover, I don't see anything wrong with you suggesting a product you believe in on Twitter and receiving some commission in the process.
Do you think being transparent would have led to a different response from your followers? I am curious to see what role Twitter plays in this space, non deal-specific Twitter accounts, going forward.
Thanks for sharing this experience.
Scott.. I had this exact conversation recently and Magpie was included as part of the dialogue. The follow/unfollow option gives everyone the ability to bail on someone who uses twitter incessantly to push affiliate links or Magpie links, so there is some protection there.
The other side of the coin is not wanting the dreaded reputation of "trying to sell insurance to my friends" .. where people avert their eyes when they see me coming! I don't want my twitter friends to think I view them as just a target customer .. I'd rather use twitter to develop better connections than earn a few % points.
Do opinions change any if we are talking about inserting links in a Facebook status update or is it the same thing? My inclination is that a higher number of twitter users would be able to discern an affiliate link whereas Facebook users would not ... Curious to see if that platform generates any different thoughts on the subject.....
Right, I definitely don't want to be "that guy". It's not my style anyway.
Lisa and a few other people made the distinction on a helpful tweet that was in response to a question vs. just pushing links on people. Even so, I don't see doing much of that personally.
This isn't just about me though. I'm thinking more generally here for academic purposes. Good stuff to think about.
Followers can tell the difference between when they are being "marketed at" and one who is genuinely sharing information as you did. In general, I think it's wise to identify when a link is an affiliate link but that can be hard to do given the 140 character limitations of Twitter. Personally, I'm more concerned about general Twitter spamming than af few embedded affiliate links between friends.
totally agree.
marketers can be either overly sensitive or completely not care at all. i sort of assume half the links in twitter are some kind of redirect to some potentially profitable source, but if it's useful to me, it's useful to me so i personally wouldn't care if someone sent a useful aff link. if it's not i won't click on it. from a user pov, i'm more annoyed with someone trying to "sell me" on something. assuming the critics weren't aff marketers, is it an issue? ie Is the link still useful and still create a solution?
Someone specifically asked for a recommendation that you follow and he follows back. You offered a suggestion. Had you not offered that suggestion, it is possible that they would not have found that specific grinder. Others who clicked on it must have some sort of interest as well.
I personally have no problem with it and probably would have expected it especially considering most that I follow and am followed by are in affiliate marketing. :)
I understood you were looking at it in general, not specifically, it's a topic that needs more exploration for sure.
This came up during a recent social media club shindig here. A developer was looking for input on some functionality he was adding to an e-commerce site. During checkout, the shopper would be presented with an on the spot discount in exchange for sending a linked tweet (another way of looking at the scenario) .. it's interesting.
..... discussion ensued about disclosure, spam, magpie etc.. great dialogue. The sentiment of the room was typically mixed. I gave the guy kudos for looking for insight.
No problem at all. As other have said if you are just trolling around Twitter looking for places to drop links that would probably be bad but if someone asks for a recommendation and you can give them a real recommendation and put a little coin in your pocket for it there is nothing wrong with that.
On many (most?) affiliate sites out there aren't we basically making recommendations? Some one is searching for something, they find our site somehow, and see a list of products. In some form or another this could be construed as a recommendation, endorsement, etc. . Someone is looking for a coffee grinder, they find my site about coffee grinders, see some products, and buy one "because" they found it on my site. In some obscure, convoluted way this is similar to giving someone a recommendation of a product.
In the real world if you had a friend who emailed you or asked you for a recommendation for a product would you feel wrong sending them to your affiliate site or sending them an affilaite link? Not much difference here.
What Mike Allen said (everything! from whether it's okay to the disclosure question).
And you're exactly right, Scott, I personally am 100% okay with this. In fact, I believe, you deserve the commission for that sale if it ever happens. You've done your job! And guess what? You were the only one on Twitter who recommended a grinder back in response to me. I got few more replies on Facebook, but none on Twitter...
No problem at all in my estimation. It's weird... we're marketers, yet many of us have a problem with affiliate links - not just on Twitter, but on sites as well... the whole notion of disclosure is very strange to me. I would never lie and say that an affiliate link isn't an affiliate link, but I don't really see the need for prominent full disclosure.
If we are affiliate marketers, and the basic premise of affiliate marketing is that we earn a commission for driving traffic to a relevant merchant... then aren't we self-haters when we complain that someone provides us with an affiliate link?
I don't mind it as long as the affiliate link is legit (like you really own the coffee maker you're link to). If I'm going to buy that coffee maker, why not through your link and give you the commission you deserve for recommending it?
Now someone pushing ebook affiliate links all day long is another story. But tweeting a legit offer no matter what the product is, I have no problem with.
This happens over and over when new tech comes out. Happened with blogs years ago too. The debate is the same is my point. The reason it's ok Scott is because you have trust.
Affiliate marketing, at its core, is built on WOM word of mouth which is trust. You have tons of it.
I've done surveys and polls on this topic for years now and most recently spoken with top bloggers about this issue. The results? Nobody cares if trusted sources use affiliate links. In fact, my studies have shown that readers/visitors actually prefer to "help out" people they trust by using their affiliate links (or tip jars for that matter).
Ask any top blogger, as I did, about how affiliate marketing plays into their monetization plans for 2009 and beyond, and they'll all tell you that it is quickly becoming the #1 method behind sponsorships. It's currently at a close second. Why? Trust.
Ask them also how many people complain about it and they'll tell you 1%.
Now, I'm going to go buy that coffee thing from your link. :)
I see no problem with including an affiliate link in your Tweet. Twitter, as with Facebook, blogs, and any other type of social media out there, is an open platform for you to use as you wish. If you choose to use Twitter to basically spam everyone following you with "deal" after "deal", you probably won't have very many followers. As was said before in comments, Un-follow is a very powerful tool.
Twitter tends to be used for a mixture of business and personal reasons. I personally post updates about programs we manage all the time. By the same token, I also post about going to the gym and having Valentine's dinner with my wife. How you use the mediums available to you is your personal decision. Again, if people are interested, they will follow. Life and business are not black and white, nor are they mutually exclusive of one another.
Just in general...if I was amongst internet marketing piers...and i were going to post an affiliate link...i would probably post the affiliate link and then write (aff link) or something like that after, just to warn people. I wouldn't want piers to think I were tricking them into clicking a link. (The everyday person is a whole other story) - Quite honestly though, I try not to push affiliate links on other affiliate marketers at all because its sort of tacky.
I don't think that's practical in many cases on Twitter with the character limitation.
Also, if you're solving a problem, what's the issue?
In this case, I see it as Scott was providing assistance and happened to include an affiliate link. His Tweet didn't exist just to have an affiliate link in it.
I respect your opinion. Your also not wrong at all. I guess it's just my style not to do that. I wouldn't think less of Scott for doing it if he were responding to me with the affiliate link, but I happen to know some affiliates get crazy about that stuff. They feel like your trying to pull a fast one on them.
I think it's fine - I agree with what Jim is saying about trust - this is key as an affiliate you want to sell the reader on a product or service and if they already trust you as a source I believe they will not have issue. But if there is no trust and you just post affiliate links then the readers will see right tough it and have issue with the link. I also love coffee and am drinking Bolivian coffee this week.
Yes, a direct affiliate link to Amazon is different than sending to your affiliate owned site. If Scott said I like the Rancilio Rocky grinder and you can check it out on my site rockybrew.com - attach photo or link it would be better?. By disclosing you are giving a personal recommendation and that you own the site it should be good for both parties and $$ in Scott's pocket. Now I have a coffee site but choose not to put the link in my explanation for the same reason.
Great discussion. I think the biz model for affiliates is predicated on them clicking on a tracking link for a product. If tracking based on some other type of tracking, would we still be having this convo?
I have mentioned before that when you promote something, you're putting your personal rep behind it. Recommend something dubious and your rep might get shot from one lousy recommendation.
A number of shopping comparison sites, coupon sites comprise nothing but affiliate links, but on a deeper value, they need to provide some kind of value.
In this case if you've used the machine, it does what it's supposed to and more, and you make a couple of bucks recommending it, I don't see why all this stuff should be factoring in.
Scott: Where I sit, the entire point of affiliate marketing is adding value to a merchant. That said, it's fair to say that you added value for this merchant. We can assume that most people following you trust you (or take the "keep your enemies closer" approach). So what's the issue in adding an affiliate link in Twitter if that's the case?
As with any other potential advertising medium, there will be spammers, and there will be genuine good advertising. I think you fall into the latter category in this case.
Affiliate marketing exists solely to build brand and revenue through bringing in consumers ready to buy. Ignoring Twitter would be folly, just like ignoring Facebook would be.
You also have to remember that most of your followers are most likely affiliates, and therefore aware of what you are doing. 99.9% of people wouldn't be. Therein is the real bonus to the merchant, and the real danger to the consumer. If you really didn't like the coffee maker, it's problematic for the buyer.
Since you do own it. No problem.
It's a problem that extends beyond affiliate marketing, and really lies with word of mouth advertising. It's a question of intent. Am I doing this to make money as the root reason, or is the commission incidental?
Scott: Where I sit, the entire point of affiliate marketing is adding value to a merchant. That said, it's fair to say that you added value for this merchant. We can assume that most people following you trust you (or take the "keep your enemies closer" approach). So what's the issue in adding an affiliate link in Twitter if that's the case?
As with any other potential advertising medium, there will be spammers, and there will be genuine good advertising. I think you fall into the latter category in this case.
Affiliate marketing exists solely to build brand and revenue through bringing in consumers ready to buy. Ignoring Twitter would be folly, just like ignoring Facebook would be.
You also have to remember that most of your followers are most likely affiliates, and therefore aware of what you are doing. 99.9% of people wouldn't be. Therein is the real bonus to the merchant, and the real danger to the consumer. If you really didn't like the coffee maker, it's problematic for the buyer.
Since you do own it. No problem.
It's a problem that extends beyond affiliate marketing, and really lies with word of mouth advertising. It's a question of intent. Am I doing this to make money as the root reason, or is the commission incidental?
Edit: I just read your Disclosure policy here. I could have saved a lot of time :)
[...] previous post: Damn Marketers. Affiliate Links in Twitter 1150Comments
http://www.jangro.com/a/2009/02/20/affiliate-links-in-twitter-part-2/Affiliate+Links+In+Twitter%2C+Part+22009-02-20+16%3A56%3A12Scott+Jangrocomments Written By: Scott Jangro February 20, 2009 [...]
Coming in a bit late to this discussion. 1st, Scott, I wasn't "calling you out" I thought it was a GREAT use of the technology and you provided a great response to someone asking the question "looking for some advise". I would have been disappointed in you if you didn't use an affiliate link, why not get paid for your recommendation.
Adam
© 2012 http://www.jangro.com/
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This is something that's been on my mind for a long time, whether it's ok to post affiliate links in twitter.
Robert Scoble got called out on it when he did this a few months ago, which got me thinking again about making a post about it. It's been on the "write about someday list" until now when I had a chance to make an example. I wanted the example to be me, so I wasn't calling out anyone else on this. I also wanted it to be somewhat real. So finally...
Today on Twitter, Geno Prussakov asked for a recommendation for a coffee grinder. If you follow my tweets, you know that this is one of my favorite subjects. I spend a lot of money and effort to drink good coffee.
Geno wrote:
To which I responded:
While I don't make a practice of this, the link I put in there was an affiliate link to the coffee grinder on Amazon. I really do own it. (Proof: the picture above is the grinder on my counter top.)
It took all of about 5 minutes for another affiliate to call me out on this. I really don't know if this bothered Adam, or if he really thought it was "nice", or if he's just busting my balls to let me know I didn't pull the wool over his eyes. I suspect the latter but I hope Adam will share his thoughts here.
So is this cool?
I'm a little surprised that we don't see more of this. Especially with all the auto-DM's I'm getting recently on follows with offers for free e-books. Maybe Geno did get some "spammier" responses.
People put affiliate links on blogs all the time. Is Twitter any different? Twitter is a micro-blog platform. I don't push this stuff on people. They subscribe to me. I suppose I could lose some followers if this became standard procedure, but it doesn't necessarily make it wrong.
Would it be any more ok if I had some disclosed that it was an Amazon Associate link?
How did I feel about doing this?
Honestly, I felt a little weird about it. I don't think it was so much any potential deception involved, though I didn't disclose it was an affiliate link. I think it was more that the followers I care about might expect that I won't be pushing affiliate links.
The fact that I do own the appliance and really do recommend it makes me feel better about it. (Ironically, Scoble's defense was that he wasn't making a recommendation. He just posted a link.) I was going to post that exact tweet anyway, why not make it an affiliate link?
I did know that Geno would know it's an affiliate link as soon as he clicked on it, but not until he clicked on it. Also Geno's a friend, and I know he wouldn't have a problem with it. But dozens of other people would click on that link as well.
What's your opinion?
Cool or not cool?
Is this coming from me any worse than the same thing coming from some deal-specific twitter account that posts affiliate links all the time?
Share your thoughts in the comments.