Web site Promotion | Website Development

Exploiting 2.0 Applications for Affiliate Marketing

Ever since Google purchased Youtube, the concept of 'viral videos' has really taken off. It's pretty amazing considering that Youtube is only about two years old, but video is a very effective way of promoting your affiliate marketing business. Even if your niche doesn't particularly lend itself to video that's not a problem. Web 2.0 applications don't necessarily require a camera. Let's take a look at three applications that can help you help your business.

If you can use Powerpoint, you can use Slideshare.net. Slideshare allows you to do just as its name implies--share slides created with Powerpoint, OpenOffice, Keynote, or even PDFs. Once uploaded, you can tag them, link to them, or embed them in blogs or web pages. Users can comment on your presentations, but best of all the text of your presentations will be indexed by search engines. It's a great way to drive traffic to your website.

RockYou.com is another free application. Rockyou stores photos for free to use anywhere on the web. There's a choice of various layouts or themes such as a virtual timer that allows you to countdown to an event or a virtual corkboard where you, and those you allow, can stick pictures, add canned recordings, or make your own. Mark your shows as public and let them go viral or you have the option of keeping them private.

One True Media is my current favorite. A computer algorithm makes a static picture 'move' in the manner you select. You can add text and the music track of your choice. The end result is a very slick movie of sorts. Basic membership is free and allows for a limited number of creations and storage each month. The free version also allows direct upload to Youtube, but it may be days or weeks until Youtube gets around to posting your video. Believe me on this--I speak from experience. Premium membership is very affordable--approximately forty dollars a year. With premium membership you get the ability to download your 'movies' to your PC, Mac, or iPod which, in turn, gives you the ability to submit directly to Youtube as well as other video services.

You don't have to own a camera to create video. Purchase some professional quality photographs about your niche, add some text and music--instant video. Besides being free, the biggest benefit I see to all these applications is that they can literally get you worldwide attention. The learning curve is not severe. Play around with the application for a few minutes and you're an expert.