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Affiliate & Network Marketers: Are You Headed For Extinction on Google?

Published February 2, 2012 by Jae Smith

Google Slap

Working with clients everyday, a rough spot is bound to happen and that is just what happened with me when I took on a client a few weeks ago. Using some so-called "credible" tools by some of the most well-respected names in the industry, I followed all of the rules for setting up capture pages as precisely instructed that contained
affiliate links, mlm links and other resource links.

As soon as I got my client’s domain name and capture pages setup in a campaign not even scheduled to run, one of the account managers from Google contacted me and told me that the domain name that I setup in a campaign has been blacklisted and they will not allow any pages or ads to display from that domain or sub-domain. Imagine! The campaign isn’t even running yet. In fact, it was only setup for the purpose of illustration in a training video that I made. There was no intention of ever running that campaign, yet Google blocked me (my client) before I ever got started.

Up until about 30 days ago, having a website based on product reviews or having a capture page that refers to making money online via affiliate or network marketing has just gotten tougher via the heavyweight of the Google Slap. Now more than ever, if you are marketing online, it is time to take a new approach to all of the obsolete information that teaches you methods that are no longer approved by Google. It is time to implement a new business format that puts you in control of talking to your customer from start to finish. There is more than one way to skin a cat! (No harm intended to the poor cat.) :)

Google’s motives for policing multi-level marketing landing pages and affiliate marketers has to do with rehashed information from marketers that are out to make a quick buck at your expense. These digital leeches usually do not create original content that demonstrates area of expertise and experience. Moreover, their review given of any product or service offer is for the benefit of profiting. Even worse, they are dispensing "advice," oftentimes, on services they themselves don’t use or haven’t used themselves.

Google is tired of the middleman swooping in to take a piece of the action without having a real business asset or setup of a blog site that is teeming with original content that shows the Google watchdogs that they are in it for the long haul. They want to know that you are a trusted business offering solid services. They want to know that you are well-established in your business and that the traffic they send your way will get what they were searching for without mishap or incident. Fact is, Google no longer likes affiliate or MLM links inserted into pages. I’m sure they will start policing cloaked links in the near future, as well, which will contribute to the quality score of your pages and whether visibility will be high—or not. If you are using Adwords to drive leads, your best assurance against extinction on the Internet is to make sure that the products and services are business-based. This becomes even more important when you are driving leads in Google Places, however, that’s another article. Affiliate and Network Marketers will have to employ an approach somewhat off the beaten path that increases the closing probability of that prospect. Google wants all of the riff-raff swept and cleaned up and taken to the dumpster. They will keep implementing improvements and safeguards to ensure that. Either get legit or become extinct and the Internet is the next alternative to giving Corporate America the boot when it comes to your livelihood.

What’s the next step? There is always a workaround, of course! The most important activity you can do in setting up your blog and landing pages is to build a list from every Social Media (SM) source you have. Get people from every SM network funneled into an autoresponder so that you can start communicating with your list and taking control of the sale. From that list, of course, comes building the relation and demonstration of your expertise and value. It is then that you can direct your prospects through the sales process—without Google’s meddling.

Your autoresponder messages could lead to a webinar, with either you or one your sponsor/partner as the presenter. Give even more value and information and close sales at the end of the webinar. There are many methods you can use to get around the many restrictions imposed by Google watchdogs. It is this imposition that has lead to numerous start-ups of other PPC and PPV networks that understands the affiliate and Network Marketer and caters to the ones that adds expertise and value. Another article series. The point is becoming astute in educating yourself through taking marketing courses and seminars that teaches you the pitfalls of Internet Marketing.

Finally, after getting a whole list of do’s and don’ts from Google on what to do to unblock my client’s domain, submissive compliance to all of the nit-picky legalistic rules of the Google police had me back in business in no time.

Just remember doing it the way Google wants will get your blog and capture pages more exposure as you understand exactly what to do to stay on top of things.

Don’t stay stuck in a time-warp of misinformation and doing things that no longer work. Get in the know and get connected with those that can show you the up-to-the-minute trends of Internet Marketing and the proper tools that will leverage your outcome.

Toast to your success!

Jae Smith

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Got a question or a comment? Chat with me on my blog at the end of this article.

 

Posted in Newcomer's Arsenal, News Trend from The Trenches, Traffic Strategies | Tags , , , , , | Leave a comment
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FACEBOOK–Making a Proper Friend Request

Published January 25, 2012 by Jae Smith

It seems like the fanfare of the New Year 2012 has settled in and it is back to the same grind, for many of you. Especially the daily grind of Facebook. The rules are confusing and are constantly changing. Just about the time you think you have Facebook mastered, they pull the rug out from under your feet and you have to break in a whole new system—uh-gin! Making a proper friend request is no doubt the same, since there are a couple of annoyances that Facebook still needs to improve if they want to go about throwing many changes at us. A peripheral rant there.

However, getting penalized from Facebook for not knowing how to make a proper friend request is not good for business or camaraderie among your Facebook friends. It is a definite party-killer and there is a way to turn that around.

It is a given that you would review the profile of any potential friend that you want to connect with on Facebook. When you do, make sure that you find something of true common interest and send a message accordingly. For instance, if you see on a potential friend’s info tab that they like, “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle, then send a message that says something to the effect of the following:

“Hi Jane,
I see that you like “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle and I thought it was an excellent read.
If I may, I would love to know any perspective and enlightenment you have gained from reading this
awesome book.

This is a friend request. Let’s connect.
Yours,
Jae Smith”

Most of the time, when your potential friend see that you took the time to learn a little factoid about them, they are not going to report you to the Facebook gods or block you. They will more than likely take pleasure in chatting with you about something that they love to talk about.

This is not a segue into offering your widgets, biz opps or services. If subject comes up, great. If not, take a genuine interest in getting to know your new friend and also, make sure you put yourself out there and let them get to know you too. Post, “like” and interact with your friends. Don’t make the mistake of posting your link on their wall. Make sure that if you do post on a friend’s wall, it is something to edify everyone that is in the same collective friend base.

Cordial courtesy goes a long way. It shows that you are professional, that you know what you are doing and that you abide by the Golden Rules. If you are on Facebook for business, friendship and trust are the two components that you have to implement daily. Demonstrate your area of expertise by writing notes or making effective posts. Talk to your friends regularly and build a relationship with them. Don’t make the mistake of “over branding” yourself or your company. People rarely respond when everything you post is about business. People are at a social event. Let’s partay! Show something cute that your little one did. Show pictures of your travels or post something that is meaningful to you and others. Mix business in every once in a while to keep the party on an even keel.

Another aspect is the numbers. People are fascinated by big numbers. I learned that having 5056 friends on Facebook means nothing if those friends are not interactive with your posts. Even worse, they are responding the wrong way or inappropriately once again, demonstrating no interest in what you are doing.

There is a quota of 5000 friends that any Facebook account is allowed to reach. Sometimes, you can make it just under and Facebook won’t allow requests to be accepted. You can even surpass that quota a slight bit if you make a friend request yourself while no one can make a request of you. Whatever ceiling the Facebook gods decide to halt you at, each space of that quota is precious, so why remain connected to that friend if they are not showing interest in what you are doing?

Working on building rapport is what will lead to the conversions that you want for your business. There is no silver bullet. It takes time with consistency and practice. Make sure you get rid of the dead weight of no activity and replace those precious spots with people who are interested in talking to you through the cause of their activity. That is how trust is born. That is how business grows. That’s how conversions are made.

When you have everyone’s consensus in what you are doing while providing something of value to them, your numbers will grow steadily and you will see the kind of results you want.

Finally, if you want to make a friend request and you see that their Facebook account is completely under guard “Fort Knox-style,” don’t touch it with a 10-foot pole. There is a reason that potential friend doesn’t want to be petitioned for a request. When you see accounts under lock and key, that’s a significant clue not to disturb. If you get a warning that says, “Do not send a friend request unless you know this person.” Detour and get a potential friend who wants to be your friend. If you continue to pursue, you are better off sending a message to your ivory tower potential friend rather than sending a friend request, that is, if it is possible or permissible.

Although it is safe to request 20-30 friends per day on Facebook, I say fly under the radar and make 10-15 friend requests per day. Caution is the goal here. Violating the terms of Facebook is a sure way to end up opening another Facebook account and having to start all over again.

Making connections is easy. It’s a matter of propriety, finesse and knowing interpersonal communication.

Toast to your success!

Jae Smith

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Posted in Facebook Strategies 2011, Newcomer's Arsenal, Traffic Strategies | 3 Comments