The Evil of Affiliate Marketing on Twitter

by Jon on 2009/05/18

in Best Of, social media

Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil

Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil


Last week I decided to follow someone on Twitter after a “friend” recommended her in #followfriday. Let’s call her “A”.

Now don’t get me wrong: I didn’t instantly follow A just because someone recommended her. I decide for myself and checked out A’s profile, already recognising the name from another network I’ve seen around Stockholm. It looked okay so I clicked follow.

A bit later I received a direct tweet (DT) back:
inbox-e28094-gmail-49-messages
Using Nambu to read my tweets, which converts tinyurls into real ones, I saw at once that this was an affiliate link.

I clicked it to double-check, my incredulity rising, and low and behold it was an affiliate link to a Tweet marketing program.

How Not to Build Relatinships on Twitter


It seems A thinks that a follow is an invitation to spam someone back with a DT affiliate link. As Lisa Barone says, “This [person] is what you call a ‘douchebag’.” Or to put it another way, A soured our relationship immediately by spamming me. The end result ? I clicked unfollow almost instantly.

Social Media isn’t about trying to push your wares at people for a quick buck. It’s about bringing value to other’s online experience. As part of this it is okay to do business, but it shouldn’t be your first gambit. Otherwise you’ll send people running for cover very quickly and damage your online persona.

This wasn’t the trusted recommendation of a “friend” or someone that brings value to my network. It was the cheap shot of someone trying to convert me into a sale within an instant of me following them.

How to Build Relationships on Twitter

Instead of whacking me with a DM affilliate link just think how differently it might have been if A had:

  • tweeted me a unique greeting (checked out your profile! love those dogs)
  • built a relationship with me over a few days/weeks (great dog-friendly café near Gärdet. Thought of you)
  • and then tried a more honest: (thought this might be of use to you + link)

She could have immediately followed up with a: Know it’s an affiliate link but a girl’s gotta eat :=)

On the basis of the quality relationship she had built up with me I would either have politely ignored the link, bought the product if it was useful or given her the benefit of the doubt and stayed a follower – because of the other quality she brings to my network.

Instead, we’re no longer connected. And what’s more, it would take quite a lot for me to allow that person back into the sphere of my online connections.

Update[13:05]:
Or as Seth Godin says:

Do your homework. Build connections. Make a reasonable request, something easy and mutually beneficial. Yes leads to yes which just maybe leads to the engagement you were actually seeking

Image: FlickrCC

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Related posts:

  1. Direct Marketing with Twitter is a Turn Off
  2. Twitter Marketing for Small Businesses
  3. Is Twitter Search Your New Homepage?
  4. Crisis Management with Twitter
  5. Has Twitter Caught Bird Flu?

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Jon Buscall - Communications Consultant

Communications Consultant Jon Buscall

I'm an available-for-hire online communications consultant based out of Stockholm, Sweden.

What I do:
  • Online Marketing and Communications Strategy
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  • Write stuff: articles, blogs, brochures, copywriting, presentations, the works!

Contact me today to set up a free consultation to discuss how I can help your business succeed online.

  • Jon
    @Kazooli,
    Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Appreciate it. I get SOOO fed up with spam DMs. You're right to identify some of the scams that are out there right at the moment spoiling these networks.

    I truly believe each of us has to be more proactive, blocking such users on networks like Twitter.
  • Dear Jon,
    I constantly receive Direct Messages by people who are very keen to help me "make money online" and suggest that I should join their Network Marketing business. Most recently I receive requests on automated software to add more followers and again make MORE money online.

    I just do not understand how these people think that this is a quality intorduction to their offers. Most likely it seems as if they are desperate to sell and are very unconvincing to their approach in closing a sale.

    It feels as if I open my "online door" to spamville every time I follow someone on Twitter. Up to this moment I have received "the secret of the british mom who discovered how to turn yellow teeth white" and " look how I make a 6 figure income a year in less than 3 hours a week".

    The users need to know that these types of tweets lead to fraudulent websites. The so called "secret of white teeth" is actually a card phising scam and people who endorse products as such need to undestand that they NEED to know what they are promoting in the first place and keep their online followers safe.

    Wishing you all the best Jon and I want you to know that I am very pleased to have met you through your website.

    Sincerely,
    Kazooli
  • @Julia @Steve @Jon, there are bad apples that are spoiling the reputation of twitter and maligning affiliate marketing. Social media is the wrong place to be if one has the mindset of 'mail order marketers' , 'telemarketers' and direct mail list brokers. It doesn't work that way!
  • Mark
    Good article. Twitter recently is like ten million parasites all trying to feed off each other. Everyday a fresh wave of internet entrepreneurs (lol) arrive, eager to set up their autoresponders and schedulers to spam everyone elses bot accounts... i bet half of them don't have a single human amongst their thousands of followers.
  • Jon
    @Julia @Steve
    I think, as Steve rightly says, it's all about getting the conversation rolling. If you whack people with the "please buy" as soon as you've started talking on Twitter your relationship is doomed as you're throwing your credibility out with the bath water.

    @Steve
    Have you seen a bigger uptake in your blog RSS feed since you added the link to your DT auto response?
  • Great article. I have been known to throw out an affiliate link from time to time. But I have found it does not get you anything. I agree twitter is a place to meet and greet. Get a conversation rolling. I still do add a link to my blog at times so people can learn more about me.
    Steve
  • Great article and thanks for sharing it with us. We are attempting to launch an affiliate campaign very shortly to assist a charity with its fund raising, so this was a very helpful article.
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