5 Reasons Twitter is Amazing for Affiliates: Expert Explains

It’s true – Twitter has its problems, but in certain cases and contexts, it truly is the best ad platform you'll find – though ultimately it will depend on what you hope to accomplish.

But Twitter offers some unique ad targeting features you won't find anywhere else. These are the unicorns in a sea of donkey ad features.

There are many ways to get your affiliate marketing message across, some more effective than others. One of the most effective methods of audience-building is by using Twitter, one of the world's most established social media channels, but equally one that many people wrongly disregard. We spoke to Gerald Murphy from Search Engine Watch about why he values Twitter so much. Many thanks also to Sophie Halley from 7 Things Media for her contribution to the discussion.

1. Twitter is Quick and Easy

"Coverage with social media affiliates (SMA) is often quick to implement. This makes Twitter perfect for last-minute promotions," Murphy says. A great example of this is the sports betting deal where a bookmaker offers an increased CPA if referred players bet on a certain match. This kind of limited-time deal can be used by advertisers and publishers to increase interest in a product.

Affiliate marketing is about the here-and-now, and nothing is ever set in stone in an industry revolving around online advertising. For this reason, you shouldn't be afraid of using instantaneous communication tools like Twitter for the kinds of promotions that are only open for a short time. When you do, make sure you tweet the advertiser in your tweet. This way, you might get a retweet and increase your traffic!

2. Twitter Gets People Talking

Murphy also says, "Twitter demographics offer a wider and more conversation-based audience when compared to Instagram, blogs and so on." In most cases, if you're a member of Online Affiliate World, you'll have your own website - but what you write on there is only part of a wider content marketing strategy. If you want new users, and you want them to click on your affiliate offers, you need to attract them there.

Twitter is about the exchange of ideas in 140 characters or fewer. Crucially, unlike Facebook or LinkedIn, Twitter is often used by people who have never otherwise made contact with each other, in order to have tightly-focused conversations about things that interest them. This makes it perfect for growing your network, and thus growing your userbase - if you know how to converse.

Keep conversations centered on the topic of your choice - in this case, related to your affiliate program - but don't be afraid to show a little of your personality in your tweets. Remember that as long as you don't offend or annoy anyone, people are way more likely to form a bond with a publisher who doesn't just push his or her affiliate programs, but also likes to educate, inform and entertain.

3. Twitter Increases Your Traffic

"Twitter usage tends to be frequent, often daily, so this is great for traffic and, as a result, brand awareness." Murphy also tells us, "in general, affiliates using social media aim to increase traffic, it’s not always about conversions." If it's not about conversions, does that make Twitter a waste of time? No.

Why is it that in most European, North American and South American companies, it's considered polite to get to know a potential business partner before signing a deal? Because by conversing, socializing and being friendly with that person, he or she is more likely to sign on the line, and then to continue doing business with your company for longer thereafter.

It's the same with affiliate marketing on Twitter. Sometimes, to get the long-term interest from users, and to convert those users into people who want to sign up for your affiliate programs, you've got to build up a working relationship based on trust and understanding. Twitter can be a great sales tool, but over a period of months, it can convince initially-skeptical people that you know exactly what you're talking about, and can be trusted with others' time.

4. Twitter is Fully-Mobile

Our Online Affiliate World social media specialist is brilliant at her job, and she's a master of the 140-character message. She told us, "I don't use a web browser to find my news; I just use Twitter, on my phone, and open links I'm interested in from there."

This is something you will hear from a lot of millennials - these are people who can get all they need from their smartphone. The old thinking - that websites were something you sat in front of a laptop to view - doesn't really hold up anymore. Murphy goes along with this, saying, "social media affiliate users are impulsive - they might not want to open a newsletter, for example."

He also says, "social media has a lot of mobile users. This means social media affiliate marketing can be integral in increasing mobile sales and clicks." An increasing percentage of users view all webpages through the screen of a phone or tablet. Make sure your affiliate marketing website is mobile-optimized, but also make sure that all your links from Twitter go to pages that are just as good on a Samsung Galaxy Mini as they are on your Dell XPS or Apple MacBook.

5. Twitter Brings a Quality Audience

"Social media affiliate marketing often provides a community feel," explains Murphy. "An example of this is mums who publish deals for other mums." Social media has become the new community center, or coffee shop - it's somewhere in which people spend a lot of their spare time, and form friendships sometimes greater than those they have in the offline world.

When you see, after searching by keywords and hashtags, a conversation about your topic, take part in it if appropriate. Show your authority and empathy. The people you're talking to might follow you on Twitter, and there's a strong chance they'll click on one of your links, if they like you.

It takes a long time to win trust, and a very short time to lose it - so be careful when taking part in Twitter conversations, don't seem like the pushy salesperson, seem like the friend who knows stuff.

In the end, affiliate marketing is about making money - but every salesperson needs the trust of his or her customers.

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