How to Use Video to Boost Affiliate Sales

It's no secret that video is changing the Internet landscape. Video is available on every major site, every Facebook or MySpace profile and let's not forget about the mammoth YouTube.

I can't begin to tell you how many conversations I've had recently that include the question, "hey, did you see that video of...."

And videos aren't just for cute kittens and funny teenagers anymore. Famous musicians are releasing videos online before they make it to MTV. Internet gurus are giving tips of the week. And, you can find a video "how to" on just about anything.

So, how do we harness the obvious power of video and make it work for us?

One of the easiest ways to incorporate video into your Affiliate Marketing website is to start video blogging. All you need is a webcam and editing software.

Don't know what to talk about? Just say whatever it is you would normally write on a blog.

Just a few tips to remember:

• Keep it topically relevant. If your blog is normally about shoes don't show us videos of your cute cat. Yes, your cat is cute, but it's not going to drive sales.
• Keep it short. Most people are "scanners." They read headlines and then move on. Keeping with the shoe example, people may love shoes, but they don't want to watch 30 minutes of you talking about them.
• Be informative. Tell your audience something they may not know. For example, "best time to buy flip flops is actually during spring break"
• Keep the "ums" and "ahs" out of your final product. Cheap or even free editing software is available so feel free to make "quick cuts" to remove excessive hemming and hawing. By the way, quick cuts actually serve another purpose. They keep "the action" moving. It gives the viewer the impression of a fast pace.

Another good way to incorporate video in your blog is to respond to blog comments or emails with a video. It shows your readers that you respond and it feels more personal.

Loads of people are visual learners so something as simple as a "how to" video can really drive traffic.

Think of something--just about anything--you know how to do and share it with the world. Arrange some flowers, sew on a button, connect your computer to your TV. Really, there's always someone out there who doesn't know how to do what you can do.

Also, with a "how to" you instantly become credible. Therefore, any product ads you have, or heck, even product promotion within the video has more value.

People like to know what other people think about stuff before they buy it. I'm not sure if that's a scietntific fact, but I believe in it from personal experience.

If you're buying a new laptop, you call a buddy who's into computers and ask them what they think you should get.

If you're getting a new outfit for a date, you drag your best friend along to help you pick something out.

It's just the way it works.

So give your viewers product reviews. And, the best part is, your reviews don't all have to be good. Yes, they can be bad. People are looking for your opinion and the more honest you are, the more credible you become.

So, don't worry if you have an ad for Keds shoes on your page and you don't really like Keds. Your viewer might not have the same problems with the shoe that you do, but they are glad to know about it anyway. For example, you may have wide feet so Keds don't fit you properly. But, not everyone has wide feet....

It's all fine and good to video blog, teach people how to do stuff and offer reviews. It gives you good content that people want to see. But, that's all it does. It gives you content to surround with ads.

Now, you can actually put videos on your site that are actually made for affiliate marketers.

CJ and Linkshare (and probably others) have video widgets available to their affiliates and they are super cool. They feature professional videos and have "but it now" buttons. So, once a viewer clicks the button and completes a sale, you get the commission.

So, you can build out your site with the other methods I've discussed and then push people to these video widgets. Marketers have really begun to use these widgets in some very cool ways.

This hub just wouldn't be complete without the discussion of viral videos. In case you don't know what that is, it's the spontaneous popularity of a video and the following compulsion to send the link to it to everyone you know... all around the world.

The video that accompanies this section is an incredible example of viral marketing. The band featured is called, OK Go, and they were relatively unknown until this video hit the web. It became an instant sensation and the band became famous.

Interestingly enough, they created the set themselves and it was filmed by a band member's sister.

I can't tell you how to make "the next big thing," but the lesson here is, be entertaining. Be creative. Be inventive.

If a video is cool enough, people *will* find you. And that's what you're looking to do, drive traffic.

These are the water cooler videos. The ones that everyone is talking about.

OK. So you're not very creative and you don't have any inventive ideas. No problem. Piggy back! Put a cool video up on your site and email the link to your friends. Bookmark it on Stumble or something similar. That's really all you have to do to try and siphon off some of that traffic.

Just for your viewing pleasure I've included a couple of my favorite "must-see" videos.

Enjoy!