DISQUS

The Real Tim Jones: Amazon Affiliate Links On Twitter: To Tweet Or Not To Tweet

  • Geno Prussakov · 1 month ago
    So that "Share on Twitter" button creates a short URL and allows you to tweet it? Does it add some kind of disclosure link/hashtag?
  • Tim_Jones · 1 month ago
    Thanks for the question, Geno! I guess I should have been more specific about what the button actually does. It automatically shortens the affiliate link to a bit.ly link, but there is no disclosure. Amazon leaves that up to you. I pretty much take responsibility for that, anyway.
  • Geno Prussakov · 1 month ago
    If I'm reading everything that the FTC says correctly, merchants/advertisers will have as much (if not more) responsibility for monitoring affiliate compliance as affiliates/publishers will have for disclosing the material relationships with the "sponsors". So, any advertiser that makes a tool like this available wants to make sure they're doing everything possible not only to (a) educate/warn/advice, and but also to (b) keep those affiliates compliant (not to be accused of lousy monitoring/enforcing).

    I had a Twitter conversation with LinkShare on the same topic -- http://www.amnavigator.com/blog/2009/10/27/link...
  • Eric Nagel · 1 month ago
    It's a good start, but there's still room for improvement. I wrote about this yesterday at http://www.ericnagel.com/2009/11/amazon-affilia... - does every Tweet really need to start with, "Great deal on Amazon" ? That default should be customizable; and as Geno says, where's the #ad?
  • Tim_Jones · 1 month ago
    I agree with Geno -- the way I understand the FTC, the advertiser/merchant does bear responsibility, also. I'm leaving that to Amazon -- I know I disclose when I post the links.

    You can customize the tweet, Eric. -- I've changed it every time I've done it and added a disclosure statement of some kind.
  • Eric Nagel · 1 month ago
    Yeah, you can customize it before you hit the "update" button on Twitter, but I'm talking about the default text - what Amazon sends to Twitter & pre-fills in the status box.
  • BenDamond · 1 month ago
    I think starting an affiliate business you must start with getting informed over the basic things, and after that maybe with a little bit of luck find a person who would show you how to evolve.

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