The Next Generation of Super Affiliates

27 August 2010

There are a couple of terms that you'll hear tossed around in the web world that could have - and usually do have - multiple meanings. First up is next generation. This term is used for everything from software to marketing techniques, and it can be quite confusing. Then you have the super affiliate label thrown around like rice at weddings.

Having these two terms, which are often misused, come together takes some explaining and understanding. When you hear about the next generation of super affiliates, it's more about being imaginative and blending the two terms to see what the future holds.

There are a few ways to explain what a super affiliate is, but in simple terms a super affiliate is a high-traffic person/website with a gigantic base whose sales exceed in a day what you could do in a few months. Once an affiliate reaches this powerful level, they're branded "super."

Anything "next generation" is a bit of a loose term, usually describing the next new wave of innovation in marketing or Web 2.0 techniques. The next generation of super affiliates pertains to affiliates who are harnessing the power of next generation marketing and using it to become the most dominant affiliates in the game.

How? This has to do with method. The super affiliates made famous in recent years have used newsletter sources, eZines and a mastery of SEO techniques to build formidable business. Some of them have started solo and have built large affiliate companies, moving products at the pace of eBay.

These same super affiliates have been attempting to tap into the insanely popular genre of social networking in recent years, and with much success. Social networking is an open market that anyone can enter, however, and this has led to a new explosion of super affiliates.
The next logical step for the super affiliates is to take on the mobile market with a full head of steam, designing and optimizing their trafficking techniques to work on a smaller scale.

This particular wave is one that everyone can jump on. There are hundreds of millions of computer users around the globe, and many of them have started accessing the Internet through their mobile devices. The entire market is shifting in that direction, and it's now easy for mobile users to surf and shop for their favorite products while at work, on the bus, etc.

Affiliates today are realistically in no real danger of going extinct. In fact, if they're super affiliates with solid businesses, they won't even take that much of a hit. But unless they stay ahead of the curve here, they could see their businesses eventually replaced by a bigger business.

The next generation of super affiliates will be attacking from every angle. It's the logical progression of the Internet, and you're either going along for the ride or getting left behind.