The Power Of Digital Media Has Never Been Greater

When I first started making money with affiliate programs back in 1999 all we had for tools were FrontPage or web-builders. There was little need for streaming media because the fact was that back then there was not the infrastructure to distribute it properly. The computers were also so much slower then too.

Of course, that has all changed. Today, in early 2011 video on websites is common. Podcasts are everywhere. And YouTube threatens to out perform mainstream media as a major competitor for advertising dollars.

I’ve Been Using Audio/Video Since 2002

Once I published my first ebook training manual I had the need to market it online. I did this with a combination of text, images and an audio recording of myself and an associate discussing the opportunity.
In 2002 that was quite innovative.

Doing it was quite “primitive” too. I remember well, that four versions of every file were needed. One would be coded to “call” Windows Media Player, the other to call Real Player. Usually, one or the other was selected as the default media player on most computers. We also need another two files to play if the visitor was on dial up. The site visitor had to choose.

All very cumbersome.

Today We’ve Got It Made

Unlike back then we have numerous ways to distribute audio. Flash players can be purchased for a low fee. (some even customizable with photo, such as Talking Speaker, other services will host your audio for next to nothing and offer an array of colors and sizes to match your website.

In 2003 I also started a popular podcast about affiliate marketing which was a twice-a-month audio newsletter to help students stay inspired, informed and motivated. Then again, in those early days we had no podcast directories to submit to.

Nowadays we have iTunes and many more outlets for streaming/downloadable audio.

Video Increases Sales Every Time

The most significant innovation of all is the ease at which one can produce and distribute video for their sites. Even if you have a site about rocking chairs you should put a little video together, using a basic camcorder.

You can purchase awesome video editing applications for about $100 then upload it to YouTube for free. Once online you can simply grab the code and insert the player on your page.
And Voila, now you have video that grabs the attention of site visitors.

I’ve been testing conversions for my industry newsletter and trial offer to my bootcamp for years and in every instance conversions shoot up – often showing increases of 200%-300%.
You simply must start taking advantage of these low-cost, high-tech tools to give your visitor something to think about.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, which is why I teach students to add colorful photos to accompany the text. So if that were true, how may words would a 2-minute product review video be worth?

Think about that as you plan out your next site.

About the Author

James Martell lives in White Rock, BC with his wife Arlene and their four children. James is a pioneer in the affiliate marketing industry and was successfully profiting with affiliate websites as early as 1999.