Amazon Turns Twitter into a Marketplace - Are You Concerned?
Last night, Amazon sent out emails to their Amazon Associates members touting the latest addition to the company's affiliate program: a new feature called "Share with Twitter." According to the email, participants can generate "tweetable" links to any Amazon product after first logging into their Associates account. By clicking on the "Share with Twitter" button from any Amazon product details page, members are delivered to the Twitter.com website. Here, a shortened link and a bit of auto-populated text are automatically filled in Twitter's "What are you doing?" text box. The included text can be edited to say whatever they want before posting or they can choose to just post as is. After updating Twitter, any person who clicks through on the link and makes a purchase will earn the participant referral fees payable through the Associates program.
Amazon Associates is Amazon's affiliate program whose original purpose was to help website owners generate links and banner advertisements which they could embed on their sites in order to generate additional income. The links could be text, images, or combinations of both while the banners were always full-color ads branded with Amazon.com's logo. For the most part, these sorts of advertisements are relatively easy to spot on participating blogs and websites. Save for the image links, which are just a picture of a product, everything else is clearly some sort of standard ad referring you to a particular product or service provided by Amazon.
The new Twitter links, however, are a whole new story. If an Amazon Associates member takes the time to re-write the text into their own words, there's virtually no way to know by looking at the post that the Twitter update is actually an ad.
Is Amazon Spamming Twitter?
In the past, several legitimate companies have diluted the Twitter stream with promotions and contests encouraging Twitter users to "tweet to win" so to speak, by pasting in some sort of marketing message into the "What are you doing?" box or by appending a promotional hashtag to their everyday messages. But unlike these company-run Twitter promotions, there's not a hashtag to use or any specific wording that has to be tweeted in order to participate in the Amazon Affiliate program. All anyone has to do is tweet links along with the message of their choosing.
Because Amazon's marketplace is extensive in terms of the products it sells, there's a wide variety of things which can be promoted. No matter what a Twitterer's particular interest is: music, politics, technology, etc., there's bound to be hundreds of things that could be mentioned in their Twitter stream without the posts appearing to be an ad. In fact, there's a good possibility that they would have been talking about these products anyway throughout the course of the day...they just couldn't have made any money off of them until now.
Hidden Advertisements
The problem with this sort of "hidden" advertising, though, is exactly that: it's hidden. This is the internet's version of "product placement" - subtle advertising in plain sight yet never clearly identified as such. Was your favorite TV star using a Macbook? Was he drinking a Coke? Already commonplace in Hollywood, these almost subliminal advertising messages permeate our consciousness every time we turn on the TV. Now that same sort of hidden ad will soon show up in the Twitter streams of your favorite tweeters.
Soon they'll start promoting a great book they just read, a DVD they liked, or one of a million other things pulled out of Amazon's vast inventory. None of it will sound out of place given the types of informal conversations that take place on Twitter every day. You won't even know that they're advertising to you until you click through on the link and find yourself on an Amazon.com webpage - and even then, you may not be sure. Was that a referral or were they genuinely just linking to the Amazon website to be helpful?
Will the FTC Step In?
Another question this raises, at least here in the U.S., is whether or not the FTC will get involved. Having recently taken steps to make sure that bloggers were properly disclosing freebies or payments received by companies whose products were being reviewed on their sites, one has to wonder if they'll now be tempted to monitor the undisclosed advertising that's about to explode on Twitter.
Amazon could have avoided the potential threat of government involvement (not to mention the accusations that they're "spamming Twitter") by generating their links using their own proprietary URL-shortening system, something like amzn.com or amz.com for example. That would clearly identify the tweets' purpose. But instead, they opted to make their links with the URL shortener bit.ly, the one that Twitter itself uses by default. This makes the Amazon links indistinguishable at a glance from any other shortened link posted to Twitter. There's no way to tell if a tweet is an ad unless the Twitter user left Amazon's auto-generated text in place. Of course, no one is going to use that text except the laziest of Twitter spammers - people you're probably already avoiding.
Tell Amazon What You Think with #AMZNSOT
Today, many Twitter users are coming out against this new type of Twitter-fueled advertising, registering their complaints via tweets marked with the #AMZNSOT hashtag, the official tag used to give Amazon feedback about the system. These users are already branding this new effort "spam," saying things like: "Amazon now gives you cash for spamming on Twitter? Oh, swell," as Twitter user TwitBin says. "Does this just mean more Twitter spam as people try to make money?" asks NickHerbert. But there are just as many Twitter users saying nice things about the new system too, calling it "cool," "awesome," "sweet," and even claiming it "rocks."
You can give Amazon your two cents as well by updating Twitter with your thoughts and including the #AMZNSOT hashtag along with your message.
Whether you think the new Amazon Twitter integration is good or bad, there's no doubt that it will be a major game changer for Twitter. As it blurs the lines between conversation and ads, people seem to think that Amazon has either created something of genius or has ruined Twitter as we know it. Few seem to be undecided when it comes to their feelings about this issue. The question is now: which side will end up being in the majority?
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I'm not a fan of the misleading nature of the URL.
On the other hand, if someone did refer you to the product, and it doesn't cost any more to buy than if you had found it yourself, then what is the difference if someone makes a few cents off of it?
Twitter is already a hot bed of spam. My understanding was ads had to use the #ad in the text, at least after Dec 1st when the FTC new guides go in effect. Twitter is considered a 'microblogging' platform & as blog is udes in the description, I would assume it will not be immune from the new FTC guides WHEN they go into effect.
That gives Amazon 25 or so days to refine their program. Seems to me, Amazon would be a likely FTC target as they do have enough cash to pay the fines where as most bloggers are not worth the FTCs time to persue. (No money in it if the blogger doesn't make that much.)
Interesting, none-the less.
I also agree with Richard, what is the problem with people not liking others to be paid for marketing, yet while at the grocery store, they pay $2.00+ for 5 cents of toothpaste, the rest which is used to pay for marketing so you will buy it? (ads on TV, billboards, radio, etc, etc, etc)
The current backlash against marketers in general is uncalled for. Removing an affiliate's ID before buying a product is essentially theft. Morally & ethically wrong if not legally wrong (yet). You cannot remove Crest's ads from TV that way. (You CAN DVR through them, though). In any case, the product costs the same! So why the subterfuge in the 1st place. If people didn't try and beat the marketers out of their commissions, there wouldn't be so much hidden links and 'under the table' techniques. These people are just trying to protect the income that feeds THEIR families!
Look to what Sponsored Tweets is doing for disclosure.
Mandating that affilates add #spon or #ad to a tweet would be an easy way to end the controversy. Easy peasy. Case closed.
This blog has cloacked ads on it, should a link to here be disclosed as such? Hmmm...
I don't have an issue; I'll only be seeing "ads" from those I choose to follow. If they become spammers - they'll get unfollowed.
Follow the link because you're interested and it's pretty obvious it's an affiliate when you hit Amazon - and I can choose to buy or not...
Posted by: steveellwood.com
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November 4, 2009 7:39 AM
I'm with SteveEllwood above. If people I'm following become spammers (or even just start talking entirely about things I'm uninterested in), I unfollow. Simple as that.
I also think there are perfectly legit reasons to tweet a affiliate link (though I haven't done so), if you're reading a good book, or talking abt something you just bought on Amazon. Spammers could already tweet Amazon aff links, this is just making it easier for spammers and legit tweeters to do it.
I'm not concerned at all, but then I think I follow quality people. :)
Amazon just needs to have their own URL shortener dedicated to that "Share on Twitter" button - doesn't it? Something like:
http:a.zm/ad/jyd5a
Affiliates need to be able to word their tweets how every they want, as long as the link is transparently telling us all that the tweet is an ad. URL is obviously an ad, click on it if it interest you, otherwise ignore ( why are you following someone if you don't want to read there self promotion anyway? )
Hey Amazon - Be smart about this! a little self governance form will avoid FTC oversight.
The domain
http://a.zm
is available BTW
People have done this on twitter before now. I've seen it numerous times.
@Todd: Someone should tell Amazon!
@Anon: but now it's official...and darned easy
"Suggest an item to a friend" and earn from referral? it's so natural for social-ecommerce! I can't stand amazon.com is making this step only now! Next is a Facebook bridge, right?
The nice thing with using the bit.ly URL you can preview the actual URL in Tweetdeck. I have already caught several people make their "book recommendations" to me.
Although I don't agree with this way Amazon is monetizing Twitter, but I have to give them credit. It's clever.
I agree with Sarah though that Amazon should use its own branded URL shortener. I could also see Ebay doing this.
why amazon decided so late to come on twitter ?
It is almost a public knowledge business can use Twitter to monetize their service. They should respect our interest or desires. I hate it when someone DM me with promotional links, I automatically unfollow them right away or even block them.
AdvertiseSpace
http://www.advertisespace.com
Superb news!!!
Well done for reducing the friction in providing anticipated, personal and relevant advertising. Unless you follow the type of tweeps that would spend all day posting completely irrelevant (to you) links...
you don't do you? Because that would then be your fault for giving the spammers permission to communicate with you!
A branded link would be best to insure you know where you heading next, infact a branded link would only increase amazon's branding reach too.
I wrote an app MONTHS ago that utilizes Amazon's Associates API to generate links for products based on trending topics on Twitter. For example, if "Windows 7" was a trending topic, my app would send a request to Amazon with that query string (Windows 7) and I would get back product data (including links) from Amazon. From there, the app would just post tweet after tweet containing the product's links alongside the product's name. There's a good chance you might have clicked on one of the links in one of the apps' tweets.
This is nothing new, Amazon, is just making it easier for developers or the non-tech Amazon Associates to do this manually.
The click analysis for my app was/is ridiculous...Twitter is like email on steroids on red bull for this type of marketing.
The idea that Amazon is deceiving by using bit.ly is silly - ALL bit.ly links are obfuscated.
Shortened links are a pox on the web, in general.
You never know if the link is a techcrunch article or a malicious website (not that those are mutually exclusive mind you...Zing!)
Complaints of spamming twitter are even worse - twitter is currently 80% spam and of the remaining 20%, 95% of that are retweets.
There is no person alive who follows more than 50 people AND reads more than 5% of their messages.
Twitter exists to be ignored.
The only value in twitter is in aggregate. These Amazon links will be washed out in aggregate and won't matter at all.
I don't see how it isn't, and you wonder if twitter may have issue with it. As my german friend says it's definitely vawncast itch bein...oh well we shall see. It's not a major concern now but patience is a virtue..
It's only spam if people start spamming with it. Personally I don't see a problem with people listing/reviewing/recommending Amazon items on Twitter unless they start using @ spam, trending spam, or DMs. If a product link is relevant, heck why not get paid if someone buys from it.
You don't pay any more if you buy through a person's afiliate link than you do buying direct from Amazon, so why not let them get the few cents or pence if you buy the item. it could help them out.
In ten years, I can see EVERYONE having affiliate relationships with one or more providers.
I think this will serve to enhance the role of "authority" on Twitter, in much the same way that Lists will. I've purchased many a book from Audible based on reviews from Leo Laporte's TWiT podcasts; I've bought gadgets after waiting to see how Engadget compare Gadget A to Gadget B., etc.
It comes down to trust; I've chosen to follow the people I follow on Twitter because they add value to my news and information stream, and I trust them not to start spamming. I they do, then I can choose to unfollow, but if they promote a product they like and that I'm looking for at the point in time, then I'm more than happy to follow their affiliate link.
If it sells books, I as an author am all for it. Twitter is full of useless trivia, it's nice to see it do something useful.
Joe's wrong. I'm alive! I follow 63 different Tweeters on Twitter, and I read 98% of the Tweets. AND I'm not even online 24/7...
It's more or less easy to fix --at this point-- yourself. First, for any Amazon link look for the -20 in the url when you get to Amazon. This is the ending used by normal associates. (Other associates earn a different tag)
If it offends you as spam, block the offender. I've already done this with several dozen denizens. I don't mind helping a blog out if they link to Amazon from their blogsite. But I loath the direct Tweet link. Go figure.
To be honest (speaking as an affiliate) it just makes the whole process a lot easier. Maybe about 5% of my tweets mention products, and in the web 2.0 world, it's normal to link to web pages to support/illustrate what your message is about. In this sense, linking to an Amazon page is no different to linking to a CNN or BBC news article. Hell, it's no different to the person googling something and clicking on a link there - LOADS of those links are affilate links!
This feature just cuts out the middle man - if I was going to link to an amazon/play.com/ebay page anyway, I'd have to go into my affiliate program, get the link, go to bit.ly, then tweet it. Here it's just one click. Awesome.
And yeah, if you're stupid enough to follow the sort of people that would spam their feeds with lots of affiliate links, you can't really complain. I think the people complaining about this issue are a bit naive about the dozens of ways they are already "victims" of affiliate web marketing.
The way I read this post is:
a) it was already possible to do the same thing, it was just a couple of clicks longer - now Amazon gave a shortcut to tweet about their products.
b) if the people you follow try to push you things you don't like you can either ignore those kind of tweets or unfollow them - it's one of the best things of twitter! The same thing happens if you can't be bothered with foursqaure, various mafia bullshit, et al.
c) what is really clever (or evil) of Amazon is that they use a 24-hour cookie (when most retailers have at least a 30-day cookie), so chances of getting the commission get smaller. But they're Amazon and they have the commercial power to do so...
Anyway, like Twitter would say... Mosey along now, nothing to see here.
I just don't think this is a big deal.
Be selective about who you follow.
Whenever you click on any link to content in Twitter, you end up on a webpage...that has ads.
What I'm wondering is where Twitter's cut is?
Whenever you click on any link to content in Twitter, you end up on a webpage...that has ads.