Search this, social media that – a certain group of people might have thought all of PubCon would pass without so much as a nod in their direction, eh?  Well, never fear, as one session did indeed focus on affiliate marketing and some of the advantages, drawbacks, and strategies associated with it.

Coverage of the PubCon South conference continues at WebProNews Videos. Stay with WebProNews for more notes and videos from the event this week.

 Elisabeth Archambault

Elisabeth Archambault, an online marketer and freelance affiliate who owns and edits Wedding-Resources, was the first speaker.  She advised, "If you want to make money with affiliate marketing, you have to add value to the transaction."  Working with something you know and like will probably make this process easier.

Adam Jewell, the search engine marketing director of NetPlus Marketing, later continued that line of thought by emphasizing the importance of working in harmony with your affiliates.  He also equated search marketing to conversational marketing.

Steve Schaffer, the publisher behind Offers.com, then stepped in to predict that performance marketing will grow faster than any other marketing channel.  A lot of growth will come from bit companies, according to Schaffer, so the smaller end of any industry might be a good place to look for friends and partners.

Next, Missy Ward, the cofounder of Affiliate Summit, wrapped things up by suggesting a number of strategies to get noticed.  If you can, actively participate in affiliate marketing forums, provide tutorials, establish presences on social networks, share metrics, attend affiliate marketing events, speak and get published, establish relationships with journalists and bloggers, get listed in affiliate directories, and advertise to recruit affiliates.

WebProNews Reporter/Anchor Abby Johnson contributed to this report.