One of the things I find the most intriguing about affiliate marketing is how much and how quickly things change. We write a lot on this blog about change and adapting to it to continue our success as Super Affiliates. It’s essential to evolve with the times to keep from falling behind. Diversification is also very important in affiliate marketing because of how quickly things change. One of the best examples of failing to keep up with change is the story of MySpace.

While social-networking sites like Facebook and Twitter continue to grow, MySpace is falling behind and struggling to maintain its position. Media Maverick on CNET News is reporting while MySpace remains the number two social-networking site on the Internet, it only has 30 percent of the social-networking market, compared to the 66.8 percent it captured last year. What at one-time was the king of social-networking is now struggling to remain relevant and is in free fall mode.

Once a company goes into a free fall mode, they scramble to change as quickly as possible. MySpace is now trying to develop more compelling music and video services, but it looks like they could be too late. We, as affiliate marketers, should always remain aware of the story of MySpace to prevent it from happening to us. It’s important to change when you don’t have too. A proactive approach is crucial as an affiliate.

It wasn’t too long ago a lot of affiliates based their businesses around promoting ringtones. Almost every affiliate I spoke with was running at least one ringtone campaign. Now I don’t know anyone running a ringtone offer. The way to promote offers has also completely changed. I don’t look for things to slow down either. With the recent FTC guideline changes and celebrities becoming aware of affiliates using their likeliness, I look for a complete overhaul of how affiliates promote their offers six months from now.

Where will you be when things change? Will you be like MySpace and try to make the changes in free fall mode or will you be proactive like Facebook? Facebook has taken heat for almost every change they?ve made, yet they continue to grow because of them. The growth has made them more profitable and prosperous than ever.

I want my business to be like Facebook. I want to be well-diversified and open to change. I want to “reinvent the wheel” before it needs to be reinvented. I want to be a leader, not a follower. Affiliate marketing is more than meeting goals; it’s about exceeding them to levels that were never thought possible. That is what becoming a Super Affiliate is all about and I hope each and everyone of you reach that level.