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Title: Ep 19: Becoming Affiliated with Affiliates
Game: Instant Podcast where Chris and Preston attempt to come up with 6 Tips for Parties with Kids on the spot. (And then Julia shares some actual tips from this post.)
Show Notes: This episode we're squashing the stigma around affiliate links by talking about what affiliate links are and what they mean for readers, bloggers and brands.
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Theme song Headphones by Preston Pugmire
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Hey! Erin from Seattle.
Kind of a random question here but I thought of you because a) you are my fave podcast and b) you have kids so I'm hoping you feel my fundraising pain!
I'm in charge of fundraising this year for my daughter's elementary school. We are creating an amazon associates account for the PTA and would like to push people to shop christmas this year through our associates account. Buuutttt I know a ton of people shop through their app.
When someone clicks on your link and it auto-opens the app - do you know if you are gaining commission that way? I searched high and low but it was hard for me to find an answer, which is why I'm here.
Also. Obsessed with your dog. We lost our Great Dane 1.5 years ago and my girls are lost w/o her :*
Any amazon affiliate link should credit you even if they purchase from the app. Hope that helps! What a great idea for a fundraiser!
I had just a general question about the affiliate links. Some blogs, like YHL, will include a disclaimer in the actual post saying "this post contains affiliate links," where blogs like BowerPower only include a disclaimer with a sponsered post (and she doesn't consider gifted items sponsored, only if there is also a fee involved). With native advertising being sort of a new field, is it kind of up to the blogger's discretion as to what they want to disclose? It seems like (after listening to the podcast) your stance is every link is an affiliate link, so there wouldn't really be a point to including a disclosure in each post, whereas YHL seems to always err on the side of being extra transparent (probably because people got so rude with them). I know you were speculating that people dislike affiliate links because they either (incorrectly) think it costs the reader something or that it cheapens the blogger's recommendation, but I also know some people wouldn't mind affiliate links if they're presented as such, but I can see how that wouldn't necessarily make sense if you don't really have separate affiliate link posts, like the "Casual Friday" ones, but include affliates in all posts. I personally appreciate more disclosure as opposed to less, but it's such a minor issue that doesn't really affect my enjoyment of the blog that I don't really care that different bloggers have different policies.
Oh, I think I may not have been clear. Every link is not an affiliate link necessarily. An affiliate link is coded differently, you receive a commission on it. And sponsored posts or free product that you mention might not (and usually don't) contain an affiliate link.
However, affiliate links should be disclosed somehow. Since we're frequently asked "Where did you get that?" we have found linking sources in almost every post has saved us (and our readers) a lot of time so many posts contains affiliate links. We put that disclosure on our disclaimer page here.
It's not secret that I'm a lover of the blog and the podcast, but I'm just here to say you're doing it right. I've never had a problem with your affiliate links and thought they've been planted very tastefully! I'm happy to support the blogs I read in anyway I can! I really enjoyed learning more about the behind the scenes of how it all works! I will say that I haven't had great luck with liketoknowit, but I understand the convenience of it all! I need to give it another go. You guys are so entertaining to listen to while I'm on the stair stepper at the gym, I'm sure I get really crazy looks when I start laughing out loud!
Any chance we could get a link to or name of the podcast that Preston was referring to with the "heck yes or no"? Would love to have a listen to it! Love your podcast, we are building a house and I've found it to be so helpful in everything from lighting to paint sheens!
I just listened to this episode while out walking, and I think it's funny how completely offended I became on your behalf that a blogger would take a photograph of your room and then change out all the affiliate links! I mean really, the nerve! I never knew I could have such a mama bear reaction over people I've never met! :)
Y'all are doing a great job with the podcasts. Keep 'em coming!
Just wanted to pop in say you guys are doing a GREAT job with your podcast! I enjoy it so much. Like a dork, I'm laughing along with you guys when you're cracking up with Preston and whatnot--it's just fun but also informative. Tell Preston he is such a good host...he is so positive and funny and just a natural. Love it all--keep up the good work!
Hi Julia,
Really digging the podcast. It was so informative and concise. And also, super encouraging!
I'm working on building my own brand and I'm looking into starting a liketoknow.it account, but I'm unsure whether I would be making an influencer account or a brand account (being a blogger/business owner).
Thanks!
Good question! You'd likely want an influencer account.
Thank you for your podcasts! They make doing my dishes so much more enjoyable :)
I just want to add that I fully support the use of affiliate links. In fact, I think you would be crazy not to use them. You are running a business and it is in your business's best interest to find ways to bring in money so that you can sustain and grow. And I very much want you to be able to continue and grow because I so enjoy the blogposts and podcasts that you put out.
Putting affiliate links in allows you to be paid for all the time that you took to research an item, try it out in your home, write about it and review it. I very much benefit from bloggers' product suggestions. I have spent hours researching the perfect dining table/couch/rug/etc. for my home and know how time intensive that whole hunting process is. I will gladly buy through an affiliate link knowing that I had to do virtually none of the work to scout out that super awesome rug that just so happens to work perfectly in my living room. Buying through an affiliate link shows you value the blogger, their content and their hard work and that you want them to continue doing what their doing.
I think that readers who disapprove of affiliate links forget that if bloggers can't make money from their blogs then they wouldn't be able to post quality posts nearly as often. So please keep it up! I think you do a great job of keeping your blog feeling personal and instructional without feeling like an advertisement. I learn something new from every post. So thank you! Know that you are appreciated :)
And wow, I never knew I had so much to say about affiliate links, ha!
I'm listening now and I honestly do not understand why anyone would have a problem with affiliate links (I never have understood why)...and I just realized why I feel that way:
Designers routinely make 15-20% per item on commission (sometimes more). You've designed your home for partially public consumption and have presented that design professionally on your branded blog as your work. Why in heaven's name should you not make the same commissions on your designs as any other designer? And if affiliate links are part of that "commission," what's wrong with that?
I get that people think that the Interwebs should be "free," but NOTHING is free, and this is a full-time (more than full-time, I expect) job for (at least one of the two of) you. You should be paid for your work. However that happens is OK with me.
(Full disclosure: I spend my life telling clients that they are undervaluing their services and that they need to charge more for them.)
Keep up the affiliate links. You're doing an awesome job with your brand. Yay y'all.
p.s. Happy early birthday, Chris. (My mom used to have something called "birthday season," which started roughly 30 days before the actual birthday.)
p.p.s. I would pay good money for a t-shirt that said "Stop Having Fun. Back to the Game."
I have to tell you, I'm absolutely loving the podcast! I think you guys have really found your stride and I thoroughly enjoy listening - whether I'm driving or painting a bathroom ceiling like I was today ;)
I really appreciate you guys pulling back the curtain on the affiliate link issue. I think the more bloggers talk honestly and openly about things like sponsorships and affiliate links, the more understanding readers are. Most blogs come off very personal, so even though it's mostly a one-sided conversation, it feels like a big change to the "relationship" when the reader feels like they went from being your friend, to being sold to all the time, know what I mean?
I personally think that compared to other bloggers that I read, which are all DIY/Decor bloggers, y'all have done an excellent job with the affiliate links. Some posts, *cough cough* the Labor Day Sales post, might be an affiliate link dump, but like you said, if some readers weren't finding value in it, you wouldn't be doing it. All that being said, thank you for sticking to your brand/identity and being thoughtful about how and when to use affiliate links.
Looking forward to the next podcast!
Thanks so much for your thoughtful response!
I don't have a problem with affiliate links but when a blogger links the item but doesn't post a picture of it, for example saying "I really like this blanket" and the word blanket takes you can buy it and that is the only way you can see what is being talked about.
I have a question about that example, if I do click the link and it takes me to amazon to see the blanket and I realized I don't like it at all but remember that I need to buy dog bones and order some. Does the blogger make a commission off of that blanket link from my dog bones? And if they do how long is this link alive in my computer?
Thanks for the podcast!
They would. Every affiliate cookie is different, but I think Amazon has around a 30 day window.
Thanks for your reply. It does clear things up, also please don't go to the dark side and start fashion blogging, we've lost so many good soldiers already. I love your blog and style so much. In fact we're doing a version of your picture ledge this week for our entryway. I'm really excited about it!
Every time I try to open the email --my entire email program fails and i have to completely restart my computer . Not sure if the problem is on my side or yours but I thought I'd let you know.
Which email are you referring to?
Episode 19 isn't showing on my Sticher app?
Me neither! I can see past episodes, but not this one. Any other way to listen if you don't have an iphone?
Darn! Have you tried listening to it on your desktop?
Ah, Google Play works. Thanks for your help!
So did anybody get this to work on Stitcher or did we give up and listen to it somewhere else? I use my phone and I really like using Stitcher! I guess I'll learn a new app if I have to. Really bummed bc it made my podcast listening shorter during nap time, LOL.
I cannot see episode 19 on stitcher still either. Neither the app nor the desktop. Not sure where else to get it without an iphone :(
Hey C&J. To add to your post as I know people will say well affiliate costs must be adding to the product costs somewhere. True but it is negligible. For example one of my global clients sells over USD25billion worth of products a year (retail price) and budgets just USD500,000 in their P&L to pay affiliates. Not making much difference to the consumer and the products price, but a massive help to bloggers keeping their content/sites alive.