from the point of view of a reader, i dont think if this whole headache is worth it you know. i dont buy straight away from reading a blog. yes your post on vita liberata drove me to purchase a pot but it's been a long process and it's more after a conversation on twitter and some impromptu bargain finding on cheapsmells that i made a purchase. Like I am going to make a purchase straight away: never going to happen.ever xx
If a blog has been helpful in a purchasing decision (and it has to be a blog I know and trust) I have no problem at all with them getting a referral % from my purchase (if I'm making it online).
Personally, I'd rather that was logged through a standalone website logo (placed like an ad) than text links. It's clearer, easier to find, and gives a reader a clear and transparent choice whether to use the affiliate link or not. You can chose what websites you trust and want to promote on your blog that way too.
Loved your comment about the wine/new blogger lay out - so true!
Its such a fussy business - the one brand i scream and shout about, you have to be invited to join their scheme - pah!
I use Skim Links, which you simply link the product to a site selling it (such as Boots, John Lewis) and it automatically works behind the scenes to knit together the link and affiliate. But it also links brand names, so if you dropped the word Boots or digital camera it would link automatically but it can be a bit of a pain. Super easy to sign up to, has a list of merchants that you can earn from.
I've havent made a fortune, but i think it depends of the nature of your blog, to think i've made some ££ out of doing nothing is pretty fab. I don't particularly want any ads on my blog, and sponsored posts are a no no for me, so this way its great :)
I tried the affiliate thing a couple of times and they were just too much hassle. In 2 years, I think it amounted to €5 in total. So, at this point I pretty much just stick to writing:D so much more satisfying than messing around with HTML and associate links.
Let me tell from my 7 years blogging experience and so on: Affiliuate makes only the affiliate richer. Google AdWords or anything that is paid per click is fine, or you sell ads directly (just copy&paste the code onto your site).
But... if you are too lazy to host your own blog you are not going to get the whole $$ out of it. Too lazy can also mean: Too not-techie, too busy ;-)
Don't get it yourself how this html stuff works? Employ a student :-)
Being an anorak I don't have too much trouble with the setting up side of it. But it is a total waste of effort in my opinion. I was really excited to clock up a fiver last month. Your traffic is about 20 times mine so I predict you might pull in £50 quid a month if you are lucky. A paper round would be more reliable and probably easier.
What really annoys me, after you start to work out how to place and code and what not, the affiliate then cuts the programme or creates a new one so then (if you want to keep up the affiliation) you have to go through all the code again and place it on your blog.
I don't know how much traffic I generated to She Said Beauty Boxes but before I could really get into it, they scrapped the programme and now they have a new way and I decided it wasn't worth the hassle.
I too would like to see affiliate links, codes, programs to be more streamlined and basic blogger friendly.
I can't be troubled with affiliates and stuff because I am having enough problems just keeping the blog from going wonky which is usually from some weird HTML code that it does on its own!
Besides, I would be better off picking the pennies I find in a parking lot than making them off of my blog.
I tried the affiliate thing, and stopped them all but one. I don't depend on it to bring me any extra money. No one clicks on those banners - it's true. :( To really monetize a blog, I think selling ad space, sponsored posts, and getting free products in exchange for providing a fair and honest review is the way to beauty blog for profit.
I've just started trying this out too, and have just signed up with Skimlinks - you can actually turn of the annoying linking of keywords like 'Boots' and 'digital camera' as the links generated can be a bit random. Once you get the hang of programmes like Linkshare and Affiliate Window it can be quite snappy - just generate what they call a deep link for each link you want to use, that seems to be easiest rather than trawling for product links... However, bespoke relationships are probably a much more sensible route to go down!
Hya, don't give up though because it can be rewarding especially because you have a great following. It just takes some time to get familiar but once you are there you know it for life.
There are some great beauty brands on many of the affilate programmes.
If you need any help just let me know and i'd be happy to help.
It is fairly easy once you know what you're aiming for, however it is still time consuming to link to specific products by creating deep linked affilate links.
I think something like Skimlinks would be ideal for you,as so long as they have that merchant as a partner, any normal link will be automatically affiliated. The rates you get are less, but better than nothing if you can't work out normal affiliate methods.
If you want to try to get to grips with it, let me know if you need me to help as I'm more than happy to do what I can. xx
Affiliate Window is a ballache, as is TradeCoubler
BUT
LinkShare is an absolute breeze. You put a little applet in your bookmarks bar and you don't even need to go to Linkshare to generate your code. YOu just go to the page with the product you are linking to, clic the applet, it gives you code. You do the link. (& it will auto shorten if you want, but I don;t because I like to see on my exit links who is going where andy ou need the info in the full link for that) Takes a second.
SkimLinks just need a bit of code in your back end (ooh er missus) you don;t need to do anything.
15 comments:
from the point of view of a reader, i dont think if this whole headache is worth it you know. i dont buy straight away from reading a blog. yes your post on vita liberata drove me to purchase a pot but it's been a long process and it's more after a conversation on twitter and some impromptu bargain finding on cheapsmells that i made a purchase. Like I am going to make a purchase straight away: never going to happen.ever xx
Purchases more than 7 days after pay day also unlikely to happen :-(
How wierd, have just looking into this myself today coming from the other end of course and am totally baffled! glad I'm not the only one.
If a blog has been helpful in a purchasing decision (and it has to be a blog I know and trust) I have no problem at all with them getting a referral % from my purchase (if I'm making it online).
Personally, I'd rather that was logged through a standalone website logo (placed like an ad) than text links. It's clearer, easier to find, and gives a reader a clear and transparent choice whether to use the affiliate link or not. You can chose what websites you trust and want to promote on your blog that way too.
Loved your comment about the wine/new blogger lay out - so true!
Its such a fussy business - the one brand i scream and shout about, you have to be invited to join their scheme - pah!
I use Skim Links, which you simply link the product to a site selling it (such as Boots, John Lewis) and it automatically works behind the scenes to knit together the link and affiliate. But it also links brand names, so if you dropped the word Boots or digital camera it would link automatically but it can be a bit of a pain. Super easy to sign up to, has a list of merchants that you can earn from.
I've havent made a fortune, but i think it depends of the nature of your blog, to think i've made some ££ out of doing nothing is pretty fab. I don't particularly want any ads on my blog, and sponsored posts are a no no for me, so this way its great :)
I tried the affiliate thing a couple of times and they were just too much hassle. In 2 years, I think it amounted to €5 in total. So, at this point I pretty much just stick to writing:D so much more satisfying than messing around with HTML and associate links.
Let me tell from my 7 years blogging experience and so on: Affiliuate makes only the affiliate richer.
Google AdWords or anything that is paid per click is fine, or you sell ads directly (just copy&paste the code onto your site).
But... if you are too lazy to host your own blog you are not going to get the whole $$ out of it. Too lazy can also mean: Too not-techie, too busy ;-)
Don't get it yourself how this html stuff works? Employ a student :-)
Being an anorak I don't have too much trouble with the setting up side of it. But it is a total waste of effort in my opinion. I was really excited to clock up a fiver last month. Your traffic is about 20 times mine so I predict you might pull in £50 quid a month if you are lucky. A paper round would be more reliable and probably easier.
What really annoys me, after you start to work out how to place and code and what not, the affiliate then cuts the programme or creates a new one so then (if you want to keep up the affiliation) you have to go through all the code again and place it on your blog.
I don't know how much traffic I generated to She Said Beauty Boxes but before I could really get into it, they scrapped the programme and now they have a new way and I decided it wasn't worth the hassle.
I too would like to see affiliate links, codes, programs to be more streamlined and basic blogger friendly.
Karen
www.balmainbeauty.com
I speak Japanese but my HTML is pretty bad! ;-)
I can't be troubled with affiliates and stuff because I am having enough problems just keeping the blog from going wonky which is usually from some weird HTML code that it does on its own!
Besides, I would be better off picking the pennies I find in a parking lot than making them off of my blog.
I tried the affiliate thing, and stopped them all but one. I don't depend on it to bring me any extra money. No one clicks on those banners - it's true. :( To really monetize a blog, I think selling ad space, sponsored posts, and getting free products in exchange for providing a fair and honest review is the way to beauty blog for profit.
I've just started trying this out too, and have just signed up with Skimlinks - you can actually turn of the annoying linking of keywords like 'Boots' and 'digital camera' as the links generated can be a bit random. Once you get the hang of programmes like Linkshare and Affiliate Window it can be quite snappy - just generate what they call a deep link for each link you want to use, that seems to be easiest rather than trawling for product links... However, bespoke relationships are probably a much more sensible route to go down!
Julia
Hya, don't give up though because it can be rewarding especially because you have a great following. It just takes some time to get familiar but once you are there you know it for life.
There are some great beauty brands on many of the affilate programmes.
If you need any help just let me know and i'd be happy to help.
It is fairly easy once you know what you're aiming for, however it is still time consuming to link to specific products by creating deep linked affilate links.
I think something like Skimlinks would be ideal for you,as so long as they have that merchant as a partner, any normal link will be automatically affiliated. The rates you get are less, but better than nothing if you can't work out normal affiliate methods.
If you want to try to get to grips with it, let me know if you need me to help as I'm more than happy to do what I can. xx
Affiliate Window is a ballache, as is TradeCoubler
BUT
LinkShare is an absolute breeze. You put a little applet in your bookmarks bar and you don't even need to go to Linkshare to generate your code. YOu just go to the page with the product you are linking to, clic the applet, it gives you code. You do the link. (& it will auto shorten if you want, but I don;t because I like to see on my exit links who is going where andy ou need the info in the full link for that) Takes a second.
SkimLinks just need a bit of code in your back end (ooh er missus) you don;t need to do anything.
LLGxx
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