Using affiliate links: good or bad? Oct26 '07
John Fitzsimmons has a good post today about affiliate linking, in which he debates whether it is appropriate (or moral) to use links that provide a monetary "kick back" for each click-through. He mentions using Twitter to share links, and considered using LinkShare to generate a "kick back" on links that other Twitter followers click on.
What if you honestly think something is cool, interesting, of value and want to tell other people? Is it wrong then to use an affiliate link?
It's only wrong if you don't let your audience know.
I am a big fan of the status bar in browsers, because it shows the URL when you hover over a link in the browser. Often times, when someone is referring something, I'll discreetly check the status bar to see how the link is being directed. If it looks like it's an affiliate link, I won't click through, unless the author made it clear that the link is providing him/her a "kick back," and I find value in the product or idea behind the link.
I really don't like when authors attempt to "trick" readers into clicking through a link, which is only there to generate clicks, and more money for the author.
As John states, it only serves to compromise your integrity. And nobody wants to read a shady author.
It's easy to let your audience know. This could be under a section called "Affiliate links," or like I have here: "Advertisements." You could even include a short message such as, "If you click on this link, I get a small kick-back." Just make it clear to your readers that you're not out to scam them - you are simply using affiliate links to help pay for hosting costs, as an example.
Once you let them know, your readers will decide if they find the link useful enough to click through. If so, they'll have no problem providing you a "kick back," since they find value in it.
Categories: Blogging 
, Integrity , Links
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John, good points. I agree it's much harder to show your "true intentions" on Twitter, since it's really just a slew of incoming text sni ... Read more.
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Thanks for the props! And I agree... but maybe it's just the whole idea of reputation management on twitter. On blogs it's easy to disclose ... Read more.