Let's see a raise of hands. How many of you know what affiliate links are and how they actually work? Sorry, did that catch you off guard? Today we're gonna talk about the importance of using affiliate links to support your favorite makers and bloggers. I feel like this is a topic that we need to talk about and maybe explain a bit better.
Do you appreciate the content you read and wish you could support the bloggers you follow but have no idea how to go about doing so? Have you seen affiliate link disclosures within a post, as a footer to a blog, or in the sidebar like mine? Do you know how these links support the content creator? If you do, carry on. If not let's delve into it. Let's dispel some of the myths.
Myth #1: It will cost me extra if I use their links - FALSE
There is a misconception that if you use affiliate links, you're charged a fee of some kind that goes to the blogger. In reality, you pay no additional fees for using affiliate links. The small commissions we make from these links come from the total sale, a dollar amount you're already paying whether or not an affiliate link is used.
Myth #2: It's not a big deal if I use the links, they don't really make that much anyway - FALSE
Every click counts. Every purchase made from an affiliate link can result in an average commission of 3% to 10%. Some are higher, but this is the general range. Commission rates vary by company and in cases like Amazon by type of item purchased. This fits the every penny counts formula, we make something off any sale made through our links regardless of the cart total.
Myth #3: You have to buy the item that is linked - FALSE
That's a big nope, use the link, buy anything you like from the site. You don't have to purchase the items being linked in the article. Once you've clicked any affiliate link, any sale made will earn that affiliate a commission, even if you don't buy the item that took you to the shop linked. It's not item-specific. The item link connects a buyer to a specific affiliate on the back end so that commissions are calculated to the affiliate you're supporting.
"Ok Stacy, that's all great but how does this really support the bloggers I follow?"
We make supporting content creation easy, click the affiliate links, and complete a purchase. Seems too easy, but it's simple. Content creators put a lot of time and effort into writing, curating, and publishing posts. In that process, we add photographs and nitty-gritty details for our readers. Part of that work includes adding affiliate links. These are links to our favorite products or products used in an article, often in a grid at the bottom of a post, or as links throughout a post. By using the links we provide, you are supporting us and helping us to continue providing content for you and your fellow readers.
I'd encourage you to use any of the links in my articles or the links in my sidebar the next time you shop at one of these shops. You'll be supporting a maker through your everyday purchases.
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