Disclaimer: Sometimes my blog posts include affiliate links.
I decided a long time ago not to have adverts on this site, and used to have a little affiliate banner along the top, although I got rid of that in the latest re-design.
Having said that, web hosting costs money, and if I can add a little passive income to my life, I’m going to. But I don’t want to keep pointing out which links are affiliate links and which ones aren’t.
There are two main reasons for this…
- It usually detracts from what I’m trying to say (links are dropped in as part of the conversation flow, in most cases)
- I only link to things that I would link to anyway – this is really key!
This is my website, my brand, my online representation of myself. I don’t link to things that I don’t endorse, or use myself and trust. If I’ve added an affiliate link, it’s because I’ve gone to the hassle of setting up the affiliate account, and I’ve done that because I plan to talk about this product or service a lot.
What I do not do, and will never do, is randomly sign up for an affiliate and specifically talk about it for the sole purpose of posting the link. I write and post the content that I want to, and if it includes a link, that only adds weight to the fact that I would happily recommend the product or service.