

Ask HN: Why such a negative perception of Affiliate Links? - cradlphon

I run a blog that (I hope) brings value to its readers. I do run some google ads which I know some people block.<p>Obviously, the blog takes some of my time and costs to run. I&#x27;d guess in the big picture, no one that gets value from my blog blames me for trying to monetize.<p>At times, I do link to products. I cannot think of a less obtrusive and more seamless method to monetize than to affiliatize those links. It isn&#x27;t an intrusive ad. It costs my users absolutely nothing.<p>But I still occasionally get emails (and just have a general perception) that the world HATES affiliatization.<p>Pinterest tried it awhile back - and just read the comments of this article. Users hated the idea. Why?<p>http:&#x2F;&#x2F;marketingland.com&#x2F;pinterest-skimlinks-might-try-ads-copyright-issues-not-significant-6213
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RickS
3rd party reviews are seen as more useful than reviews in seller-owned
platforms because they're impartial.

The moment you monetize, that impartiality is gone. There's a perverse
incentive to make the product look more attractive so that more people will
buy.

Maybe you aren't the type that does that, but users can't be arsed to consider
the integrity of every blog they read. The safer/easier bet is to assume that
when money is involved, we are being lied to for money.

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sp332
I'm not that much against it, but I can see the issue. We can't know if you're
just endorsing a product to get the affiliate money, or because you really
like it.

Also, Amazon affiliate links are unusual in that they send you a cut of all
purchases a visitor makes in the next 24 hours. That just feels odd.

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Mz
It's a trust issue. They know you get a cut, so they worry it is bad advice
motivated by a desire to line your pockets. People get touchier about this on
some subjects than others and there are ways to reassure your readers that,
no, you are promoting these products in specific because you really believe in
them, not just as a cheap shill.

If you do not really believe in them, it is probably a poor monetization
scheme. If you lose the trust of your audience, people will stop reading your
stuff. If you have an audience, you can look for other ways to monetize. If
you drive off your audience, you won't have a thing of value to offer to begin
with. Think long and hard about how to respect your audience.

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codegeek
I don't mind affiliate links as long as you disclose the fact clearly that you
are using aff. links on your site. Don't just add it to a fineprint that no
one reads. Make it clear on top of a post as a disclaimer.

At the end of the day, it is your blog and you decide what content to put on
it. If a user does not like it, it is their problem but don't fool them into
clicking on affiliate links without their knowledge.

Remember there will always be people who complain about free stuff and there
are plenty who appreciate your work. So don't feel that is right or wrong to
use affiliate links.

Bonus point if the products you link to are actually used by you. But again,
it is not really required. Do what you need to do.

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tired_man
I believe it's because some people view them as spammy. That, I believe,
started when all the ad-heavy "how-to" sites began appearing.

