A little bit about blogging, selling, and Amazon links in emails
This is going to be off topic, but I promise it's an anomaly. I'm not about to become a blogger who blogs about blogging.
And fair warning: this is probably going to be a little rambly. Proceed accordingly (or not!)
This is a topic I've been thinking about and talking about with another blogger friend of mine, and it's also something that comes up sometimes in reader comments or emails.
So, I just have a bunch of thoughts on the topic that I'm going to throw together in a list format.
(and I'm throwing in random photos because we all know posts with only text are rather boring.)
Blogging isn't a free hobby.
If you have a small blog on WordPress.com or Blogger and you don't spend much time on it, then yeah, it can be a free hobby.
But once you are a larger blogger, there are bigger costs associated, both in time and in real dollars.
For instance, those $4/month hosting plans don't work except for small blogs. I pay several hundred dollars a month for hosting-related expenses (and hosting isn't the only expense a blog incurs, either.)
And of course, there's the time cost. I love blogging! I totally do. Putting words and pictures together brings me great joy.
But the fact is, it does take time and energy away from other things.
Blog-reading IS a free hobby.
The content I provide here never costs my readers anything, which is great. I want to help people who want to save money, and it's marvelous that I can give that help freely.
But it also means that something needs to pay for the costs associated with blogging (unless the blogger is independently wealthy both in time and money!)
I want to serve my readers even while making money.
There are a LOT of things I could do to make more money than I do, but I choose not to do most of them because I want to serve you guys well.
(I was chatting with a blogging friend of mine who has similar traffic and when I told her what I earn, she was like, "Girl! What you are doing is a labor of love." Which is a nice way of saying that I'm not really earning what I "should" be.)
I don't want to recommend products that won't really serve you, promote companies I don't believe in, plaster my blog with pop-ups, sell something every day, recommend stuff only because it'll earn me money, and so on.
I recommend companies/products/services that I believe in.
For example, when TurboTax emailed me to ask if I'd do a sponsored post for them, I said an enthusiastic yes! I've bought TurboTax for decades, it saves me lots of money and headache, and I believe it's a product that will serve you guys well too.
The same goes for the way I recommend the Vitamix or my tea kettle or my marvy-fab ladle or my subscription to Cook's Country or Mighty Nest or Ting, my lovely cell phone provider.
These are all things I use and love, and I share them because I think they could be awesome for you too.
Do I earn a small commission if you purchase those things through my affiliate links? Yup!
But the commission costs you nothing extra (a win for you!), I hope that the products I promote serve you well (a win for you!), and the income helps to keep my blog going (hopefully another win for you.)
And whenever possible, I try to include ways to make these things even more of a win for you...I usually ask companies if they're willing to do a giveaway or make a discount promo code for my readers.
I do not feel guilty about using affiliate links.
When I write a post about a recipe and I recommend a helpful kitchen item, I see no reason to avoid using an affiliate link.
I'd be sharing the recommendation anyway, and neither the reader nor I benefit from me using a non-affiliate link.
Or if I share about how Ting keeps our cell phone bill so low and I use an affiliate link in that post, that doesn't change how helpful the post is to readers.
(So many of you are saving so many dollars with Ting!)
If I use my affiliate link, though, you guys get a discount and Ting pays me a commission. Win/win.
And if someone comes across my post about getting rid of lice and they buy a lice comb thru my affiliate link, that doesn't change the fact that my post has helped countless frazzled parents get rid of lice, you know? I'd be helping frazzled parents regardless.
The low-down on Amazon links and RSS/email
So. Amazon has kind of a weird rule about not allowing affiliate links in email feeds or RSS readers.
A lot of bloggers get around this by truncating their feeds, and forcing readers to click thru to the site. I've never been a fan of truncated feeds, though, so I've opted to use a plug-in that just removes Amazon links from email/RSS.
The problem is, this removes the links entirely, which means that those of you who read me via RSS or email will get text that seems like it should be a link, but it's not.
So, this isn't a super perfect solution, but I dunno what else to do.
A fair number of bloggers are just not worrying about complying with Amazon's rule (odds are good Amazon won't enforce it), but that doesn't really sit right with my conscience.
Anyway! If I'm making a recommendation and you're wanting to get the link to whatever I'm recommending, you'll have to click on over to the actual blog for the link to work.
And if you are feeling grateful for a non-truncated feed, I would feel super grateful if you clicked over to the blog if you're interested in buying something I recommend. 🙂
__________
I think that pretty much covers it. Thank you for being a lovely group of readers!
I just started my own business (gosh that sounds like spam, it's not, lol!) and accepted my first contract this week. After deductions, conversion and all other charges I should be earning about $1 dollar an hour. My husband is aghast, but I have no other work, so it's $1 more an hour than I am presently getting and it may lead to more work and, most importantly it should lead to a good review on the freelancing site that I am signed up to.
I can totally understand why you do what you do (affiliate links etc.) and I love some of the things you promote, even though 99% don't affect me because I don't live in the USA.
We all have to earn our dollar, it may not please everybody, but keeping honest and doing what you do because it makes you happy is so important.
(p.s. if you want your site translated into French do it quick, whilst I'm cheap, because I'll soon be a sought after commodity!! Lol!!)
Bonne chance!
This was super interesting. I don't blog and am not very familiar with blogging itself. But the fact that you "pay several hundred dollars a month for hosting-related expenses"???? Whoa....mic drop.
Thanks for all you do for us. 🙂
Yup. What April said. And thanks from me, too.
Thank you for your labor of love.
I do a hobby blog, but when I started out, I had thoughts of trying to monetize it (being that we have a large family and one income). About 4 days into the deal, I realized how much work goes into a blog like yours. I also realized how much I don't like the format of many blogs that seem to be just trying to make money.
I appreciate your effort to keep your content honest and genuine. I appreciate the ways you advertise. That's why your blog is the only monetized blog I read regularly.
If, however, you have some other similar blogs out there for me to peruse, I really liked your post a while back about blogs you're reading because I don't have the time to find them on my own.
I was reading a blog a while back in which the poster mentioned the expenses for her blog when producing her monthly budget. I was shocked at how much it costs to blog when I read that.
I don't mind seeing links to something someone actually uses, and I don't mind a person covering his or her expenses and making some income on top of it. As someone who loves to write, I still think I would get exhausted coming up with blog posts on a regular basis, so I think you deserve to get paid for your hard work and creativity, Kristen. I really admire good bloggers.
I've read a ton of blogs and you're one of the few people who is doing it right. Keep doing what you're doing because it's excellent!
I love your blog and have never had any issues with your affiliate links (we switched to ting because of you!). I do appreciate your non-truncated posts but would not be unhappy if you could somehow set things up so that you truncate only those posts that have amazon links??? There are not that many, so I don't think most readers would be upset and if it helps you I am all for it!
I've tried doing that, and omg, I got an almost immediate flood of emails from unhappy people. So, I decided to do away with that.
I really do hate receiving truncated feeds in my own email box, so I completely understand, I do!
I hope that this post didn't come about because someone was complaining about your affiliate links or advertising! I love your blog, I have been an avid reader for almost 7 years now. I do follow other blogs, but yours (and the Picky Pinchers!) is the first I come to each morning because I know I will get value from whatever you decide to write about. So many other blogs are laden with ads, or great "deals". But with The Frugal Girl I know that I'm going to get a glimpse into what your family is up to, a great recipe, an excellent affiliate promotion...and the list goes on. My husband and I do a 5 Frugal Things each week in our home as well as Food Waste Thursday (our trash comes early Friday morning).
So, thank you for your time and efforts and investments because you have 110% added value to my life through your blog.
People do write to me or leave me comments complaining about this. Not every day or anything, but enough that I thought I should try to explain the method to my madness a little more clearly. And now if someone complains in the future, I can just link 'em to this post instead of typing it out all over again. 🙂 Handy!
Thank you for your encouraging words...they mean so much to me.
agreed. I was coming to say this...but you said it so well!
Thank you for your service to us. I look forward to reading your thoughts in each post, and I've bought through your Amazon affiliate links several times. So the links are appreciated too. And if you get a commission on my purchase all the better! Win win.
Well said. Thank you, Kristen.
I read few blogs regularly - yours is on my list. It's classy, and you write with intelligence and wit. Did I mention your blog helps me stay focused on the environment and also to save money?
Why on Earth, if I am planning on buying something you mention, would I mind ordering through your link? Of course I will!
I've been reading your blog since 2009 (I think) and you're one of the few I've stuck with. Back then I had a million. A lot of them have stopped blogging and the downfall of google reader made me stop reading a lot of blogs.
However, I started purging blogs when post after post became sponsored content. Once, a non-parent posted s review for a car seat! Just to make a buck, I presume. I now am better at skipping sponsored posts I know I won't care about (sorry, it happens!) but I still enjoy 99.9% of your posts so I stick around! Wish I could find more blogs like yours, but I'd probably also waste too much time reading them too so it may be a blessing, ha!
I think it's totally fine to skip a sponsored post you're not interested in! If you're not the target audience, then why bother? There's no point in reading a car seat review if your kids are all past car seat age, you know?
Thanks for sticking with me for so long!
So many of us blog readers don't realize how much time, money and effort goes into what it takes to have a beautiful blog. We just want to come and read! For free! I have been reading your blog about 6 years now and I really appreciate so many aspects of it. You're not commercialized and "salesy". Your pictures are beautiful and your content is interesting. Plus you post daily and have kept at it. Many of the blogs I started reading six years ago have disappeared. I read your blog on Feedly and I love that I don't have to click to the blog daily to read every post. But I promise to click over to the blog to buy through your affiliate link! Thanks for all you do your readers appreciate you!!
I read in an RSS reader, Feedly, and I really appreciate that you don't truncate. I often head to your real blog to look for recipes, or helpful posts I want to reread. If you give a recommendation that leads to a purchase, I am sure to use your link. Thank you for the time, effort, and money you invest in sharing your message!
I love this post! I started blogging about 6 months ago and have seen how much time and energy it takes.
I spend 25-30 hours a week blogging while working an 8-5 job. I have to admit that blogging has even taken time away from me spending with my family. But I still love blogging for the most part.
I HATE pop-up ads with a passion and can't imagine doing the same thing. I love that your blog is clean, simple, and enticing! 🙂
Your blog and the prudent homemaker's are my two favorites for many of the reasons you talked about. Thank you for the work you put into it! I look forward to reading your posts every day.
My favorite 2 blogs also! They really are the only ones I read regularly anymore.
I never realized how much blogging cost! I can tell from your posts that you spend alot of time on them. You definitely deserve to earn a fair wage and thanks for pointing out that it is free to those of us who read your blog. Thank you!
I used to have a blog, for "fun". I never made any money off it, so I never had any money to pay out. 🙂 I really can't fathom paying out over $1000 a year for blogging! I appreciate your blog, and have been reading it for quite a while (not sure how long...but I know it has been years). I appreciate the non-truncated posts, so thank you for that!
I had no idea about those Amazon affiliate links. Thanks for the heads up! Now that makes sense when some of my RSS feeds are truncated. Sadly, this means I almost never read their articles so probably a good choice on your part to keep your audience.
Is it true that if I click through your Amazon affiliate link, that you get a commission regardless of whether I buy that item or something else? I'm more than happy to (try to remember to!) click here first when I buy books or birthday gifts and help "keep the lights on" at one of my favorite blogs. I'm checking your site daily anyway 🙂
Yep, yep! Any purchase works. 🙂
That never occurred to me, Amanda. Thanks for the heads up since it will give me a way to support blogs like this one and Frugalwoods when I am purchasing something from Amazon Smile anyway. I pretty much let all purchases marinate for a while, which I thought meant finding the exact affiliate link a week or more later if I want to support your blogs rather than just moving the item from my wish list to my cart. With this tip, I can just click on any link in the blog and then buy my intended item.
But does it help at all if we just click and look but don't buy? Just wondering and willing to help.
I didn't know this - I will have to remember that moving forward! With blogs like Kristen's and Picky Pinchers, I feel bad that they are adding value to my life through their writing but I am not really "paying" for it. Now that I know ANY Amazon purchase I make through their affiliate link will help them, I am so relieved!
great idea!
Thank you for your blog!!!!
I appreciate that you don't publish 10 posts per day which are mostly about great "deals". Like "Look you can get this kitchen thingamabob that you don't need for only $19.97!" I quit reading another money-saving blog for moms because it grew into that.
Thank you for your many sensible, practical, and easy-going posts. So what if there is an occasional affiliate link. I don't mind, and I tried out a few if your affiliated products. If I don't care for them, I just move on.
Pretty sure I left the same blog for the same reason 🙂
"Several hundred dollars a month"!! Goodness! I have a small, non-monetized blog, so the costs are minimal. I TOTALLY understand why you and others have affiliate links. I also greatly appreciate your authentic product recommendations. I have unsubscribed from other blogs that have blatantly fake recommendations with accompanying links.
Funny about the non-truncated feeds. I actually click through to your blog without ever reading your post in my email. Why? Because the format is easier (for my brain, anyway) to read outside of my email window; the email peripheral stuff distracts me. After reading the comments, I see that I am in the minority, perhaps the only one!
I appreciate the non-truncated emails! I am more than happy to click to the full site to get a link!
And ting is still fantastic for us!
Kudos for not having pop-ups. And for enjoying what you do. Many of us are in the same boat with coupling "doing what we love" to help pay the bills. For a long time, I decorated cakes and did some reception set-ups. NO ONE except someone else in the business understands the time cost, actual cost that goes into this. It's amazing how many mouths would drop if they knew what the gift of your time really was, not to mention the little "add-ons,"/incidentals to make things work.
The links and sponsored posts have never bothered me. But, I never fully understood how much you put in for how little you get back!
So, from a reader whose eyes are now opened, thank-you!
I too had no idea how much you paid each month for your website. I thought I loved and appreciated your blog before, but now I love and appreciate it even more!
Thanks for not having pop ups, inappropriate ads in the sidebar, music or videos that play automatically, boxes to subscribe that scroll with you down the middle of the page, etc.
I am a pretty picky blog reader. I will not read typos or inappropriate language ever and will drop them if they don't blog for a month unless there are extenuating circumstances.
You do a great job! I will be honest, I don't buy through your links because I do Amazon Smile for my son's Seminary, but I do appreciate the information on great products that you use and that you have a real budget, not like the blogs that pretend to be doing things on a budget, but the budget is astronomical.
Keep up the great work!
Oh, I completely support that! Definitely go with your son's seminary.
I know this is my second comment but I think that now you can serve both the charity and your favorite bloggers. It used to be you could not get to Amazon Smile from an affiliate link but recently Amazon's system has been asking me if I want to go to Amazon Smile when I click on a link that sends me to regular Amazon. I tell it yes and it keeps me on the same page but on the Smile platform.
One thing I really want to thank you on is not being a walking advertisement. I know some blogs will use every opportunity to show off a certain brand name item or whatever and you know they are on the take, which is really annoying.
Oh and I don't feel guilty about sharing my Ting affiliate link with people so you shouldn't either. In the four years I've had Ting I've literally saved hundreds of dollars on phone service. So if you get a tiny one time credit to your bill from someone saving hundreds, yeah there's nothing wrong with that at all.
Ahhh, the joys of blogging. I know plenty of people say bloggers shouldn't be using ads or affiliate links or whatnot, but um, if it's your blog, you can do what you need to do. I don't think there's anything wrong with displaying ads or offering affiliate links to products that you genuinely believe in. There are a lot of costs that go with blogging that most people don't even consider, let alone the time commitment.
Hi Kristen! Long-time reader (but infrequent commenter) just popping in to say thank you for your blogging, which has been so enjoyable and enriching for me to read as a mom/manager of our household. You have such a friendly, down-to-earth tone and it is always a pleasure to learn something new, like I did with today's post. Many thanks!
Thank you! I'm so encouraged to hear this.
Your blog is one of my faves- especially love the non-truncated RSS feed. Thank you for bringing to my attention a little, easy way *I* can help *you* out. Does it only work if I'm buying the Amazon product you link to, or can I use your link to buy other products too? Thank you!
PS LOVE LOVE LOVE Ting!
As far as I know, if you click the link and purchase anything it will benefit Kristen.
Yep, that's true!
Thank you for not truncating your posts! I read my blogs through feedly, and it drives me a little crazy to have to click over to read a post, so I don't often read the truncated posts unless they seem really interesting. Anyway, it's good to know that it benefits you to click over to your post if I want to buy something. Love your blog! Thanks!
I've been a reader for a looong time, but I stopped coming to your blog because of all the ads on your site. I can't use Adblock so it's a really painful experience.
That being said, I am still an email subscriber (thank goodness for no ads there!) and I AM grateful for non-truncated emails, and I will click over and research your recommendations if it sounds like something I would use/enjoy/benefit from.
We subscribed to Ting through you and to Grove collaborative, but I use Amazon Smile to support my kids' school.
I've been reading your blog for about six years and I really enjoy it! The affiliate links and sponsored posts have never concerned me--I think you do them very tastefully. Keep it up! I really look forward to your posts 🙂
This blog has helped me in so many ways. I've learned how to be gracious and forthright from you, how to address hard topics in a manner that is inviting rather than offputting, and how to take MUCH better photos.
I am grateful for you and all you do. Thank you!
Thank you for all you do. I have stopped reading other blogs that I really loved when they started pop-up ads---they drive me crazy faster than anything else a blogger can do. (Farewell One Hundred Dollars a Month...) I love your content and your thoughtful, positive messages.
I use an RSS feed but I always click over to your blog when I want to comment or to buy something you recommend. It's my way of returning your support.
Wow what an eye opener! I had no idea! Thank you and your family for this lovely blog!
See, this is one reason you still get so many comments when a lot of bloggers no longer do: The thought you put into everything you write. It's obvious that you think over everything, even the negative comments, and respond in a positive manner. Which creates a relationship with readers. And that, obviously, is the foundation of a successful blog.
Well, maybe not a monetarily successful one, but I wouldn't know about that. I've had a free Blogger blog for almost ten years now that I have never tried to make money with, so I have no idea about that part of it. But creating an online community? That, you have done without question.
Thanks for that.
Aww, thank you for these encouraging words!
A big thank you from another reader who hates truncated posts and never minds clicking over to an Amazon link!
I read your sponsored posts anyway, just cause I enjoy your writing!
Dear Kristen,
To start off, lovely pictures!
Did you know that you can (probably*) truncate your post so that only a portion goes out to your email subscribers? If they want to read more and receive your links then they have to click over. This also helps your pageviews as people can not read the post from within their email client. To some this is a hassle but to me, one click is no big deal.
I really like your blog and hope that you continue to share your stories with us for as long as you can and/or want to.
Besos Sarah.
* Depends on what email subscription app you use. I use MadMimi and I can.
Thanks for your service to us! I'm a long-time reader, and I love your cheerful tone and helpful advice. May you receive blessings returned "pressed down and running over"!
Kristen: I'm bummed that you even felt like you needed to write this post. I don't know if we Americans have become annoyingly price-conscious or what, but I just cringe when people complain about someone else earning money or force someone to feel like they have to justify the fees they charge. If I go to the hair salon or the dentist, I'm buying that person's professional expertise, and it costs what it costs. When I read your blog, I do so because of your expertise. However, if I surf the internet for 3 hours (ahem!) in the evening, I'm accessing FREE CONTENT. It's free to me but it was not free to produce. Far from it. So, citing the hosting fees probably doesn't begin to describe your total hard and soft costs (and emotional costs as you spend time on the blog instead of with your family or doing something else you'd like to do), time, research, etc. Your blog is your job, and you deserve to make money doing it (not merely cover your costs), and it surprises me that anyone would begrudge you that. Love your blog!
Love your response!
I absolutely appreciate the genuine honesty in your blog, and it is the reason you are the only blog I subscribe to! Because of you, I bought a Vitamix (which I use everyday for smoothies), started shopping on the Grove instead of Target (and saving a ton of money on Target impulse purchases), switched to Ting, tried making my own bread and pizza (which I love doing when I have time), and probably countless other things I can't think of right now. Because you are so genuine on your blog, I know those are all things you truly believe in and believe to be helpful, money-saving ideas. I so appreciate that you don't push things you don't believe in just to make extra money. I totally trust your recommendations and find your blog extremely helpful and very enjoyable to read.
Keep up the good work!!
Oh wow, thanks so much for the encouragement!
I wanted to echo Jamie's comment and say that I have bought things based on your reviews, and you are one of the only bloggers that makes me do that. (Inspires me to do that?) I think it is because you are so genuine that I can trust your reviews to be your actual, unbiased opinions.
I hate that you are making less than you could/should because of that, but I really do appreciate your reviews and your thoughtfulness. I'll keep clicking your affiliate links!
Thank you for being honest about the products that you use. I'm glad you didn't decide to start promoting other items just because someone implied that your blog could be more lucrative. What matters most is that your family is happy and you're sharing lots of information that helps other families.
Thank you Kristen, your honesty is one of the reasons why I have been following this blog for so long.
Thanks for explaining how blogging works. I have signed up for Grove Collaborative and switched my cell phone to Ting based upon your experiences with both, so, thanks very much! Always a pleasure to read your blog.
Are there other things I can do to support you besides buying from your sponsored posts? I do not mind the posts in the slightest, but often I don't need those products. I would be happy to support you in other ways. It sounds like buying anything through your Amazon link helps, so I will try that. Anything else I can do?
For context, I happily support 3 podcasts through Patreon because I appreciate the work they do. And this is my favorite blog so I want to show you some love as well!
Have been reading you for YEARS and enjoying and appreciating your words, pictures, thoughts, and all around joie de vivre (the ups and down and inbetweens). My goodness, if you can make a little bit from affiliate links for things you love and are suggesting anyway, then I am happy for you! Had no idea it cost so much to do this -- wow! Anything you can do to defray costs and maybe even make some profit is all to the good. I trust your suggestions and never feel like I am being sold something. Have quit reading plenty of blogs that tipped too far in that direction.
I always have to laugh (I hope you can, too) when someone makes one of those silly comments implying that you are "on the take" or it is in some way sneaky to write enthusiastically about things that really work for you -- that is a key feature of your blog -- sharing great ideas to enhance our frugal journeys. It's how I function with my friends and coworkers -- we are always sharing great deals and ideas and everybody wins. I don't buy a lot of things on line but if I did, I would gladly do so thru your links.
Keep up the great work and thank you!
I’m behind on commenting on this as I’ve been catching up on lots of posts lately, but I agree so much with the comments here and am glad you got so many positive ones. I read the one from a couple of posts ago that implied you were being sneaky and then scurrying off to the bank, and I was horrified. Honestly, people can be so rude and hurtful!
One of the most outstanding things about your lovely blog is the online community you’ve nurtured and built up over the years. It’s why it’s taking me so long to catch up, because I read all the comments on every post. It’s truly remarkable in this day and age to find such a caring and supportive online “comment section”. So many of them are horror shows, and that includes in the area of frugality as well as in the area of Christian living. It’s a testament to your integrity and grace.
As for the affiliate links, I would gladly use them if I could. Do you know if I can get to amazon.ca through your links? It’s a really good tip to click through even if your intended purchase is something different. Not that I wouldn’t love to buy some of your recommendations but my budget is so bare-bones that will have to wait! But I do buy some things from amazon.ca.
Thank you for all that you do! You are a beautiful human, inside and out, and that is why I love your blog.
Aww, that is so sweet of you. Thank you for your kind words!
I'm not sure about the Amazon.ca part of things...I'll have to do some googling.