How to Write an Affiliate Link Blog (That Gets Clicks!)
After working with a number of influencers and entrepreneurs writing blogs, I've seen the good side of affiliate marketing and the really sketchy side. Affiliate marketing is an amazing strategy for generating passive income through your blog, but it only works if you're authentic about it! Blogs that just spam affiliate links without building trust won't generate much revenue from it, if any.
So let's talk about the right way to write an affiliate link blog without it feeling disingenuous.
Only Recommend What You Actually Love
If you've never used a product before, it's disingenuous to recommend it to others. Honesty and trust are essential pillars of affiliate marketing - don’t sacrifice the integrity of your voice for the sake of a commission!
This is why Youtubers are so successful with affiliate marketing, because they can demonstrate the use of their favorite products on video. You can do this too! Film a video of you using the product, either as a long-form Youtube or IGTV video or as a quick Reel or Tiktok, and embed it in your blog.
If you're creating a blog with several affiliate links, like a holiday gift guide, take photos of yourself with each product. This makes it obvious to your audience that you actually do have the product, and can even demonstrate its use for wearable products like clothing or makeup.
Stay Relevant to Your Niche
If your blog primarily focuses on recipes and baking, don't suddenly start sharing makeup and skincare products. This can be fine once in a while if it really fits with a particular blog (i.e. how to protect your skin around a hot oven), but generally you want to make sure you're staying on topic.
For lifestyle blogging this is much less of an issue, but you should still take your unique audience into consideration. Think about their needs and their pain points. Consider what's in budget for your typical reader - if you write primarily to low income families or teenagers who may not have a lot of spending money, you probably shouldn't be recommending Dior. You want your audience to actually make a purchase from your recommendations, so make sure it's financially attainable for them.
I used to work with a blogger who was very wealthy, so a lot of her recommendations were extremely high end and pricey. While this may have resonated with her more successful and upper class readers, it didn't work for me personally. I just don't have $1000 to splurge on a gorgeous pair of heels - if only!
If a product is pricier, make sure you demonstrate clearly the value it brings. Show users why it’s a worthwhile investment.
Keep SEO In Mind
Search Engine Optimization is another reason to keep your affiliate links on-brand. Because my audience is largely entrepreneurs and small business owners, I don't typically share lifestyle products. Instead, my affiliate links are usually for business tools I'm obsessed with, like my Logi ergonomic keyboard for ergonomics or this cube timer for time management. Because many of my readers are running their businesses from home like me, these items are way more useful to them than my favorite sneakers or everyday mascara.
You also don’t have to stick with physical products for affiliate links. As an online business owner, a lot of my favorite things to promote are digital tools! I’m constantly sharing how much I love Canva for creating social media graphics or ClickUp for project management, because these are realistically the best value items I can share with my audience. If you use it constantly and it fits your niche, talk about it! Even if a digital tool doesn’t have a referral or affiliate program (many do), they might have one in the future, or you could pitch a partnership to them for an even better commission.
Speaking of SEO, be intentional about where in your blog you link! Don't link short words like "this" or "here," but rather have the link active on the product name or description. You can also include the product name in the alt text for any images, and make the photo clickable to the affiliate link as well.
Disclose Use of Affiliate Links
This is another way to keep everything transparent and build trust. If you're trying to cover up the fact that your blog is sponsored or includes affiliate links, trust will be broken when your readers inevitably realize you're keeping things from them. I always recommend including an affiliate link disclosure at the very beginning of your blog (see mine bolded right after my intro!) or right before you start sharing links. Make it stand out from the rest of the text so it's super clear.
Not only is this important for building trust, it's also a legal must-do. The Federal Trade Commission requires disclosure of any affiliate links or paid sponsorships. In their words, "Truth in advertising is important in all media, whether they have been around for decades (like television and magazines) or are relatively new (like blogs and social media)."
Your disclosure doesn't need to be long-winded - keep it succinct and perfectly clear. Blogging Tips has an awesome guide to help you write yours. Once you have the language decided on, you can literally copy and paste the same disclosure into every blog where affiliate links are used. Easy peasy!
Don't Go Overboard
Don't spam your readers with affiliate links - they're not just coming to you for product recommendations, so don't sacrifice the value you bring to the desire for passive income. I said it before and I'll say it again: trust is absolutely essential for a successful blog. If your audience feels like all they're reading is a never-ending sales pitch, they probably won't stick around.
Serve your audience first and foremost, then sell when relevant and genuinely helpful to them. If you're doing your best to stay authentic and put your readers first, you'll get a lot more clicks than if you use bots to churn out affiliate link blogs to the masses!
