To continue the conversation, I'd like the turn the topic a bit towards blog monetizing. Monetizing a blog refers to many things, such as taking on sponsors, advertisers and pretty much anything a blogger does on their site to make some moola, but I'd like to concentrate on affiliate linking.
I use affiliate links on my blog - which most of you know, means that when you click on a link for an item on one of my posts, I make a few cents off your click-through. So if you click a link on my outfits details on the bottom of most of my posts, it'll take you to that item via an affiliate (I use ShopSense) first instead of going directly to the site. I make tens of dollars a month doing that, which is just about enough to buy myself something cute on sale and a pizza dinner (ham and pineapple, please).
But it's still more money than I started out blogging with and I personally don't find a problem with using affiliates or clicking through other blogs' affiliate links. Blogging takes a lot of time and work, and my free pizza is a nice bit of compensation. Plus I like to shop, I may want the same shoes I see you wearing, and I am sometimes too lazy to go to Google to find them myself. (I think it can be a hard line to walk for a blogger, though, to find that balance between something that can benefit themselves monetarily without necessarily turning off their readership or becoming too intrusive).
Where I admittedly have a double standard on is when I notice people using affiliate links in places like on Pinterest or Facebook or Twitter. I know there's really no difference if I were to click on an affiliate link through a person's blog post or so their Facebook page, but it bothers me a bit and I can't quite put my finger on why exactly.
I know a lot of your ladies have very specific opinions on the use of affiliate links so I'd love to hear from you. What do you ladies think about blogs that monetize?
Vest: F21 hooded utility (sim, sim, longer)
Sweater: J.Crew tippi (worn here - same cashmere, sim, sim)
Top: J.Crew perfect stripe (worn here - sim, sim, sim)
Jeans: BR classic skinny (worn here - sim, sim, steal)
Necklaces: J.Crew factory chandelier (sim, sim) & C.Wonder square stone bling (sim)
Bracelets: J.Crew, Asos, C.Wonder pave initial (sim enamel)
Bag: Coach legacy penny (studded, sim, luxe)
Shoes: Frye jane stitch (worn here - suede, sim, buckled)