Blogs are often influenced by affiliate deals they have. What makes you think, “This blog is legit, I should follow their advice”?
I don’t trust anything right away. I read from many sources and then make my own decision.
It depends on whether the writer’s goal is to promote products. Check out my blog, Niftytechfinds.com. I don’t even use Google Adsense.
Dany said:
It depends on whether the writer’s goal is to promote products. Check out my blog, Niftytechfinds.com. I don’t even use Google Adsense.
How do you make money then?
Dany said:
It depends on whether the writer’s goal is to promote products. Check out my blog, Niftytechfinds.com. I don’t even use Google Adsense.
How do you make money then?
Yeah, I want to know too. But maybe it’s not always about money.
Dany said:
It depends on whether the writer’s goal is to promote products. Check out my blog, Niftytechfinds.com. I don’t even use Google Adsense.
Respect. I’ll bookmark it.
This week I started a new blog. My focus is on sharing personal experiences along with research. My tagline is ‘I do the research for you.’
I write about things I know, not just copying info from other places. I always give credit to my sources and add more details for those interested.
While I’ve identified around 2 dozen topics, I’m starting with longer posts and will add more specific articles later.
I’ll monetize the blog eventually, but I’m not driven by affiliate links. If I trust something I use, I’ll look for affiliate options. I’ll only include links I’m comfortable with.
This approach is more work than using AI. I use AI at the end, mainly for suggestions. I still keep about 80-90% of my own writing. My style can be a bit rough, and AI helps smooth things out. I don’t just take AI’s ideas, though; I make sure it stays true to what I want to say.
I think it depends on the blogger. I always recommend things to my readers that I would suggest to my mom or best friend. I show all options, whether they’re affiliate links or not.
Affiliate links are great, but I don’t focus only on them. That might be why my blog still does well. I also give readers the best info on places they’re interested in, not just what makes me more money. I want my blog to be real.
Sometimes I’ve recommended things long before I even knew they had affiliate programs, like the Hopper app. Now that I know they have one, I’ll use it, but it doesn’t make my advice any less genuine.
@LizCampbell
Totally agree. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
The blogs I follow don’t do affiliate marketing or mention products at all.
Molly12 said:
The blogs I follow don’t do affiliate marketing or mention products at all.
Yeah, that’s a pretty good sign they’re not just doing it for the money!
I can usually tell the difference between a blog chasing money and one that’s putting real effort into its content without AI.
I’m happy to support genuine bloggers by clicking their affiliate links or offers, but I won’t support those who are just out for the money. You can often tell with experience.
@Donna
Exactly! But how do you figure out who’s real?
CommentCrafter said:
@Donna
Exactly! But how do you figure out who’s real?
As a niche blogger, I will never promote BlueHost, even though many do it for the $65 per sale commission. You just know those reviews aren’t honest.
For example, I just posted about SEO on my blog and mentioned a tool I don’t make any money from because it’s the best for beginners. Some people stuff their posts with affiliate links to products they never even use.
I look for blogs that don’t overwhelm you with ads, where the content feels human and thoughtful. Even though I’m not a native English speaker, I put a lot of heart into my writing. If I don’t see that in someone else’s blog, I doubt it’s genuine.
The more blogs you read, the easier it gets to tell what’s real and what’s just written for money.