28 August 2019

Should I experiment with affiliate marketing?

In the years that I've been writing this blog I've never tried affiliate marketing. But an email I got yesterday made me reconsider.

Rick Roberts from Global Genealogy wrote that it looks unlikely that they will have a supply of Blaine Bettinger's book The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy, 2nd edition, for the BIFHSGO conference. By the time they pay the wholesale price, currency exchange, shipping, and customs clearance they can't compete with the price at amazon.ca/.

That's a pity. The book is good, or rather I know the 1st edition was good and the 2nd has excellent reviews. So how about purchasing online through an affiliate link I'd establish? Online buyers through amazon.ca would get their copies in good time to get Blaine to sign them at the conference and there would be no extra cost because of the experiment.

The downside for me is that recommendations on the blog might be viewed as less objective.

I have no illusions about getting rich. I wouldn't want to be taking business away from the marketplace, which I wouldn't if Global Genealogy has no stock. An affiliate link experiment is something I'm tempted to try for the experience. Any comments?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't do it John. Any such affiliation automatically makes your voice less worthy. I know that other bloggers do it, and I don't like it at all. Cheers anyway, BT

Anonymous said...

I agree with the other Anonymous. You may take on some administrative overhead as well as some muting of your critical voice.

Anonymous said...

No, don't go for affiliate marketing. It would greatly diminish your credibility.

Louis Kessler said...

You'll make about 4.5% on books at Amazon. So if you sell 100 of Blaine's books, you'll make about $150. I experimented several years back but didn't have the traffic to enable me to make more than a couple hundred dollars a year. Maybe you'll have better luck.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous IV.... I also urge you to not do it. Sparkling opportunity perceived at the outset, may lead to downfall ultimately.