submitted by Henna of Canadian Beauty
Beauty bloggers, I have been told, are of a different breed. We’re interested not just in fashion, but also in a look, and aesthetic, that’s being shown. We don’t just want to copy it. We want to find out what products were used, how they were applied, and when we can get our hands on them.
Yes, we beauty bloggers run perhaps the most product-driven blogs out there. We don’t write about products that nobody can get (that is, that nobody can afford) because what would be the fun in that? But we write in order to help women look their best, one product at a time.
Since many of the products that are written about can be bought online, it makes sense for beauty bloggers to become “affiliates” for the online stores that they are linking to. Sephora has an affiliate program as does the popular beauty brand Benefit.
Affiliate programs work by giving the “affiliate” or blogger money for every product sold to a reader who has clicked through the affiliate from the blogger. The amount earned varies, but it’s usually between 2-4% of the sale. Clearly, no great fortune is going to be made by the blogger through this partnership, but I’m sure that many bloggers figure, “why not?” They’re writing about the product or store anyway, why not get a little something in return?
Nothing at all wrong with this situation so far. The problems occur, in my opinion, when the blogger gets greedy.
If you’ve read a blog for long, you can always tell when this is happening. Sometimes a beauty blogger will link or promote a product that they have not even tried.
This is not only a dead giveaway but annoying for the reader. The whole point of a beauty blog is not just to get the latest information about new products, but also to find out what’s good and what’s not. How can a blogger recommend something without having tried it first? Telling the reader to head over to an e-commerce website to purchase something that “promises” to be amazing, is not only bad beauty blogging, but nothing different from regular PR!
The sad truth is that making money while blogging is not easy. Most advertising programs don’t pay well and those that do are few and far in between. While it can be tempting to try to make as much money as possible through affiliate programs, it’s really not worth tarnishing your beauty blogger reputation and devaluing your own blog.
Moral of the story: if you haven’t tried it…don’t recommend it!
Post of interest: ‘Who are you ‘affiliated with?’
I agree. I’m currently only affiliated with StrawberryNET because I’ve actually bought quite a lot of stuff from there, and I absolutely recommend the service. I have not earned a penny from the site (I’ll most likely remove the affiliate link, and just link the main site instead), and I’m not bothered by it.
It’s tempting to want to be affiliated to every Tom, Dick and Sally on the Internet, but if you haven’t actually used the service before, then you’re just bringing a bad name to your own site.
Well written
So does that mean you do or don’t take the money?? I by most of my clothing online. I’ve found a site called outfitkit. They sale entire outfits for $35. It’s amazing. You should write a blog about them. I’ve never seen anyone wrtiing about them. PLUS I”VE TRIED IT AND IT’S GREAT
I don’t think that affilate relationships are that big a deal unless it dominates the blog’s coverage. I have affiliate links in my sidebars but I don’t blog about those brands, they more function as “ads” that I keep in place until more paying advertisers ante up.
If I go to a blog and see post after post of “what’s on sale” and “you need to get this” and all it is, is a brief description of the product with picture and then link–I merely look at that blog as a splog. I think if you contribute to the blogging world with good insightful posts and even “occassional” sale posts, then affiliate linking is fine. I also do what Dina does and have them in my sidebar and use them as ads instead of blogging about each affiliate.
I’ve been using affiliate links for 2 years now; hasn’t made me rich by any means, but its still nice to get a check every month.
I really don’t think relying on a blog for money is a good idea, becoming greedy with your blog just compromises it’s quality in my view.
Hey, if you pull a perez and strike it lucky with your blog, then great, but I just don’t think it’s the way to go, especially by trying to force feed product placement down your readers throats..
Great post as always.
xx
I know this is off-topic, but I was wondering if anyone had any comments/thoughts on the recent Google Page Rank adjustments?
many bloggers DO encounter such problems.. it’s a tough world out there.. but i have to say, i love reading bloga by Stylist Amy, on her website/boutique artfulwears.com.. i gotta hand it to her, she’s got a lot of great advice with every new post, despite whether or not you chooose to buy clothing from her boutique or not.. her style service is definately what i find as ABSOLUTELY neccessary!!! check out this one blog talking about her personal stylist services:
Do you need a stylist?
Stylists are not just for celebrities anymore! Savvy business women, socialites, and women from every walk of life are learning why they need a stylist.
Perhaps you need a new look? You need a wardrobe for a new job? You need a great group of outfits for your social life? These are all great reasons to hire a stylist. A stylist can help you put together great wardrobes and accessorized looks so that you look stylish, sophisticated, and unique! In addition, a stylist will look at what you have and decide what to incorporate into your new look.
You may be wondering, what makes stylist different from a personal shopper. A personal shopper simply goes out to purchase items as instructed by their client. However, a stylist creates a distinctive look to best suit a person’s personality, body type, and unique goals. The stylist will go beyond simply acquiring new items. They will create a total look from clothing to accessories, hair, and make-up. A personal shopper is more focused on saving a client time, where as a stylist is trying to create a look.
Stylists are professionals who know how to find clothes that fit your body best. A good stylist will assist you in having clothes tailored to fit your body. Not everything fits off the rack!
In addition to creating an individual cohesive look for the client, spending time with a stylist will help you understand how to shop for yourself.
Artfulwears.com founder, Amy Gordon, now offers professional styling services. Check out the website for more information @ http://www.artfulwears.com
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Beauty has been a gift for women since ancient times. Though it sounds partial, beautiful women have always been given preference over an average looking woman. Every woman is born beautiful in some way or another. What we need to do is focus on our strong triats and enhance them and they will take care of our traits that do not resemble us in a very beautiful manner.