josie29
Junior Member
Posts: 92 
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Post by josie29 on Feb 22, 2019 11:05:48 GMT
I see on quite a few blogs where people have something called Affiliate Links and they say if you click on the product & purchase it from the website it is linked to, that they receive a small commission but it doesn't cost you anything. I'm a little confused because wouldn't the online store mark up the product to cover the cost? Some years ago, I talked to a store owner who told me that the scrapbooking/cardmaking margins are very tight & competition is fierce and they can't afford to wear extra costs for nothing. Can someone explain about the Affiliate Links and whether they click on them to buy products? I just don't really understand about them. Thanks in advance.
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Post by cbet on Feb 22, 2019 17:20:19 GMT
It's my understanding that the price on the item is the same whether you get to it via affiliate link or just on your own. I'm assuming that whatever the commission the blogger gets is built into the price of the item, and the seller just gets to keep that little extra if an affiliate link isn't used.
If I am reading a blog, and I NEED something that was demonstrated on that blog, I'll use the affiliate link. I figure that the bloggers put in a lot of time & work with their posts, and the affiliate links are their pay for that; if they've convinced me to buy, they've earned that pay.
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Post by wendifful on Feb 22, 2019 17:41:17 GMT
Hopefully someone with affiliate links can chime in and say for certain, but I believe the percent they get is quite small, like under 10%? It's nothing dramatic but every little bit adds up. The prices are the same whether you use the affiliate links or not. Whether stores mark up their products because of that...well, most stores mark up their products anyway in case of sales, etc, so in this case, the mark up is just going to the blogger who linked the product. I also believe that affiliate links stay active for a few days after you first click, so if (for example) I bought something from Simon Says Stamp that Jennifer McGuire linked on Tuesday and then bought something else directly from SSS on Thursday (without clicking on a link from JM's blog first), I believe she still gets the affiliate commission. I'm not sure exactly how long that's active for. (Again, if someone who has actual affiliate links can verify this, that would be great.) I try to use affiliate links whenever possible, even when shopping on Amazon (when I remember, I try to go to Jen Schow's blog and shop Amazon from there) because I figure I'm paying the same price but at least this way I can support my favorite people.
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Post by wendifful on Feb 22, 2019 17:46:41 GMT
Also, I want to say that margins on certain types of scrapbooking products may be small, but I know that the markup on many other things is quite steep. From working in craft retail for many years, I know that companies don't make much money on the sale of electronic cutting machines (like Cricuts), but all the consumables like blades, mats and vinyl are where they make their profit. There also may not be much margin on single sheets of paper, especially given the volume you'd need to sell to break even, but things like stamps and embellishments are marked up quite a bit.
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Post by joblackford on Feb 22, 2019 21:58:39 GMT
From the shop's point of view it's pretty cheap advertising that is very effective.
A lot of us try to support makers we like by using their affiliate links, and it definitely drives business to stores when a sort of "trusted friend" tells you they love a product. I'm pretty sure people are more likely to follow through and click buy when they see a maker using a product and raving about it in a video or blog post. Much more so than just seeing an ad online or in a magazine. So if I was considering how to spend my advertising budget I'd be happy to pay a small percentage to someone like Jennifer McGuire who has so much credibility with crafters. Just read the reviews on Avery Elle plastic pockets on Amazon to see how much business she has driven by recommending them.
If I had a small shop with tight margins I think I'd rather pay an affiliate commission to someone rather than throwing money into print or online ads. If no one clicks, no money is spent beyond whatever free stuff the maker is given, whereas an ad costs you money no matter how few people buy as a result.
But yes, we are paying for it, indirectly. But we're doing that any time we buy a product, even if we're not clicking an affiliate link. It's all part built in to the retail price.
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scrappington
Pearl Clutcher
in Canada
Posts: 3,139
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Post by scrappington on Feb 23, 2019 3:14:39 GMT
I've only seen affiliate links to bigger companies like simon says stamp or amazon.
Or from the manufacturer directly
But think about it. You get Jenifer McGuire or Kristina Werner linking your store you sell out.
Also mark up on prices may be steep but you need to sell a lot of sequins or papers to pay rent, employee wages, etc.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Nov 25, 2024 11:37:49 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2019 13:15:56 GMT
For amazon affiliate links does the person get a % of only the item that you linked on, or your whole amazon cart? I thought I remembered reading that they get a % of your cart. That seems a bit unfair to me, if it's true.
ETA: Did some googling. It looks like it is the whole cart if it's a certain kind of cookie:
Amazon affiliate cookie – how long does it last?
The Amazon affiliate cookie means how long do I have after a person clicks my link to earn a commission? The simple answer is 24 hours. So anything that person buys on Amazon in the next 24 hours you are eligible to earn a commission on.
The one exception to this is the 90 day cookie we discussed earlier when you use the “add to cart” link as your affiliate link. This doesn’t mean you get a commission on everything that person buys in the next 90 days, just a 90 day cookie on that particular product.
For myself, I usually just stick to the normal Amazon affiliate link that comes with a 24 hour cookie.
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josie29
Junior Member
Posts: 92
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Post by josie29 on Feb 25, 2019 0:15:21 GMT
Thank you everyone for your input - I really appreciate it  I would like to support my favourite bloggers where I can. I wonder if you click on links where it is a blog post is from more than a year ago & the product is still available whether the blogger still gets the commission(?) |
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ashwyness
Full Member
Posts: 186
Jul 22, 2014 17:33:23 GMT
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Post by ashwyness on Feb 25, 2019 18:23:17 GMT
I have a few affiliate links. I can tell you that the commission you get is not much. Many places are small...very small, like less than 3%. I'm guessing, that bigger names get more percentage than I would, but I would say the vast majority of affiliate link commission amounts are pretty small and they take a lot to add up.
Also, many of these small companies have a small budget for affiliate links. When it runs out, it runs out, until they replenish it. We get a message that says when so and so has low funds. That means that we potentially would not receive any commission.
I would recommend that if you want to keep seeing content from designers, then you should click on the affiliate link.
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ashwyness
Full Member
Posts: 186
Jul 22, 2014 17:33:23 GMT
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Post by ashwyness on Feb 25, 2019 18:25:34 GMT
Thank you everyone for your input - I really appreciate it I would like to support my favourite bloggers where I can. I wonder if you click on links where it is a blog post is from more than a year ago & the product is still available whether the blogger still gets the commission(?) I am not an expert on this, but I believe the answer to something that old is "no." In my experience, the cookie that is used to track affiliate links expires after 30 days, so unless someone goes back and constantly updates all their affiliate links, then clicking on old links does not give them any commission.
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josie29
Junior Member
Posts: 92
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Post by josie29 on Feb 26, 2019 2:56:35 GMT
Awesome - thanks everyone! As I am not in the USA, I source most of my products from stores where I live - but when I do source from the USA, I will be sure to support people via their Affiliate links |
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I would like to support my favourite bloggers where I can. I wonder if you click on links where it is a blog post is from more than a year ago & the product is still available whether the blogger still gets the commission(?)