I Buck The Trend.
Lately in the Book Blogger World, many bloggers have decided to “affiliate” with other bloggers. From what I gather, they do this to promote each others blogs by posting links to their “affiliates” interviews, reviews & contests.
I dislike this idea VERYmuch. If this ruffles the feathers of other bloggers who do “affiliate” I’m sorry, but I just don’t get it. I’m not the only one either, see The Book Junkies Post
Let’s start with why I dislike the idea:
The idea of cross-promoting other blogs: Most of us ALREADY promote blogs we like in our BLOG ROLL…see it over on the right hand side of my blog. That’s where blogs I love have a space to be promoted from MY blog. I have gotten emails asking if I would like to be added to another blogs blog roll, or I had been added. More often than not (actually never have I not) I add that blogger to my blog roll. If you’ve taken the time to read my blog and found my content interesting enough that you want to add me, that’s great and I will reciprocate it because it means a lot that someone cares what I have to say.
On top of BLOG ROLL’S, I along with other bloggers I know (Literary Escapism, Sci Fi Guy, KindleVixen) usually do a news post where we post things we found interesting on other blogs. That’s how I met a lot of other bloggers, seeing that they cross posted to my blog and I’ve done the same to other blogs if their content is something I find interesting. I don’t like the idea of HAVING to post because I am “affiliated” with anyone. It just seems a bit staged to me, on top of it many of us are reading the same books. I like the idea of differing reviews if say one blogger hates the book and I love it, but that would be a special feature to me because I personally asked the blogger not because I HAD TO.
When I first started blogging, I remember reading somewhere that newer bloggers felt like they were left out because they weren’t in the “In Crowd” and I thought to myself, everyone’s been nothing but nice to me since I started blogging. But with “affiliates” I just feel like it’s High School all over again and it’s going to be hard for new bloggers to fit in if they don’t have a huge amount of followers that most “affiliates” are requiring.
I have held my tounge for awhile about this, but I had to let my position be known cause you know I’m snarky at the best of times. But that doesn’t mean I won’t promote interesting content and keep adding new blogs to my blog roll…I just won’t be affiliating and I know I’m not alone.
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This whole affiliate thing is news to me. I promote other blogs because I like them or they reviewed the same book and I link to their review or because they have something interesting to say and so I draw attention to it. I don’t like the idea of forming groups where you have to promote others, though. The whole idea of blogging, to me, is to express your own and true opinion of things. Having to promote something takes that away, imo.
I’m with you on all of that!
I agree with you. I understand the marketing behind it, but I do think its probably something that makes newer bloggers uncomfortable or feeling left out. It doesn’t bug me so much as a somewhat new blogger, but I remember when I first started. I remember wondering how I was going to make friends or make my way in this group of people who seemed to know each other already. And there wasn’t clubs or cliques at that point…. I think it could be intimidating for new people and I hate the idea of it. I want people to feel free asking me things and emailing me or jabbering with me on twitter and I wonder if they wouldn’t be if they thought the affiliate was like a secret girls club type of thing. (holy run on sentence!)
And you pointed it out but I do already try to use the marketing ideas, just in a much more laid back way. I book mark posts, content, contests, etc that I find throughout the week and include them in a weekly post. Then readers know this is stuff I really liked or think they will like and I am sharing it because of that, not because it happens to be an affiliate/friend. Additionally I would hate for another blogger to feel like they needed to post about my own content unless it was something they really found value in.
I do agree that there is something to be said about blog friendships, but its easy enough to make them if you stick your head out there. I mean I seem to have weaseled my way into the hearts of some of you crazy people, tho I may have had to flex some techy blog muscle to do it
I have quite a few friends on twitter that I have no issue poking and prodding when I need help or have ideas, and vice versa…Goodness knows that you and I obviously have some weird obsession with each other and we don’t need an affiliate banner LOL I think you can get those relationships without having an application process or without appearing to be closed off.
I don’t know, maybe we are wrong, but I think the idea behind has value but a better implementation of it would be to be more vigilant in finding blog posts you enjoy and sharing them on a regular basis. Go out of you way to leave the google reader and comment. Reply back to your commenters. I even have a nifty widget that when you comment will show your last post because I want people who come to my site, to find their way to your site, etc. There are lots of ways to build community and market yourself.
Novel reply my vixen. I found you through ANOTHER BLOG’S BLOG ROLL. See it works. lol
I’m with you ladies. I promote other blogs because I WANT TO. Not because I have to! Now, granted, I am so new to the blogging world that I think my page should be sporting a pic of a diaper! But, there is no way I would do something I don’t want to do just to get followers! I don’t promo other blogs to get recognition for my own. I promo because I like their stuff!
You may be new, but you go out of your way to comment and that in itself gets other bloggers to check you out
Keep it up!
I totally agree with all your points. If I promote another blog, it’s because I want to-having to takes a lot of fun out of blogging. Like you, I’ve been introduced to a lot of other blogs through shout outs from other bloggers-would I go there if I knew it was forced? Probably not so much. The marketing behind it does make sense, I just don’t agree with it.
Exactly, the fun is gone if its a requirement that I MUST do this and MUST do that.
Hmm. As always I’m the last to know? I didn’t even realize this was going on. I link to lots of blogs and tweet blog posts I like but sheesh, who knew there was a such organization out there?
What rock have you been living under woman? LOL
I suck. It’s official.
some people like that FV
I agree with all in the posts and comments! Plus the term “affiliates” sounds too business like and very unpersonalized. My blog isn’t a professional blog, it’s a personal blog that I do what I want, when I want to it.
Actually blogging has changed a whole lot since I started blogging over a year ago. And quite a bit of it, I don’t care for.
I’m with you Donna
Ha! I just found a new & interesting blog “The Book Junkie” from this post.
LOL see thats exactly my point. I do not know the book junkie, never talked to her but her post was a good one!
I already commented this morning on Book Junkie’s post, but I just had to stop and say I agree with you 10000%.
As book reviewers, all we have is our credibility. Promoting other posts as a business relationship instead of based on quality destroys credibility. Affiliates pimp each other out for their shared benefit, not for their readers. I get the motivation behind it, but it looks bad.
Exactly! Nail on the head!
@ Donna..Me too! Was just over there earlier thanks to the tip from WLP. And, it a great blog! I liked it so much that I added it to my blog roll….’CAUSE I WANTED TOO! (**blowing raspberries) So there! Lol!
*snort*
=)
First of all, thanks for linking to my post on the whole affiliates thing. I’m not going to go into my opinion on the matter, because I practically wrote a book on the subject in that post! LOL
I just wanted to stop by to tell you kudos for posting something that could be controversial. It’s never an easy thing to do as a blogger. While we don’t agree on everything, I’m still a fan of your blog and will continue to follow you. I love your content, and I think it’s great that you have the guts to post your real opinion regardless of how people might react. It definitely makes me respect you as a blogger!
Thanks Natalie
Wow. Who knew blogging about books could have drama? You just keep doing your thing, your blog is awesome.
Thanks Tiah
Preach on, sistah! Would have gotten this in earlier but I’ve had my nose stuck in Kim Harrison all evening. Yeah, that didn’t come out sounding like I meant it to. But hey, I’m The Mighty Buzzard; I regret nothing!
Affiliate rings are just popularity feedback loops. They don’t really mean anything and they dilute the weight of the recommendations of anyone who joins them. You can’t slap a link on your sidebar recommending a crappy blog just because they’re an affiliate and still have your opinion count for much on the things that really matter, the freakin book reviews. Might as well be a politician if you’re going to sell your vote like that.
Wait, was it a fat guy what sounded like he had a mouth full of cotton who asked you to join up? Did he make you an offer you couldn’t refuse?
woot ! I can’t wait to see your blog up in my g-reader buzzard… hurry it up!
oh and Black Magic Sanction…. *ouch* twisting the knife. Me and my kindle will be over in the corner waiting not so patiently…. *sigh*
It’s almost ready for launch, just finishing up the css tweaks. I’m entirely too anal about writing code, even if it is web code. Has to be perfect and all that. Well, aside from caring how it looks in Internet Explorer anyway. If you can’t be bothered to use a real browser, I have no sympathy.
I know what you mean, I obsess over code. its an addiction
And there we go. Click the name. Only one post up so far but I’ll probably do up another either tonight or tomorrow and get my groove on from there.
Yeah that sounded bad LOL! I knew you’d agree on the affiliate thang, just a feeling lol
I’ve seen this kicking about and wondered what was going on.
If people want to do it fine but I have a whole page dedicated to offering links to other blogs, not necc because I read them loads but because people might be looking for something in particular. I have a thing in my sidebar that shows the last five updates from my googlereader and I will always try to follow my followers. I do from time to time highlight interesting things going on elsewhere and I will retweet perfectly happily. I think these are all a normal part of being in the blogging community. Can’t say I feel the need to affiliate with another blog on any formal basis. Although I don’t affiliate to a particular bookshop and I don’t advertise, I like to remain fairly independent. I guess I am saying, I agree.
LOL
I’m glad you did this post – I’ve seen the affiliate applications all over and felt as a new blogger I had to try and seduce an older blogger to affiliate with me. Though as a new blogger I also don’t have much to offer in terms of getting someone new followers. I’ve started posting fav blogger post links on some blog posts and keep my fav bloggers on my blog roll. The whole application for affiliate is alot of pressure! Though now there are opportunities to have a blog mentor without the whole – I’ll do a post about you contests and posts pressure. What do you think of the blog mentor idea?
Heather I love that idea! I offered to do that because another blog was asking for mentors, the chick I was given NEVER emailed me and that was it for me. But I would be up for it again if I was sure the person would WANT the help.
This program sounds a lot like the ‘web rings’ that I ran into in my youth. No, sir. I didn’t like it then and I don’t like the idea now, no matter what you call it.
Everyone has said everything that was running through my mind, so yeah. You go girl!
LOL thanks Jennifer, I remember the webrings and chat rooms and message boards and ALL end with drama.
I’m sick, so I’ll have to reread all of this again. LOL I had seen some bloggers that were doing the associate thing, which confused me, because I owned a website for ten years and that’s what companies call their programs that pay a percentage to you if someone buys through your link like Amazon. So, that totally threw me. I agree that it seems like it’s something we are already doing with our blogrolls and buttons. I am pretty new to book blogging so I thought I was missing something. I think twitter has been a really cool networking thing for me.
I like the idea of RT on Twitter, if I hit RT thats me promo’ing you and vice versa and it saves the drama!
Honestly, this is the first I have heard of it – well, let me say – I have seen the little “network blog” thing places but never paid it much attention.
I don’t know – I am definitely not into it….why can’t everyone just do their thing. If you enjoy someone’s post – then comment. If you think someone is doing a cool contest – pimp it out. Why do we have to be affiliated? And I agree – if the purpose of affiliating is to help each other out, then why have a follower requirement? I read AMAZING blogs some probably have a gazillion readers, and some that only have a few. I don’t care how many followers you have – I just want to read a good review or get a laugh.
I am also against making someone follow you to enter a contest….which I feel is along the same lines.
Nice post!
ME TOO! I did it at first cause everyone did it, then I realized I hate to have to follow a blog I don’t like for a contest. So I like the add a question idea instead. *kicks you back over to DM’s*
Mandi – I agree 100%. I’m against the contest require of being a follower — anywhere. And I have never ask anyone to follow my blog or follow me anywhere for a contest. I use to allow for an extra entry to spread the word about the contest. I felt that was okay since the purpose of a contest is to spread the word about the author’s book. But I’ve stop doing that too because of all the contests now that require a gazillion things to enter. Who wants to spend a half hour to enter one contest? Do I sound irritated? LOL!
I am with you girls. I did the follower thing once and then I realized I didn’t like it. I won’t be doing it again
I guess the extra entry thing is ok..I’m just too lazy to keep track of how many entries everyone has…hehe.
Again, who are these “in-crowd” bloggers? I link blogs or their post because they interest me and not because of this idea of, “you wash my back, I’ll wash yours.”
Exactly, but there a lot who don’t do it our way anymore.
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