Blogging About Blogging

Amazon Associates: A Lesson in Frustration?

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• Author: admin
• July 18, 2007
• Category: Hurdles

One of the first methods I used on my blog Living Deliberately to make money from it was Amazon Associates. I wrote book and product reviews often enough that I thought getting click-thru’s and sales might give me some pocket change. I also have a few favorite resources that I wanted to be in the side bar long term, so I got some cg-amazon links to my Amazon account.

The grand total for the first year? Ten bucks.

Every single time I use an Amazon link, it becomes a little headache. Something has to be changed in the code, or closing /a tags inserted, or my wordpress editor prefers the link editor in the visual box over the code view box, or vise versa. As I’ve learned to look at code over the last year, it’s gotten a little easier. I still ask for help from my code-writing brother-in-law and web guru, Joel. I think he knows now that any time I want to use Amazon links, his phone will ring.

Which makes it a big time issue! I order my stuff from Amazon more often than not, preferring my goodies to arrive via that angelic UPS man rather than haul my four kiddos into a store with me. I like to support online businesses…even the big ones. I have clients, all of whom are readers and all of whom would post book reviews that link to Amazon on a regular basis. I know this has to be a resource that could be better tapped. But the frustrating minutes, that could become hours when one is inserting these links over multiple sites, is a discouragement and a poor use of time. There are many, many faster ways to make ten bucks!

I am inspired when I see posts like Paula Neal Mooney’s today, that lay her online income out there for all to see in the most honest way possible. I know there are hurdles to overcome though if I want to see an similar income directly from my blogs.

Onward.

Tia Graham, blogsultant, builds, manages, and empowers business blogs that can help you generate income, improve publicity, and interact with your audience. See bloggingwithflair.com for more information.

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