What Are Affiliate Links?

Bloggers sometimes add links for items, that when clicked, take you to another website (usually), these are affiliate links. If something is then purchased, the site will pay the blogger a commission or a “finders” type fee.

Most blogs PLASTER their pages with ads and links… in hopes that you click something and buy.

Were you just looking at new tennis shoes online and now see only tennis shoes on every blog you go to… well that is because the blogger is hoping you will buy those shoes through their site, so they will get a commission.

This marketing strategy, of course, led to what we call today influencers BUT where once people had to write and publish articles and posts, hopefully adding meaning to society in some way, today the affiliate link is up for grabs to any 10-year-old doing unboxing videos.

I digress…

Anyway, many bloggers RARELY get anything for those links and if they do, it is seriously pennies for 1000s of clicks, but BIG bloggers get lots of clicks, and that can turn into an income stream for them… and good for them, I am not judging. Blogs have given people, especially women, a voice and a way to earn extra income, many being able to stay home with their children.

However, like most people, I also can not stand blogs plastered with ads so I won’t do it. I will have Amazon links to products I enjoy and use, or links to my Etsy store… but I try to keep it to a minimum… and I only link to things I use or like. Also, not all links on my blog are affiliate links. I have links to products I like but am not affiliated with and even to other websites. These are simply to give more information.

Below is a current list of businesses that I am an affiliate or advertise for (a few are my personal pages) and I will do my best to keep it updated.

A BlueEyedMama’s Shop (My personal Etsy shop) – I sell printables and downloads that are mostly associated with holiday and educational worksheets and lessons for homeschooling parents and classroom teachers. This isn’t as much of an affiliate link as it is more of an advertisement for my own shop, but I want to be transparent.
Amazon – this is a love/hate relationship. Some things are simply easier to get from Amazon and so I use them to help other people, especially busy parents, put things into their cart that they might need, versus having to make a special trip for them. They also have a vast selection of books that are not always available elsewhere, which is a plus. However, Amazon doesn’t always seem to appreciate the vast amount of customers that bloggers bring them and they have been slowly killing local shops. All in all, they are a resource that I find valuable.
Craftsy – This is an amazing site for those that love to craft. There is a huge archive of resources and classes that are available for a low monthly or yearly fee. I have used this to teach my kids, including my boys, to crochet. The classes include painting, drawing, crocheting, knitting, baking, wood-working, and so much more!
Hoffman Academy – This is a MUST for any parent wanting their children to learn piano! We LOVE this site and Mr. Hoffman and have been using it for years, my hubby and I have even begun using it. This makes learning piano easy and effective, at your schedule!
Italki.com – This is a resource that I have used with my children for years. Italki is a global language community that connects students and teachers for 1-on-1 online language lessons. My kids found their ASL teacher, Spanish teacher, and Russian teacher… all on Itaki!
Outschool – Outschool is an online tutoring site that offers classes and groups for ages 3-18 and in a wide range of prices. I have referral ads on my site for Outschool because I teach on the platform. I don’t talk about it much on this blog but do use it to advertise my classes and the platform. My kids have used this platform and I love teaching there. To see my profile, click here. If you are new to Outschool and use my links, we both will get $20 (usually unless there is a promotion) to use toward classes. (Any referrals to Outschool are credited to me as Outschool credit. I can use this to allow my children to take classes from one of 1000’s that are offered)

Where My Affiliate Link Cash Goes…

My blog is a bit older than our family’s little library but once we built it, I decided that anything earned from it our my Etsy store would go to supplying it.

On my blog, I have made about $100 in 5 years (sad) from affiliate links, but I don’t blog for that specific reason. However, rest assured that if you do click an affiliate link, anything made from that, eventually will buy books for my family’s Little Corner Library.

If you’re not familiar with a Little Library, it’s a box that offers books to be borrowed and returned or kept with a donation of another book. These Little Libraries are usually on someone’s private property and are sometimes a lifeline to children who otherwise wouldn’t be able to get to an actual library. Our goal is to have this be an asset to our community and be able to instill a love for books in the kids of our neighborhood.

I can almost hear someone ask, “What will you do with your money if you actually start making more?”

Well, thank you for putting that bit of hope into the universe for me! But seriously, I will cross that bridge should I ever come to it.

I might try to expand our little library to other locations. I would pay to have them built (by my hubby probably) and stock them seasonally, with the person owning the location filling in the rest of the time.
I would love to open a sanctuary for senior animals that can’t be adopted. Of course, that takes a facility and maybe a bit of land… so that is a BIG dream.
Maybe I could just buy a pack of socks and underwear once in a while without feeling the mom guilt

Sharing is Caring

Anyway, thank you for checking out my blog… if you do click links… thank you, but you can help even more by sharing pages you like and pinning posts you find fun! Don’t forget to comment on posts or head over to Pinterest, Instagram, or Facebook and give me a follow. You can always try some of the recipes and crafts from the blog, post, and then mention or tag me @bemandfam, and I will be notified! It would be fun to see your versions of the ideas!

Happy reading!

BEM + Fam 🙂