If you want to start a crochet blog to earn
This post contains affiliate links, which means I will make a commission at no extra cost to you should you click through and make a purchase. [If you choose to include affiliates as part of your multiple streams of
What is an Affiliate?
An affiliate is a company (merchant) that partners with marketers (in our case, bloggers) to recommend and/or sell their service or product for which the blogger earns a commission.
How much Commission?
Commissions can vary from 5% (or less) to 50% of the purchase price. The parameters for what establishes a sale can vary widely.
In the case of a tangible or electronic product sale (example: book, ebook) it is usually a flat commission of 10% of $19 which would total $1.90 (this is just an example).
In the case of a sale of a software product or program or an online course, a qualifying sale might be a flat rate, or it can be a percentage of an ongoing sale. For example, a web hosting company might pay a one time commission if a customer purchases an annual plan. Or they might pay out a monthly rate if the customer chooses a monthly plan.
How is Affiliate Commission Paid?
Affiliate commissions are typically paid by check or direct deposit or Pay Pal deposits.
When is Affiliate Commision Paid?
Affiliate commissions are paid out according to the specific policy of the affiliate company. This too can vary widely.
Many affiliate companies pay the following month for the previous month’s sales activity. Others might pay quarterly. Each company will have their own timeline.
Sales Quotas
Most affiliate companies pose specific minimum sales quotas that must be met before paying out earned commissions.
Minimum sales quotas also vary widely. Some companies pay whatever you have earned in a given month, no matter the amount. This is rare.
Most companies that offer higher commissions impose a minimum such as $50 or $100.
Affiliate companies that pay smaller commissions might have a lower minimum such as $10 in monthly sales.
Why Should I use Affiliates?
If your goal as a crochet blogger is to earn a good income from your blog, affiliate sales can be a major piece of the multiple streams of income strategy.
If you choose affiliates wisely (more on that coming up) this income can be quite lucrative. Aside from your own product sales (should you choose to create your own products or courses), affiliate commissions often make up the bulk of a blog’s income.
Which Affiliates Should I Use?
Choosing the right affiliates to partner with is an important component to a successful affiliate strategy.
As a blogger it is crucial to build a relationship of trust with your readers. The last thing you want to do is suggest an affiliate product or service that is sketchy, or not the best quality.
You never want to choose an affiliate company strictly for the commission or because they offer a high commission.
You want to be able to say, in all
This doesn’t necessarily mean that you currently use it. But if you have tried or used the item, service or program, and can give an honest opinion, it will go a long way to building and keeping your credibility with your readers.
If you have used the “thing” and it worked fine, but it just wasn’t something you want to continue to use, that’s fine too. As long as you explain why it wasn’t really for you and can sincerely state (for example) that the item itself is good and could very well be great for others you can still recommend the product/service. I personally don’t have a problem with that scenario.
How do I Find Affiliates?
There are a couple of easy ways you can find an affiliate company.
One way to find an affiliate company is to go their website and look around for an Affiliate page. It might be titled Affiliate or Partner with Us or Become an Affiliate. It is usually at the bottom of the home page, but can also be prominently displayed at the top.
If you can’t find a direct link or page, simply do a Google search looking for ‘such-and-so company affiliate’.
A second way to find affiliate companies is to use an affiliate network. These are companies that offer multiple companies’ affiliate programs. They generally also manage the affiliate program for that company.
I have used two such companies myself. I have in the past used a company called Commission Junction (for a business blog many years ago).
I currently use an affiliate network called ShareASale.
Two of my current affiliates are Tailwind and PicMonkey. Tailwind is the program I use to quickly schedule Pinterest pins. PicMonkey is the program I use to easily create crazy cool Pinterest graphic pins.
Most affiliate network companies offer a large variety of affiliate programs with many different industries or niches. You can search for a particular company you have in mind, or you can search by topic/category to find compatible companies to partner with.
How to Apply to an Affiliate
Once again, each affiliate company, or company with an affiliate program, will have its own process. It’s usually a simple matter of filling out their application page. You’ll give them your
You will need to provide your bank account information for depositing commission pay and will need to complete a simple W9 IRS tax form that they provide. That is required so they can issue you a 1099 form for reporting income tax.
To apply with an affiliate network it is pretty much the same process. You are applying initially with the network company, then you will need to apply to individual affiliate companies (through the network company). It’s all explained on their sites.
In order to have a better chance
The best strategy is to use affiliates whose products or programs you are using, or have used. This way you know you are recommending reputable companies.
Don’t Compromise your Integrity!
When I first set up CrazyCoolCrochet.com I joined an affiliate program that is hugely popular with marketers and the general public. They pay out the highest commission rates I have ever seen. I joined because it aligned with my blog, they were highly recommended by scores of bloggers and because the pay out is so high (upwards of $100 per sale!).
I had never used this company before, but I also signed up to use them so I could learn the program and recommend it from a first hand viewpoint. I immediately realized the company’s product was not as advertised. It was very clunky to use and for newbies it would have been very difficult to navigate and learn. Their free trial was extremely limiting so that you had to upgrade immediately to get any real use out of it. Then you had to upgrade AGAIN to use features that should have been basic and part of the basic level.
When I called to cancel they bent over backwards offering me massive discounts to stay with them. Knowing my readers would not be getting the same massive discount and would be blindsided with the additional, big cost increases I turned them down. I ended up signing up with another company that offered all the features for a lower price but paid out very small commissions.
Yes, I am losing A LOT of potential income, but at least my conscience is clear. EDIT and full disclosure: Shortly after canceling my account this company lowered their fees drastically (for all) making the program much more affordable. I am considering re-joining for the commission payout. [Crazy Cool Crochet is my sole source of income so I can’t cut off my nose to spite my face.] I figure that as long as my readers are given clear instruction on how to use the program all of my hurdles would have been cleared. As would my conscience. I am still deliberating.
Amazon Affiliate Program
Amazon is a massive, worldwide company that offers one of the most popular affiliate programs available.
Since they sell just about everything under the sun, pretty much any blog/website will be easily aligned with their products. And it is fairly simple to join and be accepted.
However, I have seen blogs that went overboard with Amazon links, linking tons of items that had nothing to do with their own blog. It was obvious their website was created simply for commission sales.
Amazon does require that a website provide relevant content for the reader. They generally reject sites that are clearly not about the customer/reader experience, but rather for the blogger out to make a quick buck.
A major plus of using Amazon as part of your crochet blog affiliate income plan, is that customers that use your affiliate link (provided by Amazon with your unique identifier) to purchase something from Amazon, can purchase anything, not just the specific item you are promoting, and you will get the commission for that sale. The cookie attached to your link is good for a set timeframe. I believe it is 24 hours for Amazon. Some affiliate programs allow for the cookie to be active for several months.
However, your personal sales cannot be credited to your affiliate account.
Note: Amazon requires that affiliate partners prominently display a disclosure on their websites. You can see mine on the sidebar to the right of this page.
No Cost Affiliate Income
If you are starting your own crochet blog (yay!) you will want to incorporate affiliate programs in your multiple streams of income plan. This is a great way to increase your income at no cost to you. This is a classic win-win situation. The merchant and the blogger….Oh wait! This is a win-win-win situation…and the blog reader all benefit! Cool!
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