Sponsored Links on Your Blog: The Pros and Cons

You’re at a point where your blog has achieved a certain level of success and you’re attracting a steady stream of visitors from across the web. A different company took note of this achievement and approached you with a request: can you feature some sponsored links to their products or services on your site? 🔗

If other revenue streams aren’t benefiting your blog, you might initially want to capitalize on this opportunity. After all, covering your hosting costs with the blog’s earnings feels rewarding when you’re just beginning. However, should you lean more towards pursuing an income through sponsored links instead? ⌛

This article aims to guide you in determining the suitability of sponsored links for your blog.

What are sponsored links? 🤔

Sponsored links are text links to products and/or services that are paid for by the company creating those products/services. Most are paid for with a one-time fee. They are completely separate from affiliate links.

A note about sponsored blog posts

Often companies will pay you to write a full blog post about their product or service, like the Cardamom Coffee article pictured below, which is sponsored by Ghirardelli® Chocolate:

Other companies will ask you to publish a pre-written article in exchange for payment. These are bigger than sponsored links and typically come with a larger payment, but they have many of the same pros and cons as regular sponsored links.

Should you use sponsored links?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, but there are several common advantages and disadvantages to weigh before you post a sponsored link.

Pros of sponsored links 👍

• Payment – Every single sponsored link posted on your blog pays you. Sponsors pay you a placement fee for sponsored links, so you have a guaranteed income from that link. This is in contrast to affiliate links or AdSense ads that might not earn you a dollar. If your blog gains enough popularity, you might even negotiate a contract with residual income long after posting the link.
• Income diversification – The best way to ensure your blog’s longevity, and your income, is to diversify your income streams through your blog. If your blog earns some money but depends on one income source, adding sponsored links can serve as a secondary income, providing more stability.
• Freebies – Many companies give you a free trial or sample because they understand your desire to ensure your audience finds the sponsored links useful.
• Relationship building – Building relationships with potential regular advertisers for your site becomes easier with sponsored links. If you aim to feature advertisements on your blog regularly, start with sponsored links.
• Added value – Publishing sponsored links to high-quality products or services provides an extra layer of value for your readers.

Cons of sponsored links 👎

• You risk alienating your fans – Most countries have laws stating that bloggers and other social media influencers must openly state when a link is sponsored.
• You risk alienating your fans – Most countries require bloggers and other social media influencers to state openly when they sponsor a link. The moment you post sponsored links, your audience will notice, and some might disapprove, even if you link to high-quality products or services related to your content. There’s a high chance someone will call you a sellout eventually.
• You might feel like a sellout – You might be the one calling yourself a sellout. We often criticize ourselves most severely and undervalue our work. This feeling is especially common among those from an arts background, who often view commissions from other brands as selling out.
• Negotiations can be tricky – Many companies recognize the benefits of partnering with bloggers but fail to understand the effort involved in vetting a product or service, or in integrating links into their content. They might hesitate to pay in advance or to pay your asking price. Worst of all, they might dismiss your perspective.
• The process can be time-consuming – You can’t merely take money and haphazardly publish a link on your site. You need to invest time in trying the product or service to ensure its relevance for your readers. Testing can range from half an hour to several days, depending on the product. After that, you must create or choose a suitable article for the link. This effort can divert your attention from your regular content.
• Your trust is on the line – Endorsing a product means you implicitly vouch for it. If the product disappoints or harms your readers, they will hold you responsible and lose trust in you. However, if the product excels, they’ll trust you more.

Sponsored links FAQ 🙋

The final verdict ⌛

• Only accept sponsorships relevant to your audience – Accepting sponsored content always carries the risk of pushing away your audience. If you choose links unrelated to your audience, you’re almost certain to alienate them.
• Only work with companies you like – Not only should you like the company’s products and/or services, but you should also enjoy the partnership process.
• Don’t guarantee that the link will remain forever – Decide on a specific duration. Anywhere from one month to a year works well.
• Ensure links are “nofollow” – Ensure your sponsored links carry the rel=”nofollow” attribute; otherwise, they violate Google’s guidelines.
• Don’t let sponsored links overshadow your primary content – While accepting some sponsored links and articles is okay, always prioritize what initially sparked your passion for blogging.

All in all, sponsored links are a great way to make money from your blog, as long as you’re careful with how you publish them and how you go about choosing the companies to promote in the first place.

What do you think of blog sponsorship like this? Share in the comments.