Recently I’ve had a lot of people e-mailing me or commenting saying that they really like the blog (thanks!) and to say thank you that they’d just used one of my credit card links. This is usually a big deal for most bloggers and I appreciate you trying to show your support, but this site does not use any credit card affiliate links (you can read more about why I made that decision here).
Even though we don’t have any affiliate links on this website, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use them at all. I believe that you should use other bloggers affiliate links (I use them whenever they are available for a card I want to sign up for).
There is always debate on what works best, a carrot or a stick? Personally I think it’s much easier to motivate people with a potential reward (the carott, which is using their affiliate links if they provide good content) than it is to threaten them with a punishment (the stick, in this case publicly shaming them or not visiting their site).
A lot of bloggers no longer have direct links to credit cards, but you’ll notice a small box ad in their sidebar where you can view lots of different credit cards. They’ll still earn a good commission if you links found on those pages.
- Always make sure you’re getting the highest sign up bonus (and this goes with point #1, don’t support bloggers that don’t tell you about better offers). Here is my guide on how to find the best sign up bonus for a specific card.
- Support bloggers that provide original, useful content. Writing good content that is original takes a lot of time and thought, bloggers providing this type of content deserve the extra money.
- Do not support bloggers that write content purely to promote a credit card. Personally I find these posts pretty easy to spot, it sometimes almost looks like they are using pre written templates.
- Spread the love. Try not to apply for all of your credit cards from one site, try to spread the love a bit – especially with newer bloggers so they know you appreciate their content.
I appreciate you guys trying to support this site, but I’d much rather you support other blogs by using their links. Also don’t forget to support the other bloggers that don’t use these links as well, lots of them have donation buttons! Other bloggers like Freequent Flyer even give you awesome tips on manufactured spending if you sign up for their paid newsletter.
You can still keep writing me nice messages and support this site by spreading it around. Tell a friend, share it on twitter or facebook and link to it if you have your own website.
