01/Blog
Notes onaffiliate links.
Writing on broken links, creator income, and the occasional product update from the lab.
- Compliance
FTC affiliate disclosure rules every creator should know.
The FTC requires affiliate disclosure, but the rules are often misunderstood. What counts as compliant disclosure, where it must appear, and why "#ad" alone isn't always enough. A practical guide for US creators, with notes for EU and UK.
7 min read·Read → - Deep dive
UTM parameters on affiliate links: good idea or not?
UTM parameters let you segment affiliate traffic by source in your own analytics. But they can break affiliate tracking when networks strip URL parameters. Here's when UTMs help, when they hurt, and the safer pattern.
5 min read·Read → - Playbook
How to track affiliate clicks across platforms.
Your YouTube dashboard shows YouTube clicks. Your newsletter shows newsletter clicks. Neither tells you which platform actually drives the most affiliate revenue. Here's how to get a unified view without installing anything.
6 min read·Read → - Playbook
Amazon Associates vs direct brand affiliates: when is the switch worth it?
Amazon pays 3-4% on most categories. Direct brand affiliate programs pay 10-20% or more. So why do most creators stick with Amazon? The trade-offs between convenience, payout, and relationship effort.
6 min read·Read → - Insight
Reviving old affiliate content: the highest-leverage work you're not doing.
A three-year-old review video that still gets daily views is an asset most creators ignore. Reviving its affiliate links can earn more than producing new content. Here's the math, and how to do it without re-shooting anything.
5 min read·Read →