Skip to Content

Can You Include Affiliate Links in Your Medium Articles?

As a writer on Medium, you may have wondered whether you can include affiliate links in your articles. After all, affiliate marketing can be a lucrative way to monetize your writing. But can you do it on Medium? The answer is yes, you can include affiliate links in your Medium articles, but there are some guidelines you need to follow.

First and foremost, it’s important to disclose any affiliate links you include in your articles. Medium’s policy on ads, promotions, and marketing requires that you “clearly disclose any affiliate links or other compensation mechanisms.” This means that you need to let your readers know that you may receive a commission if they make a purchase through your link. You can do this by including a statement at the beginning or end of your article, or by using Medium’s built-in disclosure feature.

Another thing to keep in mind is that Medium is not a sales and marketing platform. It’s a platform for storytelling and article writing. This means that your affiliate links should be relevant to the content of your article and add value to your readers. Don’t include affiliate links just for the sake of making money. Instead, focus on creating high-quality content that your readers will find useful and informative, and include affiliate links only when they are genuinely helpful.

Understanding Affiliate Links

What Are Affiliate Links?

Affiliate links are special links that contain a unique tracking code that lets a company know that a customer came from your website or social media account. If someone clicks on your affiliate link and makes a purchase, you earn a commission on that sale. Affiliate links can be used to promote products, services, or even other websites.

How Do Affiliate Links Work?

When you sign up for an affiliate program, you will be given a unique tracking code that you can use to create affiliate links. These links are usually long and contain a lot of numbers and letters. When someone clicks on your affiliate link, they will be taken to the company’s website, but the tracking code will let the company know that the customer came from your website.

If the customer makes a purchase, the company will track the sale and credit you with a commission. The commission rate varies depending on the company and the product, but it is usually a percentage of the sale price. Some companies also offer bonuses or incentives for high-performing affiliates.

It’s important to note that you must disclose that your links are affiliate links. This is a requirement of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States and is also a requirement of Medium’s policies. You can include a disclosure statement at the beginning or end of your article, or you can use a hashtag like #ad or #affiliate to indicate that your links are affiliate links.

Overall, affiliate links can be a great way to earn money from your writing on Medium, as long as you follow the rules and disclose your affiliations.

Medium’s Policy on Affiliate Links

As a writer on Medium, it is important to understand the platform’s policy on affiliate links. Here are some key points to keep in mind:

Medium’s Terms of Service

According to Medium’s Terms of Service, writers are allowed to include affiliate links in their articles. However, it is important to note that Medium does not allow writers to use affiliate links in their profile or publication pages.

Medium’s Rules for External Links

In addition to affiliate links, Medium has specific rules for all external links included in articles. These rules are designed to ensure that links are high-quality and relevant to the content of the article. Here are some guidelines to follow:

  • Links should be relevant to the content of the article and provide additional value to readers.
  • Links should not be used to promote unrelated products or services.
  • Links should not be used to promote spam or low-quality content.
  • Links should not be used to promote illegal activities or content.

By following these guidelines, writers can ensure that their articles are high-quality and provide value to readers. Additionally, by including relevant affiliate links, writers can earn additional income from their articles.

Overall, Medium’s policy on affiliate links is relatively permissive, but it is important to follow the platform’s guidelines to ensure that articles are high-quality and provide value to readers.

How to Include Affiliate Links in Medium Articles

As a writer on Medium, you may be wondering if you can include affiliate links in your articles. The answer is yes, but it’s important to do so in a way that is transparent and ethical. In this section, I’ll show you how to include affiliate links in your Medium articles while maintaining the trust of your readers.

Choosing the Right Affiliate Links

When choosing affiliate links to include in your Medium articles, it’s important to select products or services that are relevant to your audience and align with your content. For example, if you’re writing about healthy eating, you might include affiliate links to kitchen gadgets or cookbooks that promote healthy cooking.

It’s also important to choose reputable affiliate programs that offer fair commissions and have a good track record of paying their affiliates. Some popular affiliate programs that you might consider include Amazon Associates, ShareASale, and Commission Junction.

Incorporating Links into Your Content

Once you’ve chosen your affiliate links, it’s time to incorporate them into your content. One effective way to do this is by including them in product reviews or recommendations. For example, if you’re writing a review of a kitchen gadget, you might include an affiliate link to that product in the article.

Another way to incorporate affiliate links is by including them in “how-to” articles. For example, if you’re writing an article on how to start a blog, you might include affiliate links to hosting providers or website builders.

Disclosing Affiliate Links

Finally, it’s important to disclose your use of affiliate links to your readers. This can be done by adding a simple disclaimer at the beginning or end of your article. For example, you might include a statement like “This article contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may earn a commission.”

By disclosing your use of affiliate links, you’re being transparent with your readers and building trust with them. This is important for maintaining a loyal audience and ensuring that your readers continue to trust your recommendations.

In summary, including affiliate links in your Medium articles can be a great way to earn extra income, but it’s important to do so in a way that is ethical and transparent. By choosing the right affiliate links, incorporating them into your content, and disclosing them to your readers, you can maintain the trust of your audience and build a successful affiliate marketing strategy on Medium.

Conclusion

In this article, I have explored the topic of including affiliate links in your Medium articles. Through my research, I have found that it is possible to use affiliate links on Medium, but it is important to do so ethically and in a way that benefits both the reader and the writer.

One key takeaway is that it is important to focus on creating high-quality, informative content that appeals to readers, rather than solely writing for the purpose of promoting affiliate products. Additionally, it is important to disclose any affiliate links used in your articles to maintain transparency with your audience.

Overall, including affiliate links in your Medium articles can be a way to monetize your content and earn income, but it should be done in a responsible and ethical manner. By providing value to your readers and being transparent about any affiliate links used, you can build trust and credibility with your audience while also potentially earning revenue.