Using affiliate banners in sidebar

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  bpcfe · Member · Mar 5, 2011 at 2:28 am

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  I would like to use some affiliate banner in my sidebar on my blog. I tried using the html code in the image widget and the text widget but nothing works. And these banners aren’t even flash banners.

  Any suggestions?

  Also, why won’t WordPress allow flash banners.

  The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

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  auxclass · Member · Mar 5, 2011 at 3:06 am

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  Can’t do affiliate ads, blogs get suspended for them.

  http://en.wordpress.com/tos/

  http://wordpress.com/types-of-blogs/

  http://en.support.wordpress.com/advertising/

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  bpcfe · Member · Mar 5, 2011 at 3:09 am

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  What do you mean blogs get suspended for them? I have seen blogs with affiliate ads before.

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  airodyssey · Member · Mar 5, 2011 at 3:15 am

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  It could be for a few reasons:
  1- They are not prominent affiliate links. In other words, the primary aim of the blog in question is to provide content first, and a few discrete and related affiliate links (this is further described in the “types of blogs” link auxclass gave you)
  2- They are links for a product that the blogger makes themselves already.
  3- They haven’t been reported yet as TOS violators.

  If, after reading the links above, especially “types of blogs”, you’ve any reason to believe that you should be allowed to place affiliate links on your site, drop a line to http://en.support.wordpress.com/contact/ to get confirmation before placing the links. Better be safe than sorry!

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  airodyssey · Member · Mar 5, 2011 at 3:16 am

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  I forgot this reason:
  4- They are not hosted by WordPress.COM and are not bound by the TOS that apply here.

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  auxclass · Member · Mar 5, 2011 at 3:26 am

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  I have seen many blogs with “not prominent” affiliate links get in trouble (one or two links).

  Suspended = = blog is locked up and goes away forever, content and all.

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  airodyssey · Member · Mar 5, 2011 at 3:31 am

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  Of course, if the “non prominent” links are an online casino or money transfer service link, related or not, I doubt they would stay around for a long time ;-)

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  raincoaster · Member · Mar 5, 2011 at 3:33 am

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  WordPress.com is getting a lot better at weeding out such placesl

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  thesacredpath · Member · Mar 5, 2011 at 3:38 am

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  I think they now have some scanning software that goes out and looks and then they review what it catches and either pass over it if it is OK, or they press the suspend button.

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  auxclass · Member · Mar 5, 2011 at 3:44 am

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  I wonder if the “weeding out” has anything to do with the 25 spammers I flagged today?

  The sites I were referring to above were an up and up company – no get rich quick things – lots of content and just one link – their blog was locked with no Posting for a few days while they went back and forth with the TOS – the link went away –

  The TOS people seem to be getting more aggressive recently.

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  raincoaster · Member · Mar 5, 2011 at 3:49 am

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  I’d put money on it if I had money.

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  bpcfe · Member · Mar 5, 2011 at 3:56 am

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  This is ridiculous. Anyone should be able to place affiliate ads if they want to. There’s no need for the restrictions. No one’e forcing anyone to click on the ads, so what on earth is the big deal?

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  raincoaster · Member · Mar 5, 2011 at 4:15 am

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  Dude to make money, it costs money. These are the criteria at WordPress.com. You’re free to find other hosts. Go for it.

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  bpcfe · Member · Mar 5, 2011 at 4:34 am

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  All I’m saying is really – its just plain stupid. Who on earth came up with that? More than that, I spent a great deal of time putting my blog together only to find out now that you can’t do something that is so simple. Yeah I’ll take the blame for not reading the fine print in the criteria. But who would imagine that something that ridiculous would be imposed. Secondly, when initially creating a blog with wordpress, like anything else, there’s so much to learn. Once again, who’s thinking that in the fine print somewhere it states……you are not allowed to do this or that. Its really dissapointing to think you have to go somewhere else and start all over again.

  Unbelievable !

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  raincoaster · Member · Mar 5, 2011 at 4:37 am

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  All I’m saying is:

  You agreed to no affiliate ads when you registered. Deal with it.

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  timethief · Member · Mar 5, 2011 at 4:44 am

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  As blogger initiated advertising is not allowed on free hosted WordPress.com blogs and the only exceptions are for high traffic blogs that qualify for and are accepted into the Ad Control program, or very high traffic blogs that qualify and are accepted into the paid VIP hosting program the way to go is clear.

  Make the happiness choice!

  If you require an ecommerce site, advertising and/or affiliate links on your blog, hire a web host and get a free software install from http://wordpress.org

  Easy peasy!

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  auxclass · Member · Mar 5, 2011 at 4:48 am

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  I did read the fine print several times before moving my site here – I have friends that also read the whole fine print several times.

  The bottom line – WordPress.COM as a service provider can have any terms of service they want, if you don’t like them you are welcome to use a different host.

  Seems simple to me.