I had a brief twitter discussion with @ashemischief yesterday about making a direct product link in Commission Junction when the product isn’t in the merchant’s database and thought it might be helpful to post here as well (I can address other affiliate-related issues & affiliate programs if you’re interested, but this is a specific CJ-related post).

Here’s how I make a direct product link if I can’t find it in the merchant’s “Products” links (usually that happens if the item is brand new, or if they just don’t update products very often). Note: It will only work if the merchant allows you to enter your own destination URL in the “text links” section – some merchants allow it, some do not – and sometimes you have to go through multiple links to find one you can enter a URL into (usually it will be a basic link going directly to the merchant’s home page).

After you select your merchant, click on Get Links: Text Link and choose a link – then click on “Get HTML” – and you should see the box below. On yours, the PID (publisher ID) and AID (Ad ID) will already be filled it. Then, if you have multiple websites, select the one you want to create the link for in the drop-down menu.

In the “Destination URL” box, enter the direct URL to the product you want to link to, then add an SID – this is important!!! I try to use SIDs as much as possible so I can tell exactly the link a user clicked on first on the way to making a purchase. It helps to be as specific as possible; I use “RSSnewsletter” or “twitter” (yes, sometimes I put affiliate links in twitter…although very rarely, I’m mostly just curious to see if they’re effective), and of course the product name if I’m linking to a specific product. You can also link to a specific page on a website – like the sale section, or a specific designer – and in that case, use the designer name, or “salepage” as the SID.

(just an aside here, but I feel like I should mention it – my use of direct product links has been more profitable than affiliate banner ads, although I do also believe they are very effective used together; more effective overall than banner ads alone)

Anyway, after you click “Update Link Code” you will see in the “code” box something like this:

I’ve blurred out the AID and PID parts of the link, but you can see where the SID has been inserted. When you look at your commission reports the SID will be displayed along with all the other information so you can see exactly the link a reader clicked on before making a purchase. You can also edit the HTML and change the text (where it says shopbop.com) to reflect what you actually want the text to say, although I usually just copy only the link (the stuff between the ” in a href=<"...">) and associate it with my own text or image in a blog post.

There you have it…easy, peasy. Questions? Also, let me know if there are any other affiliate issues you want me to address…I’ll try to help

Related posts:

1. Make your RSS feed available This is kind of random, but thanks to a comment...
2. Independent Fashion Bloggers: Links a la mode I am so honored to have had my post on...
3. Independent Fashion Bloggers: Links a la mode May 6 Once again, I’m so proud to have been chosen as...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Most of the arguments I’ve found against fashion bloggers making money is that they’re “selling-out;” they used to be independent and creative, and now that they’re selling ads and/or receiving products to review, their voice is no longer meaningful, or even valid. As you probably know, I don’t personally buy into that argument in most cases, sure, there are definitely sell-outs, but they don’t stick around for very long. And they don’t become successful.

But just to reiterate that point, I ran across this gem in a recent ProBlogger article that sums up my feelings exactly:

2) Don’t be afraid to make money. Blatant product placements in the biggest video of the year? Sure, why not? There is nothing wrong with making ridiculous amounts of cash if that’s what you want to do. There is no such thing as a sellout. If you want to put ads on your blog, do it. If you want to sell products, do it. Don’t apologize. You should be paid to create art. Being a starving artist is nothing to be proud of.

It also goes along quite nicely with the recent “IFB Fair Compensation Manifesto“…

What do you think?

Related posts:

1. affiliate marketing tips for fashion bloggers: direct product links & SID I had a brief twitter discussion with @ashemischief yesterday about...
2. why shouldn’t fashion bloggers make money blogging? I’m asking. I’d love for someone to tell me why...
3. how NOT to make money online Sometimes I hate that you can make money blogging. My...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

As a follow-up to her original post on Confessions of a Fashion Editor (where I first read about Nati Hell, and what inspired my previous fashion blogger bashing post) Amy interviewed the writer of Fashion Bloggers, Why? in an effort to understand a bit more about why she writes what she does about fashion bloggers. READ IT. I could go on and on about my feelings on the interview, but I won’t except to say that for some reason, I was interested, and I hoped that Nati would give us a good “reason” for what she’s doing. But she doesn’t; she’s just defensive and apathetic.

But really, read it, then form your own opinion.

I also feel like I should address a few things that came up in the comments on my previous post:

• I don’t believe in “censorship” in any way, and respect everyone’s right to their own opinion, and to write/create whatever they want and have the passion for. Nati Hell certainly has the “right” to publish her blog, and to say whatever she wants about her fellow bloggers. But with RIGHTS come RESPONSIBILITIES, and I believe you are responsible for your words as well as your actions. Everything you say and do should be backed up with conviction and passion; then I think we can all at least respectfully disagree, but after reading Nati’s responses, I didn’t feel like she HAS any conviction or passion for what’s she’s writing – it’s just something to do…
• there was at least one comment that reflected a feeling that fashion bloggers expect too much from our readers and that we are arrogant; we just assume that they’ll be receptive to whatever we write/post and tolerate our flaunting our “lines of credit” all over the Internet. Again, all I have to say to that is don’t read the blogs you don’t relate to if you can’t at least appreciate them. If you get “upset” that one blogger has more money than you do, then quit reading her blog. If you don’t appreciate a certain bloggers aesthetic, then don’t read it. I can only speak for myself, but I started my first site to solve a problem, but also to write about things I love. I was astonished that others actually wanted to READ was I was writing – and lots of people do. But many more people don’t want to read it. That’s okay too. It’s just a reflection of how childish a person is that she would choose to say nasty things about a blog/blogger that she doesn’t like instead of just choose not to read that blog and move on. NOTHING good happens when you focus only on the negative. EVER.
• And finally, Lara, in a comment, brought up an interesting point that sometimes we confuse criticism with insults. That’s totally valid, and not being able to handle criticism is a reflection of weakness in my opinion. BUT Nati Hell’s blog is NOT critical, it is insulting. If she was being critical in a clever way, and perhaps a bit constructive with her criticism, that would be an entirely different ballgame, but she’s not clever or funny, and she’s not interested in being constructive at all. Fashion Bloggers, Why? is destructive.

That’s it, I think after this, I’m done talking about this – but I think it was important to address some of the issues/comments that surfaced before.

What are your thoughts?

Related posts:

1. fashion blogger bashing It seems to be everyone’s favorite sport of late…bashing fashion...
2. the power of the fashion blogger You’ve probably heard by now that the CFDA is “allowing”...
3. Are you a Fashion Blogger, Style Blogger or Shopping Blogger? Does it really matter? Can all these niches: personal style,...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

I’m part of the super-awesome group of bloggers chosen to be part of the Independent Fashion Blogger’s Links a la Mode this week. AGAIN!! Please take a moment to check out the links below – I did; they’re worth it.

• Blackdog Finds: A complete thrifted outfit for under $10
• Consumerism Killed My Soul: Color (and lack thereof) on the Valentino runway
• Dedicated Follower of Fashion: The future of fashion is here
• Dramatis Personae: TsuruBride’s amazing handmade animal clutches
• Eco-Fashionista: Re-fabbing a vintage Mugler find
• Fashion Butter: The cheater’s way to sew a new dress
• grechen blogs: fashion blogger bashing is everyone’s favorite sport lately…why do fashion bloggers make such easy targets?
• Handmade and Fabulous: A handmade label’s take on summer trends
• Holier than Now: Fans of Couture Week (wink)
• Independent Fashion Bloggers: Why Fashion Bloggers Should Invest in Problogger
• La Chanelfile: Astrology and Haute Couture
• MoMo Mod: Modest Beauty: Meet Miriam
• Stylish Distractions: 6 great reads for aspiring fashionistas
• Stylish Thought: Great tips for channeling your masculine side
• Sugar and Spice: Building a capsule wardrobe
• Sweet Fancy Treat: Wardrobe inspiration from Florence + The Machine
• The Fashion Planner: Rhinestone bracelet D.I.Y.
• The Very Subjective: The Couture Thing: fashion critics vs. couture
• The Well-Appointed Catwalk: Highlights from Couture Week
• Twitch Vintage: Can you turn a bridesmaid dress into something chic?

Related posts:

1. Independent Fashion Bloggers Links a la Mode: July 1 Again, I’m super-happy to have been chosen as a part...
2. Independent Fashion Bloggers: Links a la mode I am so honored to have had my post on...
3. Independent Fashion Bloggers: Links a la mode May 6 Once again, I’m so proud to have been chosen as...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

It seems to be everyone’s favorite sport of late…bashing fashion bloggers. There’s definitely a certain amount of poking fun at ourselves that we can (and should) take, but when the comments & insults get personal, that’s another story.

The guys at Le Petit Echo Malade, for example, are original, HILARIOUS, and harmless, all while they totally making fun of fashion bloggers…Nati Hell from Fashion Bloggers, Why? (found via Confessions of a Fashion Editor) is just mean; her blog is filled with vitriol and personal attacks. Sadly, running across a blog like this is nothing surprising, or new, I mean one of the things girls do best is be nasty to other girls…

Obviously people who leave rude & negative comments and/or write blogs dedicated to being nasty don’t deserve much of our time, but they’re also hard to ignore. I have really never received many negative comments on Grechen’s Closet to outfit posts, but I did recently, and it definitely affected me. I deleted the comment, and moved on, but I was shaken by it for a little while. It’s always easier to tell people to ignore nasty comments than it is to do it…and obviously, I’m in favor of removing comments from your blog completely if they get out of hand. It’s YOUR blog, and you don’t have to subject yourself to others’ pettiness.

Nevertheless, it’s an interesting phenomenon, fashion blogger bashing, but we do make easy targets…

Why? Because…

1. we put ourselves out there – we’re personal, and we post head to toe pictures nearly every day.
2. it takes guts to post pictures of yourself online. you have to have the confidence to do it, first, and second, to be able to withstand the inevitable negative comments you’ll get as a result. and it’s exactly that confidence that really pisses some people off. why? because they don’t have it.
3. let’s face it, sometimes the poses are funny
4. and finally – fashion is ALWAYS an easy target. if you love fashion, you’re stupid & frivolous…blah blah blah. that’s a tired, old argument. but it will always be that way I’m afraid. the world is made up of 2 types of people: those who love fashion and those who don’t. and those who don’t really really really don’t understand those who do.

I fully respect anyone who posts pictures with personal stories & reflections on their blogs – it’s not an easy thing to do, and there are WAY more people out there who appreciate it and enjoy it, than there are who hate it. Nothing should stop you doing what you love; definitely not cattiness & jealousy.

What do you do when you receive a negative comment on your blog? or when you run across a negative blog or forum? do you ignore it & move on quickly or do you write a response?

Related posts:

1. fashion blogger bashing: part two As a follow-up to her original post on Confessions of...
2. Are you a Fashion Blogger, Style Blogger or Shopping Blogger? Does it really matter? Can all these niches: personal style,...
3. nurturing a local fashion community I loved this article/interview by Brooke Mooreland of Fashism because...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Again, I’m super-happy to have been chosen as a part of IFB’s Links last week – check out the other amazing reads below:

• Awakened Aesthetic: On Independence Day, we’re told to “buy American.” This eco girl is telling you to think twice.
• Bonne Vie discusses online auction sites; Are they frauds or a fair gamble?
• Cake Not Coke: Venus William’s Daring on the Court Fashions…
• Dedicated Follower of Fashion: Interview with Actor/Activist: Adrian Grenier & TV Producer: Peter Glatzer creators of SHIFT, and eco fashion media platform.
• Dramatis Personae: What’s so Dazzling about Shoe Dazzle?
• fête á fête: Atelier Cologne – new French luxe fragrance house.
• Grechen Blogs: do you read blogs about blogging? do you find the helpful? are the relevant to the fashion blogging community?
• haute.halifax: A review of several collections inspired by women of the G8 by local Nova Scotian designers
• (IT Hunter): ‘Alice Springs’ pseudonym used by June Newton, Helmut Newton’s wife, to sign her photos first international retrospective
• Miss Jones & Me: Boyfriend Booty
• Ode to Awe: After months of being unable to locate them online, Japan’s Transvestite brand is found
• Oranges & Apples: Is it worth buying more expensive nail polish?
• Pixie in Pumps: My take on jewelry storage, creative but not cluttered or tacky.
• Profresh Style: Daily Makeup Routine!
• Retro Chick: The meaning of Vintage
• Return to Sender: I Like Being Fat
• Speak Femme:While rummaging around in my grandmother’s sewing room, I found the most amazing guide to sewing and style, courtesy of Vogue.
• Sugar & Spice: To Friendship
• The Coveted: Pull up a chair, we’re flipping through Elle’s Music Issue
• The Curvy Fashionista: What do you do when your shoes do not fit? Opt for a custom pair with Jen+Kim Shoes!

Related posts:

1. Independent Fashion Bloggers: Links a la mode I am so honored to have had my post on...
2. Independent Fashion Bloggers: Links a la mode May 6 Once again, I’m so proud to have been chosen as...
3. LINKS À LA MODE: THE IFB WEEKLY ROUNDUP : JULY 15TH I’m part of the super-awesome group of bloggers chosen to...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

This is kind of random, but thanks to a comment from a reader on a previous post, I wanted to add a really fabulous blog to my google reader, and since I use Chrome as my browser, there’s no RSS symbol in the URL bar to simply click on to capture the RSS feed. Weird. Maybe I’m missing something, but I can’t find an RSS feed for that blog anywhere. And I don’t want to subscribe via e-mail – my preference is simply RSS so I can go through my reader at various times during the day (usually when I’m eating LOL).

Anyway, I’ve always tried to make my RSS feed VERY easily accessible on my sites, without even really thinking that much about why – I’ve always had the RSS symbol in the URL bar in Firefox, making it disturbingly easy. Yes, I know that I can copy the URL and enter it in my Google reader and it will find the feed, but sometimes, that’s just too much work.

The idea with your blog is to make it as EASY as possible for readers to find exactly what they’re looking for, whatever that is. Your twitter, facebook and contact information should be prominent, they should easily be able to subscribe (via whatever method), and a search bar should be in your sidebar, or somewhere else REALLY easy to see. Make a reader jump through too many hoops to get the information they want, and they may not come back.

Anyway, what I do is make a subscribe page for each of my blogs with information on how to subscribe via e-mail and just using the RSS feed, if I have a newsletter, I add the subscription box there too. I link to the subscribe page from the byline of each post (along with my twitter & facebook links), and in the navigation bar at the top of every page. In some cases, I put the RSS link or subscribe link in a box at the end of every post also…I love subscribers – they’re sticky

What do you do to capture subscribers?

Related posts:

1. how do you read your favorite blogs? (I know many of you probably do a combination of...
2. affiliate marketing tips for fashion bloggers: direct product links & SID I had a brief twitter discussion with @ashemischief yesterday about...
3. how NOT to make money online Sometimes I hate that you can make money blogging. My...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

but I am SO TIRED of blogs about blogging. I removed every single blog about blogging (including ProBlogger) from my Google reader because I was sick of seeing articles like: “how to get 50 million new RSS readers overnight” and “make billions on your blog.” Right, so I exaggerate a little, but you know what I mean don’t you? I went through a phase when I was reading tons of articles and websites about blogging, SEO, marketing, site design, and even bought a few ebooks (gasp!) but I came to the conclusion that they’re all FULL OF SHIT. Pardon the expletive, but I’m now of the firm belief that

you CAN and WILL be successful with your blog if you write about what you are passionate about, feature original content, engage with your readers, and treat it seriously – like a business if you want it to make you money.

It also takes time.

There’s no secret to blogging successfully, and I’m not sure it can be taught. I started grechenblogs because I was getting questions about how I make money from my blogs and wanted to address them on a larger scale. I also wanted to talk about my own experiences and what I learned from them, in an effort to help others. And, I really, really, really like to talk

What blogs about blogging do you read? Do you find them helpful?

Related posts:

1. why shouldn’t fashion bloggers make money blogging? I’m asking. I’d love for someone to tell me why...
2. Where do you want to go with your blog? I was talking about success yesterday with a friend over...
3. There are no short cuts to success on the Internet I know I have said this frequently, but something this...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

I’ve been posting outfits online since 2004 on Grechen’s Closet. Not every single outfit every single day – just the ones I felt were post-worthy, or featuring something interesting. I never set out for Grechen’s Closet to be strictly a place where I posted outfits; it was a shopping & fashion magazine, with a designer directory, coupon codes, “where to buy” section and lots more, including outfit posts. Over the years, though, the outfits posts became a favorite on the website, and when I stop posting for a while, my visitors notice.

And while I mostly only post outfits I think reflect “the best me,” and more “dressed-up” shots, I don’t shy away from posting the outfits I walk the dog in, or wear around the house. Grechen’s Closet is all me, and I try to show all sides. It’s not easy to do this all the time, especially now, when I’m not feeling that great about the changes I have put my body through (moving stress + great restaurants in Austin = lots of extra lbs.), but I’ve started posting outfit pictures again, and my readers appreciate that I do.

Anyway, I feel like it’s a discussion lately in the blogosphere whether or not bloggers should post outfits every day – of everything, not just “perfect” outfits – or just post their “best” looks. Ultimately, it’s up to the blogger of course, but I think a variety of outfits/looks is nice and really shows more of the whole person, not just the side she wants to show.

My sister and I were talking about this yesterday on our 8-hour car trip to Florida together…she is a mommy-blogger and wants to start talking more about fashion & style to work on creating better looks for herself, but she’s not sure people want to see everything; the good, the bad, and the ugly. I told her that people DO want to see all that, and then challenged her to post our “car” outfits at the end of the day. Which we did.

What do you think? as a blogger do you feel comfortable posting your “everyday” outfits, or do you just post your “dressed-up” outfits? Do you post your REAL outfits? or do you sometimes change after you snap a picture? Do you “exaggerate” your outfits just for pictures? Do you believe you have to post everyday? Or do you only post when you have something interesting to wear? as a blog reader, do you like to see more of a variety of outfits? or are you disappointed when the blogger doesn’t stick strictly to the type of style you’re used to seeing?

Related posts:

1. Are you a Fashion Blogger, Style Blogger or Shopping Blogger? Does it really matter? Can all these niches: personal style,...
2. Where do you want to go with your blog? I was talking about success yesterday with a friend over...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

I’ve been searching for a new camera. My old Nikon Coolpix s7c has served me well for the last 6 or so years, but it’s time for something better. It will be a while before I can get a new camera, but I’m leaning towards a Nikon DSLR. Why? because my dad has one of the new ones, and his pictures are PHENOMENAL. But then, do I really want to lug around a huge camera with me all the time? Or is a compact digital camera sufficient for my needs?

Anyway, I found this article from the NY Times interesting this morning – it ranges from Todd Selby using his iPhone for lots of his pictures, to Michael from Continuous Lean using a Leica because it’s the best looking

What kind of camera do you use to take pictures for your blog?

Related posts:

1. Outfit posts: everyday? or just when you look good? I’ve been posting outfits online since 2004 on Grechen’s Closet....

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.