Affiliates Are Not Dead—But We Need to Change Our Approach

Author: Tamara Kelly
Designer and crochet instructor Tamara Kelly is the creator of Moogly Blog, the author of Quick Crochet for the Home, and a leading industry expert.

We’ve invited Tamara to share the lessons she’s learned from growing Moogly into a go-to resource for makers worldwide. Her insights are a must-read for anyone looking to build authentic, long-term success—especially in the evolving world of affiliate marketing.

Take it away, Tamara...

Have you heard the rumors? “Affiliate Marketing is dead,” they say. “There’s no point in using affiliate links.” And they are wrong.

The old tricks might be failing, but affiliate marketing is here to stay. It’s just grown, evolved, and changed—like everything else we do online. So it’s time to reapproach affiliate marketing from new angles, with new ideas and perspectives.

We need to shift from short-term wins to long-term, trust-based content. Let’s look at what’s changed and how we can make it work in our favor in today’s digital landscape.

When affiliate marketing took off in the 2000s and 2010s, it was a lot like social media in general. All you had to do was share a post, or throw a few affiliate links up on your blog. Link drops and product roundups meant instant income. You put up the link, they click, and voila! Job well done.

But now, things are starting to get a bit more complicated. No longer do social media posts reach your entire audience. And if the platform thinks you’re selling too much or being too promotional, they will squash your reach. Search engines are smarter, and AI is delivering answers before links.

And readers? They are more savvy and discerning than ever! They know how affiliate marketing works—which can work both for and against us.

As we spend more and more time online, we spend more and more time being sold to. Ads are everywhere, and we can feel overwhelmed by this constant barrage. Stuffing posts with links, vaguely mentioning a bunch of products, and overloading your audience isn’t just ineffective. It’s annoying. And if you're inauthentic? They can smell it a mile away.

Of course, the search engines are right there too. Search engines like Google penalize low-value, over-optimized content. Just like you can have too many instances of a keyword or SEO phrase, they can sniff out too many affiliate links as well.

On social media, real engagement is the priority of most algorithms. People are looking to interact with creators they trust - they aren’t looking for even more ads.

Too much, too many, too spammy—if you lose your audience’s trust, you’ll have a hard time getting it back.

Step 1: Play the Long Game

So now it’s time for the good news—affiliate marketing still works, and it works well! But you can’t just drop and go—you need to think long term.

You may have heard the adage that an audience needs to see something seven times before they decide on a purchase. This means that every sale is based on a relationship that has been built up over time, either with that product, or with the person who is telling them about it.

As you nurture this relationship, you are building trust. You are sharing useful information and showing your expertise and authenticity. Some great ways to do this include:

• Tell Stories: Share how you actually use the product—the more real, the better!

• Create Evergreen Content: Teach others how to use the product, in a tutorial or review. Both videos and blog posts can be referenced for years!

• Be Consistent: Don’t just mention a product once and move on. Keep showing it, and keep helping others see how useful it can be. 

Over time, you want your audience to see that you enjoy and trust the product, and show them that they can trust you. 

Step 2: Think Outside the Box

Affiliate marketing can be tricky in that you need to review and be cognizant of the rules that each affiliate has set out. Some companies have strict rules about where you can place their links.

But that doesn’t mean you are stuck with just your blog and the occasional Facebook post. Look for affiliate links that you can use in:

• YouTube video descriptions

• Pinterest pins

• Instagram Stories

• Email newsletters

• Evergreen resources on your site

• Class materials

Not sure what’s allowed? Reach out to the affiliate manager! Their job is to work with you to promote their products, and they are often willing to create new images and resources for you when you need them.

The key is to make it easy for your audience to find the right info at the right time. When they have decided to buy, or have seen it in action, make it easy for them to click! 

The secret is making the product fit naturally within your content, and to do so often. The more places people see you using it, the more likely they are to click and buy. 

Step 3: Be Honest, and Be Picky

There are so many products out there. All clamoring for our attention and our promotion. But that doesn’t mean they belong in your content. 

• What do you really love?

• Would you use it even if there was no commission? Or if you had to buy it?

• Do you actually use it? Or is it just pretty on a shelf?

Authenticity starts with honesty. People can feel when you are just saying the words. And they know when they are being sold to. 

You want to aim for the role of trusted friend and crafty advisor. Which means you need to be real and build trust by always disclosing your affiliate links. Your audience doesn’t mind you earning a commission, but they do mind being sold to in a sneaky or pushy way.

Step 4: More Tactics For Success

While the big picture is on authenticity and relationships, there are still some tricks that can come in handy!

Use Link Shorteners (as needed): Some affiliate links are super long and may look spammy or confusing to readers.

Refresh Content Regularly: One downside to affiliate links is that they do tend to break or stop working over time. Affiliates move, and product listing URLs change. Be sure to go back and update old posts with current links. This is particularly important on those evergreen posts and demos!

Look for Exclusive Deals and Bonuses: Again, reach out to the affiliate manager! Ask them for exclusive offers for your readers, or if there are any special deals coming up you can let them know about right away. It’s a great way to initiate contact with a company whose products you love - and start another trusted and valuable relationship.

Regular Reminders: Make sure that your affiliate resources are easy to find and that people know where to find them. Find that sweet spot between “what was that again?” and “would you stop talking about it already!” Remember—none of your readers see ALL of your posts!

Analyze What’s Working: As you try new things and share new products, be sure to take a look at your affiliate dashboard. What links are converting? Where is the traffic coming from? What content is driving the most engagement? Is it the same thing that was working last year, or is it time to mix things up?

There are so many ways to be successful with affiliate links right now. From specialized blogs to TikTok reviews, it is still possible to build an income with content that is authentic, useful, and intentional.

It’s not a get rich quick scheme, and it’s not “passive income”—you need to put in the work. But it can be a consistent income stream if you approach it as a relationship with your audience, and honor their trust.

• Choose your affiliate partners wisely.

• Don’t overdo it and don’t hide it—be intentional with your shares.

• Always disclose and be transparent with your audience.

• Refresh your content periodically and check for expired links. 

• Give your audience a reason to trust you, and a reason to click. 

Affiliate marketing isn’t dead. It’s just grown and changed with the rest of the internet. Now, instead of chasing clicks, we can build communities with authenticity and intention. Play the long game, stay true to your own brand, and serve your audience first. That’s where you’ll find success.


Curious about Tamara Kelly’s designs? Explore some of her popular patterns:

• Spring Cellar Sweater

• Cat Squish

• Odds & Ends Shawl