You can use affiliate links on Medium, and you get the steps to do it without losing a story or a commission. That covers the rules, the disclosure wording, the best story types, and tracking.
Medium's Rules allow affiliate links when you tell readers about them. Medium also bans spam, third party ads, and affiliate marketing dressed up as product reviews.
Three Layers Every Link Must Pass
Your link has to pass the affiliate program, Medium, and the Federal Trade Commission. The strictest layer wins.
Amazon Associates defines your Site as a website, social media user-generated content, an app, or an Alexa skill. It does not name Medium, so add your Medium profile address to your account first.
Amazon also bars cloaked links and typed prices. A paywalled story is not open to every reader, so keep Amazon-linked stories free.
Amazon pays no commission on a purchase by a customer who reached Amazon through an ad you bought. Paying to promote a tagged story is a poor plan.
What Medium Allows And Bans
Medium's Rules say affiliate links, such as a link to Amazon with your affiliate code, are allowed if you disclose them. Third party advertising and sponsorships are not allowed.
Spam includes content posted mainly to drive traffic to an outside site. Repeated promotion through responses counts too, and spam is removed without notice.
The suspension list names affiliate marketing in the guise of product reviews. Honest stories with a few labeled links are on safe ground.
Medium also bars misleading tags, links, and titles. Do not write a title that promises one thing while the link sends readers somewhere else.
Medium publishes no cap on links per story. Use only as many as help the reader.
Disclose Near The Link
An affiliate commission is a financial relationship, so the FTC wants a disclosure next to the recommendation. Medium says a footer sentence can do it, but treat that as the minimum.
Try a line like "I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post." The FTC says paid link next to a link can work, while commissionable link probably does not.
How-to stories and honest buying guides fit best. Add Amazon's own line too if you use Amazon. The statement is "As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases."
Put each link beside the sentence that explains why the product helps.
Partner Program, Tracking, And An Example
The Partner Program pays for member reading on paywalled stories. A read counts after 30 seconds, and reads from non-members add nothing.
Misuse can mean removal without an appeal.
Medium pays no commission for clicks, because that comes from your affiliate program. Track views, clicks, orders, and commission weekly, and give each test four weeks.
Here is an example with invented numbers. Maya published three stories in six weeks.
Her free guide got 612 views, 46 clicks, and 4 orders for $9.
Her locked story earned $2 in commission and $7 from the Partner Program. Her total was $18.
Medium allows affiliate links when you disclose them and follow the program and FTC rules. A safer path is a complete story that links to your own site, where the affiliate links and full disclosure live.
Start small. Publish one honest story and track it for four weeks.
Visit blogsepaise.com/affiliate-links-on-medium for the detailed information.
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