A local farmer sells meat to private buyers. This farmer, trained in the Puddle Glum School of Marketing, calls my friend and says, “I don’t suppose you want to buy a ______ (insert animal).” I understand that farmer. I lasted three days selling Amway.
I prefer to use the word marketing in the sense of active purchasing of goods. Marketing implies a plan and a purpose; get in, get out, get the job done. It is the opposite of shopping, which evokes mindless wandering around a mall just for the joy of listening to toddlers scream and — and — hanging out.
But this post is about the kind of marketing that sells ideas. Because I want to persuade you to spend your money in a way that helps others.
If you buy stuff from Amazon.com you ought to consider each purchase as an opportunity to boost a blogger. Did you know that you could be a blessing? All you have to do, regardless of what you are buying, is enter through a certain link on a blog.
Can I show you what I mean?
Go visit my friend Di. Over on the right hand column under Current List are images. Move your mouse over the camera (or the CD cover or the book) and look at the bottom of the page at the web address for that Amazon item. Do you see at the far right of the address acircleofquiet-20? That means that Di is an Amazon Associate and she will get a tiny, tiny percentage of your order. And you pay the same amount you would normally pay to purchase a neato-cool thingamagig at Amazon.
declared Thomas Chalmers, a mathematician and theologian
who convinced the poor people of Glasgow to save a pence a week
and built schools and churches with the money collected.
Some bloggers are straight up and ask people to buy through them. Other shy folk post links and hope something comes of it. If you know what to look for (you are looking for a tag that contains or ends with a name, usually the name of the blog, followed by -20) you can be sure that every time you buy something from Amazon, you help out a friend. Another tidbit – an Associate’s own purchases don’t count towards the tiny, tiny percentage. My policy is to help someone else each time I make a purchase.
Here are bloggers I read who would appreciate a boost from you:
Cindy at Dominion Family
Carmon at Buried Treasure
Sherry at Semicolon
Ann at Holy Experience of Listening
Brenda at Coffee Tea Books and Me
Kristen at This Classical Life
Mel at Actual Unretouched Photo
Amy at Amy’s Humble Musings
M. at Mental Multivitamin
Barbara at Mommy Life
And….aw, shucks…me!
I am very excited about my most recent purchase at Amazon, ESV Literary Study Bible. I pre-ordered the leather bound edition which is due to be shipped to me March 3. Salivating, that’s what I’m doing. And, if you have bought things through my links in the past, I do thank you. Thank you very much.
A Living Pencil 
Hey, Carol, could you add me to the list? I’ve been an Amazon associate for about two years now and have never earned one cent.One thing folks need to do is to put the item in their carts from the blogger’s link. If they leave the page and come back, the item doesn’t count.
Oh, you’ll love your Literary Study Bible! It’s great!
I’ve always wondered how that all works. Thanks for the great information. I shall try my very hardest next time I buy on Amazon to remember this.
Thanks for explaining how that works…. I didnt know.
@sweetbriarpatch – Lynne, I added you to the list. Have you checked your links? I checked your place last night and didn’t see a link on the first book mentioned in your blog. Message me or email me if you have questions. Thanks, Carol
Thanks for including me! With my old account, I never earned anything and gave up, I’m giving it another go…
Carol, thanks for checking! I just checked the link to Norms & Nobility at the bottom of that post and the link includes my associate code. I usually use Amazon’s shorter link widget, the one that uses the isbn.What are you not seeing? The picture wasn’t a link to the book.
@sweetbriarpatch – I see it now! I was looking at the *first* mention of the book in the first sentence. I’m still trying to figure out how to link through pictures without the ugly box and price.
I decided to put my links at the bottom of my posts in an effort to reduce the distraction and temptation for readers to click through and not finish. My small contribution to fighting the dumbing-down effects of the internet. 8-D
Thanks, Carol. You know, I have never once gotten any money through the associates feedback program either. Maybe I am linking wrong, or maybe it does take a stronger message from a blogger. Fortunately, that’s not the point of my blogging. It would be rather discouraging if it was (-: Plus when my brain draws a blank and my blog goes dark for a week or two, it would be stressful instead of a break. “My people…my income…my people….my income.” (-:Happy Tuesday to you,Di
Why can I never remember these things when I do order from Amazon? Thanks for the reminder and the how-to.I’ve been considering asking for this new ESV Literary Study Bible for my birthday :)Can’t wait to see what you think.
@ACircleofQuiet – Well I’m befuddled, because I know I’ve ordered books through your links. Go into the reports and see what you find. If you want cash, you have to earn $100 (?) before they will cut a check. If you will take a gift certificate I think the amount is only $15. But you have to sign up for that.What I’d love to know, my dear friend, is how you get pictures on your blog without the Search Inside arrow. You have the classiest eye without those intruding arrows! (grin)
@Sherry – I’ll let you know when I get it! I’m very excited about it.