The affiliate thing

Some time back another blogger offered to give me assistance in learning how to improve the number of visitors to my blog and, among other things, mentioned affiliates.

I’ve tried the affiliate thing before, with books, and never found it very satisfactory. Expecting people to click on a title because they happen to see it in a post, and then to go and buy it, isn’t something that works on this kind of blog. If this was a blog where books where the feature, and I focused on doing reviews, perhaps, of books, then it might go better.

Of course you still have to have the visitors.

I’ve just come across a site that connects you up with as a different kind of affiliate: casinos online. Quite apart from the fact that my blog doesn’t really focus on casinos, as I can’t justify them as being part of the art scene (!), casino affiliate programs, however good they may be in terms of profit, aren’t something that I want to get involved in.

I don’t have much time for the casino world; it preys on human beings’ worst instincts, and invariably lets them down. To play in a casino you have to be like James Bond in the latest movie: you get your cash from someone else and you gamble on it how you like. That he wins in the movie is probably sheer chance. There was nothing to stop him (apart from the fact that he’s the hero) going down big time. It was just as possible for the villain to come out on top!

So I don’t think I’ll be joining up as an affiliate of online casinos, however tempting the prospect may be. For instance, on their site they show how the word casino, which I’ve used so far seven times in this post, could bring me in the sum of $628.00. Roulette could bring me in $1095. Sounds great, but is that what people read this blog for? I think not.