I warn affiliate marketers on this site, in the Super Affiliate Handbook and at Affiliate Blogger PRO NOT to use free hosting services for a variety of reasons.
Still, some insist on doing so despite the warnings.
In case you are one of those who thinks a free blog is too good a deal to pass up and you're preparing to set up your blog on WordPress.com – here is one good reason NOT to do so, straight from the horse's mouth, aka. WordPress.com.
Blogs that violate our advertising policy or fall into one of the following categories are not allowed on WordPress.com:
Affiliate marketing blogs: Blogs with the primary purpose of driving traffic to affiliate programs and get-rich-quick schemes (“Make six figures from home!!â€, “20 easy steps to top profits!!â€, etc). This includes multi-level marketing (MLM) blogs and pyramid schemes. To be clear, people writing their own original book, movie or game reviews and linking them to Amazon, or people linking to their own products on Etsy do NOT fall into this category.
In the WordPress.com Support Forums, they specify that only blogs with BIG traffic numbers or VIP blogs may be exempted from this rule.
Here is another quote from the WordPress.com site:
In addition to AdSense-type ads, please do not use the following services on your blog: sponsored / paid posts including PayPerPost, ReviewMe, and Smorty; affiliate / referral links to the following domains: usercash, clickbank, clickhop, cashrocks, payingcash; clicktrackers (and any similar) and any promotion of the “I made a million on the internet and so can you†type of advertising (i.e. MLM, network marketing, cash gifting, etc.). Paid or sponsored post content is also prohibited. Please check our page on types of blogs for more information about what content is and isn’t welcome on WordPress.com.
OK, so what happens if you decide to ‘try it anyway'?
Well, during my interview with Denise Griffitts, she mentioned that she had a WordPress.com blog that consisted of almost 200 pages and a year's worth of work.
What happened to that blog?
Because she had two affiliate links on that site, it was shut down and Denise did NOT have the option of reclaiming her lost material.
So… word to the wise.
If you want to make money online as an affiliate – register a domain and set up an account with a reputable hosting service.
Don't risk your hard work, money and your affiliate business for the sake of a couple of bucks.
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Cheers,
