I wrote this post to help educated non-affiliate-marketing bloggers on what they need to consider if they choose to affiliate marketing to monetize their content, but you're absolutely right: It does depend on the blog's niche. And an affiliate marketing blog just might be the exception from the rule.

You idea about listing your affiliate programs on the disclosure page, moreover, is a great one! That way you can capitalize not only on end-users who want to purchase a product, but on referring other webmasters who are interested in the programs that you trust and participate in. It's a good multi-tier affiliate marketing strategy.

I think it depends upon the blog's niche. Don't you?

For example, on Shawn's blog, or mine, I think it's obvious when we are promoting via affiliate links.

On other types of blogs, it may be less obvious and the readers may not be as aware of affiliate marketing, so perhaps a disclosures page would be a good idea.

I try to let people know that I make my living via affiliate marketing so they'll expect links through which I get paid.

So, I was going to say that I didn't think that I needed a disclosures page on my blog, but it may be a good idea for a couple of reasons.

1. As you noted, it makes the blog and what I am doing more transparent so there is no question that I get paid for sales resulting from my promotional links.

2. It gives me another page to link to all the companies I represent (using an affiliate link, of course) and to where my readers can join the affiliate program for that company, which would be especially useful for two-tier and multi-tier affiliate programs. That would make it more-or-less a directory page for all the affiliate programs I'm promoting, and even give room to tell why I'm promoting it.

At the same time, I may even add another section to the page where I can list affiliate programs I'm not promoting with a short explanation of why not. I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.

I haven't made up my mind, but I'm going to consider this idea more fully.

Act on your dream!

JD

I do think certain blogs need a disclosure. Many of them refer so many services and products that it isn't always clear whether they actually use them or if they are just trying to make a quick buck.

As you probably know, Shoemoney has a disclaimer page, and he used to link to in posts, but doesn't any longer. What's important, though, is that this page is still accessible through the top menu on his site. I think that this is a reasonable substitute for linking it at the end of the post, because that's where users' eyes are going to wander if they want to investigate a blogger's credentials, etc.

But Shoemoney is different because he's an affiliate blogger. For most bloggers who are passionate about their niche interests, I advise them to disclose so that they don't compromise their reputation as a relatively objective source of information in that niche.

Granted, many bloggers probably don't disclose that they're promoting the products they're talking about, and most of those probably don't get outed. But I can't, in good conscience, recommend that anyone take that approach because (1) there's always the chance they'll get outed, and (2) I feel it goes against the spirit of blogging.

Can you share some examples of blogs that are doing this?