I'm not just a blog author; I'm a blog reader. When I visit a blog and take the time to read an article, not just scan it, I expect to know by the end of it whether it's a sponsored post or not. A site wide disclosure policy won't tell me that. There are only three ways to tell me it's a sponsored post:

  • It's obvious that the content is different than what you normally write about. Some content is even more obvious like articles about loans, mortgages or credit cards.
  • You filed it under a sponsored posts category.
  • You placed an "in post" disclosure.

I have a site wide disclosure policy in place. It covers sponsored posts, text link ads, and any form of advertising on the blog, but it doesn't point anything out. That's why I use an "in post" disclosure. I want every reader to know when they're reading a sponsored post. More on that in a moment.

I've published sponsored posts for PayPerPost and Blogsvertise. Each one had an "in post" disclosure of some kind. I've purposely ignored higher paying opportunities when the sponsors required "no in post disclosure". I haven't done any for sponsoredreviews.com because it seems every sponsor there wants it left out. I haven't done any for the others I'm signed up for because, frankly, there hasn't been enough to choose from.

As a blog reader, I want to know when I'm reading a sponsored post. If it's not obvious, it's up to you to make sure it's obvious. If you don't make it obvious and I discover it's a sponsored post the hard way (by following embedded links), I'll never visit your blog again. It's that simple. I may be only one reader, but how many more readers think the same way I do? I recently visited a blog where every other post was a sponsored post. I had difficulty finding the author's original content. I wanted something, anything, to write about in one of my "blog drive-bys". The content between the sponsored posts didn't merit a mention of any kind.

As a blog author, I want my readers to know it's a sponsored post. If the product or service is worth writing about, I'm sure it's worth reading about, and whether it's a sponsored post or not shouldn't matter. Okay, so maybe a small percentage of my visitors may be turned off by it. That same percentage is the same people that will leave if they see any obvious advertising at all. There's a not-so-secret formula for retaining readers despite blatant advertising. It's called good content. If your content is good and sponsored posts only make up a fraction of your content, your readers will return. The math is pretty simple. I keep mine at 1/4 or less.

It's no secret that I'm in the process of earning enough for my next computer. Regardless of how urgent the need is, I will never compromise my principles to satisfy that need. If that day ever arrives, it will be the day I stop blogging.