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Affiliate Disclosure

Transparency is important to us. Empathy First Media may engage in affiliate marketing, which means we may earn commissions on products or services that we recommend and that you purchase through special links on our website. This Affiliate Disclosure explains our affiliate relationships so you can understand when and how we might be compensated.

What is an Affiliate Link? An affiliate link is a unique URL that tracks a referral from our site to a third-party product or service. When you click on an affiliate link on empathyfirstmedia.com (or related communications from us) and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission or referral fee from the vendor as a thank-you, at no extra cost to you.The price you pay remains the same as if you had visited the site directly; our commission is paid by the merchant (the company selling the product).

Our Philosophy on Recommendations: We only affiliate ourselves with products, tools, or services that we have personally used, tested, or thoroughly researched and genuinely believe will provide value to our audience. Our credibility is paramount, and we do not let compensation sway our opinions. In plain terms: we recommend it because it’s good, not because we get paid. Any compensation is a byproduct of a good recommendation, not the reason for it.

For example, if we link to a web hosting service or a marketing software and mark it as an affiliate link, you can trust that we either use that service for our own business or have vetted it carefully. We will never recommend something solely for a commission.

Compliance with FTC Guidelines: We make sure to disclose affiliate links clearly in our content in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s guidelines. Typically, you will see a disclosure statement at the top of blog posts or near the relevant content indicating something like: “This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you.” or a similar clear statement. Additionally, we might mark the actual link or button with a notation (e.g., an asterisk or “(aff)”).

We ensure that any such disclosure is clear, conspicuous, and in close proximity to the endorsement. We won’t bury it in a Terms and Conditions link or in fine print only. The disclosure will be in the same language as the content (English).

Examples of Affiliate Programs We Participate In:

No Extra Cost to You: To reiterate, using our affiliate links does not cost you anything extra. In fact, in some cases, we might be able to offer discount codes or special deals through our affiliate partnerships that could save you money. If such codes or deals exist, we’ll highlight them so you benefit as well.

Affiliate Relationships Do Not Influence Content: We maintain editorial independence. If a product is good, we’ll say so. If it has flaws, we’ll mention those too. We often review or compare tools; affiliate status does not affect our evaluations. If anything, we might be harsher because we want to ensure we only earn commission on truly worthwhile items.

Sponsored Content vs Affiliate Links: Affiliate links are one form of monetization. We might occasionally have sponsored content (where a company pays us to write about something). If so, we will label sponsored posts or sections clearly as such. Being paid upfront for a post (sponsorship) is separate from affiliate commissions (which depend on your actions). We commit to transparency for both. This disclosure primarily addresses affiliate links, but we wanted to clarify the difference.

Our Responsibility: We cannot guarantee that products purchased via affiliate links will meet your expectations (we hope they do!). Any issues or concerns with a product should be directed to the product’s vendor or support. However, we appreciate feedback—if you have a poor experience with something we recommended, let us know. It may cause us to reevaluate our recommendation.

Your Responsibility: It’s ultimately your responsibility to decide whether to purchase a product. Please do your own due diligence as well. Don’t just take our word for it—consider other reviews and your specific needs. Also, ensure you understand any terms, warranties, or return policies from the vendor.

Affiliate Cookies: When you click an affiliate link, a cookie will be set in your browser to track that referral. If you come back and purchase later (within a certain timeframe), we still get credit. The length of this window (cookie duration) varies by program (could be 24 hours for Amazon, up to 30 days or more for others). If you prefer not to use our affiliate links, you can search for the product independently. But if you do use them, we appreciate the support as it helps us keep providing free content and resources.

Examples in Content:

List of Typical Affiliate Partners (non-exhaustive):

Affiliate Program Terms: We adhere to the terms of each affiliate program we join. For example, Amazon disallows certain phrases like “Amazon Prime is great – click here” without proper wording; we ensure compliance to maintain our standing.

Independence of Reviews: If we review a product that is terrible, we will either: not become an affiliate of it at all, or if we are an affiliate by chance, we will still share the truth and likely discontinue promoting it. Our trust with our audience outweighs any quick commission.

Questions or Clarifications: We invite you to contact us if you have any questions about our affiliations or how we make money. You can reach us at [email protected] or the general contact. We value being open about these matters.

By interacting with our recommendations, you have a right to know we might be compensated, and now you do. Thank you for supporting Empathy First Media by trusting our recommendations and using our affiliate links – it enables us to continue creating valuable free content.

Last Updated: April 2025