And Now a Word from Our Sponsor

 

Yesterday’s featured design officially went live, and that got me thinking about something I’ve been wrestling with lately.

If you’ve been following Around Dusty Roads for a while, you’ve probably noticed a few changes. There are affiliate links here and there, and now there’s Dusty Roads Mercantile with its growing collection of t-shirts, mugs, totes, and other designs.

Like many bloggers and creators, I’ve been looking for ways to earn a little something from the time and effort that goes into creating content. That’s not a secret, nor do I think it should be. Servers cost money. Websites take time. Research, writing, photography, and editing all happen long before a post ever appears on your screen.

Still, there is a line I don’t want to cross. 

Over the years, I’ve watched creators launch stores, recommend products, and develop side businesses. Many have done it well. Others have not. In one case, I followed a creator whose videos and content I genuinely enjoyed. Then, little by little, every post became a sales pitch. Every video was promoting something. Every update felt like a commercial.

Eventually, I stopped following.

The content that brought me there in the first place had become secondary to the sales message.

That experience has stayed with me.

Around Dusty Roads has been around since 2011. It has taken different forms over the years, but its purpose has remained the same. It’s a place to share travel stories, history, photographs, odd discoveries, local adventures, and whatever happens to catch my attention on a particular day.

The affiliate links and merchandise are additions to that journey. They are not the reason for it.

Do I hope Dusty Roads Mercantile eventually sells a few shirts, mugs, or tote bags? Of course I do.

Would I be thrilled if someone used one of my affiliate links and helped support the site? Absolutely.

But I don’t want every post to become an advertisement.

My plan is to keep promotional content limited and intentional. A weekly design feature, an occasional merchandise update, or a rare “And Now a Word from Our Sponsor” on a WMEO post seems reasonable. Beyond that, I’d rather focus on the stories, photos, history, travel, and random curiosities that brought us together in the first place.

The challenge, of course, is finding the right balance.

Recently, I saw a creator discussing the difficulty of getting her work seen on social media. She spoke about declining reach and the frustration that comes from pouring your heart into a creative project only to watch fewer people discover it. I imagine that must be incredibly discouraging.

Getting the word out matters. Building trust matters. Letting people know what you’re creating matters.

But so does respecting your audience.

So here’s my promise.

I’ll continue looking for ways to support and grow Around Dusty Roads without turning it into a nonstop sales platform. If I ever start drifting too far in that direction, I hope you’ll tell me. Honest feedback is one of the things I value most about this community.

After all, this blog has never been about selling things.

It’s always been about sharing the road.

And now, having delivered my sponsored message, let’s get back to our regularly scheduled adventures. 😊