Work at Home Resources, Internet Marketing, Pro Blogging

As an affiliate one of the best ways to make consistent sales is by offering your visitors honest product reviews. When people search the net, they’re looking for information. Sometimes they’re almost ready to buy the product but want to compare or just need to hear from someone who has experience with the product before purchasing it.

The best way to give unbiased, honest reviews is to purchase the product yourself and use it. This way you’ll be able to write about the product as an expert and it will come through in your writing. You’ll also be building trust with your customers.

When you give the review don’t just write about the product features. Make sure you state all the benefits of the product. Give examples of how the product has worked for you. If you can collect testimonials from others who have purchased the product and give their views on it.

And be sure to openly list the product flaws. Let’s face it, not every product is perfect. There’s always something that could be a little better.

Say you’re reviewing a certain online course and you think it’s great but wish the course included transcripts along with the audio, then say so. It doesn’t mean the product is useless, it just means it could be a little better. You can go on to say how valuable the product is that you still feel it’s very much worth it even without the transcripts.

What if the product is totally useless?

Then don’t recommend it, plain and simple. You’re in this for the long term. If you recommend a flawed product to your trusted visitors they won’t buy from you again. You’ve worked hard to build a relationship with your visitors, you’ve spent hours putting together valuable content, don’t ruin it by promoting a product you don’t’ believe in.

Be fair, be honest, and promote what you believe in and you’ll be ahead of the competition.

Originally posted 2010-01-15 11:34:00.

While there are some Blogger blogs that are earning a nice chunk of change, I have to say from personal experience, Blogger provided me with a platform on which to learn – not earn. So if you’re blogging on Blogger and not earning, it’s most likely not the writer, but the platform.

Blogger blogs are a great place to learn how to play with code, place ads, gain an audience of readers and explore the world of blogging as a whole. There does come a time when you have to just move on up or move on out.

Once you’ve played around with blogging on a free platform for a few months, you’ll be able to tell if it’s right for you or not.

Moving some of my Blogspot blogs over to WordPress and my own hosting was the wisest decision I ever made. I noticed the change from being just another writer to becoming a writer that’s taken seriously almost immediately.

There are several reasons I believe that paying for hosting and using a dot com instead of a free platform blog are key to earning money online. The top reasons for me are: Name Branding – Accountability and Earning Potential.

One of the biggest reasons for me choosing a dot com is branding. I didn’t want to brand my name or my blog to have a dot blogspot dot com extension – I wanted to be able to share my blog address with people and be proud. Having your own dot com address gives you that sense of pride and a twinge of authority.

When you remain on Blogger, you’re choosing to look like everyone else.

I truly believe when you are paying for hosting and you’ll want to recover that expense – so therein lies the sense of accountability. If you don’t write and work your blog, you might as well just flush that money. When you’re paying for the hosting, you’re more likely to actually write rather than come up with excuses not to – you’ll find ways of turning that bad day into a blog post – or that sick day into a work of art. Everything becomes about blogging and regaining that investment.

Lastly, the earning potential. Let’s think about this for a minute. If you’re an investor and your looking for ways to market your product, are you going to go for the handcrafted cardboard sign or are you going to go for the more professional looking billboard that has the bells and whistles to draw attention to your ad? Please don’t think I’m comparing all blogger blogs to cardboard signs, because I’m not. There are some blogger blogs out there that have real value and merit, but because of all the ones that are not, it’s more difficult to spot the ones who aren’t. Thereby causing the real issue here.

Investors want convenience. They don’t want to have to read 100 posts on a blogger blog to determine it’s credibility. They want to see the professionalism at first glance. That’s why your image and your brand are most important when you’re blogging for more than a hobby.

If you MUST remain on Blogger or any other free blog service, at least get your own domain name and invest in a unique template. Set yourself apart. Sure you’re writing may be incredible, but you’ve got three seconds to catch a persons eye and draw them in to even explore what you have to say!

Personally, I buy my domain names from GoDaddy and I have blogs hosted on BlueHost and Host Gator. They’re names and services I trust and find to be most user friendly.

Originally posted 2010-01-22 14:00:47.

One thing that has grown out of the economic downturn is blogs. It would make sense that people who try to gain additional revenue, or to replace lost wages would make use of whatever means are readily available to make money. Blogging platforms like WordPress, Blogger, and TypePad have seen a continual increase in the number of users setting up blog websites.

What is Blogger Outreach?

Blogger outreach is a basic service that is beneficial to both bloggers and businesses. Blogger outreach provides a way for businesses to get bloggers that welcome sponsored type connections. Businesses can waste a considerable amount of time scouring the internet for suitable partners. Blog outreach sites serve as an introduction service making it easy to identify businesses with bloggers who are receptive.

The Business Perspective of Blogger Outreach

Connecting with bloggers is an inexpensive way of gaining exposure for products or services. More than 344 million people read WordPress blogs monthly. That’s not even considering Blogger, Typepad and other blog platforms. Studies have shown the trust factor between visitors and bloggers is much higher than that of mainstream media. I think this has to do with readers being able to connect with bloggers on a level that’s up close and more personal.

Typically, Businesses wishing to gain bloggers through an outreach service experience two costs. The business will pay a fee to the blogging network, then compensates the blogger with a monetary stipend. Depending on the blogger, the blog status, and the content matter, these stipends run $20 to $100 range. In lieu of monetary compensation, some businesses provide complimentary product for the blogger to review. There are times businesses appreciate the time of bloggers enough to give complementary product and money, those are usually on a case-by-case basis.

Businesses have also seen the tremendous advantage of providing additional product that’s offered in a contest giveaway. The company receives publicity associated with the post while enjoying the bonus of natural buzz that surrounds the review and giveaway.

What businesses have realized posts on a blog remain available on searches for the life of the website. Posts sponsored today will probably be doing their job, years from now.

The Blogger’s Perspective of Blogger Outreach

Individual bloggers differ in their personal motivations for blogging. However, one thing remains the same; the majority wants to make money. When a blogger and business link, they share hopes of receiving something of value through their connection.

While bloggers may be passionate writers and ambassadors for their niche, very few spend time, energy and money into their blog as a charitable contribution to the blogosphere. Bloggers want to make money, or at least get something of value in exchange for their time and exposing businesses, products and services to their loyal readership!

If you’re a blogger interested in connecting with businesses, it can be challenging to find reputable, legitimate businesses to partner with. Blogger outreach networks reduce the challenge, by connecting bloggers with established businesses.

Similar to bloggers seeking compensation, outreach networks need to make money too. Outreach networks are marketing companies with a new age twist. Blogger outreach networks connect the blogger with the sponsor then take their share. Blogger outreach networks do charge for their service. Payment is the responsibility of the business. If participation requires payment from the blogger, avoid them. There are plenty of outreach networks available who don’t charge for publisher participation.

Bloggers should not expect to get rich or be able to retire utilizing blogger outreach networks. If you join up with the purpose of making supplemental income or putting a bit of spare change in your pocket, you’ll be pleased. The majority of product review offers are inexpensive items. You may score bigger, shinier items to review, but those are rare.

In my days of doing numerous reviews on MomGadget, I saw the lesser valued items as an opportunity to link up as an affiliate. I encourage bloggers to investigate review offerings for the long-term benefit options. If the product offers an affiliate program or provides a listing on Amazon, it might be worth considering. Those small ticket items can easily create a satisfying stream of passive income.

Popular Blogger Outreach Options

BlogDash – http://www.blogdash.com/

Broadcast Bloggers – http://broadcastbloggers.com/

Bucks2Blogs – http://www.bucks2blog.com/

Business2Blogger – http://business2blogger.com/

GroupHigh – http://www.grouphigh.com/

Do you have something to add? Leave a comment – I’d love to hear from you!