Oh, my! I really underestimated the interest in my latest product, One Hour Affiliate.
I've been busily responding to emails, posts in the forum, and private messages. Keep them coming - I'm thrilled to get a chance to interact with so many of you this week!
I can't capture them all here but I wanted to share answers to the most commonly asked questions and some of this may be helpful even if that's not the strategy you're following:
WHAT IF BLOGGER DELETES MY
BLOG
This CAN (and has) happened! The two biggest reasons are:
- Word repetition - these are short posts. If you use the word "t-shirt", for example,
in the post title and in the first sentence then don't use it again in the rest of the content. Same applies to any other word in the post title and for the rest of your content, too. Read your content out loud before you publish. If you realize that you're saying the same words too many times that's a sign that you need to make some revisions. Find synonyms, refer to things as "it" - anything other than repeating the same word.
- Using snippets of content - even basic product details - from Amazon. Again, these are short posts so even including short phrases from Amazon increases the overlap between your post and Amazon's page and Blogger will notice.
You're not writing product reviews with these posts...instead, you're describing the products in new ways and in your own words. You want to help consumers who are not interested in the niche why that product makes a great gift for someone who IS interested in the niche.
If Blogger deletes your blog - get back up on that horse!
If I had stopped trying every time I did something wrong we wouldn't be having this discussion. ;) I remember making all kinds of mistakes in Squidoo when I first started, I had my first site hacked in something like 2 weeks, I've accidentally deleted necessary files in my sites, I've had comments removed from forums because I was trying forum marketing (and doing it all wrong). and I do email marketing all wrong (according to the "experts"). It's those mistakes that
led me to success.
Think about that scenario as free training. Here's Blogger (owned by Google!) telling you that you
did something wrong. Wouldn't you want to know what that was so you could learn to do things correctly? If you can pass the Google filter on Blogger than you've learned a great skill you can apply to future projects even if you go with your own domain on WordPress instead.
USE ME!
That probably doesn't
sound right, does it?! But I mean it - send me an email. I WILL answer. I have answered a load of emails this week - I've rewritten code for folks who needed something different, helped figure out why files won't open, I've critiqued post content, I've guided niche selection, I've helped people find new ways to search for products on Amazon, etc.
I do not mind the questions. Promise! I'd much rather you emailed me then gave up or just let the product sit and collect dust.
DO I NEED POTPIEGIRL'S ONE HOUR AFFILIATE BONUS?
If you don't know PotPieGirl (Jennifer Ledbetter) you might take the time to look her up. SHE is the person I credit for helping me eventually see success online. She was an avid Squidooer when I joined and the person everyone pointed me to when I wanted additional resources.
She created a bonus for people who bought One Hour Affiliate through her link and it's simply brilliant. I'm mad at myself for not coming up with it as part of this guide! She's laid out a complete schedule for approaching One Hour Affiliate in a way that will
greatly reduce the chances of having a blog deleted by Blogger. It's along the lines of what is outlined as extra steps in One Hour Affiliate for those who don't yet have an Amazon account but with much more detail, ideas, and resources for content.
I've been through the guide and agree with all of it. It will not hurt your results from One Hour Affiliate.
If you purchased through her link before she put the bonus together, you can go to your purchase history in WarriorPlus and you'll see the download link for her bonus.
If you are building your One Hour Affiliate site on WordPress you DO NOT need that bonus guide but it won't hurt you, either, to apply some of the same
techniques.
UPDATED VERSION OF ONE HOUR AFFILIATE
Because of some of the questions that came up and issues with blogs being deleted, I
strengthened the language in the post content section to include more information about what to avoid doing in your posts. You can access your purchase history in WarriorPlus.com or through the download link in your receipt to get the updated version for free or contact me by email if you can't find your product download link.
STUDY THE EXAMPLE SITE
Inside the book, you'll see screenshots that show you how to build your blog. The name of the site used in those screenshots is real.
I've added a more obvious link to it in the updated version of One Hour Affiliate. Study that site! See how I've written my posts. Look at what other kinds of posts I'm adding and the other affiliate programs I'm promoting. Don't copy the content, of course (that would only hurt you as Google would see the content duplication) but keep an eye on it, if you'd like, as I'll continue growing it and making changes.
DO I HAVE TO
BUY THE PRODUCTS I WRITE ABOUT IN MY BLOG?
No, you do not need to buy products in order to write about them. You do want to be honest - don't say you bought something or used it if
you haven't.
Instead, the problem you're solving is to showcase something that a consumer might have struggled to find for themselves either because they don't
know the niche or the product didn't come up for them when they searched Amazon. Amazon's site search functionality has issues - especially when it comes to searching by color.
I CAN'T FIND PRODUCTS FOR MY NICHE
I have this issue with the niche in the example
site. When I try to find products on Amazon that are for people who crochet, I get products that ARE crocheted. That's not what I want.
To find better
options - because I know they're in there but hiding from me - I use Google to search Amazon by applying the requirement that Google only show me things on Amazon (site:amazon.com in your search phrase with keywords ahead of that) and then look at the Images tab.
However, you can also simply look up your niche in Google (ie, gifts for [niche]), click the Image tab and see what other sites are showing as gift ideas for your niche. Then, go to Amazon and try to find that product or something similar.
You can make this work. Take advantage of me as a resource when you get stuck (and that applies whether you're doing One Hour Affiliate or something else!) ;)
Have a great weekend and a safe and happy Halloween!
Sincerely,
Erica Stone
erica@extremereviewer.com
