5 Blogging Tips for Marketing Affiliate Programs
Blogging allows you to do several things with affiliate programs: build an easy website, create multiple streams of income, and add value to the product by offering more information.
You don’t need to be a webmaster to build one either. Sites like Blogger and Wordpress.com allow you to build simple blogs that look good and are search engine friendly. Because these sites also rank well in the search engines (Google owns Blogger), you may have high page rank for your site as well as high rankings in the search engines for your topic.
Below are some easy ways for you to get more from your affiliate blog:
1. Write product reviews.
Readers love product reviews. The reason is that product reviews provide more information on the product or service you are offering. It’s also an opportunity for you to create a greater desire for the product or service you’re offering. You have an opportunity to really show how the product can solve a problem.
2. Offer additional information/articles on your topic.
You don’t have to write product reviews all of the time. In fact, that would be boring for you and boring for your readers.
Other types of information you can use are articles and news about your industry. Google Alerts is an easy way to find out what is happening in your industry, and you’ll never have writer’s block.
3. Add ads to your blog.
Ads are an easy way for you to generate an additional stream of income. Once you add the ad code to your site, you don’t have to bother with it anymore unless you change the template for your blog. Then you may want to change your ad colors.
4. Start a conversation with other blogs.
There are two ways to market your blog through other blogs: trackbacks and comments. Trackbacks are where you comment on something that is being said on another blog. Through the trackback link, you “notify” the other blog you have commented on a post.
With comments, you actually go to the blog and add a comment. If you don’t have your own website, this is an easy way to promote affiliate links.
Avoid what I call “ditto comments”. When you post comments on another blog, have something to say. Don’t post ads, especially if the ad isn’t related to the topic of the blog. They will only get deleted.
5. Use the same techniques that work to promote other types of websites.
Linking, search engine optimization, articles, and free classified ads are just some of the ways you can promote your blog. Promoting your blog is really no different than promoting any other kind of site.
In fact, blogs are easier to promote because you can submit your RSS feeds to RSS and blog directories. (RSS is a type of code that updates and lists your latest posts.)
If you want to build an easy website, or you want to get more from affiliate programs, blogs are the easiest way to do it. They’re fast, fun, and free.
Wordpress Knocks Out Google’s Blogger In Building Niche Blogs
When it comes to building and creating profit pulling niche blogs Wordpress really shines and really beat Blogger.com heads down.
If you didn’t know, Blogger is a free blogging software owned by Google. You can set up a blogging account in three easy steps and start blogging.
On the other hand, Wordpress is a very popular blogging software. The easiest way to install and set up Wordpress would be to do a one click installation from the Cpanel of your hosting account.
Now, Wordpress is more than just a blogging software.
In the past when blogging first evolved, marketers did not give it much thought…until they discovered the power of syndication through RSS feeds.
With Rss feeds, they can now reach out to a target markets they normally would not have been able to.
You can liken the Rss feeds to the different channels on the radio station. It allows your message to be broadcast to targeted groups of people. For example, classical channel appeals to classical music lovers an so on.
You can create Rss feeds with Google’s Blogger, however additional setup is required.
Wordpress has an in-built syndication function, unlike Blogger.com where it still needs some configuration.
In addition, Wordpress has some powerful features that make it a marketer’s dream tool:
(a) Automatic Pinging
Wordpress will automatically ping the blog directories listed each time you publish a post.
This notifies the blog directories of your blog updates, and can bring more traffic and visitors to your blog.
(b) Categories
It might not seem like a big deal, but when you realize that you can name the category using keywords you want to target, then BAM!
It hits you like a rock. You can have multiple categories named using keywords you want to target, and write your post under that category. With proper planning and carefully spreading the same keyword in your post, you can achieve higher Search Engine rankings easily.
This is where Google’s Blogger lose out.
Google’s Blogger does not provide any category support. If you want to target selected keywords, you need to manually create the links and manually tweak the Blogger template.
As you blog gets bigger and you post more often, this can become a nightmare.
(c) Plugins
Plugins give Wordpress additional functions and features. All you need to do is upload the Plugin file, Activate the plugin file and you’re set to go.
Example plugins would include Google Adsense plugins where you can insert Adsense plugins with the click of a button. Or Chitika Ads plugins, again to display contextual ads and let you make more money with your blog.
(d) Easily change the theme of your blog (site)
With Wordpress, everything is just point and click (or plug N play). You can easily change the theme and layout of your Blog without having to learn about web design.
Design is important since a good design can appeal, attract and keep your readers coming back. Changing your blog design also keeps your niche blog ‘refreshing’ in terms of look and feel.
This is why Wordpress knocks out Google’s Blogger when it comes those serious about building long-term profitable niche blogs.
Wordpress Knocks Out Google’s Blogger In Building Niche Blogs
When it comes to building and creating profit pulling niche blogs Wordpress really shines and really beat Blogger.com heads down.
If you didn’t know, Blogger is a free blogging software owned by Google. You can set up a blogging account in three easy steps and start blogging.
On the other hand, Wordpress is a very popular blogging software. The easiest way to install and set up Wordpress would be to do a one click installation from the Cpanel of your hosting account.
Now, Wordpress is more than just a blogging software.
In the past when blogging first evolved, marketers did not give it much thought…until they discovered the power of syndication through RSS feeds.
With Rss feeds, they can now reach out to a target markets they normally would not have been able to.
You can liken the Rss feeds to the different channels on the radio station. It allows your message to be broadcast to targeted groups of people. For example, classical channel appeals to classical music lovers an so on.
You can create Rss feeds with Google’s Blogger, however additional setup is required.
Wordpress has an in-built syndication function, unlike Blogger.com where it still needs some configuration.
In addition, Wordpress has some powerful features that make it a marketer’s dream tool:
(a) Automatic Pinging
Wordpress will automatically ping the blog directories listed each time you publish a post.
This notifies the blog directories of your blog updates, and can bring more traffic and visitors to your blog.
(b) Categories
It might not seem like a big deal, but when you realize that you can name the category using keywords you want to target, then BAM!
It hits you like a rock. You can have multiple categories named using keywords you want to target, and write your post under that category. With proper planning and carefully spreading the same keyword in your post, you can achieve higher Search Engine rankings easily.
This is where Google’s Blogger lose out.
Google’s Blogger does not provide any category support. If you want to target selected keywords, you need to manually create the links and manually tweak the Blogger template.
As you blog gets bigger and you post more often, this can become a nightmare.
(c) Plugins
Plugins give Wordpress additional functions and features. All you need to do is upload the Plugin file, Activate the plugin file and you’re set to go.
Example plugins would include Google Adsense plugins where you can insert Adsense plugins with the click of a button. Or Chitika Ads plugins, again to display contextual ads and let you make more money with your blog.
(d) Easily change the theme of your blog (site)
With Wordpress, everything is just point and click (or plug N play). You can easily change the theme and layout of your Blog without having to learn about web design.
Design is important since a good design can appeal, attract and keep your readers coming back. Changing your blog design also keeps your niche blog ‘refreshing’ in terms of look and feel.
This is why Wordpress knocks out Google’s Blogger when it comes those serious about building long-term profitable niche blogs.
Want to have your own blog?
In this material you will learn step by step how to make a blog.
I will present you 3 solutions for building a blog:
1. using Blogger.com
2. using WordPress
3. using Joomla
1. Using Blogger.com (www.blogger.com)
Blogger.com was launched in August 1999 by Evan Williams and Meg Hourihan (Pyra Labs) and purchased by Google in February 2003.
Blogger.com is one of the most popular solutions for blogging.
To use Blogger.com you must make an account on the site. This is easy, simply fill a short online form with your email address, name, username and password.
You will get access to dashboard, the place from where you create blogs and manage them. Click create a new blog and choose a blog title (must be unique) and a blog address. I suggest putting your keywords in the blog title and address.
After that just choose a template that you like and you have your blog.
Blogger strengths:
Is free
Open source
Easy to use
Don’ t need a domain name or a web host
Blogger weakness is that you can loose the information from your blog. So keep every post on your hard disk.
Example of blogs build with Blogger: http://affiliatesecretsrevealed.blogspot.com, a blog about affiliate marketing and http://funnygiftideas.blogspot.com a blog about funny gifts.
2. Using WordPress (www.wordpress.org)
WordPress is publishing software with a focus on easy of use, speed and a great user experience.
WordPress is a powerful personal publishing platform, and it comes with a great set of features designed to make your experience as a publisher on the Internet as easy, pleasant and appealing as possible.
For using WordPress you must have a domain name and hosting.
To find a good web hosting service visit www.web-hosting-advisor.info.
If your hosting service has the cpanel application installing WordPress is very easy: just go to cpanel, Fantastico, WordPress, and click install. Just follow the info on the screen.
If you don’t have cpanel don’t worry, download the install kit from http://wordpress.org/download. You can find WordPress online manual on http://codex.wordpress.org/Main_Page.
Read the manual and follow the instruction, installation is simple.
WordPress strengths:
Is free
Easy to use
Powerful
Weakness WordPress demands minimal computer knowledge.
Example of blogs build with WordPres: www.plasmatelevisionadvice.info a blog about plasma television advice, tips, shopping guide and www.gadgets-club.com a blog for gadget fans.
3. Using Joomla (www.joomla.org)
Joomla is a free, open source portal solution.
With Joomla you can build a portal and a blog.
Joomla is recommended for a person who wants more than a blog.
You must have a domain name and hosting to be able to install Joomla.
Installing Joomla is very easy: just download the install kit from http://forge.joomla.org/sf/frs/do/viewRelease/projects.joomla/frs.joomla_1_0.1_0_12, upload it on your server and click install.
Follow the on screen instructions you and will do fine.
Joomla strengths:
Is free
Open source
Easy to install
Builds an entire website, not just a blog
Weakness of Joomla in the complexity. It may take a while to learn how to use it.
Example of blogs build with Joomla: http://www.giftideasblog.net a blog that presents cool gift ideas and http://www.killdeal.info/content/blogsection a blog about hot offers and kill deals.
Now it is up to you to choose the solution that fits you best.
http://www.google.com
