Can Blogs Help with Traffic and/or Sales?

fbanker · #1 (**permalink**) 11-27-2004, 12:51 PM

I have a new blog which has been up for a few weeks, and I use it to post small articles and blurbs about affiliate programs and useful promotion services I use. I have attached it to my front page and several other places on my main site, as well as on a few other blogs we use.

Here is the URL:
http://makemoney.ebloggy.com/

Can anyone give me some suggestions for making this avenue more effective to drive traffic to my affiliate programs and websites of mine that promote money making activities?

I have actually had some traffic to this blog and from the blog to my front page, but I changed the title for awhile and lost some of the hits. I have changed the title back to what it is now, to generate the occasional visitor.

Any insight from forum members is appreciated.

mlevenhagen · #2 (**permalink**) 11-27-2004, 08:54 PM

I think you got the right idea. I actually just started a blog myself if you want to check it out:

Web of Opportunity's Blog

I'm basically using it the same way. I'm just providing good information and suggesting products and services (I happen to be an affiliate for). Actually I let it happen naturally. Some of my entries will have no links. Some will be links to articles.

I don't worry about building content around the affiliate programs. I write the content and let the links to the aff programs materialize on their own.

From a search engine standpoint a blog works just like a website. SEs are very big on inbound links so work on those. Maybe keep keywords or phrases in mind when writing.

I think over time if you can generate some good information for people they will naturally link to you or come back to learn stuff. And if there is good content the SEs will naturally find you as well.

I promote my blog on my home page (www.WebOfOpportunity.com) and plan on promoting it in my next newsletter. You just have to intergrate it into all the marketing you are doing.

I hope this helps!

fbanker · #3 (**permalink**) 11-27-2004, 09:15 PM

Thanks Matt. I appreciate your comments. I am one of those self made mediocre affiliate marketers. I have been doing this since 1997, and for some reason every new great thing (blogs for instance) that comes along makes some 16 year old a millionaire and I just plod along trying to make sense of it and put it to use in my efforts to make money online.

I appreciate your comments, and your website is very professional. Good presentation.

Will you give me an opinion of our Spepper Site? My sons and I have been working for over a year at this new business, and I always like to have a fellow marketer's opinion on the way we have designed the website, and the idea itself. Be sure to watch the short video from the Food Network.

mlevenhagen · #4 (**permalink**) 11-28-2004, 02:48 AM

I love it!! You've all done a good job!

Looks like you got "Constant Contact" working for you. You've got testimonials and "in the media" highlights. A Blog. Multi-Media. And PageRank...

Your colored text is kind of all over the place... but you know what? It may just work. It's a fun site & product. Why not have fun with color?

I'm curious how you're marketing your products online.

I think there is only one thing you're missing. A Spepper Cookbook! Then you have a marketers gold mine. Sign up some affiliates to help sell the books (eBooks), cross sell to your Spepper products...

I LOVE THE VIDEO!

Enjoy your success. You've done well!

fbanker · #5 (**permalink**) 11-28-2004, 04:07 AM

I appreciate you taking the time to have a look. I will forward this post to my sons Nate and James to see if they can get some inspiration from it.

I like the idea of a cookbook. It is something we had not really tried, especially in ebook form. If you have any other ideas, just email

info@originalspepper.com
Nate and James Banker

I will be involved too, but they are the ones who started this whole thing. We need a way to get people to try the product. We have never had anyone ever ask for a refund. People who try it reorder it over and over, but the real money is in the national market.

Thanks again,

Linda Buquet · #6 (**permalink**) 11-28-2004, 01:20 PM

WOW! Spepper! Just read about it. Such a great idea and amazing it isn't everywhere.

fbanker · #7 (**permalink**) 11-28-2004, 04:34 PM

Thanks for the kudos. All 3 of us work full time in other careers, so we market Spepper as best we can, but I think we need some advice on what to do online which is cheap or free, as we do not have a big ad budget. Believe me, it is a great product, and people love it because of the gourmet ingredients.

Any suggestions? I have a big Spepper ad and a 10% savings offer at my online shopping center here:

http://bblmedia.com/shopping.html

Some of the things we have done have been successful, but only in the short term usually. My experience is all in the area of affiliate marketing, but I have not been able to get high levels of traffic to this site. It is a bit different than anything else I have done before.

Before we started this spice enterprise, I had never promoted a website with spice products. Also, being an owner, I am keenly aware of the importance of the brand itself. Lots of companies I promote have already established a brand, but Spepper is a new brand, and I don't have experience in offline advertising and branding.

MandyHaga · #8 (**permalink**) 11-29-2004, 12:42 PM

If you've not already, try trading links or affiliating with sites like http://www.foodtv.com/. Call them to propose the link trade. Find out who you need to speak with, email or snail mail. Put together a media kit and send it to them. If it is a new brand that has a great marketability, they'll be happy to at least take a look at it.

Also try sites like http://winecountrygiftbaskets.com they may be looking for unique items to place in their gift baskets, which would give you a great retail outlet and exposure.

Good Luck!