Disregard all sales pitches for a year. Provide a ton of great content. Even if that means patting your competitor on the back. In the end you’ll win put more content into the search engines and your site will capture relative search traffic.

After a year of doing this you can begin to capitalize on that traffic. But dont lose your voice. Capitalize by deep linking to product pages where relevant. Its ok to link to related products so far as a sales pitch does not make up the content of the post.

I pitch my product sometimes but it always follows a bunch of great non sales posts and it almost always is an educational pitch, so that rather than sell my readers, im still educating…even if im pitching.

Matt

My site is a B2B site, for those who’ve exercised due diligence and are serious, not starry-eyed teens addicted to project runway. If I published literal trade secrets (such as sampling minimums and how to get them), I’d be ostracized in my community and suppliers would avoid those with a referral from me. I have a long history (27 years) in this industry and I’m not willing to risk my credibility or reputation on someone too cheap to fork out money for a book that will solve their entry level problems. If they’ll jerk me around for a few bucks, they’ll give my suppliers and contractors a hassle too -and they don’t need more problems anymore than I do.

I take my site and it’s content very seriously and invest in it quite heavily. Among many things, I bear the expense of attending trade shows to report on them; I don’t go for myself! I’m not a six figure blogger yet but I earn every penny.

I actually included the tailor for English Cut in my “Premium Menswear and Footwear” article a while back. He has an excellent reputation!

As I said, I sell things all day long on my blog. I only feature products that I really, really dig or that I feel passionate about. Otherwise, my readers could sense that I’m not really into it…so why should they be? They can feel my passion in every word I write.

If I like your product or service, I will promote your offerings better than a Hollywood agent. :-)

My best friend’s painting sold the very next day after I posted an article about her art site and uploaded her art pics. My feature drove up her own traffic to her site. Others have given me similar feedback.

I’ve sold something as simple as Creole mustard on my blog from my Amazon store. Why?

Because I love this spicy mustard, and I know lots of people with more sophisticated and spicy palates will love it, as well. I try to expose folks to foods and cuisines that aren’t all that mainstream. If you live in the middle of Idaho and you’re a homebody, you may have never even heard of Creole mustard, let alone mixed it into your potato salad or slathered it on your favorite sandwich.

It’s a window on my world, really.

my affiliate ads are a different issue. i keep a limited number, plus i only place those which i am convinced they offer a great deal. still no return from those. i guess i have to share more detailed info in individual posts to tempt blog visitors to at least check it out. aloha, pua

You have a business showing others how to have a business, right? And along the way, you sell product – granted, not diamonds, but information.

Excellent article nonetheless! ;>)

I do not believe that is true Michael, it is true that people/ businesses can set up their blog as one gigantic sales pitch but usually that is intentional. I tend to have noticed exactly the opposite, there seems to be more business that are defined by their blog and finding their voice. I would like to use our company blog for example http://www.tuffpup.com since the “Toughpups Gazette” has been online (which isn’t as long as it seems), Our business is truly beginning to blossom, And our voice is being heard on a level that we were envious of a couple of months ago

Likewise, with business blogs selling products. I rarely actually buy a book from an Amazon referral link or a product using the link given. I google the product and read all the reviews then go to the store direct.

I don’t know, just my opinion. I guess I’ll be the pessimist.

Brandon J
Money for Military

When people BLOG to sell something then they loose their voice and it becomes like a sales pitch. Unless done in a manner to help someone else without concern for your own income.

Michael