Friday, November 17, 2006

New Endeavor

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I’ve decided to try something with my blog, something that I’d never thought that I’d do. I’ve registered with ReviewMe to do paid product reviews here in my blog.
Now I left the journal community of AOL because of advertising that was forced onto the blogs there. I’ve never signed up for Google’s Adsense, and I’ve objected to other forms of commercialization of blogs, particularly those noxious pop-under ads, so why did I agree to be part of ReviewMe.com?

It’s really pretty easy. This is something that I can control. With ReviewMe.com, I’ll review only the products and services that I want to review, and I have the freedom to say what I like. If I don’t like a product, I’ll say so. If I hate a service, I’ll say so strongly. Even though I will be earning a little money for doing these reviews, I have no obligation to speak favorably about the product. That really appeals to my independent nature. I already do some product and service reviews. I’ve done book reviews here in my blog. I’ve bragged about products that I enjoy using, and I’ve complained about services that have not been up to my standards as a consumer. If I like a product or service, I’m glad to contribute my little bit to helping them make money. If I don’t, I’m even happier to keep my friends from getting the same raw deal that I experienced. ReviewMe.com seems to fit in well with the point of view that I already have. One important thing to mention is that every product review will also be clearly marked that this is a paid review or a sponsored post. There is no attempt to fool the reader into thinking that this is anything other than advertising, and that is something that ReviewMe.com insists upon.

I have to admit that I love the idea of making a little money from this blog. It will definitely ameliorate my guilt over the time I spend on it. Most hobbies cost money. It would be kind of nice to have one (can you really call blogging a hobby?) that brings in a little cash instead. I also like that I have no obligation to continue with ReviewMe.com if I decide that it’s something that I don’t want to do. This really does seem like a win-win proposition for bloggers and advertisers. I don’t have to go outside my comfort levels for blog content and control, and advertisers get the absolutely best form of advertising - word of mouth. My impression so far is very good, and if that changes, I’ll say so.

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4 Comments:

Blogger alphawoman said...

Trish just posted a very similiar entry. I should go over there and sign up. Sounds like fun!!

p.s. Have you switched to Beta yet? If so, was it a hassle to get all the third party stuff right?

November 17, 2006 6:11 PM  
Blogger Lisa :-] said...

Hey, if you can make a few bucks off your writing, why not? Sounds like a decent idea to me...

November 17, 2006 11:44 PM  
Blogger Theresa Williams said...

Cynthia, it will be interesting to see how the experience works for you. It's a fine exercise in logical thinking, if nothing else. I enjoy posting reviews on Amazon: keeps the critical faculties sharp. And at least, unlike at the AOL blog, you have a choice. What's more, you can tell the truth. The only downside I see is that you still feel guilty for spending time on your writing. You really must get over this: Did you ever read that book I talk about all the time, IF YOU WANT TO WRITE by Brenda Ueland? Her book convinced me, finally, of how important writing is to my life. It's like breath itself. Please do work on convincing yourself of that. It's one of the things I want the most for you.

November 18, 2006 12:23 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

thanks! I forgot that I had joined them awhile ago! ha ha ha...

November 18, 2006 7:33 PM  

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