Rey’s super stoked about posting these days (who’d have guessed!?). She provided some worthy ideas for the next making-money-through-blogging post. I’m going with one: writing reviews, because that’s something I’d like to eventually do [for fellow writers].
Research revealed a number of sites that pay for reviews—and a lot of them sound quite appealing, if not fun.
If you’re new to the idea, the first thing to do is determine what to review. Certainly the sky’s the limit, but you don’t want to be all over the map. If you’re going to do product (or service) reviews, you may want to stick to ones that are central to your blog’s niche. You might also want to give some thought as to whether those products (or services) are ones you’d use. For example, if your blog is about sharing your travel adventures, perhaps you could review products/services that would appeal to fellow travelers. Consider your audience.
Become acquainted with what makes for good reviews. Note how they’re written. Some are straightforward appraisals; others are personal stories or accounts. Photos, images and artwork complement reviews, so take those into account, as well. How will you make your reviews stand out, be eye-catching, and be read?
Write about the pros of the product (or service). What about it appeals to you? Why are you promoting it? Be sincere. Yes, you can add cons, but don’t be negative, critical, or condescending: be constructive by being factual. Truly, you’re writing the review to sell, not deter, so bear that in mind.
Three “remember” items:
- most brands will have review guidelines, so make sure you follow them
- when you start approaching businesses/sites, include your blog stats and ensure you have a media kit
- links and tags should be added for all reviews.
Per Rey’s last post, check out FTC regulations; you need to disclose when you’re blogging to receive reimbursement of any kind. A disclosure can be something as simple as, “I took delivery of this product with the purpose of review, but the opinions provided are solely my own”. Also, as appropriate, insert something like, “This review is sponsored by XYZ Inc.”.
You’ll want “no follow” for your links (a nofollow tag, as an FYI, is how publishers tell Search Engines not to count some of their links to other pages as “votes” in favor of that content).
Making-money-through-reviews sites are too many to list here. The following are but an extremely small handful that have received some good reviews themselves—and, again, I’m by no means endorsing any (do your due diligence).
SponsoredReviews.com is a blog post service that “connects advertisers with bloggers willing to write paid posts about their services and products.” You’re able to post written sponsored posts or re-post content that’s appeared elsewhere.
BlogExpose “helps brands increase their exposure through sponsored posts and helps bloggers earn extra money from their blogs”. There’s also an open job board for bloggers.
SeedingUp enables you to “consistently fill your blog with new ideas and market it efficiently and profitably”. According to the site, you’re able to earn money “in just a few steps with articles on your blog”.
Get Reviewed enables bloggers to earn money by “sharing honest insights about extraordinary products”.
LinkfromBlog is “a marketplace where Advertisers buy blog reviews from niche blogs”. You can “write reviews, surveys or opinions of advertisers products and services”.
Blogsvertise: “Our bloggers become your brand advocates capable of amplifying your marketing message quickly and effectively. When their audience becomes your audience, everybody wins.”
PayPerPost has been touted as one of the more popular blog sponsored review sites. You have to sign on (Create Account), though, to view anything. Not wanting to do so [at this time], I didn’t progress beyond the first screen. But the one question at the top—“Want to make money creating content?”—has me wanting to return.
The Writer's Grab-Bag 