I remember Anita Roddick saying at the height of her Bodyshop success:"People ask me if I only use my own products. Of course - how could I sell skin and hair products that I do not use myself? It would be completely dishonest."Now even Anita cannot have used every one of her products but at least she had the right basic principles. Sell what you really believe in and you'll be successful - or at least have a good chance of being so.
And I feel that this also should apply to money making from blogs and on the Internet generally.
I get fed up seeing all of these send me $49, $99, or whatever amount, and I'll show you how to make thousands before breakfast / in 2 hours a day etc.
They annoy me because most of the people promoting the stuff haven't actually done it themselves. They are just agents or affiliates getting their percentage - a lot don't even know the actual details of what they are actually selling. This can't be ethical or even honest.
As I've already indicated we have to surely at least have faith in whatever it is we promote.
Okay, on my celeb blogs I promote things like FriendFinder, AdultFriendFinder, Sexy Ads Penthouse and DIY Dating and I'm not a member of any of them myself - other than as an affiliate. I'm a happily married man - well my wife tells me I am! But I have made sure that they are all genuine and honest. Plus people can initially join for free to see that it all works to their satisfaction, before paying any money.
I just feel that as bloggers we have to try and be as honest as we can - reputation is everything in business.
Going back to those 'send me $xx for info on how to make $xxxxx'. The fact is that most of the money is made by selling the manual, ebook or whatever. How-to information is big business and extremely profitable, but it should be honest and something of value - as should the affiliates selling it. If they don't know how it works they should sell it.
Must have got out of bed the wrong side today - probably because my wife has had to go to Germany for a week. Now what was that web address for ... only joking!
Sell and promote what you believe in to make money.
Good luck,
Mike
