Guys, I have a dilemma......

Yesterday I offered to include products (iPhone 5 cases), from Wizzley authors Zazzle stores, in an article. I had anticipated promoting around 20+ products.

However, some new rules have impacted on this expectation. There is now an 80-100 word rule per promoted product.

Much as I would like, I cannot FLUFF out to 2000+ words an article about iPhone 5 cases.

This is a shame as I had intended to make future offers of promotion with regard to Zazzle products.

Since the products on Zazzle, which are picture-based, mainly speak for themselves, it seems to me to be superfluous to try to find 100 words per product - which will be fluff and nonsense after about 30 or 40 words - and be of little use to the viewer.

My options are:

1. To withdraw my offer.

2. To limit the number of products to 8 - which seems a tad light for an article purporting to offer a selection of iPhone 5 cases for women.

3. Write the article elsewhere.

What do you think I should do? Or can you think of another option?

For the record, here is the No: 1 site for a Google search: 'iPhone 5 cases'

http://www.iphone5cases.com/

Note: none of the products or product categories has more than 50 words associated with each.

humagaia: 09/24/2012 - 06:47 AM

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3. Write the article elsewhere.

This.  If Wizzley sticks to their new 100 words per ad rule, then sales pages are no longer wanted here.   

I just finished a page promoting multi-photo Christmas cards offered at Zazzle.  There are tons of them so I chose to select examples from the four types (postcards, flat cards, folded cards and glossy) and added a link to the Zazzle page where those types could be found.

Maybe you could organize the iPhones by areas such as photography, art, templates (for names or ?), political, etc.  and speak a bit about what else the customer would find in each area.  I know it's hard to write a lot that makes sense about a product!

It's unfortunate that we can't use the referral code link with a Zazzle page link (text in a paragraph), but honestly I get so few credits for referrals that I don't really care.  Hopefully they will click the picture in the Zazzle module and you will get a referral that way - or they will buy your product.  The lack of referral money I get is the reason I promote a lot of my own stuff.  It seems selfish, but that is how I make money.

Good luck with this one.

Janet21: 09/24/2012 - 07:22 AM

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This.  If Wizzley sticks to their new 100 words per ad rule, then sales pages are no longer wanted here.   

Janet, Squidoo doesn't let me write sales oriented lenses either; at least amazon based.

lobobrandon: 09/24/2012 - 07:52 AM

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Janet21: 09/24/2012 - 07:22 AM

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This.  If Wizzley sticks to their new 100 words per ad rule, then sales pages are no longer wanted here.   

Janet, Squidoo doesn't let me write sales oriented lenses either; at least amazon based.

There are lenses on Squidoo that are nothing but products...can you give me more details on your situation?

Sent you a PM

DT - don't understand your referral link dilemma - I use the '*' option within a URL link in the 'Insert/Edit link' module. You could also get a smaller proportion using VigLink.

Perhaps I am missing the point you are making. Please explain further.

My dilemma is that I wish to promote Zazzle store iPhone 5 products produced by Wizzley writers. I am therefore limited to iPhone 5 cases, as they are the only iPhone 5 products currently available. The article was to show the diversity of designs and the 'uniqueness' of those designs.

I would expect those visitors that took a shine to a product to click upon the picture - especially if I noteed: 'If you like this design, click on the picture for further information and to customize it to your personal requirements.'.

Squidoo  has loads of sales lenses and there are ones with just lists of products with almost no text at all.

I have made some of those just because I can and I am glad for the way wizzley is set up that that is not possible. It requires one to think differently. For that reason, I made a very specific article just selling one kind of mousepad, the one with photos of some sites in Nazareth. I would, therefore, approach your article the way Dustytoes suggests above.

BTW, I have had about equal luck selling my own products and getting referral fees for selling others' products. Haven't yet got the big bucks yet, but I'm still just a beginner.

FWIW.

humagaia: 09/24/2012 - 08:06 AM

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DT - don't understand your referral link dilemma - I use the '*' option within a URL link in the 'Insert/Edit link' module. You could also get a smaller proportion using VigLink.

Perhaps I am missing the point you are making. Please explain further.

My dilemma is that I wish to promote Zazzle store iPhone 5 products produced by Wizzley writers. I am therefore limited to iPhone 5 cases, as they are the only iPhone 5 products currently available. The article was to show the diversity of designs and the 'uniqueness' of those designs.

I would expect those visitors that took a shine to a product to click upon the picture - especially if I noteed: 'If you like this design, click on the picture for further information and to customize it to your personal requirements.'.

I thought that the only way we could link (with our referral) to Zazzle was using the Zazzle module.  I may be wrong there...

I also thought that VigLink was something to sign up for (which I have) and the links are automatically made.  In fact I've had notices from VigLink so I know I use it.

If you want to stick with iPhones made only by Wizzley writers why couldn't you do it the same way - by category?  I honestly think that showing too many items on one page, as you said 20+ will turn readers off. 

I know that it gives them more of a choice, but once they see one type that appeals to them and they click on it then most likely they will continue their shopping on the Zazzle site - since more iPhone cases will appear on that page.

I suppose that is up to you as the writer of the page, but that is how I see it.

DT - on either http://wizzley.com/vintage-photography-as-wall-art/ or http://wizzley.com/posters-of-london-in-black-and-white/ (maybe both) I use the Zazzle module to pick a single one of my Zazzle Posters. Having placed my Zazzle referral ID into the appropriate place in the 'Referrals' section against my profile, I assumed that I will get 60% of the referral traffic to my store - I will receive 100% of the sales commission value for my product plus 15% as a referrer when my referral code is used - Wizzley getting 15% commission when their code is shown.

If I use products from other Wizzley stores than my own, I will only receive 15% referral commission when my ref ID code is used by Wizzley, they getting it when theirs is shown.

If I write "Zazzle.com" within my article without linking it, Viglink will place their affiliation code on it with mine 60% of the time and Wizzleys 40% of the time. Thus I receive Viglink commissions at their stated level whenever .....

If I link to Zazzle through a URL link, using the Insert Edit/Link tab and enter my Zazzle Store URL with a '^' at the end then I will receive referral income for any sales - not sure if this is the case if I use anyone else's Zazzle store URL with a '*' at the end.

I had the same problem with the article I did on adopt a dog products. How much can you say about a bumper sticker? I wanted to show a sample of products but had to take half of them out.

humagaia: 09/24/2012 - 08:50 AM

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If I write "Zazzle.com" within my article without linking it, Viglink will place their affiliation code on it with mine 60% of the time and Wizzleys 40% of the time. Thus I receive Viglink commissions at their stated level whenever .....

If I link to Zazzle through a URL link, using the Insert Edit/Link tab and enter my Zazzle Store URL with a '^' at the end then I will receive referral income for any sales - not sure if this is the case if I use anyone else's Zazzle store URL with a '*' at the end.

How do you know for sure that VigLink will link it?

Also, if you add your Zazzle link (with your store # for referral) to a text link on the page you are the only one eligible for the referral money, and not Wizzley.  Your link is fixed.  That is why I thought we could not link that way to text.

And using the referral code (either store # or *) is not a guarantee you will get the referral money, it's more of a "hope".  Also to link to others your store # must be attached to the end of their URL, not a *.  The star is used only for your own URLs.

I appreciate your explanation - and I find all this stuff way too confusing to bother with it much.  I concentrate on selling my own stuff, with a little bit from others added when it will enhance my page.  It sounds selfish, but that is how I earn the big bucks.

On the VigLink quaestion: go back and see if it has been linked. I did and it had.

On the second Q - correct, and it let's you link that way - it is the same as linking to any other affiliate program, not through VigLink, Wizzley lets you without having to give up a cut of the action.

As for the rest, you go girl - do it how you do it to earn from your efforts. It's your work. The platforms you write on just give you that, a platform. They do the techie stuff: without you (or us) they have no way of earning a living.

humangaia I really look forward to seeing the page if you decide to go with it, and I think you should since you have a bunch of work into it already (collecting cases).  What can it hurt?

Anyway, good luck.

humagaia: 09/24/2012 - 11:01 AM

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They do the techie stuff: without you (or us) they have no way of earning a living.

We do so much more than just "techie stuff", Chaz.

• It's extremely time-consuming to stay on top of SEO/Marketing/Branding and pass on any new developments to our members.
• We give tons of personal support in all aspects of online writing, through our forum and through personal messages/emails.
• We produce tutorials to help our authors make more money
• And then some ...
• And then the design, maintenance, updating and other "techie stuff".

It never ceases to amaze me how a single throwaway comment can elicit reactions.

But Achim, you do not dispute the last bit.

Keep the authors in mind at all times, for they are your bread and butter.

The new change makes little difference to the articles I write, but it will make an awful lot of difference to the overall voracity of the site - and I stress 'awful'.

The "new change" has been reversed, Chaz.

Although Wizzley is based on excellent member support, I'd like to look at our business relationship as a two-way street. We all take care of each other with quality articles, tech support,  etc.

It's much friendlier than a one-way dependency with arguments and threats.