Getting Ideas for "Selling Stuff" Hubs

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   Nelle Hoxieposted 14 years ago

   To make money online selling stuff, probably the most important thing is to choose the right products. Here's what I do for ideas.
   
   I walk around Wal-Mart and Target a lot. And I watch QVC. All three carry a huge selection of products and all have a certain marketing genius. The trick is not to spend a lot of money while you're doing this. I ended up buying a nook at Barnes and Noble yesterday. (If I write a lot of book reviews, can I deduct it?)
   
   I take special note of displays and promos, and I watch how the products shift week to week. You can pick up some great keywords watching QVC and home shopping. Those hosts are very current in the latest styles and buzz words.
   
   And I read a ton of magazines. Nope I don't subscribe, I go to the library. It's good to be with people part of the day. Read lots of fashion mags, sports and cooking.
   
   Then I love commercials on television.
   
   Anyways that's how I decide what to make hubs about. How do you get your ideas?

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      Will Apseposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I don't have the opportunity to visit Megastores or even watch TV Ads (I live in a place that was virgin rain forest thirty years ago, I'm amazed there is the internet).
      
      I'm trying to pick up on keyword phrases that have a potential to be exploited for selling through Amazon. In other words if 'Carpet Cleaning Chemicals' looks like a keyword phrase a good hubpage could dominate on Google, I write the page with a big slant towards selling through Amazon- a title could be 'The Best Carpet Cleaning Chemicals to Buy Online". This is a recent step for me. if it works I will let people know.
      
      If it is the worst approach to marketing known, you could break it gently to me now.

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         Nelle Hoxieposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Virgin Rain Forest 30 years ago. hmmm. Sounds so beautiful. I think your marketing strategy is what will work for you. Please share the results, I'm always curious.

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   lynnechandlerposted 14 years ago

   Interesting approach Nelle. Since studying your hubs and all I am rethinking a lot of strategy to put into place this year and feeling a bit overwhelmed. I think though I'm going to start with the online ads at some of the stores in my area and see what they are pushing to get some different ideas.

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   Nelle Hoxieposted 14 years ago

   Lynne, It's easy to feel overwhelmed in this business. There is so much to learn and so much to do everyday.
   
   Just start by making clear goals. Say 10 Valentine's Day Hubs. And then do your research - whatever it is to get the topics. Write the hubs and monitor their success. Figure out what you did right and what could have been done better.
   
   Then move on to the next type of hub you want to write, say 10 hubs on personal products that people use year round. And repeat the process.
   
   But always spend time on a Lessons Learned cup of coffee and review your progress.

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   kirstenblogposted 14 years ago

   This is a great forum thread Nelle, I can't wait to hear what the other pro's like yourself have to share
   
   I have taken to watching hubby's gadget shows without moaning, every once in a while they cover a gadget I would be happy to write about. Have even done this and it has a decent hub score, tho has yet to make money. I guess writing one or two sales based hubs isn't going to turn profits over night tho, its more about building up a lot of pages like that.
   
   I am currently looking at an idea I had ages ago (don't know how I got the idea in the first place) and am excited. The main keyword has a full competition bar and 135,000 searches last month but less then a million organic search results, if I can write something decent in theory I should be able to rank in google and bring in the traffic. I would love to see it turn into decent amazon sales but would be just as happy if it made adsense money. I don't really see why a page can't be profitable with both affiliates?

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   ryankettposted 14 years ago

   A great approach Nelle. I recently realised that I would have to give much more thought to Amazon focussed hubs, perhaps another approach is to look out for press releases that announce new product launches (getting your hub out there and backlinked as soon as possible) and another could be to sort amazon searches by 'bestselling' for a variety of buzz words.... therefore perhaps catching the sales which would have been made by Amazon already....

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   lynnechandlerposted 14 years ago

   I'm still trying to get the hang of timing. I think that is where my frustration is at right now. If you were to set goals and get going on this say starting now, what you are saying is to focus on two months from now and what will be happening then? Am I understanding that right?
   
   Then move forward from there using holidays for gift giving in each month as a prime and then everyday type stuff as filler?

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   Nelle Hoxieposted 14 years ago

   I'm actually working on Mother's Day now. It's best to think 4 to 5 months ahead. Mark Knowles and I had a forum exchange once where we were saying that we were working on Xmas stuff - and it was August.
   
   But I have a bunch of existing websites already geared toward V-day. Given how well hubs that I wrote in October performed this month. I'd say you have time for V-day. But don't forget about winter stuff either. Some of those might do well for several months.
   
   But just sit down with a calendar and do what feels right for you. Then execute. I bet it will work just fine.

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      lakeerieartistsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Nelle, you work further ahead then me, and maybe that adds to your success, but even 3 months ahead is going to get results.  People just have to remember that shopping ends on the target day, and shopping online ends a few days before.  So work about 3 months ahead of the beginning of the shopping season for that holiday. (or 5 months ahead if you are Nelle)

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   Lisa HWposted 14 years ago

   I don't get ideas.    I have a friend who teases me because the only thing I usually put on my Hubs is books.  He teases me about it because of my leanings toward writing/books, rather than making wiser user of Hubs for a broader range of stuff.  I've thought up a few ideas on some Hubs that scream "put some items that go with this Hub", but the Hub has to really scream it.    I'm "stuff-challenged" - no doubt about it.
   
   Your ideas are obviously good ones, and - see, here's how the "stuff-challenged" mind works - it would never occur to me to think of WalMart in association with Hubs.
   
   Just for others who may be as "stuff-challenged" as I am (and I think there are a lot of them here  ), what is the thought process, once you're in WalMart, for example, with regard to what stuff triggers an idea?  (Here's what I do if I walked through WalMart:  Walk through,  Scan whatever I was walking by.  Still get no ideas.  )  In other words, what are you specifically looking for in stuff?  (What's out?  What's new?  Just everything that's there?  Etc.)  Are you looking for stuff that grabs you, or just making lists of stuff you see there?
   
   My thing is I seem stuck in, "If I don't want it I can't imagine someone else wanting it," which makes me feel as if I'd be putting stuff nobody else will find appealing on my Hubs.  Do you have something you "tell yourself" to overcome that kind of thinking?

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   Nelle Hoxieposted 14 years ago

   Lisa I have to go run some errands, but I think maybe I'll write a hub about this for the stuff-challenged.
   
   Although writing book reviews is fun. If I didn't need to make money, that's what I'd be doing. Did you see in the other threads that I just bought a nook, so I can get books even faster? So there will probably be more book reviews on my part.

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    kephriraposted 14 years ago

    I just try to find stuff that's in some way connected to other hubs I already have and that I already know at least a little bit about. Watching the shopping channels on tv is a good idea though, I might try that for inspiration some time.

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    lynnechandlerposted 14 years ago

    Thanks Nelle for all your helpful advice. I'm off to redo my office since it is a disaster after the yard sale this past weekend and then I will get out my calendar and rethink. I'm guessing I'll be looking at V-day first then move into Mother's Day.
    
    I really need to get organized with all this so I can make a tidy profit this next year. Looking forward to the stuff challenged hub that will be an awesome one for sure.

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    Lisa HWposted 14 years ago

    Nelle, I look forward to the Hub.    This thread has actually inspired me to write a Hub about being both stuff-challenged and creativity-challenged (although I can't tell people what they need to do to overcome those things - only analyze the problem.    )

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    rebekahELLEposted 14 years ago

    a question about hubs that aren't specifically selling stuff:
    
    must the tags come only from hub text, or can we post tags of items in our amazon capsules?

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    NaomiRposted 14 years ago

    I try to write about stuff that I know something about so I can write detailed, well-informed copy. I probably won't be doing a lot of gadget hubs because I'm just not into electronic things and wouldn't know what I was talking about. For my Christmas hubs, I asked friends what types of things they're looking to buy and use every year and went with that. Then I went to some stores and read some articles online to see what's trendy this year. It's been paying off over the past few weeks, but I'm still experimenting and learning the ropes.

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    Will Apseposted 14 years ago

    It is beautiful here. Cutting back the rain forest in many parts of the world just gives you a desert but in Southern Thailand it has given good agricultural land. They were sensible enough to keep about 20% of the forests and are also well enough organised to prevent illegal logging.
    
    I will certainly let you know how it goes on the Amazon front (that other, as yet, impenetrable forest.

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    Dao Hoaposted 14 years ago

    Thanks Nelle for sharing where you get your ideas for your hubs and WOW! you have to start 4-5 months ahead! I'll try to think about Mother's Day now.

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    elayne001posted 14 years ago

    Do you actually post those "buying hubs" three months early or just work on them and wait until closer to the holiday?

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       lynnechandlerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       You can take a look at Nelle's hubs to get the answer to this one. She is already posting Valentine's day hubs.
       
       I'm working on the two month ahead for posting of articles so this month I'm going to finish up what I was working on for Dec/Jan and adding in Feb hubs. Starting in Jan I will be posting for March. I am collecting ideas already for April and May so that I can just move forward into Feb. with April ideas.

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       Nelle Hoxieposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Post them, so they have time to get a good google rank. Then let them sit there all year long.

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    Dao Hoaposted 14 years ago

    Very good question Elayneoo1. I want to know too.

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       kirstenblogposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I am not the pro that Nelle is, I have noticed tho that after a while a hub 'comes to life'. A few of my hubs that I had given up on have recently begun to bring in outside traffic and this has made me think that giving my hubs the chance to age is better then getting impatient and editing them constantly.
       
       On the question about getting ideas I have no real method, I did write one yesterday that I would love to see sell! I got the idea by just browsing around amazon, came across something I thought was amazingly beautiful and decided to have a look at possible keywords, found ones that looked good for traffic and started researching what I could write about it and got it published. Now instead of constantly checking if its gotten traffic or whatever I am trying to think about what to write next and of course playing in the forums

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    alexandriaruthkposted 14 years ago

    am reading all replies so i can also sell, thanks

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       kirstenblogposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I suggest having a look at Nelles' hubs, you may not be looking to buy but you can pick up a few ideas by looking at hubs that sell. I had a look at one of her hubs and saw she was doing something I was not so decided to have a look at my hubs and see if I could try it out myself and while I cannot say for sure that my first two sales were because of a few subtle changes or not but I got 2 sales yesterday, my first ones even. When in doubt have a look at what the pro's are doing

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    Jane@CMposted 14 years ago

    My ideas usually come from what I already have and use.  That is why it is so hard for me to write "selling hubs" because I don't have it or never have used it...need to get over that issue!

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    Ms Chievousposted 14 years ago

    Nelle,
    I am certainly envious of your time you have to spend on hubpages. I find myself trying to sneak in some time here or there to write.  I ususally find myself at the computer at midnight writing feverishly because it is the only time the computer is free!  A lot of inspriation for my selling hubs  justs comes from TV and Radio commercials, oh and occasionally my boyfriend.  I pay alot of attention to the ads on websites too like yahoo. I have also been inspired by yahoo answers.  A lot of times people are asking the same questions about the same products.  (thus the creation of my Christmas and few make up hubs)  One day i was inspired by my desk.   I wrote hubs on the objects on my desk at work!  Speaking of which I better get back too!

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    Nelle Hoxieposted 14 years ago

    I think Yahoo answers is a fabulous source.

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    Daniel Hicksposted 14 years ago

    Just joined Hubpages yesterday and wrote my first hub. Really enjoyed this thread and look forward to hopping over to your Profile page to check out some of you hubs. Although i have limited experience on hubpages I have gotten some decent results on a few niche websites aimed at adsense.  I would imagine if you still want to do some Valentine hubs and shorten that 4-5 month window you could do so by writing some Ezinearticles to promote those Valentine Hubs. I wrote one last night to promote my first hub and when it gets published on Ezinearticless it will drive a little traffic and more importantly help my hubpage get ranked quicker in Google for my Keyword from the Backlink it generates.

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