Never been any good at Amazon products

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   TessSchlesingerposted 6 years ago

   In all the time I've been writing on the web (first started on Amazon in 2004), I've never been any good at selling products on the web. I don't know why that is. I know people who make a packet at promoting products on the web. And I know there are people who make a good amount on HP even though they haven't written here for years.
   
   So what is it I am missing?
   
   What does one have to write about in order to have a product that Google finds and sends traffic to?

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      TIMETRAVELER2posted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I had the same problem for years until Marisa taught me the secret!
      
      You have to write about a topic that lends itself to selling products.  For example, writing about relationships or politics doesn't fit the bill.  However, if you write about a hobby, such as fishing, for example, there are a zillion potential items you can sell, depending on how you write a hub on that topic.
      
      You have to have credibility.  In short, I wouldn't ever write about fishing, despite its potential, because I know very little about it.  However, my husband, who is an avid fisherman, could write hubs about the best fishing spots, the best lures to use, what type of equipment is best, etc.  I wish I knew what HE knows, that's for sure.  If I tried to sell any of those products, nobody would buy them!
      
      You have to place the ad correctly, which means putting it higher up on the page and directly above or below the text that describes it and explains why you use it or like it as opposed to other types of the same product.
      
      Finally, the product must directly relate to what you are writing about, and should be unique.  This means that the product you are selling must not be something you can just run out and buy at  a local store or that is generic.  For example, if you are writing about fishing rods for kids, you would want to let people know what is available and that you can easily buy one on Amazon that is the perfect "fit" for a child of a certain age.
      
      The harder the product would be to find, the better it is for you AND your reader when you advertise it.
      
      There is a real art to doing ads, and those who take the time to create the correctly can make good money.  Sometimes ads make more than hubs!
      
      So, in essence, what you write about determines whether you should even place an ad.  What you are trying to sell also determines whether people will feel the need to buy.  And...as Paul always says...an ad should only be placed if it will help the reader.  If you only place an ad because you want to make some money, that's the wrong reason and your ads won't do well.
      
      One good ad is enough.  If you plaster your hub with them, readers will feel like you're spamming them and will get turned off...BUT...if what you are selling is something they need that they can buy right now by pressing a button?  You've got a winner!

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         TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks. That makes sense. For a start, I always put the ad right at the bottom. I will go through my hubs one by one and fix that up. I don't do a lot of product stuff, basically because I am a minimalist.

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            TIMETRAVELER2posted 6 years agoin reply to this

            Hopefully you'll do more than just move the position of the ad.  Check the other issues I mentioned, too, to make sure you are getting it right.  Otherwise, just moving the ad won't be enough.

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               TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               Oh, yes, absolutely. It's going to take me a while, so I have to go sit somewhere quiet for a day and work through the lot of them. I appreciate your input. It all makes sense.

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            Marisa Wrightposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            Ah, putting the ad at the bottom is a guarantee of failure.  I should have mentioned that.   People on the internet are impatient and most of your readers won't read all the way to the end of your article, so Amazon products at the end of a Hub rarely make any sales at all.

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      NateB11posted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Advice given on this thread is good.
      
      I've never been good at selling Amazon products either and, in fact, I'll often think about how some people supposedly do very well selling Amazon products and I'll marvel at that fact. However, I have had one continuing success selling Amazon products on one of my own sites. It's a site on a specific subject and all I use on the site are Amazon ads, no Adsense or anything else. I sell products on there regularly. Only problem is they are inexpensive items so I get very little return.
      
      I think what helped me in this case was that I didn't have to follow Adsense rules because I wasn't using Adsense and also I was promoting products that people would definitely buy. So, it seems that is key; understanding demand. And, yes, traffic is key too.

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         TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Interesting. Don't you use Adsense for any of your hubs? Or can one switch off adsense for a hub if one choses to. I also sell some on one of my hubs reguarly, but it's small stuff.

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            NateB11posted 6 years agoin reply to this

            Oh, yeah, I use Adsense and the HP Ad Program on all of my Hubs; it's just on one of my own sites I only use Amazon ads. However, I think admin suggested awhile back that switching off Adsense on Hubs with Amazon ads increases the chances of making sales. You can turn off ads while editing a Hubs.

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               TIMETRAVELER2posted 6 years agoin reply to this

               Doing that may work for some people, but I still use Amazon ads with Adsense only and do well that way.

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               NateB11posted 6 years agoin reply to this

               Wanted to make a couple of clarifications: The case with my website in which I make significant Amazon sales is only relevant with my website; because it's my own site and I don't use Adsense on it, I don't have to follow the rules of Adsense; however, on HP you still have to follow HP rules which are similar to Adsense rules. Secondly, the suggestion by admin that shutting off HP and Adsense Ads might increase Amazon sales applies to Hubs where there are already significant Amazon sales; the idea there is that Google might send more traffic to a Hub that have fewer ads. I had to go back to old forum threads to jog my memory--here's a couple: https://hubpages.com/community/forum/13 … the-answer and  https://hubpages.com/community/forum/13 … p---or-not

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                  NateB11posted 6 years agoin reply to this

                  Still, I thought my experience with my own website could be instructive.
                  
                  Seems to me the main point is that to make sales there has to be an understanding of demand; what people will buy and why. Certain things are pretty consistently in demand among certain niche groups of people. Finding those products and niche groups is the tricky part I suppose. Seems sales are a very specific thing, subject matter has to be narrowed down and a certain amount of understanding of how to get traffic is involved too.

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                     TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                     And that is very difficult when one has little interest in materialism. Still, I am learning, and just the fact that  I am increasingly learning what people like to read about shows improvement.

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                        NateB11posted 6 years agoin reply to this

                        I hear ya. It was a struggle for me to learn about making money and getting traffic; definitely not my forte or interest. But my financial situation dictates to me to use my time and energy wisely.

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   Marisa Wrightposted 6 years ago

   Fundamentally, you have to feature products that the reader is going to want.
   
   For instance, if you're writing about a craft or sewing project, you would feature some of the tools or materials necessary to complete the task.   
   
   If you're writing about a type of product, you'd discuss the various options and then recommend the one you think is best, and feature that one.  For instance, you have a Hub about comfortable high heels and at the end, you suggest buying dance shoes.  I would feature a pair of tango shoes from Amazon (but remember you have to say why you recommend that particular brand).

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      TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Okay. I did that for my waterproof fabric but only ever sold one.
      
      So there has to be some other factor involved - like traffic.

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         sallybeaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Often the people who buy make their way to Amazon via your link but often buy something completely different:)   Amazon earnings can make a real difference to your earnings.

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            TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            Yes, I realize that, but they're hardly buying at all!

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               sallybeaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               I had a look at your Cumin Oil ad and my feeling was that you could have written a paragraph without focusing on where the reader could buy it.  I would make the ad much more part of the conversation and don't focus so much on the sell.  If the person is convinced they will click on the link.    An Amazon link would work much better than a capsule in my opinion.

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                  TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                  I don't know what you mean. Which paragraph?

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                     sallybeaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                     'I will never in my life be without this substance again. Just the fact that I am smiling for the first time in maybe 40 years and I have no more gout and pain is enough for me to take it forever. Yes, I'm raving, but three months after I started, I knew I would never be without it again. Now six months later, I sleep better, my head is clearer, and my hair is shining, not falling out, and healthy'
                     
                     Why not change the substance to Cumin Oil and put a link to the product on Amazon instead of the capsule?  HubPages don't favor using capsules anymore, they prefer links.  You don't have to tell people that they can buy it on Amazon, you just lead them gently down the path with the orange amazon link and if they are curious they will go looking.

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                        TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                        Oh, I didn't know you could do that. How do you use the link? Very good idea.

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                        TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                        SallyBea, I could figure out how to put a link in. Generally, I highlight the words, then press hyperlink in the capsule and put the url of the website I want in.
                        
                        Must I do that? Put the URL of the Amazon page?
                        
                        Also, I noticed that on the right hand side, it also had an option called 'link.' What is that for?
                        
                        Many thanks for your help. Always appreciated.

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                           sallybeaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                           You highlight the word in the text for instance (castor oil) and then click the chain link at the top of the page.  It will open in a little block at the bottom and one option is Amazon, click amazon, and some links with castor oil will be revealed.  Choose the one which you consider to be closer to the product you have used or the same and it will insert the link in your text.  Just save it as usual and when you go back to your hub it will be there with a little orange A sign.
                           I don't generally use the URL but you can.  When you highlight the product name it will open with that word in the block and all you have to do is click Amazon below and look for the product, much like you have been done if you are using capsules search words.  Others may prefer to use the URL, I don't
                           Incidentally, if you use Grammarly you could have a problem adding the link.  I sometimes have to use another browser.  I use chrome and find that sometimes these are incompatible.

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                              wildernessposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                              I can add that sometimes that amazon button won't produce the item I wish.  If I go to the amazon product, copy the title on that page, and past it into the "search" area it will always pop up.  Useful!

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                                 sallybeaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                 Thanks, wilderness, that is helpful, nice to see you gracing these pages again!

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                                    wildernessposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                    Thanks, Sally - I come and go sometimes. 
                                    
                                    But a question for you - if we put the product URL in the pop up box with the chain link, it doesn't seem to produce a link in the finished hub with the little "A" indicator.  Do we still get paid under the HP program that way, or does it slip through the cracks?

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                                       sallybeaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                       As I understood it you can but I don't do it, perhaps I was wrong about that!  I do recall putting the URL it into the top box above the search bar but did not understand how it worked.   Interesting thought about payment though, it never crossed my mind!  I will give it a try and see what happens.

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                                       sallybeaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                       Interesting, I tried it.  I searched for the product on Amazon.com and copied the URL.  I then clicked on the word I wanted to highlight and the chain link.
                                       I then added the Amazon Product URL to the top line and made the link with no problem.  I wonder if one gets paid for Amazon links but not other websites!.  It inserted the link with no problem.  Whether one gets paid for it I don't know but it is there now.   Perhaps someone in the know can tell us?

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                                          wildernessposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                          Yes, it makes the link with no problem.  But when you see it in the hub, outside of edit, the link is underlined but doesn't carry the little "A" in a box.  Makes me wonder if it's being picked up as an Amazon link and if it is, are we getting paid. 
                                          
                                          Some time ago, when we were told the necessary codes were automatically entered into text links like this, I put a few into hubs, but now I'm wondering if I did it correctly.

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                                       sallybeaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                       That is odd, I made the link and it does have an Amazon A next to it.  I did it on my Wet Felted Gloves Hub.
                                       I edited it again just to make sure I did it correctly and on clicking the chain link it still shows the URL and a picture of the product at the bottom of the page.The A is also on the Hub.  Are you using Amazon.com links?

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                                       Marisa Wrightposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                       Don't do it that way, then - use the HubPages function that Sallybea explained.

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                                 TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                 Thanks.

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                              TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                              Thank you. Will have to wait for Friday. I managed everything else this morning, though.   Much appreciaated.

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   Marisa Wrightposted 6 years ago

   Only a small percentage of readers will buy so yes, traffic is critical

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      TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      O me miserarum...

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         Titiaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         I second that

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         Marisa Wrightposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Traffic is the key to income.  Some people do well with Amazon products, but most Hubbers make their money from HP Ads or Adsense, with the occasional Amazon sale as a bonus.
         
         If you are here to make money rather than express yourself, then you simply have to accept that news items and opinion pieces are a waste of time.   HubPages is not a news site, so it can't compete for with the newspapers.  You need to think about problems people have, or evergreen information that people are seeking, and write about those.

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            TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            I have 140 hubs. Some of them have traffic. Some of them don't. It is irrelevant whether they are opinion pieces or not. It depends whether people are interested or not.
            
            People will click on information they are interested in. And some of my opinion pieces do make money.
            
            I think the biggest problem is simply that I put all my ads ( and I have very few hubs with ads) at the bottom. It is that simple.

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   earnerposted 6 years ago

   I'll chuck in the odd Amazon capsule, but as I am British, writing in UK English about English things, it's really not viable most of the time. 
   
   Even books are "useless" because if I'm in England, writing about British things, then even a British/English book of interest to somebody will most likely be a British person, who would click and think "Hey, I'm on Amazon.com - I don't want that.... I'd want to buy this book on Amazon.co.uk".
   
   Words/language are different too.  e.g. if I were to write the most amazing hub about choosing frying pans for perfect omelettes.... Americans call them skillets and an omelette is probably either called something else, or spelt differently ... so any "audience" I have will, again, click and think "Hey, this is Amazon.com - and I want to buy this from the UK" and leave.

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      sallybeaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I am in the UK and most of my visitors come from the USA but I do have success with Amazon.  I believe Amazon make it possible now for us to sell from in the UK,  They made an announcement about a week or so ago.  There was a forum thread about it.   I just have not figured out what I have to do.

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         Marisa Wrightposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         We'll have to wait and see what HubPages do, because we can't make the required changes to the HubPages Amazon program.

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      TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, I recall the day I had an argument with an American that spelt and burnt were perfectly correct and that spelled and burned were a version of the same words! No longer. I'm really grateful that Hubpages now accepts British spelling as well as US spelling. For the most part, though, I try to use American spelling.
      
      I think most of HP readers are American, so that is the market one has to write to. I know of a couple of other Brits who make good money from Amazon, and they have done so for years. I think one has to have a knack for the marketplace in general.
      
      I am trying to learn that.

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   TessSchlesingerposted 6 years ago

   Please please explain this to me, someone.
   
   
   I have had an article on emeralds since 2014. It gets regular traffic. It previously had a ring from amazon on it (right at the bottom) but nobody bought it.
   
   So, as I've been trying to sell more on Amazon, I took into consideration everything people said here, put in a better product move it near the top under a picture of with someone wearing an emerald similar to that, and, guess what.
   
   I've received an email saying that something in the article was snipped and guess what was snipped. The Amazon capsule.
   
   Please can someone explain to me what on earth was wrong with that. I thought I did it beautifully. And it absolutely and utterly was NOT spammy.
   
   https://hubpages.com/style/The-Sandawan … ement-Ring
   
   I have read through this - https://hubpages.com/faq/#Spammy-Elements (which is what the editor recommended I do as this product from Amazon is considered spammy.
   
   Why? The article reads well with or without it.
   .

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      TIMETRAVELER2posted 6 years agoin reply to this

      The capsule might have been snipped due to the quality of the photo. or might also have been snipped because the ad is not really relevant to the topic.

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         TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Well, no one can have experience with every product they write about. Also, if one is livig outside the States, there is no way that one can order from Amazon in the States. While I realize that hp doesn't want spamming hubs, just becaause one hasn't used a particular product doesn't make it spamming.

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            wildernessposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            Of course they can.  I have personal experience with every product I advertise, or at a minimum, a very similar one if the one I have/used is no longer available.

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      sallybeaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Try using an Amazon link instead of a capsule. Focus on the fact that the Emerald is a stone which is used for intuitive awareness, meditation, and spirituality.   Focus on romance if you want to sell a ring.  Don't focus too much on the differences between the UK or the States.  You just have to do enough to encourage the reader to be curious enough to press the Amazon link.  They may not buy an Emerald ring but they might if they think that you can sell them romance.

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         TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Wow! That's an angle. Never thought of it. However, I would have to rewrite this particular article, and I suspect that several jewelers are linked to it. It has several backlinks.

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            sallybeaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            I never understood the reason for backlinking to a Jeweler or anyone else for that matter as I think it takes the reader away from a hub.  I prefer to link to Amazon and try to make those links to Amazon a guide to helping a reader source something to complete one of my Tutorials.  I almost never click a link on anyone's Hub unless I want to learn more about the subject.   I am sure there are good reasons to do so but why would I send them away if I wanted to sell a product?   Personally, if I had loads of money I would go to a top end Jeweler, so I think you have to look at the subject from a different angle for Amazon.

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               TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               A link is when I link to someone. A backlink is when someone else links to me. A jeweler would definitely link to my article in order to tell his clients about emeralds.

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                  sallybeaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                  One learns something everyday:)  Thank you.

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      Marisa Wrightposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      You are forgetting the fundamental rules, Tess.   Maybe you should re-read my Basic Rules Hub to clarify.
      
      There are two rules:
      
      1.  The product must be directly relevant to the title of the Hub. Your product passes that test.
      
      2.  You must say why you, personally, recommend that product.  Your comment on the emerald is impersonal, therefore it doesn't pass that test.
      
      Personally, I find the second rule unnecessarily restrictive, but it has been discussed many times, and HubPages staff have made it very clear it's not going to change.  It's their site so they are entitled to make the rule! 
      
      Of course you can't have personal experience of every product but let's face it, HubPages isn't going to visit your house and check you've got the product.  In many cases, it is perfectly possible for a skilled writer like yourself to construct a sentence using "I" or "my" which could be read as having personal knowledge, without actually saying so.   For instance, in this case you could say something like, "I fell for this solitaire emerald pendant because the simple setting lets the stone speak for itself, and the silver chain keeps the cost down."

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   Linda BookLadyposted 6 years ago

   I've had some Amazon capsules snipped lately too. My guess is that the capsule was snipped because you have no personal experience with the product. If you wrote, "I bought this necklace and wore it at the grand opening of a local department store. I'm very happy with the quality, and the compliments I got..." etc.etc. ... then it would be a personal review with your honest observation of the product. That's what they're looking for - not just random products that you never bought that just fit in with the hub's theme.

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      TIMETRAVELER2posted 6 years agoin reply to this

      The ad doesn't really fit with the theme, either.  The product has nothing to do with the differences between the two types of emeralds.

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   psycheskinnerposted 6 years ago

   I have to agree that it is easy to only write only about products you have experienced if that is what you choose to do.  Of course it does limit what products you post and how many, but it is not impossible.

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   Linda BookLadyposted 6 years ago

   I got the impression HubPages is trying to limit the number of products offered to those we have experience with. I have one page they removed ALL the products from even though they were directly related to the topic of the hub, and I'm guessing it was because I hadn't told about my personal use of the products.

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      Marisa Wrightposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      It's not just an impression, Linda, it's the rules.  See my response to Tess.

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         TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Yes, it is. HP has just come back to me to tell me I must write about my personal experience with the product. That's a bit over the top. It's impossible to have a particular experience with an emerald stone. Each one is unique, and despite wearing emeralds for years, I did not buy them from Amazon.

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            Marisa Wrightposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            Did you read my explanation of the rule? Yes, I think it is over the top too, but rules are rules.  Did you see my suggested text that would satisfy the requirement?

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               TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               Marisa,no. I have had a busy week. I am fully occupied today and on my way out. I will spend tomorrow going through everything on their thread again. Thank you always.

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   Glenn Stokposted 6 years ago

   If you limit yourself to products you actually used and have experience with, and follow all the other rules, then you shouldn't have any trouble.  It doesn't matter if you bought them on Amazon or not.
   
   I'm living proof. Last week I published a review of five books that I had read. I used an Amazon capsule for each one. That's five Amazon ads!  The hub was move to Letterpile and none were snipped.

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      TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      That's interesting. I once wrote a hub on various microwave pots and pans sort of thing. Like ones that melted chocolate, made eggs, etc. all of which I had used at some point or other.
      
      The hub wasn't even accepted because it was called spammy.
      
      That said, I can see that reviewing a book could never be called spammy. Or not.
      
      This is a hub I wrote reviewing various books. I had the books linked to Amazon, but it wasn't accepted because it was spammy.
      
      I had to remove most of the books before it was featured.
      
      Maybe it really depends on whose doing the editing?
      
      https://hubpages.com/politics/Best-book … ic-outlook

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         sallybeaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Here is a perfect example of how it can be done.
         https://holidappy.com/gift-ideas/Gift-I … eally-Want

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            TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            He's linked it.
            
            Okay. Thank you. Will have to study that in detail.
            
            So much appreciation for your input.

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               Glenn Stokposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               Tess, Paul's hub worked because every Amazon link was 100% related to the title of his hub.
               
               I also have an example you can check out, where I used Amazon capsules, instead of in-text links, for each of five books that I reviewed. That hub was moved to Letterpile within a few days of publication and nothing needed to be snipped.
               
               I'm not allowed to post my own link, as you know, but you can find it in my profile listing. The title is "Five Benjamin Franklin Books With Encouragement and Inspiration."
               
               It will give you a good example how to use Amazon ads that don't get snipped. Notice how all five Amazon capsule ads relate to my title, in addition to the fact that I made it clear in the hub that I actually read those books.

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                  Marisa Wrightposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                  ....though it is notable that some of Paul's  links don't meet the rule about personal recommendation. For the animal onesie, for instance, there's no suggestion he has bought that particular onesie for his daughter.  If we did that, it would be snipped now.
                  
                  I wonder if that Hub was moved before the rules tightened up, and it hasn't been checked because it's Paul's.

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                     Glenn Stokposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                     Actually all the ideas were his 14-year-old daughter's. So she would have been the one to use them. That wasn't made clear either, so I see your point. Good question.
                     
                     In any case, the example I gave Tess covers all three requirements. I don't think they would have accepted five Amazon capsules if I hadn't.

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                        Marisa Wrightposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                        ...even if it was made clear, there is no comment about the particular brand of onesie recommended, which would be required now.
                        
                        Your Hub is different.  In it, it's clear that you've read all five books and the opinions on each one are personal. 
                        https://letterpile.com/books/Books-by-Benjamin-Franklin

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                           Glenn Stokposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                           Yes, I'm sure that's why they didn't snip any of my ads.
                           
                           Thanks for showing the link. I hope it helps Tess see how the rules work in practice. Your comment with the three rules made it very clear.

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                              sallybeaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                              You chose a hub which has not been updated yet. I don't use the Capsules anymore.  .If I went back to update it, I would remove the floating capsule.   I had hoped that the change would happen automatically without any help from me.

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                                 Glenn Stokposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                 Yes it will happen automatically, but it may not be where you expect it to be. You might prefer to have the floating capsule content under the left hand capsule, but it may end up over it. The placement may confuse readers if you have wording that says, "see below" or "as shown at the right".
                                 
                                 I'm not saying that you have any of those problems.  I'm just saying that in general for everyone to consider,  because I see a lot of it on some people's hubs that are going to be totally messed up—and already are messed up when viewed on mobile.  Mobile devices only show hubs in one column anyway, and has been that way for a long time. That's why I wrote a hub two years ago talking about making hubs mobile friendly.

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                                    sallybeaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                    Thank you, Glenn, I will have to spend a bit more time checking them over.  Sometimes I dread doing more than one at a time.  I spent a few minutes checking out how to place an Amazon link using an URL instead of the chain link in response to a query from Wilderness on the forum page and staff picked it up immediately and gave me a period of time to fix it up or it would be defeatured.  I had removed the Amazon capsule I had and replaced it with the link.but had not even had a chance to complete it.  I had no idea that they checked every single alteration.   I was only trying to teach myself how to use the URL feature.

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                           TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                           Yes, but in my hub about all ten books. I read all ten books as well, and it wasn't even feature (10 economic books). I had to remove the links to get if featured.

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                              sallybeaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                              Did you use Amazon links or capsules?  HubPages definitely don't like capsules anymore even though we still have that option.   I don't know why they don't dump the feature since it just causes so much agro.   They definitely don't like a hard sell of products or someone adding products unless they have a sound reason for adding them.   Just having read them is not a good enough reason.   If you still have the hub this might be the perfect time to review it with the guidelines suggested by Glen and Marisa and re-submit it.  If it is not featured again they can take a look at it.    They are much more qualified to comment than I am.

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                                 Glenn Stokposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                 Sally, there is nothing wrong with using Amazon capsules. I have five of them in my hub I suggested that Tess examine. It was accepted as is, without any snips, and moved to Letterpile.
                                 
                                 Tess, Did you see the difference in the way I used the capsules? I don't think you looked at it yet because you keep complaining about having yours snipped.

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                                    sallybeaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                    I was asked to change mine to links.   Personally, I prefer the capsules as they are more open and transparent but stopped using them when I was asked to change them to links.
                                    You and Marisa could not have done a better job of explaining how to use them and I bow to both of your superior knowledge.

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                                       Glenn Stokposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                       Just curious, when they asked you to change them to links, had you placed your own content within the capsule descriptions?  That's what I do, and not just a little. I include an extensive description so that the "buy now" button appears way down, after my description. That's what I've be trying to get Tess to notice.
                                       
                                       I see that many people put their description in a text capsule and leave the Amazon capsule description blank. Not a good idea. That makes it look spammy.

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                                          TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                          I have always put a long description in, Glenn.

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                                             Glenn Stokposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                             So when they snip your Amazon capsules, do they move your description into a text capsule? Or lose it?
                                             
                                             There must be another reason then. Did your content include all three rules that Marisa mentioned?

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                                    sallybeaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                    I usually include it in the list of materials which will be needed to complete a Tutorial and explain why I use that particular product, such as hat blocks, shoe lasts purse frames etc or a particular type of wool for felting because it wears better, felts easier etc.,   I often include photos of the ones which I am used myself  in the Tutorial so I think I have it a lot easier than most. 
                                    I don't just write a list of ingredients as if I were making a cake, I go into detail.

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                                       Glenn Stokposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                       But do you put all that in the Amazon capsule itself? An example I found, you just include an empty Amazon capsule in "How to Wet Felt a Poinsettia Flower."
                                       
                                       And by the way, you need to adjust the floating capsule to be sure it appears in the right place when that feature is removed the end of October.

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                                 TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                 Will do!

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         Marisa Wrightposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         I wish HubPages wouldn't create their own jargon, especially when it sounds insulting.  "Spammy elements" is just jargon and it doesn't mean what it says.
         
         All it means is "you have one or more links which break our rules". It really is that simple.  Try to ignore the word and concentrate on the meaning.
         
         To reiterate, the rules for Amazon products are:
         
         1. They must be relevant to the title of your Hub
         2.  You must say, either in the text or in the Amazon capsule, why you are recommending that particular make or model of the product. 
         3.  You must couch that recommendation in personal terms (i.e. using "I" or "my" or "mine").
         
         I suspect your Hubs were snipped because although the books were relevant, you didn't say why you were recommending them.

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            sallybeaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            Boiled down like that it seems pretty simple:)

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            TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            I wrote the entire review about books I recommended. How on earth could I explain what they were about if I hadn't read them?
            
            There comes a point at which stating the obvious is beyond bizarre.
            
            Why I recommend them? So that Republicans can get an education about economics.

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               Marisa Wrightposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               You could have read other reviews and combined them, so it's not stating the obvious. You'll notice how Glenn is careful to inject personal comments throughout his Hub which makes it clear he has read each book.
               
               Educating Republicans is your motive for writing the Hub. What you need to say is the reason why you chose each of those particular books.  I'm sure there's a range of books on that subject - why did you choose those?

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                  TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                  They all explain the math. Too many books on economics are based on ideologies.. These weren't. The most difficult to read was Thomas Piketty's. It was a tome and a half. But he was original in the stories he told. He used English Literature to explain, despite being French. I will have to go back and look at it. I'm rusty now.

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                     Marisa Wrightposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                     I have to apologise, because I missed the fact that you had actually linked to that Hub.  I can see exactly what the problem is.
                     
                     Firstly, you have no introduction. I am a big advocate for keeping the introduction short, but you need a sentence or two to say what the Hub is about.  Remember, the summary is not visible to the reader except on Google search. 
                     
                     Secondly, I can see why HubPages thought you hadn't read the books.  For the first book, you say what the book is about - which you could have put together from the book jacket, Amazon etc - then a review from a Guardian journalist.  No  opinion or review of your own at all.    For the second, third and fourth books, you say what the book is about, but no review at all.   With the fifth book, you begin to express some opinions and I start to see sentences with "I" in them, which is what's required - but I suspect the editors had stopped reading by that time.

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                        TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                        So interesting. I wouldn't do a journalism course in the States because they professor taught that one had to involve onself in the narrative. In traditional journalism, one never, never, never involves oneself. One's opinion is tototally irrelevant. I have to confess that when I start reading something and it is the opinion of someone, I stop there and then. Not interested. I am interested in the stats, the science, the facts, etc.
                        
                        Oh, well, I'm going to have to go back and look at them all again. Big job.

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    Marisa Wrightposted 6 years ago

    You're missing the point, Tess. HubPages is NOT journalism, nor is it academic writing.   And that's as it should be - Hubs can never compete with Huffington Post, newspapers or Wikipedia.  To get traffic, HubPages articles HAVE to be written from a different angle.  Readers come here looking for writers who offer advice and opinions - they can get dry, impartial facts in plenty of other places.
    
    This is what we've been trying to get across to you regarding the Amazon capsules. As I explained in my list of rules, if you include an Amazon capsule, you must give a personal opinion of the product - otherwise it's not allowed.

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       TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

       I get that.
       
       I write on hubpages for two reasons. The first is money. The second is that I run several huge social network sites, and they involve political and economic activism. I write the articles to debates and questions that I have all the time every time someone new joins. Then, instead of having to answer the entire thing again, I just give them a link to my hub. Works for me. I don't expect to earn money from political and economic hubs. I understand that's not going to happen. I do, however have readers there.
       
       I don't think people come to hubpages to find advice. I think they google because they want information about something, and if one is lucky and has done it well, then one article is near enough the top of the SERPS, and the article is easy to read and provides the information the person is looking for.
       
       I get what you're saying about Amazon. But if people want advise about a particular product, all they hae to do is read the Amazon reviews.
       
       That said, you have emphasized (and so has everyone else) why HP wants personal experience on an Amazon capsule. I understand that now. I was just explaining to you why I wrote it that way previously. it's old school journalism.
       
       I have now added an extensive introduction to the hub on economic books. I don't know if it's worth it to go and books links into those books. My experience is that very, very few people read economic books.  And some of them were really, really difficult to understand. I think Thomas Piketty took me three weeks to read, and Guy Standing one of the easiest.

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          Marisa Wrightposted 6 years agoin reply to this

          People don't trust Amazon reviews - they know that for some products, they are planted by the manufacturer.   That's why they go looking for other views on the product.   If you have written an in-depth Hub about a subject, so it looks as though you know what you're talking about, then the reader will trust your review more than the Amazon reviews.
          
          Also, people are looking for advice on which particular make and model (or which book) to buy.  They know that if they search on Amazon, they'll get a whole list of possible products or books, most of which will have several reviews, and some of those will be contradictory.  They're daunted by the prospect of ploughing through all that - they want help to make a decision.   
          
          I agree that it wouldn't be worth adding Amazon capsules to that particular Hub because you don't do anything in that Hub to help people decide which book would be most suitable for their needs.

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