From personal experience, research, both?

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   Slainiaposted 14 years ago

   I'm looking for some advice here, I guess. When you're writing, say for hubpages, or something else that allows for marketing/amazon etc sales, do you write from personal experience? Theres a topic I have to go find in a bit thats sort of related, I think, but the reason I'm wondering is from a research standpoint, and I can't find the other thread.
   I have an idea for an article or three, on products that I use, but I haven't used them extensively enough to feel I'm an authority, and I can't exactly go out and buy them due to odsp.
   So. Wheres the line between bullshitting your audience, and experimenting and doing reasonable research? I'm new to writing for anything but myself, but I need practice, so...
   Help? input? I feel like such a noob as the saying goes...

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      Marisa Wrightposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I think that provided you're honest, you can write from your own personal experience.  For instance, I have a Hub about a brand of jeans.  I wrote it a couple of months after buying them, so I can't say how well they'll wear.  But I can disclose I've only had them a short time, and give my opinion.

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         Slainiaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I just don't want to come off as if I'm trying to - hmm. Fast-sell people in to buying something. Thanks, Marisa. I think that may be the best approach for me at the moment.

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2. 70

   Cagsilposted 14 years ago

   Marketing isn't for everyone. Not everyone can do it. Everyone has the potential, but not the ability to tap creative nature needed to make a living at it.
   
   Many people do reviews on movies, or tv series, or books they read, or products(like you said). They don't need, neither do you, to be an authority on the subject, but inform people do yes you do use the product and your view of the product is as it is written in a hub.
   
   You produce a product, a free review for a product. Nowadays, people search everywhere looking for reviews. It has to be honest to be effective and grammar is always key.
   
   If you want to try a sales pitch, it will be written differently.
   
   Just my thoughts on it.

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      Slainiaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      l just want to do reviews, a chance to experiment and learn/grow. Feedback - and l suppose the profit aspect of it - are kind of side bonuses, but l haven't had a lot of time/chances to experiment with writing styles and whatnot. I could do it on my own, not post it, but that only somewhat works in my opinion. Thanks, Cagsil. Appreciate the time to answer..
      l am doing books, tho. Slowly. Books l can do.

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         Cagsilposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Go in with that in mind when you write the hub. You make sure you establish that you want to convey your opinions. Most people are willing to read about what others think about books. The review would be a good option.
         
         It could be a tough market on keywords, but I guess you could research the titles before-hand, so you know what you are up against.
         
         That sort of research is a must, besides reading the books. Especially, if you want to write to make money.
         
         I would suggest reading up on SEO from Sunforged, resident guru on SEO. Search Engine Optimization is very helpful to earning.

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            Slainiaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            I've researched that quite a bit in terms of the website. STill have a LOT to do for hubpages, though. Mind you, l'm going into this with the expectation that l won't make much money for a while till l get the hang of it. As long as editing hubs is ok l hope. Lol
            l still have a lot to learn for the website too, actually. only been doing this stuff since.... the first week of may? ish
            l'll look - them? him/her? up in a min, thanks.

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   Cagsilposted 14 years ago

   http://hubpages.com/hub/Get-Website-Tra … -earn-from
   
   http://hubpages.com/hub/Writing-for-mon … nt-revenue
   
   Above is two I have bookmarked for re-reading..
   
   
   Edit: Sunforged is a him.

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      Slainiaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Oh! Thanks. I just found Sunforged's profile, too. Sounds like I'll have a busy weekend.

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         Cagsilposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         

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4. 84

   talfonsoposted 14 years ago

   I use both personal experiences and research to write my Hubs - it makes it look interesting to the readers. In my recent Hub on how Christmas comes earlier year after year, I don't just write on how stores stock decorations on the shelves before Halloween, but I support my topic with my experience in a school concert during my senior year before Halloween, when the band played two Christmas songs.

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5. 79

   thisisoliposted 14 years ago

   I write from research more than personal experience.

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   Lisa HWposted 14 years ago

   I think you can do both, but handle each differently. Some people do something like research and offer something like write a Hub on all the kinds of something (like, maybe, travel mugs) that are out there.    Someone else (or the same person in a different Hub) could write from a personal experience and say something honest, like, "I have this travel mug and like it for all the following reasons, but....."   I have one really successful Hub that was done that way.  It's informal (kind of folsky) and I just told it like it was, based on my own personal experience.  I was surprised to see how it took off.  For the most part, people know what I've presented is just personal experience.  (Although I've been accused of working for that company from time to time.)
   
   I don't think you have to "BS" people.  In fact, I think when it's clear you're being honest about your experience with something readers see that, and the Hub may actually do better.
   
   Then again, you could use a combo approach - "Here's my experience with this brand; and here's this one and a bunch of other brands too".
   
   This is just personal opinion as a reader, but the ones I think look "BS-y" are the ones that say way more about some insignificant product than any genuine person would ordinarily say about a product that insignificant.  As a reader, I'm more likely to want to read about someone's personal experience with, say, a certain brand of PC (lots of room for "issues" that show up in use)than I am to read some padded piece about someone's favorite Number 2 pencil.  If I'm looking for info on Number 2 pencils I just want to know how many brands there are and how much a case I'll have to pay for them.  To me, if someone wants to pad a Hub on something like Number 2 pencil he ought to go the route of offering history of the product or other research-based info, rather than all his years of using them.  (Everyone else has been using them for all those years too. )  If I see one of those over-padded Hubs about some product that doesn't really call for it I'm leaving and going where I think I'll get researched info only.  (Maybe that's just me.)

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