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Physical Product Sales on Blog Case Study: Live the Ride Wristbands

Bike198 Live the Ride Wristbands

Over the past couple of weeks, I rolled out my latest product release on Bike198.com…the “Live the Ride” wristbands.

Backing up – awhile back (about 6 months ago), I was trying to figure out another physical product I could release that would increase brand recognition and be easy to put together. After some thought, the idea of the wristband came up so I asked our Facebook followers what they thought…and they loved the idea.

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Wanted: Experts – No Experience Required

Wanted: Internet Expert | Robb Sutton

I have been thinking about something a lot lately that is nothing new…it just seems to get worse and worse with time.

As the internet becomes more social and less of a resource, we are seeing the emergence of more “internet experts”. Whether it be bloggers writing about subjects they have no experience in or friends on your friendly Facebook wall turning into a heated political debate, the social internet has now given people the ability to say things online that they would never say in person…at least not with the grander and force they do digitally.

We are now in an age where everyone sees themselves as an expert in a specific field because of their ability to research their passion through their favorite sources. This creates a certain amount of hostility online as these “experts” butt heads over what they feel is right. But…just like the experts that think they are right…the sources they quote can be just as biased and misled.

Another example…

As many of you know, we had our first kid last month. I am sure we are going through the same thing most new parents do…the ultimate search for the perfect way to raise your kid. In the pursuit of perfect information, we scour the web and books looking for the “expert” to tell us how things are done and what we need to do next. However, what we find is that no one is on the same page on anything! They can sooth themselves at a month…no wait…not until a year…6 months…3 months…can’t all of you guys just get on the same page?!

This has brought me to the underlying conclusion that you can find whatever you want to read at the time.

  • Are you having a hard time getting your kid to sleep? Then the book that said one month must be wrong and the 6 month one must be right…because that is my experience. (ours is down for the count at one month…and we are grateful for it!!)
  • Do you feel like you lean more to the conservative side of politics? More liberal? You are going to read the sources that you connect with.
  • Have friends on Facebook that are saying what you want to hear? Think you’ll listen to them more than the ones that are saying what you don’t at the time?

Now days…everyone has a voice and the answers online can bring us to a state that we forget to think for ourselves.

Before the age of the internet, we had books and other resources, but the massive volume of information was not present. Now…before we do anything we head to the computer asking The Google what to do next. We forget to stop, think and assess the situation. We completely forgo our gut instincts to trust people we don’t know or ones with zero experience in the specified field.

The internet does a lot of amazing things for our daily lives, but our trust in self proclaimed experts that arose from the ease of publication of information has brought many people to a state that they no longer adapt and think for themselves. They don’t question what they read or try to adapt and change information to fit their lives. Objectivity is going away as blind faith in information is taking over.

It as almost as if the internet put up a wanted ad for experts in fields that have zero ability to talk about things rationally.

While this article might seem like a rant (and it is in someways), it is more about challenging you to question and actually think about what you read online (including things I write and say). There is no right answer for everyone. Everything in life needs to be thought out and interpreted as your life is not the exact same as your neighbors.

That said…we have to be willing to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. I do believe a lot of the trust we give to people that are providing the answers we want to hear stems from not wanting to mess up. We then have the ability to say someone else was wrong if it doesn’t go right, or we can then take credit if it works and push that same ideal on others. Some of the greatest rewards in life come out of what we learn from the mistakes we make. We can not let that fear run how we make decisions.

The internet is a great source of information…when used correctly. It is up to you how you process the information on the screen whether it is from a friend or an article on a website written by someone you don’t even know. How are you going to adapt as information overload continues to expand in our lives?

Top 20 Free Resources for Entrepreneurs

The internet contains a wealth of information for entrepreneurs seeking resources on all levels of setting up and operating a business. Setting aside time to look for such resource material will pay dividends but there are 20 such sites recognised here, that will lead you in the right direction and they give you a good place to start. And the great news is that they are all FREE. They are:

  1. A good place to begin would be at Intent Hub in which you will find an intuitively organised series of resource sites that give advice on when to start or not to start, how to develop your plan, the importance of a business model, how to get a good team around you, developing your product, creating a business identity, creating the right structure and how to develop an interest among investors.
  2. Pivotal tracker – a free project management tool, Dropbox a free fileserver, BaseCamp for online collaboration & project management have a free account.
  3. An efficient way to set up and co-ordinate your backend data is with Force.com. There is a free version that is well worth serious consideration.
  4. A Javascript application that has remained free so far is the Joyent Smart platform.
  5. Those getting involved in technology and media start ups should not do so without becoming familiar with Employment Law Traps for your state/country.
  6. Quora products is of course the place to go for all the links that you could dream about, all on the one site, a must bookmark for all aspiring entrepreneurs.
  7. All the information you require regarding legal and financing documents for startups, including fill in the blanks contracts has been very kindly put together by Ted Wang and made available for free on his site called Series Seed.
  8. Matthew Bartus has a lot of relevant information to impart on how to increase your VC Valuation on his site of the same name.
  9. We all know that the number of advisors on the web is quite prolific and all you need to know about them can be located on Venture Hacks, a site put together by Babak Nivi.
  10. Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich and Rosati’s online insight into venture financing is well worth studying on their site, Term Sheet Generator.
  11. Brad Feld has also created a worthwhile read on Term Sheet Series regarding venture financing as well.
  12. Any entrepreneur knows full well the importance of seed funding and to get the low down on the best practices in this area, Seed Funding by Mark MacLeod, will prove to be well worth the visit.
  13. Private individuals who are most likely to provide funds to assist the starting of a new company are known as ‘angels’ and to find out the varying types of angels in the investment world, an inspection of Scott Edward Walker’s work called Angel Financing is an entrepreneur must.
  14. When does it become advantageous to incorporate? This is a question many people argue over, therefore the site, Start Up Company Lawyer, that is contributed by Yoichiro Taku, is quite valuable in this area.
  15. Frank Demmler has put together quite an interesting study on his Founders’ Pie Calculator, an important tool in seeing where your business stands at any specific time.
  16. We are all subjected to abiding by the law but it can often be difficult to understand the language of lawyers, especially when starting up. Mark Suster has assisted here with his post, Work with Lawyers.
  17. A successful start up can sometimes be difficult without somebody to share the idea with and this has been recognised by Naval Ravikant with his contribution, Pick A Co-Founder.
  18. Google App Engine allows you to build and host web apps on the same systems that power Google applications. Offers a free quota of 1GB inbound + 1GB outbound bandwidth, up to 43 million requests and 6.5 CPU hours. Supports Java and Python development environments.
  19. The comprehensive site, delicious.com, will help you find expert resources on most topics. A great tool to fall back on when trying to position your product in a competitive market.
  20. For online invoicing, time tracking & billing software you cant go past FreshBooks free account.

In addition to the resource materials outlined here, all entrepreneurs could also benefit by taking out a good life insurance policy, as there is little to be gained if your enterprise got off the ground only to flounder because you became injured or ill to the extent that you were unable to continue managing its growth. Or in the case of your untimely death, left your beneficiaries to carry the debt of your start up costs.

 Kristy Ramirez writes for Life Insurance Finder where she helps people to compare life insurance quotes and select the best life insurance policy to meet their needs at the best possible price.

Every Pro Blogger Starts Somewhere…

Last week, I wrote an article on Bike198 about how every single rider had to start somewhere (Never Forget We All Started Somewhere). No one just wakes up one day able to jump road gaps or magically gets the endurance and skill to win races. At some point in time, every rider started at square one with zero knowledge and probably not even a bike. All they had was the willingness to learn and the drive to make their own dream a reality, but when you see it on the outside…it appears they have always ridden like that…

In the blogging world, that same paradox exists. You see blogs that are well established and making money forgetting that they too started with an idea and a blank screen.

With my BlogWorld Expo presentation coming up, I have been thinking a lot lately about the sequence of events that got to this point. When I look back on it, it really amazes me. I was just a guy who started a blog…nothing more…nothing less. My idea started to grow with hard work and dedication to the dream to become what it is today, but…at the end of the day…I am still just a guy that started a blog.

Every Pro Blogger Started Somewhere

If you are just starting out or trying to get over a plateau in your progress, it can seem like the world had it easier than you. It can seem like there was some secret that you missed out on. The reality is that every blogger (or rider like I pointed out in the biking article) has been exactly where you are sitting right now.

What separates the successful from those that aren’t is the willingness to push through the harder times and not give up. By learning from our experiences and keeping the drive to move forward, we see success and the monetary benefits that come along with that. No one…I repeat…no one wakes up one day with a “6 figure blog”. Every blogger that generates income from their efforts works hard at it day in day out to make it a success.

Nothing is free in life and everything that is worth having requires work.

You are not the first and certainly will not be the last to start a successful blog or make your blog successful by pushing through the harder times. Every blogger goes through these phases. It is how you deal with the ups and downs that determines your own personal outcome.

Successful business building and blogging does not come overnight. Everyone has to start somewhere…and it is that journey that makes the fruits of your labor so rewarding in the end. Every success has a story…what will yours be?

Is There Money To Be Made From Affiliate Programs?

This guest post was submitted by James Martell. Given the current state of “push button” income schemes…I thought it was highly relevant to post here.

Sadly the online “opportunity” training arena has become populated by hucksters and professional liars who’ll resort to ever trick in the book to market your a** off until they’ve drained you of not only your bank account (or credit cards) but your self esteem too.

I’ve been a full time “affiliate marketer” since a buddy showed me how back in 1999. And I’ve been teaching what I know since 2001. And I didn’t start teaching until my affiliate income was up to $10,000 a month.

I’ve witnessed hundred’s of success stories since then. So yes, there is most definitely “money” to be made, both with affiliate programs and with training.

Income Claims and Sleazy Tactics Have Muddied the Waters

Regrettably, consumers are a lot more wary these days; and with good reason. I, like you, am appalled at the ridiculous “overnight riches” (with little effort) claims I regularly receive in my inbox.

And I have come to loathe those confusing pop-ups that won’t let you get off their site unless you answer their sneaky trick question: press Cancel or Okay. Heck, the other day I found one that would not go away whether I hit Cancel, OK or hit the red X upper right.

Oh, they think they are so clever – so marketing savvy.

But I’ll say this: they are phony, slimy amateurs because “marketing”, whether online or off, are based on establishing trust. Would you ever do business with someone who came to your office or home and refused to leave when you said no thank you?

Not likely. Yet those tactics are commonplace online these days.

How I Made $200,604 in 36 Hours with This Simple Secret

Headlines like this are ridiculous on any level, but mainly because the big lie behind it is that even if someone did make that money, it is certainly not going to happen for you if you buy their BS “system” for $97 (before midnight because it’s so powerful they’ll be forced to take it off the market so it doesn’t get saturated. Yeah, right.)

Our rich friend above could have gotten access to a mailing list of 2 million. He might have spammed everyone on it and made a bunch. Big deal; I could rob a bank too.

For those who feel no compulsion to play by the rules, yes, they can make wads of cash fast. They can also find the FTC at their door, lose all their assets, be forced out of business and/or go to jail.

Are You Practiced In The Art Of Being Ethical?

I always made it a practice to rarely make income claims on my websites promoting my affiliate marketing training. Not that I did not have the stats to back it up. It was more of a strategic plan to gain the trust of my readers. It was also because I knew very well, as does every coach, mentor or trainer in any field, that most simply do not have what it takes.

I know this has cost me money in lost sales. Sadly, many prefer the “big lie”. They want to be sold by someone selling the dream. But I refused to do that.

You could say I’m practiced at it.

I’d prefer teaching students how to come up with a topic for their website, such as rocking chairs or keyboards, or any number of solid consumer products that are sure to stand the test of time and generate ongoing, steady revenue for site owners.

Maybe not as fast or as easy as some “opportunities”, but nevertheless it’s legal, ethical and bankable.

About the Author:

James Martell lives in White Rock, BC with his wife Arlene and their three children. James is a pioneer in the affiliate marketing industry and was successfully profiting with affiliate websites as early as 1999.

Blogging Labs – Formulating Blogs That Make Money

As you may have already noticed, things have drastically changed around here! What used to be RobbSutton.com is now BloggingLabs.com and that comes with a new design! So let’s dive into it as I explain what we did here and why the change.

Why the domain change?

RobbSutton.com started with a single purpose, to help other bloggers make a run at making money online through blogging. After getting numerous emails from other bloggers asking how I got so much product into review on Bike198.com, I decided to start RobbSutton.com as a way to talk to those bloggers publicly and not through just email. It was the simple theory of reaching more people in a personal way which is one of the foundations of blogging.

As time progressed, the blog continued to grow and expand. Through that expansion, RobbSutton.com actually grew past what I wanted from a personal blog standpoint. When you start to move past your personal name into a site that creating its own brand identity, you really need to have a domain name that is not your own personal name. This has several key positives to it.

  • Trust is built into brand names easier than personal. How many “wannabe” probloggers are out there talking about internet marketing and making money online through their personal name all looking to be the next John Chow (who also wishes his site was not on his personal name) without any real world experience or income to back up the claims?! A lot…don’t you want to separate yourself from those other bloggers? I do…
  • Branded domains are easier to sell in the future. While I nave absolutely no intentions of ever selling this site, you have to think about how having your content cemented to your personal name can affect your business plan down the road.
  • My personal domain can now stay personal. One of the biggest driving forces behind the move was this one. I want to create a personal blog on my name in the future to keep friends and family updated on our family. My wife and I are looking to start having children and it would be cool to have all of that information in one place. Since I do not want my name to be the brand anyway, having my personal domain stay personal is the perfect avenue to accomplish that goal.

So here we are…Blogging Labs…where we formulate money making blogs through real world experience that generates real income online.

First Impressions Start With The Name: Blogging Labs

As I racked my brain to think up of a domain name for the new site, I wanted something unique that was applicable to all past content as well as where I saw the blog heading in the future. Domain names are a tough animal to tackle as you not only have to come up with something catchy and memorable, but you also have to come up with a name that is actually available!

It took me about 2 weeks to actually nail this down and Blogging Labs is where we landed. At Blogging Labs, we formulate blogs that make money through tested and proven techniques on blogs in and outside of the MMO/internet marketing niche. With solid offerings like Bike198.com to back up the claims, we are going to keep pushing forward to innovate the way content is delivered online and consistently monetize that content. That is the core to Blogging Labs.

The New Design: Pagelines Platform Pro Framework

When I went looking to hack up a new design, I wanted something that was going to offer more flexibility than I had in the past. Previously, I had been using WooThemes and while I absolutely love their design and backend management system, I needed something that was easier to integrate key elements without a lot of hand coding and hacking.

Naturally, when you start looking at theme frameworks, there are four sources you are going to turn to.

At the end of the day, I ended up going with Pageslines Platform Pro because it had a lot of the key elements I needed as I sketched out exactly how I wanted this site to lay out. Platform Pro is the new dog to the race in terms of frameworks and so far I am incredibly impressed with the back end management, drag and drop functionality and incredible support from the developers. The other frameworks are all great and have an incredible reputation, but at the end of the day…I made the right choice for my abilities and this site. As you take a look around, you will see the elements that make this framework unique.

The Future and Blogging Labs

As we move forward into the ever evolving future of blogging, Blogging Labs is going to continue to pump out content that is going to help you increase your bottom line through real tutorials, techniques and reviews. Since we solidly believe that mindset is also key to success, we will continue to publish hard hitting articles to get you off your ass and working. Thank you for the support over the years with RobbSutton.com and we are looking forward to the future with Blogging Labs.

Three Ways You Can Build A Great Online Brand

The following article on building an online brand is a guest post by Vik Tantry from There Is Money Everywhere dot com. Online branding is essential to success in blogging as you strive to set yourself apart from the rest of the noise.

A few weeks ago, I received an e-mail from a fellow blogger. He was frustrated because he had been blogging for more than a year and hadn’t achieved any real traction. He wanted to understand what he could be doing better. It’s never easy to build a brand, but there are definitely things you can do to help. Here are three tips to help you on your way to a stellar online brand:

Tip #1: Be Credible

Explain why people should listen to you

A good example is Jim Cramer from Mad Money. Although he is highly entertaining, he makes sure that people know about his prestigious investment background: top of his class at Harvard, investment banker at Goldman Sachs, and manager of a profitable hedge fund. I doubt he’d be as successful if he didn’t advertise these impeccable credentials

What if you aren’t a proven expert? That’s ok, but be sure to admit that you are willing to learn. Pat from Smart Passive Income does this very effectively. He is very upfront about the fact that he is learning how to make money online, and is extremely transparent with his process. This level of honesty has taken him exceptionally far and will continue to serve him well as he builds his user base.

Demonstrate value time and again

Glen Allsopp at Viperchill has some of the most detailed, thoughtful articles on web marketing. While most content on the web is only 300-500 words, Glenn typically writes long, rich posts that are anywhere from 1500-3000 words long. In just over a year, he’s built up a tremendous following and many of his posts are seen as “authoritative guides” on various topics.

Tip #2: Be Likeable

Stay positive

S^%t happens, but people will like you all the more if you can take it in stride. An exceptional example of this is Pat Flynn over at Smart Passive Income. In 2008, Pat was laid off from his job at an architecture firm. Instead of getting down on himself, he took it as an opportunity to build his own business and grow his personal brand. Around the world, thousands of readers (including yours truly) listened to his story and took inspiration from his outlook on life. Today, Pat’s blog is a major brand in the “making money online” space.

Be Responsive

There is no bigger turn-off than apathy. If you come across like you don’t care, people won’t care about you. The opposite is also true. If you go out of your way to respond to people, they are much more likely to keep your on the radar.

Be Humble

Neil Patel from QuickSprout is one of the more successful entrepreneurs at his age. He’s accomplished more at 25 than most people do in a lifetime. And yet, he never misses an opportunity to tell people that he’s not that smart and he’s actually made a lot of mistakes. He’s always willing to learn and never comes across like he’s “above” other people. This humility is par t of the reason that he has one of the most successful blogs in the world.

Tell a story about your past

Many successful “gurus” come from humble origins. Robert Kiyosaki was homeless in 1985, living out of his car. Real estate guru Dean Graziosi was raised by a single mother who made $90 a week. These “rags to riches” stories are inspiring and contribute heavily to your personal brand.

Tip #3: Be Funny

Humor sells. It also has a lot of value in drawing in people’s attention. Ramit Sethi at I Will Teach You To Be Rich does a masterful job of integrating humor within a traditionally boring topic: personal finance. His lighthearted, witty approach brought in a younger audience that was curious about personal finance but couldn’t get through the boring material.

But be careful: being funny isn’t the same as being mean. If you constantly poke fun at others, you risk coming across like a jerk. A better approach is to poke fun at yourself; things that you do wrong, mistakes you’ve made, etc. If you are going to make fun of others, try to use fake names to protect their identity.

Have you had success using these techniques? Please share in the comments.

Vik Tantry blogs about making money online to lead a better life at theresmoneyeverywhere.com.

Image by Mike Chen aka Metalman

What You Should Know About Hosting on a Managed Private Cloud

First and foremost, let me start off with a working definition of a private cloud. A private cloud (also known as an enterprise cloud) is “a cloud computing infrastructure created by an organization for its own internal use.” Organizations may develop such a private cloud instead of using other infrastructures, this is a convenient way for an organization to store sensitive data and host internal information. You can identify a private cloud verses a public cloud mainly by their use of an independent server and network infrastructure with internal data centers that are set up within a firewall.

Within the different forms of cloud computing, there are different deployment methods whether it is public, private or a hybrid, private clouds have been able to address the disadvantages of public cloud computing. It is my goal throughout this entry to give a brief overview of the strengths and weaknesses of hosting on a managed private cloud and what you need to know.

Strengths of Hosting on a Managed Private Cloud

One great thing about hosting on a private cloud is the available control. These clouds may also be called on premises clouds being that they are hosted on site rather than by a separate vendor. Organizations using a private cloud have a large amount of control of the software used to create the cloud, implementation of its security, the network set-up and the available operating systems. Organizations therefore also have full control of their data and information. Maintaining their own data gives them complete responsibility. Using someone else’s infrastructure, or public cloud, one loses that amount of control that is available when hosting from a private cloud.

Location is another strong advantage of a private cloud verse public clouds. Having direct access to the server makes it easier to move data in or out of the cloud. Locations to the server, keeps your information tangible and close at hand and reduces the need for outsourced IT support. The internal location also increases the performance and transfer rates. As the private cloud functions within a firewall, it allows for these higher transfer rates.

A third strength of hosting on a private cloud would be security. Assuming the network is closed to outside, it is a great deal easier to secure. Going back to the control issue, you are able to control the network’s security with your own judgment.

Weaknesses of Hosting on a Managed Private Cloud

The largest weakness to hosting on an enterprise cloud is the work put into creating and maintaining the cloud. As building a cloud is an intricate process, it may be easier to use a different, pre-existing, infrastructure.

Another weakness would be the shear cost of hosting on a managed private cloud. There are hidden costs involved in complying to regulations, IT support, backing up data, recovery or restoration, and troubleshooting. With the new technology, these costs may fluctuate while the practice gets perfected.

Hopefully I have addressed your issues with a private cloud and have left you with a clearer knowledge of the topic. If you are interested in private clouds but are concerned more of its weaknesses, I encourage you to look further into hybrid clouds as they have been designed to address the weaknesses of both public and private clouds.

This article was written by Sebastian Brown, a technology veteran and hosting expert. For all your hosting needs, check out Rackspace.com. Rackspace is a company that delivers enterprise-level hosting services to businesses of all sizes. Check out Rackspace by clicking here.

Cloud image by unifiedphoto

EGO: Drop It or Get Dropped

If there is one consistent character trait that I can honestly say I see in all of my successful friends from big corporate CEO’s to one man show entrepreneurs (in life and business)…it is a simple one.

They are humble.

I see a common occurrence among bloggers. They start up a blog, get a little bit of press, start to grow a following and then all of the sudden…out of the blue…said blogger thinks their shit doesn’t stink! Their writing starts to change. Their interaction with other bloggers turns into “only talking to the elite” and forget that they used to be the small guy on the block (and in some cases…they still are!)

Entrepreneurship Is An Ever Learning Process

When you hit that point in your brain function where you start to think you are better than others, you are forgoing the ability to be teachable. Entrepreneurship is not a race to who knows the most. It is an ever changing, learning process that can flip at the drop of a hat. If you are not teachable, you are going to be left in the dust…and quickly.

Here are a couple of things to remember when dealing in a highly social environment like the blogging world.

  • That blogger you put off as small potatoes and not worth your time…might end up passing you one day. How do you want them to remember you?
  • If you already know everything, do you have any room to grow? I would hate to think that I am so awesome that I am already at the peak of my game.
  • When you were just starting out, how did you feel about those “ego bloggers”? Is that how you want to be remembered?
  • To REALLY GROW YOUR BLOGyou will need the help of others.

There Is A Difference Between EGO and Confidence

As a business owner and blogger, you are going to have to be confident in yourself and your abilities. If you spend your entire career doubting your ideas and processes, you are never going to get anything accomplished and you will never go out on a limb and take some risks. However, this confidence can not translate into an inflated ego.

The moment you cross that line from confidence to ego, you are making the willing decision to not grow your blog any farther than it already has.

An over-inflated ego can be spotted a mile away. When it starts to become transparent in your business activities…you will start to see a decline in traffic and earnings because no one likes to hear someone pat themselves on the back all day long. Of course, the ego driven blogger will put it off and think the rest of the world just doesn’t get it, but the profit producing audience will know and leave.

As I continue with my blogs and business practices, I try to keep one moto true throughout the process.

The day I think I know everything will be the dumbest day of my life.

Stay teachable and continue to help out those around you. By staying humble, planted in the real world and forever teachable…you will be able to grow your corner of the web farther than you would have ever dreamed. If you want to be #1 and awesome…be prepared for disappointment.

The Gizmodo Trap: Don't Fall Into A Negative Blogging Tailspin

Over the past couple of days, Gizmodo – a reputable tech blog on gadgets – has been on a tear trying to rip apart the new iPhone 4 during its initial release. This all stems back to the prototype iPhone 4 leak and Apple not inviting them to the iPhone 4 release or making a review unit available for their site. Now…while that is the bare bones of the history between Apple and Gizmodo over the previous weeks, what has happened over the last couple of days is something that you need to pay close attention to as a blogger. Gizmodo has decided to take their fight with Apple public and go on a tear trying to discredit the iPhone 4 and…by doing so…has sacrificed some of their credibility in the industry.

Unfair Bias Leads To Credibility Decrease

No one will ever really know what goes on behind closed doors, but during the span of your blogging, there are going to be times that you get into disagreements with other bloggers and companies. The initial ego reaction is to use your spread online to bash and attempt to bring down the other participant in your disagreement because you feel you are right and other people should know. However, by doing this, you are destroying your credibility and losing subscribers by showing an unfair bias and prejudice against one individual or firm.

The first couple of articles that Gizmodo published on the new iPhone 4 (I have 2 of them by the way!) addressed some issues with the initial release. Now, they were not the only ones covering this part of the story as other Apple related blogs were also following suit. At this point in time, it was more of a reporting atmosphere on the initial units and not an online bashing argument. Like most gadget/electronic redesigns, there are going to be those that love it and those that hate it. With a couple of small issues being reported amongst early adopters (specifically the signal and screen issues…both of which do not affect my 2 units), Gizmodo used this opportunity to publish content that was being searched for on a second by second basis.

Then something changed…

All of the sudden, the Gizmodo articles moved from reporting issues to multiple articles in succession that were pure flame war styled publications. Whether it was an attempt at humor or getting their feelings hurt over the past couple of months, Gizmodo decided that this would be a good time to stretch their jaw bones and try to take their chunk out of the Apple. Take a look at some of the responses…

Gizmodo is becoming the Apple bashing site- how many people are reporting this- everyone I know, including me, with iPhone 4s has not experienced any problems…. It’s not good journalism to create inflammatory headlines when the real story is much simpler.

giz is so noob. they are just apple haters. remember, they didnt get ticks for othe last keynote? anyway, intelligent people dont get convinced about this noobish site, which isnt credible!

Alright, I get it. Gizmodo hates apple and has a big axe to grind.

Giz calling apple users a cult is going a little far me thinks. Especially after being kicked out of the cult so recently. Have you no class?

Used to love gizmodo. But ever since they were raped over the iPhone all they do is bash apple.

Of course…the flipside to these comments are the readers that get entrenched in online drama and love to get in on the bashing ring. But, the reality is that Gizmodo has not shown this much negative attention to anything else in the past.

Gizmodo Forgot The #1 Rule In Marketing

While Gizmodo may have thought they were being funny or “revealing the truth” as they say it, they forgot the #1 rule in marketing that will actually get you the opposite result you are looking for if you go down this same road.

Even bad press is good press.

By going on this tear online, Gizmodo is not achieving the goal they have set out. They are…in reality…actually selling more iPhone 4′s for Apple than they are hurting sales. If there is one true thing in marketing, it that even bad press is good press. Now, even people who had no interest in the new iPhone 4 are wanting to check it out to see if Gizmodo’s articles are true…and this comes at the expense of some of Gizmodo’s credibility.

When you start to jump into EGO blogging, you might feel good for a split second, but you are sacrificing all of the hard work you have put forth to try to win an online argument. And guess what…no one wins online arguments.

How To Avoid The Negative Blogging Trap

Feeling like you need to vent online? Here are some tips to bring you back down to reality.

Remember You Are Running A Business

Are you willing to throw all of your credibility on the line and possibly lose everything? By taking the flaming path, you have to be ready for backlash that will inevitably ensue afterward. Personally, I am not ready to throw away years of hard work to try to show how cool I think I am online. I run online businesses and I treat them that way. When was the last time you saw Coke make a political like flaming to Pepsi? You don’t…why?…because that would actually make Coke look bad instead of bringing Pepsi down.

Honesty Does Not Mean Flaming

Blogging is built upon the principle of honest opinions. But there is a difference between your honest opinion and biased flaming. It is all in the delivery, so even as you have negative things to say about a product or service, deliver that message in a respectful, fact based manner and you should keep your integrity/reputation in tact while not pissing off the company and your readers at the same time.

Think Past Today

Do you actually think Gizmodo is going to have a good working relationship with Apple after this incident? Even if they do, it is going to take a lot of work to get that trust built back up again. As you look at the temptation to flame online, take a serious look at how it will affect tomorrow and not just today.

Take A Deep Breath

Draft up your article and then walk away for awhile. After you have had some time to calm down, go back a re-edit the article. You might be surprised what kind of perspective you will have after you get out of the heat of the moment.

What Kind Of Readers Do You Want?

Do you really want the kind of readers that feed off of that kind of controversy. As you look at the most successful blogs online, can you count on more than one hand the ones that take that tactic? I can’t. Controversy blog readers are typically the least profitable. They are more interested in controversy and online arguments than they are with value and consuming your products, services and content. When you are trying to make an income online, you need readers that will value your content and products to make money online.

The Gizmodo Aftermath

Will Gizmodo lose all of their readers and fall off the face of the Internet. No…probably not. With a blog that large, things will appear to go on as normal even if they do see a small subscriber decrease. In the world of blogging, it is much easier to weather those types of storms the larger you become and they are probably justifying any decrease with ego.

However, as you look at your blog with 100 to 1,000 subscribers or even up into the 25k range, are you willing to throw it all on the line by taking a similar stance on an issue in your niche?