The Olympic Games officially start in less than 28 days. Are you ready to celebrate like champions? Have you prepared your game plan for how you will be watching the games? Here are some great Olympic 2012 essentials to make you feel like a champion in the comfort of your own home.
Here are some great London 2012 Olympic Party favors:
Whether you are with friends or with the kids, everyone should have a gold medal.This book has some great fun activities to do with the whole family to get everyone into the Olympic Spirit.
Did you know that there will be over 10,500 Olympic athletes competing for 205 nations, in 302 Olympic events in just over 19 days? With some many events going on, this is a great handbook to have right next to the TV remote.
Fashion is a major part of the Olympics, you can’t be watching without a comfortable Olympic T shirt.
Bring out the snacks and surprise everyone with the perfect cookie, an Olympic Cookie!
What is a party without cupcakes? You will be going for the gold with these great accessories.
Enjoy the Olympics; it is a great time to have fun with your family and friends.
Don’t forget to send us pictures from your Olympics 2012 viewing parties!
Who doesn’t read a blog review about that fabulously needed item prior to actually purchasing it? You find hundreds of them, but what makes you read the whole product review? How is that product review different from the others? I will tell you. They had you in mind when they were writing it.
Know Your Reader
That’s it. That is probably the best piece of advice that you can get from anybody about writing product reviews. When you are writing a product review, remember who you are writing it for. Use the language that they will understand, and the style that they have grown accustomed to. For example, if you are writing about baby products the style and the language will be different than if you are writing about the latest tech gadget that everyone needs to have. What do they want to know about the product? Give it to them.
Personal Experience
Nothing says more than a short personal experience story surrounding the product you are reviewing. Take a look back at what we mentioned in our post about HSN and what you can learn from them. They are telling a story! When you are telling your product story, make sure that you show true interest. You might believe in the product, but now you have to convince your readers that you believe in the product. This is not always as easy as it sounds. I wouldn’t recommend you write:
“Wow! I use this weed hacker in my garden and it works; you should buy it!”
Be Honest
Nothing is perfect. Have you ever read those reviews where everything, but everything, about the product is perfect? You know better than that; some small feature might not be great, or the price might be very high (but you can say it is worth the money – if it is), or it doesn’t come in a wide range of colors etc.… When you add the pros and the CONS your automatically become creditable. Yes, you get clout for being honest.
Images
One picture is worth a thousand words. Use great quality images. If you are taking some of the images yourself for the post, that’s fine. Just make sure that you have proper lighting and that the image is clear. Always include images of the product from the manufacturer; they should have a bank of high quality images that you can use.
Disclosure
If you have received the item that you are reviewing from the manufacturer or another source in exchange for reviewing it, make sure that you have a disclosure in your review and a general disclosure on your site.
Summary and Conclusions
You have written your intro, told your honest personal story, included pictures or a video , pointed out key features, and explained the pros and cons. Now give them that all in one line!
Did you know that Hawaii is the only state in the USA that grows coffee? Due to the rich volcanic soil, warm temperatures, and rain, Hawaii is the perfect environment to produce premium coffees. CoffeesofHawaii.com is our favorite online source for Hawaiian coffee.
History of CoffeesofHawaii.com
Types of Coffee
Coffee Selection “The Malulani flavor results from our original “washed Arabica” process, which brings out the natural acidity of these 100% Moloka‘i-grown beans. Then, a gentle roasting releases subtle, resonating essences unique to the soil of Moloka‘i.”
They sell 5 major types of coffee and have an additional coffee blends.
Pure Coffees:
Hilo coffee
Ka’u Coffee
Kona Coffee
Maui Coffee
Moloka’i Coffee
Coffee Blends:
Island Blends
Decaf Coffee
How to Buy Great Hawaiian Coffees:
Choose your type of coffee
Choose the size of package
Choose your preferred grind (mine is Espresso)
Check out!
CoffeesofHawaii.com ships internationally, but please note that there is a $10 fee added on some of the international shipping charges.
Coffees of Hawaii have a “Coffee Card,” which is not only a membership/discount card; it is a way for them to be in contact with their customers to get feedback. They value their customers’ opinions and thoughts on their products and future products.
You invest in your blog every day, finding great topics, products to review, photos to show, brands to promote, and advertisers to buy property. You write posts on a daily basis. Are you making sure that your blog is error-free? Your blog should not be the star in the next “Spelling Bloopers” YouTube video!
Poorly Written Content Has Side Effects:
You have probably less than 8 seconds to grab and retain the reader’s attention. If your reader has to slow down for spelling and grammatical errors, you lose them.
Missed opportunities – If you’re looking for brands to work with, they will not be knocking on your door unless your content is perfect.
Trust – Readers trust writing that looks professional.
Damage Control Tips
Proofread!
Hire an editor/proofreader or ask your neighbor who has written three bestselling novels to go over your post.
Update the rules in your spell check. Use a word processor with a good spelling and grammar check, but remember that it will miss certain types of mistakes.)
Don’t judge a book by its cover! Ha! That is exactly what your readers do when they read your headline for the first time. Your content, regardless of how amazing it is, will not be read if your headline is not amazing. Here are some tips on how to create amazing, “read–further” headlines:
1. Headlines First
Ideas you have – Your editorial calendar is full of topic ideas and even keywords; now write your headline before you start writing your post. This way you can check every word that is below that headline and make sure that the tale you are telling is answering the pain and questions of the headline.
Why? This is what CopyBlogger has to say (and we agree)
Your headline is a promise to readers. Its job is to clearly communicate the benefit you’ll deliver to the reader in exchange for their valuable time.
2. Challenge Your Reader
One great way of grabbing your readers’ attention, enough that they’ll continue reading your post, is to challenge them. Ask them a question, or even better yet, make them think of a question. Can you do that? Can you entice your reader to continue reading until they find the answer?
3. Lists
Everybody loves a good list. Here are some list-based titles that make a promise to your readers:
Top 3 tips on how to write a headline,
Top 7 converting headlines,
10 tips for writing great headlines,
3 ways to drive traffic to your blog with a headline.
List headlines prepare the reader for an organized post with researched information. Just make sure that your info is relevant and correct. Try to stay away from even and rounded numbers, the opposite attract more attention.
(Photo credit: reinvented)
The How-To Headline
Your dedicated niche audience wants to know “how to” and they want to know from you as you are an expert in your field (even if you don’t tout yourself as one).
How To Use Your New Nikon Camera
How To Backup Your Hard Drive
How To Upcycle – Summer Family Fun
How To Make Baked Alaska
4. Emotional Connection
I have found that when asking a question directed at the reader, if they feel that it applies to them, or causes them an emotional reaction, an introspective they will continue to read. Here are some great examples from http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com :
Is All Publicity Good Publicity?
Is Your Marketing Strategy Using This Powerful Principle?
Where Did Your Creative Mojo Go?
What Drives You To Do What You Do?
Are You Solving A Problem Or Just Spinning Your Wheels?
Remember, your readers or future readers are looking for no-nonsense, catchy, emotional to-the-point headlines.
5. One Last Tip:
Don’t make your headlines overly wordy. Research suggests that headlines should be no longer than 8-9 words.
Do you have tips on how to write a great headline? Do you have a great headline for this post?
With all the new trends of boasting brand names and logos on your clothing, it is nice to find a brand with values and messaging that shouts out to the world that love is the way to go. PeaceLoveWorld.com is more than a unique chic-casual clothing company, it is a way of life.
About PeaceLoveWorld.com
Peace Love World was created by Alina Villasante. Alina’s goal is to spread peace and love through the company’s products, which boast bold prints, symbols, and words – such as Love, Peace, and Happy. She started with a tee shirt line and quickly opened a retail shop in South Miami. Today Peace Love World has 6 stores and a website, and the line can be found in stores all over the world.
Men’s, Women’s, Kid’s, and Accessories
What started as a single t-shirt has now developed into a full range of products; t-shirts, hoodies, and pants, for all shapes and sizes. They also have a full range of Peace Love World accessories ranging from shoes, bags, accessories for your home, accessories for your pet, and accessories for your gadgets!
Olympics 2012
Olympic swimmer Dara Torres looks comfortable wearing a long sleeve raglan from the Peace Love World’s Comfy KT Collection. It’s a great shirt to be wearing while cheering on the USA Olympic teams this summer.
Giving Back the PLW way!
Peace Love World contributes to various social causes and charities through sales and donations. They have been very involved in the relief help in Haiti through their “One World One Love” campaign.
Shipping, Returns, and Exchanges:
According to the website, items purchased online must be returned through the mail and not to a retail outlet. Returns must be made within 30 days from invoice date.
Refunds will be issued within 30 days
PeaceLoveWorld.com ships through FED EX ground service
They ship internationally, too!
All items purchased through the website are packaged in a gift-ready embossed PLW black box.
Customer Service
It’s wonderful to have great products, but great customer service is just as important. PLW rates high in customer service, whether in one of their retail outlets or online. If you have a question, you can contact them by using their online-chat, or on Twitter/Facebook or by email.
We are proud to have PeaceLoveWorld.com as a PalTip Partner.
Many bloggers don’t blog over the weekend. Enjoy the weekend off, but don’t let the time go to waste. Here is some suggested homework for you.
English: HSN.png (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Watch and Learn: HSN
There are two types of people in this world: those that obsessively watch and make purchases from HSN, and those who have never watched and swear that they never will.
If you are reviewing products on your blog, I suggest that you watch and learn from HSN.
It is no wonder that HSN sales have increased over the last few years and that sales reached $747.3 million this year. It is time to emulate their methodology in your blog.
Storytelling
The secret to their success is their ability to tell a story, Mindy Grossman, the CEO of HSN was quoted in an ELLE article Grossman says, “I don’t care what we’re quote-unquote selling; we’re about inspiring people through storytelling.” They tell a story, they know how to gain your emotional attention, with their descriptions and their depictions of situations when and where the product can be used.
Here are just a few things that HSN does really well:
Use of keywords (They are the leaders in SEO!)
Use of adjectives
Connecting the audience emotionally to the product
Using wit and humor in their reviews of the product
Being personable – they have a conversation
Don’t you want to buy this Duvet Set today? Next time you review a product on your blog, think how HSN would present the item, how they would tell the product story, and try it out.
Watch and learn! What do you think about how the HSN describes products? Share your thoughts with us.
Before you go and discover the great outdoors this summer, make sure you check out the latest and best gear from SwissOutpost.com.
SwissOupost.com
SwissOutpost.com has been serving their clients online since 1996. Today, they not only carry Victorinox and Wenger products, but a large selection of great knives, watches, and other outdoor gear brands. All of their products are guaranteed 100% original. They are an authorized dealer; they have great prices, fast shipping, and, most important, satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.
The Outdoor Basics
First and foremost, your all-in-one Swiss Army knife. This Craftsman Swiss Army Knife is loaded with 21 tools including various sized blades, a screwdriver, a can opener, pliers, a wire cutter, and more. It’s the perfect tool for the great outdoors.
Whether you are planning a day trip or an overnight trip, a versatile, strong backpack is what you need. This Wenger Swiss Gear Backpack is strong, has multiple compartments, and sports a laptop sleeve.
If you are going to be out overnight or starting early in the morning, you are going to want to have a good cup of coffee. With this Camp Coffee Pot, coffee is never too far away.
An all-terrain lighter should always be in your backpack. You never know when you are going to have to light a fire, whether to sit around it and sing camp songs or to keep you warm at night. This Wenger Clava Black Rubber Lighter will light up for you if you are down by the sea or up on the tip of the mountain.
SwissOutpost.com Reputation
Performed Well in Tests
“I found swissoutpost.com to be well-designed and filled with valuable information. [It] did extremely well in all three security, performance, and usability tests.” Safe Shopping Network – Guide to the tested safest shopping sites.
Customer Service
SwissOutpost.com has a toll free number that you can use 9-5, but they also suggest that if you have questions or a problem, you can send them an email. They try very hard to get back to their customers within a day. If you are not satisfied with your order, you can exchange or return within 2 weeks (in original packaging) and receive a full credit.
Free Shipping
SwissOutpost.com offers free shipping to all 50 states. They also offer international shipping on some of the items found on the website (check specific items for more details and availability).
Have you made a purchase from SwissOutpost.com? Please share your experiences with us. We are proud to have SwissOutpost.com as a PalTip Partner.
This book has some great fun activities to do with the whole family to get everyone into the Olympic Spirit.
