I’m going to be honest and blunt about this. Sponsored posts are BORING. Unless you have an amazing knack to turn even the most dry topics (like fake plants) into something that will fascinate the people asides from your gardner, people will usually choose to not comment, or even read your sponsored posts. Admit it, writing it is boring, so how can you expect the people reading it to be entertained? If it wasn’t for the money behind it to motivate you, would you still write about the alpine industry? Probably not.
The thing with writing sponsored posts is that the more you write, the more it decreases the overall quality of your blog. From what I’ve read of other people’s (and my own) sponsored posts, they all sound boring and dead. To me it’s like watching the commercials on TV minus all the excitement. It repels readers, or at least, I get repelled away when I see that the first couple posts are sponsored posts. I go to a blog expecting to find some interesting content or at least to hear about your day. Not to listen to you talk about police gear, unless you happened to be a police or the owner of the store.
I know I sound like a hypocrite right now, because that is what I’ve been doing for the past couple months. It didn’t occur to me at first because obviously I don’t view my site the same way a regular visitor would, but after seeing the trend on other sites, I began to realize how ANNOYING it was. So I propose a simple solution:
Pair your sponsored posts with a quality, non-sponsored post. What does this mean? Basically, if you’re going to write a sponsored post, go for it. But right after you write it, write another decent, non-sponsored post, so your quality post will be the first one your readers see, not the one about anxiety medicine. As far as I’m concerned, no rules are being broken by doing this, because usually as long as the sponsored post is on the main page of your blog, the post order is irrelevant. So why not have your readers come to your site and read something decent, so they won’t think that your blog is a wolf under sheep skin? For example, this post will be the first you see and hopefully read when you arrive at my blog, not any other sponsored post. In short, always make sure the first post on your blog is a quality post.
Yes, you’re still writing humdrum sponsored posts and in a sense you are deceiving your readers, but at the same time, you’re making it easier for them. Now they don’t have to filter and skim through posts just to find that something good and real you wrote. 
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When you buy books, where do you usually go? Online or offline? And when you do buy books online (for those of you who have never bought books online, you should. They usually provide free shipping and give you great discounts), where is the place you go? A lot of people will probably say Amazon books or Barnes & Noble. Well, those are great places to shop for books online, but did you know that Buy.com also sells books, and at great prices too?
They offer a large selection of books, many at the lowest possible prices. If not the lowest, then they tell you where you can buy them cheaper! If you sign up for their credit card today, you also get a $30 discount off your first purchase!
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Filed under: Random on July 2nd, 2008
I have a very bad sense of directions. I can drive to a place a couple times and when you ask me how to get there, I’ll still tell you “I don’t know”. Either that or I’ll give you directions bad enough to land you on the opposite side of the country. We have a map in the car, but unlike my parents who are extremely map-savvy, I’m terrible at reading them. I can find the places fine, it’s just following the map that’s a problem. Of course, there’s Mapquest and Yahoo! Maps, which do help, but they give faulty directions at times too.
We finally have a GPS now, and I don’t know what I would do without it, especially when I’m driving by myself. We got ours at Buy.com too, and you can get $30 when you apply for their credit card. They offer great selections, and many times at the lowest possible prices. Good services too 
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Filed under: Random on July 2nd, 2008
Nowadays many people, including me, rely on their cellphones for time. Those who still use watches probably wear a wrist watch, and many of them might be a digital one too. So why not make a statement by use a pocket watch, the choice accessory of men in the earlier days (think Jane Austen). Not only are they elegant and smart, you never have to worry about the watch not matching with your outfit. Nor do you need to worry about it getting scratched, though you should watch out for pickpockets!
Jewel Elegance carries a great selection of men pocket watches at great prices, and many come with free shipping.
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Filed under: Random on July 1st, 2008
What better way to spend a great vacation than on Disney cruises? Adults will enjoy the luxury of a 5-star cruise line, with plenty of leisure activities and fine dining plus shopping, while kids have the time of their lives aboard a Disney themed ship! There is something for the whole family, and that’s just on the ship! The cruise will take you to exotic islands and faraway retreats, you decide where you want to go!
Check out Cruisecheap for more information on Disney cruises and all possible destinations.
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Filed under: Random, Travel on July 1st, 2008
