I read the comments that both Scott and Judy made about blogging. I put it off doing it for a long time myself. I kept thinking it'll be a very time consuming task getting it set up the way I want it. What if nobody ever reads it? What if I run out of things to Blog about? Now, that I've only been doing it, for a short amount of time I absolutely love blogging! It's freeing, it's empowering! While I will try very hard to comply with Helium's guidelines, or any other places I might submit my articles to, but on my own blog, there are few limitations. I don't have to worry about meeting maximum or minimum word lengths. Or not being able to include my promotional links within my own blog posts. I can divert onto some side road topic, if I want to, even though I know it's recommended more that I write to a particular "niche." But I'm going to be diverting to that side road from time to time, anyway! Few rules, just write! That's what I mean about how freeing blogging has now become for me. I can and am writing about whatever it is I want to blog about, even if it might be controversial, or many people might not agree with my perspective, or it seems to be off topic. I can promote things from a seriously written direction or take a humorous tongue-in-cheek look at things if I want to. Now I wonder why I put off starting my own blog for so long? I think it was also fear that I had about doing it. Still many times I know I'm writing for myself. I'm writing because I need to write, I have a desire to write. I get great enjoyment and pleasure out of writing, and trying to write well. Then there's writing as Therapy! Absolutely! As one Helium writer, put it, "I write to get the crap out of my head!" I have to get the words out somehow, even if it's 17 single spaced pages, that no one else might ever see. Writing and blogging gives me that, unlike anything else I've ever known. I hope Steve and Judy and others, that you'll find that to be true for you as well, in your own blogging adventures! Jan http://janspromoplace.blogspot.com

Hi Jan,

You certainly are a writer! lol
I won't have time for another long answer, but hopefully it will be enough.
Don't knock affiliate marketing. There are people who NEVER create their own products and make millions every year.

It's a big job to create something, and that's only a small portion of the battle whereas to be an affiliatte marketer, all you do is promote the link.

Now of course there's more to it than that, as many unsuccessful affiliate marketers will attest. Just posting your links, or slamming people about the product will get you little if anything.
With so much information and free stuff available online, your message, whatever it is, has to be strong, full of value and content and not simply an advertisement. More than that, in order to be seen by as many eyes as possible you either need a GREAT list, pay $$$ for advertising, or your site (whether a blog, landing page, or whatever) needs to attract viewers.
I don't have time here to tell you how to do this, but see the link below for some statistics that will show you I have more than a general understanding of how to create traffic.

Success Patrol traffic statistics

At this point I haven't been all too concerned with adding links to products or services, my goal has been to create the river of traffic, and to generate some memberships in preparation for the launch.
I think you too should be more concerned with first finding out what people want, and then creating your affiliations with those products or services, and then start to write about them in a way that adds value for those people so they read and hopefully click your links.

If you use a domain name like JanSterrett.com, you certainly stand to benefit from name recognition if your content is top notch, and the beauty of that kind of name (rather than JansJerkyPalace.com) doesn't tie you down to any particular niche, allowing you to go with the flow of what people are looking for.

And yes. You could certainly get offers to write. I know I have, and I wouldn't exactly call myself a Pulitzer Prize winning author ;-)

My time is up, but here's a little more of me to hopefully assist you. It's an interview and especially near the end I provide some real content and advice to aspiring marketers (but of course you will find good stuff throughout, or at least I hope you will)
Interview with MistrTim

To Success!

Hi again Jan.

I read your next post here and see that the light has gone on for you, but please don't think that simply by posting in one blog that you're going to magically create traffic.
That blog should be properly setup, optimized, and have the right set of plugin's, or the service you use should be highly "sticky"
Blogger is good, but you need more information to get the traffic really flowing. There are linking strategies, joining other communities and posting about your blog posts, commenting on other blogs (and including your link in the process), posting articles in the directories, and more.

And let me offer one final parting tip. While for you at this time content might not be an issue, there may come a time when you'll hit a wall and have nothing to say. That will be the time you wished you stuck to the max of one post in your blog per day. I see in yours you created most of the content in a day, but Google only see's that as ONE post, as opposed to that same content spread over 3 or more days which is a MUCH better strategy.
Write 24/7 if you must, but don't waste it all in one shot.

To Success~!~

Hello Tim,

Great post.

You Know habit determines nearly 100 percent of what you do.

From the beginning to the end of the day, your habits largely dictate your speech, your actions, your reactions and responses.

The connection between our habits and how we live is strong, life enhancing, highly productive habits are commonly seen in successful, happy people, while while unsuccessful, unhappy people commonly have habits that hurt them and hold them back.

 

"I know the price of success dedication , hard work and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen."

-Frank LLoyd Wright-

Everyone must learn to do the right things  And Learn from the right People.

Kathy Hamilton/simikathy

I have to agree, great posts from Both Tim and Kathy Hamilton. I didn't mean to come across like I was knocking Affiliate Marketing, I hope nobody took my questions/comments here that way. I just wasn't sure since I had no products of my own, if submitting to Article Directories would also be a good option for me. I did look at your site statistics, Tim, and all I can say is Wow!! But it was also nice to see, that it started out slowly and then built great momentum for you. That seemed realistic to me, as opposed to some of the hype I've been reading and looking at. I also listened to your radio interview. That had to be cool for you to do! Thank you again Tim, for what you said about not posting as many articles on my blog at one time, given the way Google looks at it. Another little detail that I sure don't recall reading elsewhere! I guess I got so excited at finally starting to blog, and getting it set up the way I wanted it, that I got carried away with submitting so many posts in one day. I also understand what you're saying about running out of things to blog about, or having my writing run dry. I'll deffinately keep that in mind about using my full name as far as hosting, as it will keep my niche wide open. I still have a great deal to learn about all of this and somedays I'm not sure what to focus on first. Jan