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ProBlogger: How to Get Moving Again When You Feel Stuck

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ProBlogger: How to Get Moving Again When You Feel Stuck

Link to ProBlogger

How to Get Moving Again When You Feel Stuck

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 04:30 AM PDT

The post How to Get Moving Again When You Feel Stuck appeared first on ProBlogger.

How to get moving again when you feel stuck

This post is based on episode 158 of the ProBlogger podcast.

Do you ever feel stuck in your blogging or your business?

I think many of us can relate to feeling paralysed at times – not just with blogging or business, but in other areas of life as well.

You might feel stuck and unable to move forward because:

  • You're a perfectionist, and can't move on from one thing until you're convinced it's just right.
  • You're caught up in ‘analysis paralysis’. You keep looking at the different options, but you can't pick one and move forward.
  • You don't have a clear idea of where you're going. And you can't make progress without knowing your destination.
  • You always feel you need to know or have something more (develop a particular skill or more confidence, meet more people, have more money, etc.) before taking a particular action.
  • You compare yourself with other people. It feels like everything you want to do has already been done, or that everyone else is doing it better.
  • You feel overwhelmed by all the advice out there, and don't know what to do first.

I can certainly relate to a lot of things on that list. I can get stuck when I have so many ideas that I can’t decide what to do first. Fear is also a big one for me. I worry what other people will think of me, how I’ll sound, how I’ll come across, what might happen if I make a mistake, and so on.

Perfectionism is a struggle for me. I imagine what I want to accomplish, and create the perfect picture of it in my mind. But then taking action seems risky, because whatever I do will never measure up to the way I imagined it. And so I’m tempted to do nothing at all.

But whatever the reason, being stuck will hold you back in any kind of business – especially in the online world where you need to keep active and keep moving.

Why You Should Take Imperfect Action

‘Imperfect action’ is always better than ‘perfect inaction’.

In fact, imperfect action is really the only kind there is. No-one ever takes perfect action.

Imperfect action gets things done. It's what separates the dreamers from those who accomplish great things.

Here are some of the key benefits.

#1: Imperfect Action Creates Momentum

When you take one small, imperfect action, the next steps often reveal themselves.

As I mentioned earlier, some people don't take action because they can't see the big picture. But you may never see that big picture until you start taking steps forward.

I sometimes find that taking that first step towards a fuzzy goal makes it clearer for me. And starting to move gives me the energy to carry on.

#2: Imperfect Action Builds Confidence and Courage

I love this quote from Dale Carnegie:

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.

Taking one small action can help give you the confidence to take the next, slightly bigger action. Keep moving a little bit further outside your comfort zone, and your comfort zone will expand.

#3: Imperfect Action Teaches You to Learn by Doing

Do you feel you don't have the skills to tackle what lies ahead? Take imperfect action, and you'll learn a lot – fast.

The day I started my first blog was probably the day I learned the most about blogging – ever. I learned so many new skills, and understood so much more than the day before.

#4: Imperfect Action Leads to Self-Discovery and Self-Improvement

As well as learning new skills, you'll learn so much about yourself by taking action. Stepping out of your comfort zone will help you think about who you are and how you react in these situations.

For me, starting my blog helped me develop my ideas, and discover passions I wouldn’t have otherwise known I had.

#5: Imperfect Action is Relatable

This is something I think a lot of bloggers, podcasters and online entrepreneurs should understand. We're often tempted to make our posts, products and sales materials perfect. But if we make things too perfect they're not as relatable because they’ve lost some of their ‘humanness’.

I'm not saying you shouldn't aim for excellence. (For instance, your posts should always be edited well.) But don’t feel you need to eliminate every imperfection. Humanness, vulnerability and imperfection help others relate to us and feel a connection.

Today, I encourage you take your next best step. You don't necessarily need to reach your destination. You just need to take the next best step that will move you towards it.

What if You're Really Stuck?

But what if you don’t think taking your next step will be enough to help you regain your momentum? That happened to me at one point with ProBlogger, when I realised I'd been putting off several different tasks. They were on my ‘someday’ list, but never quite made it to my ‘today’ list.

To get moving again, I set aside an entire week to get things done. I came up with a list of ten things I needed to do – things I'd been avoiding – that I could achieve in a week. Each one took half a day or less.

I also turned off a lot of the input in my life. No blog posts, no podcasts, no social media, no Netflix, and very limited email. I stopped consuming for a week, and started creating instead.

It turned out to be a really great week.

Putting that week aside and creating those boundaries meant I not only got a lot done, but also got my momentum back. And the following week was really productive too because I was in ‘creating’ mode.

Could you take one ‘next best step’ towards your goals today? Could you look ahead in your calendar and block out a week to really focus on moving forward and building your momentum? Let us know what you'll be doing in the comments.

Image credit: Erda Estremera

The post How to Get Moving Again When You Feel Stuck appeared first on ProBlogger.

      

ProBlogger: How to Overcome Failure in Six Powerful Steps

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ProBlogger: How to Overcome Failure in Six Powerful Steps

Link to ProBlogger

How to Overcome Failure in Six Powerful Steps

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 04:30 AM PDT

The post How to Overcome Failure in Six Powerful Steps appeared first on ProBlogger.

How to overcome failure in six powerful steps

This post is based on episode 190 of the ProBlogger podcast.

Most of us don't want to learn about failure because we don't want to fail.

But we all do.

And that's okay, because failure is an essential part of any business. If you've never failed then you've probably stayed in your comfort zone. And the fact you're holding back means you'll never know just how successful you can be.

So learning how to overcome failure is critical. And in today's post I'll take you through six things I try to do when I'm facing failure or I've made a mistake – no matter how big or small it was.

A lot of these tips will apply to areas of your life outside of blogging. Unfortunately, blogging mistakes can sometimes become very public failures. The things we do may not work out, and there can be consequences.

Your Emotional Response to Failure

So what's the first thing I do when I fail?

I freak out.

Yep, just like everyone else I panic and get upset, which is a perfectly natural way to react. It's important to get those feelings out, rather than denying them or bottling them up.

Just make sure you're not doing anything that could have long-lasting consequences – for you, those around you, or your business – while you're getting those feelings out. (You may want to step away from your computer and avoid saying anything online while you're going through this.)

Six Steps to Overcoming Failure

Once you're past that initial emotional response, here are six steps you can follow to help overcome it.

Step #1: Separate Your Failure from Your Identity

Equating your self-worth with your achievements (or lack thereof) and what other people think of you is a huge trap.

The message we hear all the time – in conversations, the media and marketing messages – is that our self-worth equals what we achieve plus what others think of us.

So to be worthwhile we think we need to achieve a lot and have other people think well of us. We might not consciously think about this, but we constantly look for success and want to look good in front of other people.

But that's not realistic.

All of us will fail in our personal and business life at some point or other. And there will always be times when other people don't think much of us. If we base our self-worth on our success and other people's perceptions, there will be times when we don't have much at all.

Instead, look for something deeper to root your self-worth in. For me, it's my faith. For you, it might be something different.

Just because something you tried in your business failed doesn't make you a failure.

Step #2: Don't Face it Alone

I often see friends fall into the trap of internalising their failure and facing it alone.

One of the best things you can do is to admit your failure and share it with at least one other person. It could be your partner, or perhaps a close friend. Even if they don't understand your business, you can still talk to them about it.

Internalising your failure and not talking to anyone about it can make it seem far bigger than it really is, to the point where it can completely overwhelm you.

When you talk to someone about your failure, or even a concern you have about your business, it helps you put it into perspective. It can also help you to find solutions and ways forward.

Next, look for a second person to talk to – someone who does understand your business. That might be a fellow blogger, or perhaps a business coach or mentor.

Alternatively, you could look for a support group (such as the ProBlogger Community Facebook group) to share your failure or mistake and look for advice.

Finally, there might be times when you need a therapist or counselor. If your failure has really shaken your confidence or affected your mental health in some way, there's no shame in asking for help from a professional.

Step #3: Be Transparent

When you talk to a friend, colleague or therapist about your failure, be transparent about it.

As you start processing your failure, you may realise it affects other people: a business partner or team member, or maybe even your readers.

When other people can be hurt by our mistakes, it's tempting to hide our failures and pretend they didn't happen, or even lie about them. But in most cases this just makes things worse.

It's better to come clean.

Admit the failure to those affected by it, and own your part in it. Deal with the consequences, and try to right any wrongs that have been done.

Owning your mistakes and failures, and taking responsibility for them, is often well received by other people. Most people are generous and gracious, and may even be able to help you find a solution.

Step #4: Learn From It

I say to my kids all the time that making mistakes isn't a bad thing. It's making the same mistake repeatedly and not learning from it that's an issue.

What can you learn from your failure? Why did it happen? What could you do differently next time to get a different result?

Don't run away from your failure. Instead, embrace it. See it as a learning opportunity, and a chance to do things differently next time.

If you think back to previous failures you've had, you may realise that some of them made you who you are today. It's easy to see in hindsight, but try to see it in the moment as well. Ask yourself, "What can I learn from this? How can I turn it around?"

Step #5: Keep Moving

There are definitely times in business when we need to stop and take a break. After a failure, you may need to rest for a while so you can focus on looking after yourself. But then you need to move on and keep the momentum of your business going.

When I taught my youngest son to ride a bike, he had his fair share of crashes. He got scrapes and bruises on his elbows and knees. Understandably, there were moments after each crash when he said, "I don't want to do it. I don't want to ride a bike."

That's a natural reaction. But to learn how to ride a bike he needed to get back on and try again.

The same applies to your mistakes. Once you're past the initial emotional reaction, and you've given yourself a bit of time to rest if necessary, you need to get back on that bike.

Identify your next best step. It might be to pick up the pieces and start again, or to evolve what you do. It may even be time for you to start something new.

Step #6: Look for the Positive Side

I know it annoys the people around me sometimes, but I always look for the positive side of things.

Even in the midst of incredible failure, there's almost always a glimmer of something positive.

It may take a while for those glimmers to emerge. But when you see them, focus on them. The little sparks from a failure could well turn into your next big thing.

I can think of a lot of people who have experienced failure only to discover a new passion, including helping other people going through what they've been through.

Has something gone badly for you in your blogging or business life recently?

As you face failure, try to:

  1. Separate the failure from your identity and self-worth
  2. Turn to family, friends, fellow bloggers and professionals to help you get through it
  3. Be transparent and honest about the failure and its effect on those around you
  4. Learn from what happened so you can avoid making the same mistake again
  5. Keep moving and keep up your momentum: get back on that bike
  6. Look for any sparks of opportunity or anything good that can come out of your failure

While failure can be difficult to overcome at times, these six steps should help. Feel free to share how you get on with them in the comments.

Image credit:Jake Hills

The post How to Overcome Failure in Six Powerful Steps appeared first on ProBlogger.

      

ProBlogger: Nine Ways to Stay Inspired and Avoid Blogger Burnout

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ProBlogger: Nine Ways to Stay Inspired and Avoid Blogger Burnout

Link to ProBlogger

Nine Ways to Stay Inspired and Avoid Blogger Burnout

Posted: 14 Mar 2019 04:30 AM PDT

The post Nine Ways to Stay Inspired and Avoid Blogger Burnout appeared first on ProBlogger.

This post is based on episode 170 of the ProBlogger podcast.

Most bloggers start off with a huge burst of energy and excitement. But then at some point (often in their first year or two of blogging) they come up against their first bout of "blogger burnout".

And it can stop them in their tracks.

If you've been blogging for a long time then you've probably suffered blogger burnout a number of times. I've experienced it several times myself during my 16 years as a blogger.

So today I want to share nine ways to stay fresh and inspired with your blogging. They'll help you spot burnout coming, and head it off before it hits you with full force.

But before we get into them let's look at some causes of blogger burnout.

Why Does Blogger Burnout Happen?

Blogger burnout can materialise in different forms and for different reasons.

  • You may have run out of topic ideas, and feel you've said everything there is to say.
  • You may have become disillusioned with your topic, your niche, or blogging in general.
  • Despite working really hard on your blog, you may not think it's paying off.
  • You may not be reaching the goals you set for yourself.
  • You may feel overworked and worn out.
  • Your blog may no longer align with the reason you started it. For example, you may have wanted to be creative at first, but now you're focused on making money.
  • You may be overwhelmed by everything you need to do to keep your blog running.

Whatever the cause of your burnout, here are some practical things you can do to tackle it.

#1: Know Your Limits and Set Realistic Goals

You need to fit your blogging in around the rest of your life. But some bloggers don't take this into account.

For instance, they might believe they have to post every day. But for many bloggers that's just not feasible. Once, twice, or three times a week would suit them (and their lives) much better.

And it's okay to be a little flexible with your posting schedule. If you don't post as often one week, or even take a full week off, the sky won't fall.

You also need to be realistic with your expectations and 'big picture' goals.

You may have dreamed of having millions of readers and millions of dollars in the bank. But I suspect you now know that achieving that kind of success with a blog can take years. And you need to keep producing consistently useful content the entire time..

#2: Get Into a Blogging Groove

I find blogging easiest when I have a particular rhythm to my week. That means having specific times when I come up with ideas, write content, and edit content.

I went through my own routine in episode 40 of the podcast. So feel free to take a listen if you want the details.

I keep my routine in a spreadsheet. But you don't need to make yours that formal. In my earlier days of blogging my time was limited – an hour or so in the morning and an hour or so on the evening – I'd write in the morning and edit in the evening.

What sort of schedule could you create for your blogging? Think about what you need to do, and how you can fit it into your week. It might help you get into a blogging grove.

#3: Identify Your Sticking Points

WIth blogger burnout, there's often a particular area where you're getting stuck. Perhaps you don't have any ideas to write about. You might be feeling disillusioned and/or unmotivated about blogging, but the real problem is a lack of ideas.

Maybe you keep comparing yourself to other bloggers, and feel frustrated that your blog isn't yet as successful as theirs.

Or perhaps you simply haven't had a break from blogging in ages, and need some time off to rest and recharge.

In episode 83 of the podcast I talked about blogger's block and three places where you can get stuck:

  • idea generation
  • writing your content
  • completing your content.

These are all different types of blogger's block. So if you're feeling burnt out with creating content, you might want to give that episode a listen.

It may also help to chat with someone about your feelings of burnout, or even to get some professional help.

#4: Look After Your Body

The only way to sustain a healthy blog over the long term is to stay healthy yourself.

One of the biggest reasons bloggers burn out is they're not in a healthy place. It could be their physical health, their mental health, a lack of sleep, or something else.

A few years ago I realised my blogging was suffering because I wasn't looking after my body. My poor diet and lack of exercise took their toll on not only my body but also my mental health, creativity, and alertness.

I talked about my own health wake-up call and how I dealt with in episode 38 of the podcast. But here are a couple of quick tips.

  • Build exercise into your routine. It might be fitting a walk into your day, or getting up from your desk a couple of times a day and doing a few minutes of exercise so you come back refreshed.
  • Look at your diet. What changes could you make? They might be geared toward weight loss, or they might be about eating more healthy, nutritious food and less junk.

#5: Take a Break Every Day, Every Week and Every Year

Taking a break, resting or sleeping might seem unproductive. But they can help your blog in so many ways. The better you rest, the better you work.

It can help to think about rest and time away from your blog in different timeframes.

  • Daily: I work on my blog during business hours (normally 9–5). But I take a walk in the middle of the day, and the beginning and end of the day are blog-free.
  • Weekly: I try not to work on weekends. I may do a couple of really short bursts on a Saturday morning and a Sunday evening, but everything in between is time off. That weekly rest is really important.
  • Yearly: I schedule time off during the year to spend with my family – usually a couple of two-week breaks and a couple of long weekends.

It's important to unplug regularly so you're not thinking about your blog all day, every day. Your blogging will be better, and other areas of your life will also benefit such as your friendships and your relationship with your family.

Which leads me to…

#6: Build Relationships and Look After Them

Taking breaks with family and friends is good for your relationships.

When we work online in social media, a lot of our interactions tend to be virtual.

While online relationships can be very positive, it's important to have grounded, real-life relationships as well.

Over the past 16 years I've been on the end of some pretty vicious attacks from strangers online that had me on the verge of giving. But while I had some good online friends helping me through those times, it was my real-life friends that gave me the real support I needed – and a place to retreat from the stress.

Of course, online relationships matter to, because your friends and family may not understand what you're going through as a blogger. One of the best ways to solidify online relationships is to attend blogging events whenever you can. Meeting other bloggers face to face is a great way to strengthen your relationships with them.

#7: Fit Inspiration and Learning into Your Day

One of the most powerful things I do is schedule at least 5–10 minutes a day to watch or listen to something inspiring. I used to watch TED talks, but now I tend to listen to podcasts.

I try to include two types of podcasts: ones that inspire me, and ones that teach me something. Both are important, because they give you energy in different ways.

What you listen to or watch doesn't always need to be about blogging or your blog's topic. Maybe you get inspired by wildlife documentaries, and the beauty of the animal kingdom.

You don't have to make a lot of time for them. But spending just ten minutes watching a video or listening to a podcast can help you feel inspired,and potentially more knowledgeable.

#8: Play, Pivot, and Evolve

I tend to get bored. And when I'm bored I feel a bit dejected. Doing the same thing the same way, day in and day out, kills my passion for things.

Over the years I've learned that I need to look for new ways to do things.

One of the great things about blogging and podcasting is they're always changing. There's always something new to try. And while that can be a distraction, I think it's important to bring play and experimentation into what we do.

When I started the ProBlogger podcast after 12 years of blogging, it gave me a huge rush of energy and motivation.

Another blogger I spoke to had the same experience when she moved from writing about her topic to creating videos about it.

Just changing the medium gave us both a huge rush of energy. Maybe you could try something similar with your own blogging.

Another way to pivot and evolve is to add categories to your blog. On Digital Photography School a few years ago I added a category about post-production – how to process your photos in Lightroom and Photoshop. It energised both me and my readers as we explored a new area together.

You could also try:

  • Running a new series of posts
  • Monetizing your blog, or launching a new product
  • Changing the design of your blog, whether it's getting a new logo or changing the colours

As well as energising you, these pivots and changes keep your blog fresh for your readers.

#9: Do Something That Matters

This is probably the most important thing you can do to avoid or get through burnout: do something that matters – both to you and to others.

When you're doing something you have a genuine interest in and believe in, you'll find you can keep the momentum going most of the time.

Over the years I've had more than 30 blogs. But today I only run two: Digital Photography School and ProBlogger. They're are the ones I have the most interest in and the most passion for.

Of course, it will still get tough sometimes. But the fact you're making other people's lives better can give you the energy and inspiration to get through it.

Things that kept me going over the years of building ProBlogger were the emails and comments from readers letting me know something had a tangible impact on them.

If you're experiencing blogger burnout right now, there's nothing wrong with taking a break. Give yourself a week or two off. But make sure you have a point where you come back to start blogging again.

You might bring in some guest posters to cover the time you're way. Or you might just tell your readers that you're taking a bit of time off. They're usually very understanding of things like that.

And while you're on your break, you might want to think about implementing at least one or two of the points we've covered:

  1. Know your limits and set realistic expectations
  2. Get into a blogging grove
  3. Identify your sticking points
  4. Look after your body
  5. Take breaks on a daily, weekly, and yearly basis
  6. Build relationships and look after them
  7. Fit inspiration and learning into your day
  8. Play, pivot, and evolve
  9. Do something that matters

If you're going through a tough time right now, please look after yourself. And feel free to reach out for help and support in the comments.

Image credit: Luke Porter

The post Nine Ways to Stay Inspired and Avoid Blogger Burnout appeared first on ProBlogger.

      

ProBlogger: How to Get Products to Review on Your Blog

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ProBlogger: How to Get Products to Review on Your Blog

Link to ProBlogger

How to Get Products to Review on Your Blog

Posted: 07 Mar 2019 03:30 AM PST

The post How to Get Products to Review on Your Blog appeared first on ProBlogger.

How to get products to review on your blog

This post is based on Episode 178 of the ProBlogger podcast.

Whether your blog is all about reviewing products or you want to review them occasionally, it's not always easy to get your hands on them.

I faced this problem in my early blogging days when I ran a camera review blog.

Back then I used seven strategies to get products to review. Some might seem fairly obvious, but others may well be things you haven't considered.

I'll come onto those in a moment. But first, let's take a look at why you might want to write reviews.

Why it's a Great Idea to Write Reviews on Your Blog

I started my camera review blog by accident when I posted a 300-word review of a camera I was using. I didn't expect much from that particular post. But I quickly learned that reviews are fantastic.

People search for reviews to get advice on purchases they're making. People find them useful – they're grateful for them. I used to get emails from people saying, "Thank you for the review you wrote on this particular camera". And those people often became long-term readers.

Of course, reviews can also be monetised if you use affiliate links. (And affiliate links in a review tend to convert quite well.)

Reviews are also great for getting conversations going. When you put your opinion of a product out there, other people respond – either to agree with you or to offer a different opinion.

So how do you actually get products to review? This can be a challenge when you're just starting out, especially if you want to do a lot of reviews.

#1: Start With What You Already Have

I know this is obvious, but begin with the products or resources you've already purchased for yourself.

My first review was of my first (and at the time only) digital camera. After that, whenever I bought a new piece of gear I'd review it – a lens, a flash, an SD card, a memory card or something else.

#2: Borrow Products from Friends or Contacts

In those early days, any time a friend bought a new camera I'd ask if I could borrow it for a day or two.

It was amazing how many people not only agreed, but also started coming to me with their new gear because the word got out I was reviewing. Friends wanted to put their new piece of equipment in my hands so I could review it. They were interested in my opinion.

I was also part of a photography club, which opened up all sorts of possibilities for camera and gear to review. Could you join something similar for your own niche?

#3: Try Stores or Rental Places

When I was reviewing cameras back in 2004 and 2005 , manufacturers would send them out only to journalists – not bloggers.

So I asked myself, "Who has the cameras I want to review?" An obvious place was camera stores. I'd go in, introduce myself, and ask if I could borrow a camera to review in return for helping them build their online profile.

A lot of stores were really interested (and I suspect even more would be today). Lots of them let me take cameras away and review them, keeping my driver's license or some other form of ID.

In my review, I'd link to them and write something like, "This camera was provided by Michael's Camera Store, which is a Melbourn camera store."

Who has the type of thing you want to review? It might be a store, or even a rental place. Later on we found a camera rental company that was willing to send cameras to us to review in return for a link on our blog.

#4: Pitch the Manufacturer or Distributor of the Product

Even if you don't think you've got a big profile, you might be surprised how many manufacturers have review units they'll happily lend you providing your audience is on topic for them.

Try going to trade shows or similar. In Australia, I went to trade shows for the photographic industry and meet the manufacturers or distributors. That was another way we were lent cameras to review.

When you pitch manufacturers, don't just talk about how many readers you have. Talk about the type of readers you have. A targeted audience can be much more valuable than a big one.

#5: Consider Buying or Renting the Product You Want to Review

Because photography gear is expensive, I only bought products outright a few times. I did it with items that were coming out that:

  • I knew would be really popular
  • I was fairly confident I could make enough from the affiliate links to cover the purchase.

The option I used more often was to rent a camera for a week from a rental company. While there was still some cost involved, I could make that money back from the affiliate links.

#6: Ask Someone Else to Write a Review For You

I often emailed other bloggers to say, "Hey, I notice you're using this particular camera. Would you mind writing 500 words on what you think about it?"

It's amazing how many bloggers were willing to do that in exchange for some exposure.

A couple of times, friends who were hesitant to lend me their camera (see #2) offered to write a review from their own perspective.

I also found a journalist who wrote short reviews of cameras in a weekly supplement in one of our newspapers. He was happy to write two versions of each review and send us one to publish on our blog.

We also had some camera stores and rental companies write reviews for us.

Some people won't want to write a post for you, but be more than willing to talk to you. For instance, one car blogger I knew had a blog about exotic cards. It was hard for him to get manufacturers to lend him cars to review. So he'd find people who already owned those cars, take his camera out and interview them in person.

#7: Aggregate Other People's Reviews

I also looked at reviews other people were writing and aggregate some of them. I'd quote from their articles and link to them from my site.

I'd write a post called something like "The Canon Powershot A60: Reviews". Then I'd list the key features, include a picture from the manufacturer of the camera, and write my thoughts about the features (who the camera might suit, what features might be missing, etc.)

Underneath that, I'd quote other reviewers. I only took one or two sentences from their review, and made it very clear it was a quote. I'd also link to the source of the quote.

Normally, I'd use two or three reviews of the camera and sum up the post with my own thoughts, picking up some of the themes of those reviews.

These days, you could also embed reviews from YouTube, which wasn't an option back in 2005. For practically any product you can think of there's a review on YouTube. And the creators are happy for you to embed their video on your site because it gives them more views and raises their profile.

Here's a recap of the seven things you can try:

#1: Review the stuff you already own
#2: Review stuff you can borrow from your friends or network
#3: Look for places that will let you borrow the products you want to review
#4: Pitch the manufacturers and distributors
#5: Buy the product yourself
#6: Ask other people to write reviews for you (or interview them)
#7: Aggregate what other people are doing

If you'd like some help with actually writing the review itself, check out episode 140 of the ProBlogger podcast: How to Create a Review Post.

I'd love to hear your own thoughts on this, whether you write reviews regularly or just occasionally. How do you get products to review? What types of products do you focus on? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

The post How to Get Products to Review on Your Blog appeared first on ProBlogger.

      

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