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From the Email Bag – How to Get Free Merchandise By Christine Durst & Michael Haaren June 28, 2012 Dear Rat Race Rebellion: I’ve heard that people can get free merchandise by writing a blog. I’m a stay-at-home mom and could really use the savings. Is this something I could do, or should I look at alternatives? – Joanne in Terre Haute, Ind. Dear Joanne: Many bloggers do indeed receive free merchandise to review on their blogs. If your blog is popular, the items can represent significant savings (expensive vacuum cleaners and kitchen appliances, for example). Some bloggers also generate extra income by selling the merchandise on eBay or other venues. Others offer the items as prizes in contests, in order to generate more traffic to their blogs. Well-known “Mom blogger” Dooce (dooce.com), aka Heather Armstrong, famously received a free washing machine when she began to complain about problems she was having with another brand of washing machine. (She donated the free washer to a women’s shelter.) But the key word is “popular.” Many aspiring bloggers launch their blogs and immediately contact vendors to request review merchandise. This is usually a mistake, as the vendor has little reason to absorb the expense of a giveaway if few people are going to read the review. If you really do want to become a blogger (rather than simply find a way to get “freebies”) you can build a following at free sites such as Helium.com or Squidoo.com. You can also launch an independent blog for free via Blogger.com or WordPress.com. But growing a blog takes commitment, passion and lots of writing, so be sure to look before you leap. For free stuff without the blogging, check out MilesofMarketing.com and BzzAgent.com. Options like these do require “spreading the word” about merchandise or services, but won’t demand heavy-duty blog work. Dear Rat Race Rebellion: I see a lot of jobs for home-based customer service agents, but they all say that applicants need a high-speed landline Internet connection. I live in a rural area and there’s no landline Internet here. I do have a high-speed connection, but it’s by satellite. Are there other home-based jobs I can do? – Taylor in Aberdeen, S.D. Dear Taylor: Although almost all customer-service positions will require a landline, there are many home-based jobs and freelance projects that allow a satellite connection. As always, much depends on your expertise and goals. Paths and positions include freelance writing, online researcher, social-media moderator, blogging, mystery shopping and virtual assistant. And if you want to get out and mingle rather than work from home exclusively, you can be a courthouse researcher or a retail merchandiser (visit stores and take care of inventory), or get paid to run errands locally. To find jobs like these, see websites such as journalismjobs.com, indeed.com, narms.com, and taskrabbit.com. ---- Christine Durst and Michael Haaren are leaders in the work-at-home movement and advocates of de-rat-raced living. Their latest book is Work at Home Now, a guide to finding home-based jobs. They offer additional guidance on finding home-based work at www.RatRaceRebellion.com. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2012 BY STAFFCENTRIX, DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM |
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