Protect Your Blog Reputation

 Colors of fall!

Free Products! Free coupons! Free Giveaways! Sounds great doesn't it? Watch out though, it's not what it appears.  I have been wondering about these blogs and sites I have come across, where they keep telling you to sign up for something free. A free coupon, a free product, a free service, etc. Then when you sign up, they want your address........of course, to send you the free gift or coupon. Plus, they want your telephone number. And down at the bottom of the page in tiny writing, it tells that you are giving them permission for you to receive marketing telephone calls from their sponsors. Give me a break! That is NOT free in my mind! No, No, No way! I have enough trouble with telephone marketers and I am on the "Do Not Call list."

 Backyard outdoor fire pit

Then last week I went to a site from a blog that recommended a photography contest for pet photos. I entered my pet's photo and what happened? I had to go through those list of things to sign up for. When you get to the end, after saying no thanks the whole time, the link ended. No contest to speak of. Now my email box has been full of spam and the photography contest keeps sending me emails to buy their book, because my cat's picture won the contest! Turkey feathers! What a bunch of spam!

 Georgie Girl

I want to see some REAL photography contests! I want to see some REAL free products or coupons! Everybody has a gimmick and they don't mean what they say. I am sick of it. What is wrong with the bloggers who blog these types of things? Be honest and accept only honest giveaways, coupons, deals, free products and contests. Protect your readers. It also protects your reputation as a blogger.

Birdwatching!

What about you? If you are a blogger, do you feel you are putting your blog's reputation in jeopardy to endorse a coupon or free item and it being a scam? Or don't you test it out first? I have written posts that I am paid for, but I try to find ones that are up my alley, so to speak. I have turned down a lot of them because they just don't fit my blog. And especially my homesteading following! I think if someone wants you to write about their product without you testing it out first, it must be something you are familiar with in some way.What do you think? Am I wrong?

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2011  Kathleen G. Lupole

Unauthorized Charges On The Phone Bill!

Along the road on the way home.

 I have been very busy the last few days working on our new website. So I may miss a post or two in the future. But I am still right on for posting every day so far this year. My husband is designing it and I am listing categories and products. I haven't done that in a very long time. Our other sites where we sell guitar strings have been pretty well set up. This one is completely different. A new concept and I am VERY excited about it! I'll tell you more after I get it up and running.

Same day, same trip, different road.

 Today I found out that a company that does Search Engine Optimization, Velocity Marketing Concepts has charged our telephone bill $39.00! Even though we never ordered it or even heard of it before. My husband is a SEO person and does it very well. We would have never paid someone to do it for us! I went to their site and found that my company was not listed. So I remembered someone kept calling us about listing my husband's old publishing company in their yellow pages. We kept saying no and hanging up. Now I think they signed it up without us even knowing it.

I find it interesting that someone can charge a phone bill like it is credit card. That is reason enough to get rid of it. I have a Tracfone and I have complete control over that. No extra charges that I can see on that. Or even that they can do that without my knowing it. We should keep our phone number private so they can't call it. I don't know if it will make a difference or not, but I am going to file a report against them with the BBB (Better Business Bureau). It is not right that they can do this. We are also registered with the Do Not Call Registry and we still get swamped with calls from investment companies. Like we are going to do an investment over the phone with someone we have never met. Right!

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole