Whether you are looking to up your vacation game or want to try your hand at hosting guests, glamping may just be the answer. After reading Oscar's previous article about how to make extra money online and offline, we noticed we Glamping Hub is included so we thought it’d be nice for you all to find out a little more about us—from both a host’s and a guest’s perspective.

Who is Glamping Hub?

Glamping Hub is the first online booking platform and leading portal for unique outdoor accommodations, and the website features more than 35,000 accommodations in over 115 countries. Glamping, or glamorous camping, is a way for travelers to stay in the great outdoors without having to sacrifice creature comforts—camping with added luxuries and five-star amenities.

How to become a Glamping Hub host

If you’re looking to make some extra money, all you’ll need is a unique accommodation in a nature-based location and the desire to help guests create some special memories with their loved ones. Once you’ve got all of that, it’s as easy as sending a request through Glamping Hub’s List With Us page.

All you have to do is fill in a few quick text boxes with your contact information, the name of your property, a URL, and voila! We take care of the rest of the work for you—including researching your property and the area, writing the text, adding photos and reviews, and more.

The end result is a unique, curated listing with original content that is SEO driven in order to optimize traffic to your accommodation on our website from Google.

Meanwhile, our support team is in contact with the host and will set up a tutorial of the host’s dashboard, which is the user profile and platform we have for our hosts to edit their listings, manage bookings, update their calendars, and various other administrative tasks.

It’s important to us that our hosts feel comfortable using our platform in order for them to succeed and know what to do from the moment they receive their first booking request.

Why become a Glamping Hub host

Glamping Hub’s booking platform is one-of-a-kind—it’s both specialized and transactional, which provides a unique opportunity for our hosts to receive traffic and bookings from a tailor-made, yet expansive, audience.

To get technical for a second and help put things in perspective, just two years ago, in 2016, Glamping Hub received 2.6 million visits, which resulted in 12,000 booking requests and $2.1 million in revenue—and by the end of 2018, that will have tripled. Moreover, the average ticket price for a two-night stay is USD 500.

As a Glamping Hub host, our support department does much more than get you and your host dashboard ready to receive your first booking. You’ll also have access to the Glamping Hub customer support team seven days a week to help you with anything you may need, from adding new accommodations and altering text and rates to managing requests and beyond.

Why become a Glamping Hub guest

On the whole, experience-based travel and placing a strong and purposeful emphasis on the “customer experience” is on the rise in the travel industry. While this upswing may require other travel companies to make major changes in their business models, this is something that has naturally been at the core of Glamping Hub from the very beginning.

Perhaps one of the most unique things about glamping—apart from the interesting accommodations (like tree houses and tipis, to name but a few) and locations—is that the hosts frequently play an integral role in the experience that these destinations provide.

[envira-gallery id="51825"]

Think of it like this: Arriving at one of our glamping sites is much like getting to a new city and meeting an old friend who is going to show you all the best places to go, eat, and enjoy. They’ve lived there for years and have all the best insider knowledge, and we all know that type of person is exactly who you want to introduce you to a new place.

In fact, many of our glamping accommodations offer special, on-site opportunities, thanks to the knowledgeable hosts who run them, their passion for their glamping sites and the area surrounding, and their own unique hobbies.

The list is endless: yoga and meditation classes; cooking courses; wine and olive oil tastings; medicinal herb garden tours; zip-lining; and so much more.

Going glamping with Glamping Hub is 100% what you make of it—whether you’re looking for a relaxed weekend away with a good book and a glass of wine or your inner adventurer is desperate for its next adrenaline fix. No matter what type of vacation you seek, the beauty of glamping is that you can personalize your getaway to be exactly what you want.

The post Glamping Hub an Insider’s Look at the New Way to Find Outdoor Adventures appeared first on Digital Marketing Through Content & Influence.

A little bit of history

I found tagger bags through a website where as a blogger, you can write reviews and get paid for doing so. But I felt that I should approach them directly (the website isn't quite working out for me). So I did and I asked them if I could review their product; I thought they looked pretty cool and the concept is pretty neat.

Peter van Veldhoven created Tagger Bags back in 2005 after coming up with a concept that would allow anyone to create a personalized bag quickly. Tagger bags is a company based in the Netherlands and they make customizable messenger bags, and backpacks. Most build your own bag companies take weeks and weeks to finalize the product. Not Tagger! It took about 4 days for me to receive my bag, by any standards, that is fast.

Another aspect of the bags is that the customization is done through their website, so it's easy and quick to do, but the cool part about the custom parts is that much of the art on the bags is unique and custom made for the bags. It's inspired by graffiti artists (hence the name) and the choices of art on the bags is really great. Boring ol' me had to pick one of the simplest designs. Go figure. So let me tell you about my bag.

My Bag

Notice I called it my bag, because this is truly my bag. Even though my choices for the customization weren't that outrageous, it still matches perfectly with me and the colors of the moment. You'll notice is matches my orange theme that I've got going on on my blog and on Twitter. I got the messenger laptop bag because it seemed like the most practical for me (in retrospect I would have liked to get a different one). I don't regret getting this one and it is pretty stylish, but my practical side tells me I should have bought one of the backpack style bags instead. Everyone I've shown it to thinks it's pretty cool and they like it, they want to know where they can get one, but it isn't until I tell them that they can get their own customizations on it that really sparks up their eyes. I gotta say, that customization thing is pretty cool. I wish that they'd let you use your own graphic though. I suppose that would add a significant cost and time delay to the production of the bags and I don't know enough about the market to tell you if people would even use that feature. I know I would but that doesn't mean anything. So what do I like about the bag... or rather what do I not like about the bag?
tagger-bag-open-stuff-o tagger-bag-front-o tagger-bag-flat-o

The bad

I usually start with the good when I tell people about a product I like and I try to downplay the bad stuff, but in this case I'll give you the downsides first. There aren't many. I could use a few more divisions in the front pocket, or more pockets altogether. The same could be said for the inside of the big compartment. The cover flap covers the majority of the opening of the bag, but there is no zipper or any other kind of closure to keep things from falling off if you were to accidentally flip the bag. The cover and the bottom of the bag are made of very durable tarpaulin, but in my experience, this material tends to develop creases that eventually may crack. This of course hasn't happened yet and I don't expect it to for at least a few years. Not really a bad thing in my book, but I thought I'd mention it.

The good

Durable, this thing is going to last quite a while. The lack of many pockets and compartments actually simplifies the usability and I think will improve the durability. The quality of the materials and craftsmanship is top notch. It's unique and practical. I like having the bag with me when I go to meetups and to hang out at the coffee shop to relax over a cup of coffee, it's actually quite a conversation starter because it is different. Most people haven't seen this before, the choices are so varied that it would be hard to find two identical bags in the same vicinity.

It fits a lot of stuff. Despite my desire to have a few more compartments (mostly for organization), the bag can carry a pretty big payload. When I first got it I tried to stuff it with a few different things and I was surprised at how much I could fit in there. I actually had my 13" air, and two 15" macbook pros and some other things in it and there was still room to spare.
tagger-bag-strong-strap-o tagger-bag-strap-clip-o tagger-bag-review-hanging-o

More details on the features

All the bags that Tagger carries are customizable. The messenger bag: crew has three parts you can customize, the strap, the bottom and the cover. When you build your own bag, you get to pick the various elements that you can customize and each bag has different parts that can be customized. You can do whatever mix and match that you want. You can buy additional components later too so you can customize it for different ocassions. I went with an orange strap and bottom and a matching cover. Turned out pretty cool if you ask me. But of course I would say that... I built it. If you build your own, you'll love it just as much because it's yours.

They also carry accessories, like containers that would fit in the big compartment and iphone and laptop sleeves, these are purchased separately and I did not get any of those.

The previous bag I was using and most of the bags I've had before always have a weak strap. The strap on this bag is pretty damn tough. I'm sure I could use it to climb down a window in case of a fire or something. It reminds me of heavy duty seatbelts. It's thick and will probably outlast everything else about the bag. The bag itself is made of two different materials.

The strap has a quick release lever system that allows you to easily adjust the length of the shoulder strap. It stays locked and secure once you adjust it to you, but you can (with a little effort) re-adjust it at any time. The strap can also be removed altogether if you wanted to, it snaps into place on both sides of the bag. You could for example switch straps. This is something else that is cool, you can buy the different components of the bag separately so you can really have one bag with multiple looks.
tagger-bag-adjustment-clip-open-o tagger-bag-adjustment-clip-o tagger-bag-open-strap-o

As you open the flap, you'll find a small outer zippered pocket. Big enough to put your cell phone, keys and other small items. This is where I keep business cards, cell phone cables and a couple of pens. Then as you move to the interior of the bag, you'll find a large compartment that is unobstructed by anything. It's a big rectangular space where you can fit books, magazines, binders or other large and bulky items. This is where I put things like my camera bag, power charger for my laptop and my ledger-style notebook that I carry with me everywhere and I could fit even more stuff in there. As you can see in the pictures, there's tons of space.

The last part of the interior is the laptop compartment. It fits my 13 inch Macbook air perfectly and there is a velcro strap to secure it from falling off, remember what I said about stuff spilling out if you were to turn the bag upside down? This little velcro strap will prevent your laptop from coming out accidentally. The padding that protects the laptop is not going to win any safety or ruggedness awards anytime soon, but it's thick enough and soft enough to save your laptop from everyday nicks and scratches and bumps. As long as you're not playing football with the bag, or tossing it across the room into a pile of rocks, your laptop will be pretty safe.
tagger-bag-capacity-o tagger-bag-flap-open-o tagger-bag-flap-o

The wishlist & final verdict

I wish the main compartment was padded a bit too, at least in the bottom, but that's just because I'm weird and sometimes carry two laptops. I also wish there were a couple more pockets in the front and maybe even on the inside. From a consumer point of view, I wish I could find these at a retail outlet so I could browse through colors and flaps before buying them. The online thing is cool, but with a product like this the touch and feel aspect of it would be awesome.

So would I get the same bag again next time? No, I would like to try out some of the other bagalicious bags instead, the Phatpack comes to mind as being more or less what I would want. At their current price point, they are a little bit on the expensive side, but with the durability and uniqueness of the bag, I think the price is justified. So far the customer support has been tremendous and I even got to exchange a few emails with Peter, the founder. That's world class customer service and it's clear that customer satisfaction is at the top of the list for Tagger bags.

Tagger bags are also hip and sleek, and this culture doesn't stop there. The art work is really cutting edge, but also has a general appeal so nobody is left out. They have something for everyone. The website is pretty sleek too and it's easy to use and understand how you can create your personalized bag. Tagger bags has a blog but  can also be found on Twitter, Facebook and there are quite a few videos on Youtube. And of course, you can find them at Taggerbags.com

The post Tagger Messenger Bag: Crew Laptop Review appeared first on Digital Marketing Through Content & Influence.

The post IM John Chow Review in Video appeared first on Digital Marketing Through Content & Influence.

IM John Chow stands for "Internet Marketing John Chow" not "I am John Chow". And it is a turn-key internet marketing course that teaches you how to start a business online and be profitable quickly, or how to make your current online business more profitable. It is a proven, tried and true system that John has been following for a while now. This is the system that allows him to make over 40,000 dollars a month (trust me, it's much more than that nowadays). Update: I made a video review for IM John Chow, you can watch that too if you want.

The program is one of the best I've seen. It is well structured and well planned. Let's take a look at some of the nitty gritty. The best thing about it is that it is a guided, step by step program on how to make money with internet marketing. In contrast to other systems I've tried or used, most systems give you everything at once. The problem with programs that give you all the content at once is that A.D.D. and shinny new object syndrome kick in and you jump from one section to another and then back and forth. Then after a month or two, you still haven't done anything. IMJohnChow.com walks you day by day to complete each task.

Another thing about the program. I'm a web guy and can't help but notice these things, there are two things I noticed from a technical point of view. One is good and one is not so good. First the not so good... The design and layout wont' get John any design awards, the menus aren't "perfect" for example. I just had to point out for example that I personally hate when a menu item folds into two lines... but that's just me. But overall the design and layout aren't bad, and ultimately they give you the information you need in just a click or two (that's a plus).

In the other hand, the good thing. I was very impressed with and it will help when you start going through the lessons, it's the video portion of the lessons. The lessons have a video presentation that will show you all the material for the lessons, but each lesson is broken down into chapters and it's very easy to see what chapter you're in and where you are in the overall program. I thought this was really great and useful so you can really focus on the task and lesson at hand.

All in all, I highly recommend you check out this course. It's peanuts when you think about the amount of information and more importantly, the source of the information you're getting. For $47 bucks you get all the secrets, step by step guidance, videos, presentations, homework lessons and additional resources.  If you want to just check it out, let John tell you more about it, just visit the program right here.

If you want to know more about what I really think about the whole thing, then read on.

About the lessons

Each day you get a new lesson, and each lesson builds upon the previous one so it is easy to follow. Another thing you'll notice right away is that besides the daily lessons for the 90 day program, you have access to additional resources to compliment the lessons and expand your knowledge.

Each of the lessons has a video explaining what the lesson is about and it is followed by a task or series of tasks that are actionable and will keep you on track. Easy to follow and explained completely so there is nothing else you need but to follow the step by step guided instructions.

Here are a couple of examples that you might find interesting and I also explain a few of the sections. I don't think I can give too much of it away without getting in trouble so I'll just pick two days and summarize them for you.

Day 1 Welcome to IM John Chow

You are introduced to the course, the expectations are set and you have a great idea of what you'll be doing for the remainder of the course. You'll be walked through "The Secret" and the biggest mistakes to avoid when getting started. Then you are shown some of the results that John has achieved with these methods. But this section isn't all about what you're getting, this lesson also explains the type of commitment you need to succeed. If you don't have the commitment to stick to the program, you will fail. If you fall into this category, my advice is to stop reading this review and just move along. You MUST have the commitment to follow through, because as John (and any real business owner) will explain, you can't get rich overnight.

Why doesn't John worry about any SEO updates by Google? He'll tell you why. No matter what Google does, John remains unaffected. In fact (this little tidbit is not in the program),  a few years ago John was removed from Google altogether, but his income and traffic increased instead of declining. Can your website do that? You too would be able to survive any Google update if you follow this method.

In day one, you'll also hear of how John has made tons of mistakes over the past 13 years in order to fine-tune his system. Then he teaches you what works. Forget the "gurus" out there, follow the ones that actually achieve the goals set forth. This is why John's system is the system you need. He's done this, time and time again and he is teaching you how to do it yourself.

Day 4. Researching your Niche

Day four is a really interesting day because I've personally always struggled with this. I am able to do this stuff for other people because I'm detached from their products. I get paid to do the reviews and analysis. But when it comes down to my stuff, my emotions and ego get in the way sometimes, so it was good to learn about this from a student's seat.  It's titled "Researching Your Niche" On previous lessons, you picked a niche and learned how your're going to apply the four step formula. But Day 4 is all about researching the quality and type of niche you've selected. This isn't an easy thing to do when you do it by yourself so I'm glad this section is in there. You'll learn about examining your competition and where to find your competition.

Every week I get people pitching me ideas to help them with their website. they tell me how awesome their idea is and how "nobody's" doing it. But then it turns out that they've never done any competitive analysis. This lessons teaches you how to do the competitive analysis so you can set your expectations accordingly and modify your approach so you can succeed.

Additional days that are extremely valuable are days like: Picking your niche, Picking the name for your domain, Setting up an autoresponder and other questions that people always struggle with. These lessons remove the technical problems and walk you step by step on how to get them done so you can move onto the next lesson and begin making money.

Now onto the extra features and information.

The value on the extra information is in the thousands of dollars. If you were to find lessons for all this stuff somewhere else, or hire a teacher, or even join a mastermind group (with proven results) you'd pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars. How do I know? LOL because if you come to me to learn some of those things, I charge you anywhere from 100 to 140 dollars /hour. So trust me when I say that the information in there is absolutely worth its weight on gold. In fact I am a little ticked at John for including so much information for such a low price. If enough people were to look at that stuff, I could actually lose part of my client base. Why would anyone continue to pay me 100/hour when they can get just as good information (on some topics, not all --thankfully!) for $47?

Overview on the Extra Features

Here are the main sections of the program and a quick summary of what to expect on each one.
Daily Action Plan. Each day you get a 5 - 10 minute video packed with information, followed with an actionable homework that should take 30 - 60 minutes to complete on a daily basis.
Success Secret System. A ton of information to enhance the lessons and your experience with the whole program. Absolutely great amount of information to help you if you finish your lesson of the day quickly or you're ready to take it all to the next level.
Knowledge Bank. The knowledge bank has tons of information about building your website, managing your website and working with WordPress. Basics about SEO are also covered as well as a reinforcement of the 4 step formula.
Facebook Empire. The Facebook empire section is awesome too. Social media is a big component of today's interenet marketing systems and John's site explains how to get traffic and leads from Facebook, and also how to use their ads system. Other "Facebook Gurus" sell you just this information for a couple hundred dollars.
Support. The system wouldn't be complete without support. If at any point in time you need assistance, there is a clear way for you to obtain support to get your issue resolved. So far I have not had any issues with the program... but if you did, John and his team is there to help you.

Overall thoughts and closing comments.

While this is simple to follow and to apply, you must be wondering. If it works so well, why is he virtually giving it away? I asked him that question one day a while back. Why do you give away all your tips and tricks and methods? And he said, most of the people simply won't do anything about it. They will make excuses and have ridiculous expectations, like making a 1000 dollars in their 2nd day. But only a few will follow through, so he isn't concerned with competition I also know personally, that the internet is so big, that there is room for everyone. Trust me, this system works. Check it out and stop making excuses.

If you want to check out IM John Chow, visit it here. Stick to it and you'll make money.

The post Review IM John Chow – Email Marketing Course appeared first on Digital Marketing Through Content & Influence.

We also cover mass email systems. If you need to send email to your customers or potential customers, how do you do it? You can't just sit there and send hundreds of emails from gmail or yahoo! That would be crazy! But you also can't just spam people because you want to get your message out. You need to use one of the systems I mention in the video.

SEO news. There's a new and exciting plugin for WordPress that is going to change how you approach local SEO. Check out the video for more info.

Also, I'm taking questions and requests now. If you'd like to have your question answered or your product reviewed, contact me to be included in an upcoming episode.

Thanks for watching. Comments & feedback is welcome and greatly appreciated.

links:

Build your own Tagger Messenger bags and other bags.

Aweber

Disclosure: The Tagger bag was given to me for review.

The post Taggerbags Video Review and other shenanigans – vlog appeared first on Digital Marketing Through Content & Influence.