The good folks at PayPerPost have come up with yet another way for bloggers and advertisers to make the most of the blog marketplace. If you like to use your blog to make money, PPP Direct could be for you.
Basically, PayPerPost is taking the middleman (THEM!) out of the equation. This is an opportunity for advertisers to request specific bloggers and bloggers to request specific fees for their services.
Pretty cool. How does it work?
Basically, you pick your price and install a badge on your site stating it. When potential advertisers click it, they are taken to PayPerPost to work out the deal.
What's in it for the blogger?
Yes, you could hammer out some of these deals yourself, but you gain some valuable perks by going through PayPerPost. Mostly, it's easy to use, you gain marketing through the PPP directory, you automatically have tax reporting done, and there is more security than hashing out deals completely on your own.
This has been done before, you say? Why choose PPP?
The main reason here is simple. Cold, hard cash. While competitors charge 50-100% markup and keep money that could be yours, PayPerPost charges only 35% for their self-service model. This passes the money on to the blogger and allows the advertiser to get more for their money. Everybody wins.
I just "mashed" my first news story! Not only was it totally free, it was also quite easy. I have been looking at expanding the content on Musings, and I really like the idea of mashing select news stories. I think it's a great way to use your blog to create a difference as well. In general, I think the news focuses a little too much on tragedy, so I liked this story about Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in London making a new "green" (aka environmentally friendly) version of Prince Charles. I visited Madame Tussaud's back in '96, and I loved it. (Of course, it might have been more environmentally friendly, just to leave the old one. But hey, I still give 'em credit.)
So, how did I accomplish my cool news mashing? I used The News Room. Not only do they provide relevant, timely news, but you also can make money via advertising with CPM starting at $1. Nice. There's tons of video and content choices and you can earn prizes like vacations, electronics, and cars just for participating. The choices are conveniently organized by category so you can find the type of news that will fit your blog best. Categories include: US, Local, World, Business, Politics, Health, Sci-Fi, Entertainment, Sports, Life, Press Releases, Reference, and Campaign 2008, for all you politicoes out there. (My story was from the Life section.) You can also mash it from my blog, too. Cool.
Ok, I have to be honest. I haven't been watching RockStartup lately. What? Don't know what RockStartup is? It's PayPerPost's reality tv show. I was a huge fan in the beginning and then it got away from me. I hadn't watched it in a while until this paid opportunity became available. (By the way, don't think I didn't notice that as a smart way to get people watching again! Clever, PPP!)
Now, they're asking us to post about our favorite episode, what we love, and what they can do to make it better. So, I dutifully sat down and watched the episodes I hadn't seen, and even re-watched some of the older ones I had seen. The truth is, I still love the show. It's hard to pick a favorite, but since I have to, I choose the PayPerPost wedding episode. Here it is:
Why do I love this episode the most? It's the human element. I think that is what is so different about PayPerPost vs. their competition. They put their faces and their names on everything and encourage us to know them and each other. I've gotten to know some great people since being involved with PayPerPost, and the bride in the episode, Julie, is one of those great people. So, it's personal.
Why do I love the show in general? Again, it's the human element. I love to see the antics of the group. Ted, Britt, and Veronique are, in particular, fun to watch. We get to see the behind-the-scenes goings on. People love that. I am no exception. I love that they have 12 episodes and have been in a number of locations already. I think it's shot and edited well. We get fun little glimpses into the life of the staff, but also the real business of working at a startup. I worked at a startup for over 8 years, so this feels very familiar to me. It's hard and it's draining, but it's also fun and you become like a family. It's a very real creative experience. It's an amazing thing to live, or to just watch. I have to admit that RockStartup makes me a bit homesick for my startup family.
If I love this freakin' show so much, why hadn't I been watching? Mostly because life has been so hectic, and I haven't been keeping up with everything online. What could they do better? Well, I'm signed up to get an email newsletter, and I'm not sure I've ever gotten one. Sure, I can find out about it on the PayPerPost blog, but I don't always visit. (gasp!) Hey, I've got a toddler and a new job. So, I'm not sure if it's just me who's not getting alerted, but it might be something for the gang to check out. I tried to resub, but they said I already was subscribed.
How else could they make it better? This may be a little bit of a pipe dream, but it would be great if the episodes could be closer to real time. I'm watching the reality unfold and learning the PayPerPost news and then watching the shows a while later. By then, what's happening feels a little bit like old news. Part of the fun of reality tv is the shock value. When we already know the news, some of that value is lost. It would be fun to see it unfold as we are learning about what's going on with the business. For example, I'd love to see the behind-the-scenes news on the hot postie topic of segmentation right now. I don't know if that's possible, however. I like to be realistic.
Thanks for a great show and a great opportunity, PayPerPost. We've expressed ourselves, had fun, made money, gotten to know each other, and experienced change and controversy. It's been a great ride so far, and I look forward to continuing it.
The PayPerPost blog ad network has been connecting bloggers with advertisers for months now. Being a leader in the field, they've been experimenting with changes as they come along and pioneering new and exciting ways to benefit all parties involved. Things have continued to change as the market continues to figure out what to do with this new paid blogging beast.
One positive for higher profile bloggers is that now you can make even more money than before. If you qualify, you could make as much as $1000 for a single sponsored post. Of course, those posts aren't necessarily the norm, but there are more and more opportunities that are at price points like $35, $75, and $150. That kind of money is definitely worth the time spent blogging on something you might have written about anyway.
What does PayPerPost get out of the deal, you may ask? Well, of course, they take a cut as a fee for connecting bloggers with advertisers, but did you know that it's significantly smaller than some other companies doing the same thing? PPP only charges a 35% fee, leaving more money for the blogger and for advertisers to get more for their money.
In the interest of an honest marketplace, PayPerPost requires disclosure from all bloggers.
If you're looking to advertise on blogs, PayPerPost is a great place to check out. I've been blogging with PayPerPost about 4 months and have really enjoyed it. One of the coolest things about PayPerPost is that they've been leading the new paid-to-blog industry with innovative ways to help both their advertisers and bloggers.
Review My Post is a great example of just this kind of innovation. Now, bloggers can add a button on the bottom of any (or all) post(s), inviting other potential PayPerPost bloggers to review the post on their blog.
When the potential PayPerPostie clicks the button, they are taken to PayPerPost to sign up. After doing so, they are given a special $7.50 opportunity to write about the post that got them there. Once this is completed, the original blogger also gets $7.50. How cool is that? Not only do both bloggers get a bit of cash, but it builds links back to the original bloggers blog.
If you're not with PayPerPost yet, I encourage you to learn more about it. It's a great way to make some extra money (or, as an advertiser, get online exposure you can afford). Of course, a great way to learn more is by trying their new Review My Post program yourself. It's easy. You can start by reviewing this post and seeing how the process works! Just click below.
Here's a cool way to advertise your blog for free. It's for a limited time only, and guess what else? They have GREAT taste? Why, you ask? Because I'm currently blog of the day in the lifestyle section! Yay. Thanks, Kevin from fuelmyblog.com!!!
Well, I can't say that I'm surprised that I ain't Top Momma. I've had my 4 hours in the sun. Top Momma is a cool new site advertising blogging Momma's. You get your pic on the top board when you get there and then if you are popular via clicks (through to your site) and referrals, you get to stay. I ain't so popular. But you can help! If you are a blogging Momma, go there via this link.
Maybe I'll last more, but it's looking unlikely. Go on over there and SAVE ME from annihilation.
Later edit: I think I must be assuming it's still just Heather, my husband, and my brother who read this blog. But my new blogging friend Mel didn't know what to click! Look for this picture of me and Zane and click it:
No, that's not animal meat, it's animal carnival. It's the latest edition of Bestest Blog of All Time's Carnival, hosted by Morgen over at It's a Blog Eat Blog World. Yours truly is paticipating once again. (And we thought I wasn't a joiner!) Go on over and show the carnies some love. Tell 'em I sent ya!
Oh dear, Tricia's Musings just gave me some FABULOUS linky love. There was a comment from Mr. Fabulous asking if we had cookies over here. This one IS half eaten, but you can just take it as proof that there is more where that came from, Mr. F. Enjoy! (I also just remembered that I have more cookies on my other site. Those are REALLY great.)
Thanks Tricia, you're the rockinest. (I think I hear that on Noggin all day.)
Lookin' for a laugh? Check out the newest Bestest Blog carnival over at Dr. Blogstein's today. It's the Funniest Posts of 2006. I'm in it! (Well, because I submitted my favorite post.) But go on over, and give 'em some love.
The world of advertisers hooking up with bloggers got a little bit bigger with the recent entry of LoudLaunch. They are now officially up and running.
What does this mean? Well, a couple of things. It's another arena for bloggers to get paid to help advertisers get their news or press releases out to the public. And from the other side of the fence, it's another avenue for advertisers to find bloggers who will spread their word around the internet. What is especially nice for advertisers is that they can start a campaign with as little as $50! Of course, putting more into the campaign will yield more, but this is an advertising opportunity that doesn't have to break the bank. Nice.
Check it out.
~t
LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.
Are you a blogger? Do you like to make money. First of all, if you haven't already, you should sign up for PayPerPost. You should do it from that link or the box in my sidebar. Why is that? Well, because it's a smart thing to do. You get paid to blog, which you'd do anyway. And, if you sign up here, I get a nice $15 referral fee. And then, when you sign up, YOU can join the referral program and then YOU can start getting $15 every time someone signs up under you. It's a pretty sweet deal. So, why wait? I've already made hundreds of dollars, and you can too. Go on, sign up!
Hey, Jessie over at Hunna's Happenings is hosting (what I think is) the first ever PayPerPostie Blog Carnival. Yours truly is taking part as well as a number of other great Postie friends and writers. Start your year right by checking it out!
Here's a link to the Sproose home page, an interesting concept: a social search engine. Sproose has built an index that users can search to find websites and then rank them on a scale of 1 to 5 stars (5 being highest). After a site is voted on, in moves up or down in the index immediately. That sounds pretty fast.
This sort of search engine is different from the traditional methods like Google, which uses link popularity to determine page rank. It is a similar concept, with Google's thought being (I imagine)--if you link to something, you like it. However, that's not always true. You can be totally angry about something and link to it, thereby giving that site a boost even though you hate it.
With Sproose, you are being a little bit more forthright by actually rating the site based on how much you like it. The idea being, this is a more fair way to rate sites. Interesting concept. I look forward to seeing how it will do.
A fellow PayPerPostie, Jessie, has decided to get all of us bloggers together for a PayPerPost carnival in the new year. How cool! If you are a blogger for PayPerPost and would like to participate, here are the guidelines:
1. Be an active postie. 2. Email Jessie at hunnagirl063080@gmail.com the link to your blog as well as the link to your favorite post. 3.Submissions must be entered no later than 11:59 p.m. on December 27th. 4.Place a post on your blog directing other Posties to enter the carnival and then another post the day of the carnival directing readers to check the carnival out.
Jessie says this about the last carnival she in which she participated:
"This is a great way to exchange links, gain new readers, and increase your PR. The last time I participated in a Blog Carnival I got an extra 400 visitors that day, many of whom have become regular readers. I also found a lot of other really great blogs."
The title does not mean that Zane has anything to do with the Internet Marketing Monitor. I just had two unrelated things to blog about together. Not that Zane wouldn't visit Internet Marketing Monitor. He just hasn't yet. He has been sick. But I'm writing to say that I think he is fine now. The puking and other seemed to have subsided by afternoon yesterday. Probably something he ate. By nightfall he was eating soup with us and continuing to be a little Hell-on-wheels toddler.
Here's a little bit of fun. Internet Marketing Monitor actually quoted and linked my review of IMM in their article about PayPerPost. Wow! Lightning speed on that one. How cool. thanks IMM!
As a subscriber to the PayPerPost YouTube channel, I feel uniquely qualified to write about their presence there. Of course, you know by now that PayPerPost is the company that facilitates ads on blogs by bringing advertisers and content creators (bloggers) together.
I like that they are using YouTube so extensively to get more buzz about their company and services. It's a smart move, in my opinion. I also like that they use it to help create community between their posties and their staff. We get to see not only the names behind the company, but the faces and SO MUCH MORE! (Sometimes too much? Naaaaah.) This is a new level of transparency in business, and I think it's great. I have experienced and read about some of PayPerPost's competition, and I think this one element of community goes a long way towards building their business and the loyalty that people, especially bloggers, feel towards it. An old fundraising adage says "People give to people, not organizations" and I think that's true in this case as well. I do my best for PayPerPost because I am loyal to it. I go the extra mile because I know who they are and care about them and their product.
But anyway, enough of my PayPerPost love, on to their YouTube channel, specifically. They've got some great stuff on there.
First of all, they have all the episodes of Rockstartup--the reality show about the beginnings of PayPerPost. If you haven't seen it. Check it out! Here's the first episode to get you hooked.
Then, there are the video confessionals from the staff. Here is where we really get to see what is going on with everyone. I loved Randy's (Randi's?) initial video. He told a lot. I guess that's what happens when you put the word "confessional" in there. Here it is.
There's also some things that are just plain fun. Here is Ted's impersonation of a catfish. My kids love to watch it. And he challenged the posties to give their impersonations as well. A good fun opportunity. I have had a number of views of my own catfish (for better or worse!)
I have to say, though, that I think my favorite video so far might be Ted's Rap Smackdown on Colleen. I just love it. He started it off as a bit of fun that none of us were even paid for. However, it did generate a lot of buzz in our community and helped keep all of us hyped about PayPerPost while we were waiting for some more advertisers to come along (which they have). Did you think we didn't notice? Ha ha! Anyway, here's the smackdown. I also got a lot of hits on my blog from people coming to see my smackdown on Laura.
So, when you go the PayPerPost's YouTube channel, you'll see a variety of content, including great information and lots of creativity. You'll also see the inside scoop of PayPerPost. And don't we all just wanna know what's going on behind the scenes? I do. I'm sure you do, too!
I’m not sure quite why, but I’m nervous about writing this post. Perhaps it is because Internet Marketing Monitor is trying out PayPerPost so that they can review it. I feel I must really deliver the goods for Internet Marketing Monitor, PayPerPost, and posties everywhere. Internet Marketing Monitor has asked for “people to write unscripted, unbiased reviews of its content”, so that is what I am going to do.
I will start by saying that I am new to the internet marketing game. Like so many things in which I am interested, I know just enough to be dangerous. I would love to know much more about internet marketing, but the variety of sources out there is daunting for someone like me with not a whole lot of research time. In checking out Internet Marketing Monitor, I was pleasantly surprised that there was a lot of information, but it didn’t read like Greek to me. Perhaps that’s because the originator of the site, Matt, was smart enough to know he needed a ghost writer, Derick. Good on ya, Matt.
I looked through the site for a good long time before even considering writing this post, and I found a nice variety of Internet Marketing content on things I’d like to look at in more detail. You see all the big names there…Yahoo, Ebay, Google, MSN, YouTube, and current information on what’s going on with them.
I am sometimes completely overwhelmed with the pace at which things happen in the Internet world. Internet Marketing Monitor clearly has been in this game and understands that. They promise to post multiple times a day, five days a week. And it seems they have. Although the blog was only started in the beginning of November, there is a lot of information on it already. I could have stayed there for hours more, and I’m sure I will visit it again. Kudos, too, on them for the 5-day rule. One thing you learn about the Internet is that it’s important to know when to unplug. (Seeing as I am writing this review at 2:04 am, I clearly haven’t learned that lesson yet. I’m just hoping I get it done and posted before my toddler calls me to bed.)
The posts themselves on the Internet Marketing Monitor are well-thought-out, informative, and well written. I enjoyed reading many of the entries and got a little bit more sucked in than I expected to. That's good, because even though I know I want to learn this, sometimes I just get overwhelmed and have to move away from the site, whatever site it is. I can get a little bit Blog-ADD, but I didn't find that happening.
I have to say that I'm not that into the design. It's a pretty basic WordPress theme, I think. It clearly states "all business", which may be what they were going for, but it also says to me, "business is kinda ugly". This could just be my personal opinion. And, they did specifically ask for reviews of content, not design.
I love that they give "report cards" to different affiliate programs and directories. This is the sort of information that really interests me. Where is it best for me to spend my limited time in developing my sites for greatest monetary value? I will be checking back to see what they say about them, as right now they are still collecting data. The only issue I had was again with the template design. At first, I was reluctant to click those links, because I thought they were ads.
Overall, I was pretty impressed with this site and it kept my novice-head-spinning attention for quite some time. I think that's really saying something. If I had to rate it? I think I'd say B, mostly because it's still new and the look could be more engaging. An internet marketing blog should know that. Also, I'd really like to know more about who Matt is. How much of an expert is he?
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