July 5, 2008

Marketing through blogs? What a bright IZEA!

Don’t you hate it when you go shopping and nothing seems to fit just right? Whether we’re looking for clothes, home-improvement supplies or office equipment, we want what we want and we need what we need.

I don’t know about you, but I’m even pickier when it comes to my business. With a small-business budget, I can’t afford to waste resources on equipment that doesn’t meet my specifications or advertising efforts that don’t reach my target market. Regardless of your size, you probably can’t either. That’s why social media marekting is such a great idea. A small operation like mine can run a hand-crafted campaign through PayPerPost or SocialSpark, getting bloggers to create buzz about my service. Parent company Izea can help me set it up so that I reach the people most interested in what I offer. They’re not just for us small-timers, though. With a network of over 170,000 bloggers, PayPerPost and SocialSpark can help you reach the masses, as they’ve recently done for Criss Angel’s Cirque du Soliel showcase and Dirt Devil’s new Accucharge.

Your business probably falls somewhere between my tiny operation and the mega-big-boys. Izea’s marketing tools can help you select the demographics and outreach that will give you the biggest bang for the bucks. If you’re selling this year’s hottest back-to-school tools, thousands of mommy bloggers can enthusiastically promote your product to other parents. Likewise, a stable of savvy tech bloggers know just the right language to appeal to the geeks who will buy your new software. You can even hand-select the blogs where your advertising will appear, or arrange to send out samples so bloggers will be able to relate their first-hand experiences with your product. Blog Sponsorships will keep your name on the front page for every visitor to the blogs you select. These are just a few of the ways you can market your product, service or website through blogs. Follow the link and you’ll find just the right creative marketing concept to suit your needs. Izea’s Solution Sales Team is standing by to help you make sure your social media marketing campaign brings you the exposure you need on a budget you can afford.

Not advertising on blogs yet? What are you waiting for? Put together a small trial campaign to see what advertising on blogs can do for you. You’re gonna like what you find!

Technorati Tags: advertising, blog advertising, internet marketing, IZEA, marketing, PayPerPost, social media marketing, SocialSpark

June 12, 2008

I signed up for SocialSpark!

I’ve been providing sponsored posts on my blog for over a year and a half. It’s always been a positive thing for me and, I think, a positive experience for my readers. I like being one of the first to know about new products and services. I like having the opportunity to review or announce new or established websites, products and services that I think will be of interest to my readers. I love, love, love being the first to tell you all about a new movie or TV show and announcing new websites, contests and promotions. You’ve responded with some great feedback. You’ve found a few new things you wanted to check out and some innovative ideas you wanted to explore. It’s been a win/win situation for all of us. The only somewhat negative feedback has concerned disclosure, and I’ve only gotten one negative comment about that. While I haven’t necessarily provided in-post disclosure with each sponsored post, I’ve always maintained a Disclosure Policy (you can find it in the menu at the top of my right sidebar) and made sure my readers are aware that some material on skeet’s stuff is sponsored. Now the same folks who created PayPerPost and pioneered the whole concept of sponsored posting have upped their game and elelvated sponsored posting to a higher level. Izea, the undisputed leader in social media marketing has created SocialSpark, an innovative and sophisticated marketplace for bloggers and advertisers. Some of the high points of SocialSpark include:

The transparency does not stop with in-post disclosure and it’s not limited to what you can see on my blog. The behind-the-scenes workings of my blog are provided to our advertisers, allowing them to make informed choices about the blogs that can best serve their needs. Have you ever wondered who reads skeet’s stuff? The question has always been high-priority to me, because knowing my audience allows me to provide interesting a relevant material that will keep you coming back. My advertisers have a vested interest in my reading audience, too. They need to target their marketing budgets for maximum ROI. SocialSpark provides them with the tools they need.

What you see here is just the tip of the iceberg. SocialSpark also provides statistics on average daily number of visitors, average pageviews, length of visit, RealRank®, Alexa Rank and more. Want to know my average number of daily posts or the ratio of sponsored posts to non-sponsored? You do if you’re an advertiser! The comprehensive data provided by SocialSpark is helping advertisers spend their money wisely and allowing bloggers to reach out to the advertisers they’re most interested in (yes - the information goes both ways!)

If you’ve thought about adding sponsored post to the features you provide for your readers, now is the time to do it. SocialSpark is the platform that allows you to monetize your blog by adding quality content that you want to write about and your readers want to see. Advertisers, are you marketing through blogs? If you’re not, you’re missing thousands of opportunites daily for the kind of exposure you want. It’s affordable, it’s targeted and now it’s customizable to all of your needs. What are you waiting for? Isn’t it time to put SocialSpark to work for you?

Technorati Tags: blogging, in-blog advertising, marketing, social media marketing, SocialSpark

February 12, 2008

Blogging with Cents

More and more bloggers are earning part or all of their income these days by monetizing their blogs. I do a little of it here with sponsored posts and contextual links, but those are by no means the only methods you can use to turn your blog into a valid income-producer. There are many marketing firms, affiliate programs and advertising opportunities available, but that also means there are a multitude of ways you can go wrong. Lori takes blog marketing seriously and has a blog that can help you sort through the dross and find the good stuff. Blogging with Cents is less than a year old but has already developed into a great resource, whether you’re a novice or someone with a bit of experience.

Affiliate marketing is one of the more common ways to make money with your blog and can be very lucrative. It can also be a very frustrating experience if you hook up with the wrong programs. Lori has just launched an affiliate marketing series with an explanation of what affiliate marketing is, how the various sub-types work and how they can help you make money. I’m looking forward to future installments of this series that will go into more detail and give us the benefit of her experiences. She also has some experience dealing directly with advertisers and has shared the basics to help you get started with that.

The first step to monetizing your blog is creating a site that advertisers believe will offer them some value. Lori routinely posts blogging tips that will help you get your blog ready for the big time. Take a look around her site while you’re there. You’ll see some of her marketing programs in her sidebar and find a wealth of additional information by delving into her category menu. She’s a pretty friendly gal, so don’t be afraid to ask questions in the comment field for any given post. She won’t bite - she wants to make sure you get the most out of her articles. If you’re looking for more comprehensive help, you can even hire Lori as your blog marketing coach to make sure you get off to a great start. Why stumble around in the dark when someone has gone before you and turned the lights on? Check out Blogging with Cents and you’ll see what I mean.

Technorati Tags: blog marketing, blog monetization, blogging for income, reviews

August 10, 2007

Disrupted Horizon

One of the wonderful things about owning a small business is knowing that I have complete control over how things operate. After spending half of a lifetime bending to other peoples ideas and wishes, I’m enjoying holding the reins of power. I decide how my business is structured, what services to offer and how to bring in clients. The hardest part, for me, is relinquishing that power when it comes to areas outside of my own expertise. Success in business demands that I acknowledge my areas of weakness and seek out the best experts to make up for my lack. Disrupted Horizon not only gets the concept, they’ve made it the foundation of their business:

1% of companies know how to know what they don’t know about Business 3.0

95% don’t know what they don’t know

None of us can be experts at every aspect of running a business. The smartest move we can make is put brilliant minds to work for us, whether on our own payroll or in the services that we contract. The way to know how to know what we don’t know is to put ouselves in the hands of people who do know. If you don’t know what’s making that annoying knocking sound in your car, you’re going to take it to an expert mechanic, arent you? Wouldn’t it be foolish to do any less for your business? How effective are the Market Research techniques you learned right out of school? The entire marketing world has been turned upside down since then, so no one can blame you for not keeping up. You’ve been too busy manufaturing widgets to focus on the digital revolution. If you’re like me and only just beginning to get a handle on web 2.0, how are you going to position yourself to take advantage of the next wave? Disrupted Horizon, the Business 3.0 Consultancy offers the solutions that will help you move seamlessly forward. Their expertise can give you the competitive advantage that can carry you to the top of your field. Start by asking them to assist you with a Business 3.0 Health Check. Assessing where you are and where you want to be will allow them to help you map a plan to get you there. As your partners, they can apply what they know best towards helping you reach your goals, so you that you can concentrate on making the best widget the world has ever known. Ask them how.

Technorati Tags: business, business consultants, business growth, Disrupted horizon, marketing

July 30, 2007

Get Featured!

If you’re looking for a way to promote your blog and increase your readership, check out fechr.com. It’s a new take on web site promotion and is already showing great promise. My friend Lisa was selected as the featured blog and got so many hits it crashed her site, lol! This from a brand new site that can only grow as the word gets out. The service is free right now, but people will eventually be lining up around the block to pay for it, so get your request in now. How can you Get Featured? Easy! Write a post (like this one) about fechr.com (pronounced “featured”) and submit it. Blogs are randomly selected to be the featured site of the day. When your blog is selected, readers at fechr.com will be directed to your content. It’s probably a good idea to make sure your bandwidth is up to speed first, because you’ll be getting hundreds of new visitors during the twenty-four hours that your blog is featured. Your chances are as good as anyone else’s, so get cracking!

July 8, 2007

Real Estate Marketing

There are hundreds of realtors in my phone book and fax file. Some I do business with once and never again. Others close two or three sales a year, so they don’t bring me much business either. Then there are the others whose names I never have a problem remembering, whose numbers are regonizable to me when they appear on my caller ID. They’re my steadies - my regulars. They call every few weeks at least, sometimes several times a month, needing my inspection service because they have a sale that is approaching closing. There are two things I’ve noticed that differentiate them from their less successful competitors.

1. They understand that real estate marketing starts with marketing themselves. They work hard at getting their names out there and at recruiting new clients. They advertise and do cold calls. When they sign a contract with a seller, they don’t pat themselves on the back and go home to relax. They knock on every door in the neighborhood, introducing themselves and offering their services. When the buyer signs, they do it all over again. They understand that getting their name in front of potential clients is the most important thing they can do to keep their business growing.

2. They never stop learning. If they aren’t with clients, they’re in a seminar or continuing education class. When they’re finally at home each evening, they’re online studying a real estate marketing blog or looking for new classes to take. They’ve made it their business to understand housing trends and market fluctuations because they know their careers depend on it.

These are my personal observations as an “inside outsider,” not in the real estate industry, but working exclusively within it anyway. I think that every successful realtor I know will agree with me. And the ones who read my blog will be grateful that I’ve provided them with some new learning resources through this sponsored post. It’s the least I could do for the folks who keep the market thriving and make my business profitable.

Technorati Tags: blogs, real estate, real estate marketing, sponsored posts

May 30, 2007

Promoting my business

I sat down to do this post over four hours ago. I’ve been on my sponsor’s website ever since, and I’d appreciate some input from you folks on a decision I need to make. My business is eight years old and I’ve never done much pro-active marketing. I have a packet of information that I distribute on a day-to-day basis and I am occasionally asked to address real estate offices at a monthly meeting or continuing education seminar. That’s pretty much all of the promoting I’ve ever done. My clientele is limited to realtors on Oahu and a few escrow transaction co-ordinators, so I decided long ago that trade shows and home shows that appeal primarily to homeowners and developers/builders would not be a wise investment. Referrals from satisfied clents have kept me going all of these years, but the real estate market has been very slow for over a year now. I need a way to reach out to new prospects who haven’t tried my services yet, and to keep my name in front of my existing clients. The most practical and affordable way for me to do that is to find some imprinted promotional marketing products that will encourage clients and prospects to keep my name and contact information right at their fingertips.

I have my insurance agent’s calendar on my desk. It’s compact (important in a cluttered office like mine) and I use it every time I work on my books. I also look there instead of the phone book when I need to call him. I want something that handy to put in front of my clients. It’s the wrong time of year to send out calendars (though it’s something I should consider with my holiday greetings this year,) and I need to start promoting my business now. My first thoughts were of pens and keychains because realtors use a lot of both. I think, though, that they’re likely to leave those with their clients, who are not my clients. Realtors use a lot of highlighter pens to mark up their documents and I don’t think they would give those away, but I want something more durable. While I was looking at the items offered at gimmees.com I was having “voila” moments repeatedly. I have four letter openers scattered around my office. Two of them are works of art and rather pricey. I never use them. The one I use most was picked up at a home show over twelve years ago. The advertising imprint for the company that gave it to me is still doing its job because I use it every day. Likewise the luggage tag on my briefcase and the business card holder that goes everywhere I go.

I’ve narrowed my choices down to two that are within the budget I’ve allocted and will do an admirable job of helping me accomplish my goals. The letter opener seems like natural to me because of my own experience. I haven’t looked at all of the many styles available yet, but I really like the house-shaped one depicted here.

My second choice is an item I’ve never used before but I really like it. I think that it’s unique enough that it’s not likely to get tossed in a drawer with half-a-dozen others and that it would be used regularly. And, well, it’s cute and I like it. I’d consider using it for a future photo puzzle if I didn’t want your opinion, but since I do I’ll tell you that it’s a screen duster. Now wouldn’t you use one of those and keep it either on your desk or in your notebook/laptop bag? Wouldn’t you notice the imprint every time you cleaned your screen? Or is there some other desktop item that you think would do a more effective job for me?

What do you think of my reasoning? There are a lot of other choices at gimmees.com and it’s possible I’ve missed the most perfect item of all simply because they have so much that I haven’t seen it all yet. If you stumble across something else that you think is better than my own choices, give me a shout. This may seem like a small thing to those of you involved in big business, but it’s huge to me. Can I get some feedback from my readers who either own their own businesses or have helped promote a business?

Edit: Maybe I shouldn’t have gone back to site before making a firm decision. I’ve just discovered their “Bargains” and “Sale and Closeout Items” links. I could be there a long, long time.

Technorati Tags: promotional products, trade show giveaways, payperpost

May 26, 2007

Bloggerwave redux

New chapters seem to be developing daily in the Bloggerwave saga. I was one of many bloggers who posted a warning in recent days that the company appeared to be in trouble and might even be perpetrating a scam on bloggers. I still don’t know what is going on with Bloggerwave, but, having devoted space to airing their problems, I think it’s only fair to post what’s known of their side of the story. Yesterday I finally received payment for the post I did for them on April 8th. Other bloggers also report being paid in the last twenty-four hours. This morning I discovered that they had posted a comment in answer to my more recent post concerning the possibility of fraud. Others got a similar message, and Ulrik Thomsen, CEO of Bloggerwave, posted a more explanatory comment on Daryl Lau’s blog, which had posted several warnings. They are now attempting to explain themselves and communicate to the blogging community.

When Bloggerwave was first introduced, many of us noted that their website and their presentations to bloggers and advertisers were taken almost word for word from the Payperpost website. We had been getting teasers from PPP that “something big is coming” and some of us leapt to the conclusion that Bloggerwave would be announced as the European arm of PPP. Those conclusions were laid to rest when Ted Murphy, CEO of Payperpost, answered our questions at a townhall meeting. Ted stated definitively that Bloggerwave was not associated with Payperpost and that his represntatives were researching whether there was legal cause to pursue Bloggerwave for unauthorized use of their materials. I was one of the many bloggers who decided at that point not to continue an association with Bloggerwave. Whether of not PPP has cause for legal recourse, the fact that Bloggerwave had appropriated someone else’s creative material was enough for me. I have no desire to work for someone who would take another’s creative work, nor would I trust them to deal fairly with me.

The payment date for my post for Bloggerwave came and went with no money received. A couple of bloggers did receive payment. Many didn’t. Some wrote to them reqesting their money, while others chose to watch and wait. I decided that I would not actively pursue further contact with the compqany but would accept payment if it was forthcoming. Distrust and anger had already reached a boiling point when, last week, PayPal rescinded some payments that had been sent out. Their communications to bloggers seemed to indicate that Paypal suspected Bloggerwave was involved in fraudulent activities. PayPal’s actions motivated many of us to post warnings to other bloggers. Having posted Bloggerwave’s recruitment announcements, we felt an obligation to advise our readers that working for the company might not be a good investment of one’s time.

Now that Bloggerwave has finally broken their silence, we all await the newsletter promised by Ulrik Thomsen. What can he possibly say or do that will repair the damage done? Assuming that the rescinded payments were a PayPal mistake and not fraud by Bloggerwave, is there a way to salvage the company’s reputation and set them back on their feet? There are things I believe they need to do in order to rescue themselves.

1. Bloggerwave needs to scrap their entire website and start over. They want to sell advertising. Effectiveness in the advertising marketplace is built on originality and creative input. They’ve shown none.

2. They need to “make things right” with Payperpost. Whether their intent was theft or imitation, there is no denying that Bloggerwave used materials that do not belong to them. They need to apologize and promise to play nice in the future.

3. They need to establish clear lines of communcation with their bloggers. Many of the bloggers involved sent numerous emails requesting payments for the work they performed for Bloggerwave. None that I am aware of ever received an answer. A single explanatory email sent out to their entire blogging force could have quelled the rising tide of discontent. The reaction to their silence can be found by doing a Google search for “Bloggerwave scam” or “Bloggerwave fraud.” Lack of communication may have been their costliest mistake and may have sounded their death knell.

4. They need to get the money right. Whatever their method of payment, it must be tested and verified before they contract for a single future post. There are tens of thousands of hungry bloggers who want to blog for pay. Many will quickly dismiss past history if the money is forthcoming.

This story is far from over. The ball is in Bloggerwave’s court. Their next move will determine whether or not the game continues.

Edit: Brett has published some new infromation about the Bloggerwave/PayPal situation.

Technorati Tags: blog advertising, Bloggerwave, blogging, blogging scandal, paid blogging

May 24, 2007

Payperpost Direct

It’s been almost a year since Payperpost created a marketplace that brings bloggers and advertisers together. The PPP team has continued to develop their innovative concept which spawned a copycat following. Today they’ve thrown down the gauntlet to those wannabees by introducing Payperpost Direct, where bloggers and advertisers can negotiate with each other while having a professional team supporting both sides of each transaction. Others have offered a similar concept in recent months, but PPP has taken blog advertising to the next level, adding increased value to both ends of the deal. Sponsored Reviews quotes a price to their bloggers and then keeps 35% of it, while ReviewMe keeps a whopping 50% of advertiser fees for each review. I know how that feels from the bloggers side of the fence, and can only imgine how an advertiser must cringe at paying the bulk of their money for facilitation instead of using it to attract high-quality bloggers. Payperpost Direct has shattered the old pricing models by charging the the advertiser only 10% over the blogger’s proposed fee. It has a built-in negotiating function that assures that blogger and advertiser can always form a satisfying partnership. Payperpost Direct makes advertising on blogs more affordable for the advertiser looking for customized selection and more profitable for the blogger offering specialized service.

Vistors to my site can select my blog for their ad placement by clicking the new HIRE ME badge on my sidebar, and satisfied past clients can find me in their history and request me for future campaigns. They’ll be taken to the Payperpost Direct interface, which is designed for ease of function by all parties. Here’s a look at the order form my advertisers will use when they select skeet’s stuff for their next sponsored post:

The ease of drop-down menu choices is combined with a text box that allows full explanation of an advertiser’s requirements. A brief tutorial clearly explains the process so that bloggers and advertisers can get down to the business at hand.

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’ve signed on for a few other services and sampled their offereings. Astute readers have noted that the sampling has been meager. Like a picky eater at a buffet table, I’ve tasted a little from each dish, then filled my plate with the tastiest morsels. Payperpost has always offered me the most opportunities for the largest payouts. Now they’ve sweetened the deal, starting with this sponsored post. They’ve even added the most succulent dish to the dessert tray. My post fee will be paid immediately upon acceptance by the advertiser. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us next!

Technorati Tags: advertising on blogs, blog advertising, marketing services, Payperpost

May 16, 2007

Providing quality service

I have only recently begun to understand just how important search engine optimization can be. Placing oneself in the Top Google Rankings is the key to online marketing, plain and simple. If you expect to succeed with any service offered via the internet, you need Google to drive traffic to your site, and the only way to do that is to select the words and phrases that people will search for. I’ve beeen studying Apogee’s Search Engine Marketing Glossary so that I can improve the service that I offer to my advertisers through my blog. Marketing through blogs has been found to be an effective tool for driving search engine traffic and, whatever your opinion of it, it’s here to stay. Since I’ve chosen to offer my blog to that market, I owe it to my advertisers to educate myself in the ways of the market so that I can provide them with a quality service and good return on their advertising dollars. All of us who have chosen to monetize our blogs owe it to our sponsors to offer the best possible service. Learning the vocabulary is a good place to start.

Technorati Tags: Apogee Search, Google ranking, Payperpost, search engine optimization