Archive: PayPerPost
Yep, afraid it's true. This may be our last $1K Tuesday for a while so I wanted to let you know as early as possible. And, man! is it early! Or late, I guess. Whichever, I'm sleepy but excited to get $1K kicked off this week! The first Opp's been released already. Are you the lucky Postie who's in the process of making $50 right now?? If you are, congrats!
And if you're hearing about $1K Tuesday for the first time, here's how it works:
* A total of 11 Opp's will be released via PayPerPost by IZEA between
midnight (beginning of Tuesday, March 25) and 11:59 p.m. (end of Tuesday)
Eastern Standard Time.
* The total payout of those Opp's will be $1,000.00 to the lucky Posties who grab them. Ten of the Opp's will be worth $50.00 each, and the granddaddy Opp is worth $500.00!!!
* Any and all Posties with an approved blog in PayPerPost's Marketplace will be eligible for these Opp's.
* They will be open to all locations, all ranks, all categories.
* Each will require a link & a Disclosure Badge (you'll need the ITK Tools for the badge).
*
Once you accept one of these Opp's, you will be temporarily benched so
each Postie can grab only one of the $1K's. No worries - that has no
effect on your Tack Ranking.
Once you snag one of these Opp's, just follow the simple instructions in the Opp. We'll review these just like any other Opp, and send you an email with the results!
As before with $1K's, the last thing we want these Opp's to be is predictable. The Opp titles will most likely not give them away as $1K's. And you may be just as likely to see one released at 2:00 a.m. as 10:33 p.m., or any time in between. Maybe we'll release 5 in a row that are exactly an hour apart, or maybe 6 of them all at the same time.
If you're still not sure if you want to join in the fun, maybe some of the Posties who have grabbed a $1K before can leave a comment here - was it worth it for $50 or $500 to watch for the opps on Tuesday? Were you making plans for the money while you were typing your post? Did you get writer's block when you realized you actually grabbed a $1K?
Good luck, Posties! We can't wait to read those $1K posts!!
Did you know you were supposed to move the clocks ahead ('spring ahead!') this weekend? Or did you make it through all of Monday without even knowing you are an hour off from everyone around you? Maybe you don't live where daylight savings is observed and you think the rest of us are a bit odd for changing time.
No matter - it is important to know, though, that it is less than 1/2 hour until midnight EST, and another $1K Tuesday!
Are you ready to get paid $50 or $500 for one post? We offer 10 Opp's for $50 each, and 1 Opp for $500 during the hours of 12:01 a.m. through 11:59 p.m. during $1K Tuesday! We have several advertisers who already pay $50 or more for one post, but our Posties tell us it can be difficult to grab those Opp's. The recent changes to pagerank made it even more challenging. So these posts for $1K Tuesday will be open to everyone. Check out the details on the last $1K Tuesday post.
Have a great Tuesday - we'll do our best to make you part of this $1K Tuesday!
Hey IZEA Peeps! Sorry we skipped the Tip of the Week last week (if you must to know - it was my bad!) But to make up for it, I hope I can offer some great info regarding our new Customer Support portal.
Late last year, we introduced a new kind of support portal for our customers. As a customer, you don't need to do anything differently to reach us. Simply click any Contact Support link after logging into your account if you are a registered user. If you're not yet registered, you can use any of the Contact Support links throughout the site. This takes you to the new support portal in a new window, without losing your place in your PayPerPost account! (that's improvement #1!)
Once in the support portal, here is what you will see:
This offers you many options for self service, delivering immediate information and answers. We are updating the information here regularly so even if it's just been a week since your last visit, be sure to check our current info.
First, there's the Glossary. In the glossary, you will find terms that relate to general online marketing and blogging as well terms that are specific to the IZEA process. Having a tough time deciding which categories best fit your blog or opportunity? Check out our Blog Categories in the Glossary.
Next up is the Knowledge Base, where you can peruse our FAQ's or search for your topic, using the Troubleshooter link. We have separated the information items into different listings, based on the type of IZEA customer - PPP Advertiser, PPP Blogger, IZEARanks, etc. However, you will notice even when you log in as a PPP Blogger, you will still be able to see quite a few FAQ's in the PPP Advertiser section, and vice versa. We will continuously strive to remain up to date and timely, and the Customer Love team is great at identifying trends in customer issues. If it's not in the FAQ's yet, but we have an increasing number of folks with the same question, it's an easy add.
Sometimes it can be tough to find the answer you're looking for by simply sifting through FAQ's. We appreciate not everyone has time to do that. So you can simply do a search of our Knowledge Base. Either click on the Troubleshooter link in the Knowledge Base, or choose Submit a Ticket as search is one of the steps in submitting a ticket. All you need to do is enter a key word or phrase in the related section, and any matching topics will pop up. Want to see more details of one of them? Click 'See Complete Answer'.
Finally, if you cannot find the information you need, Customer Love folks are thrilled to help you out! Click on Submit a Ticket, if you haven't already. Here's why it is so important that you log into your account before clicking on Contact Support if you are a registered user: Some of your account information is auto-populated into our system when you are already logged in. This saves us time in beginning research, and will help get you an answer more quickly. Please also remember to add as many details as possible, especially when submitting a ticket about a specific page on the site, link or opportunity, prior communication, any system issues. Once again, this saves us some time-consuming guess work, and helps ensure we give you not only a faster answer but an accurate & useful one!
One of the aspects we loved the most when selecting the right new tool is that it allows YOU to rate US! Yep, that's right! We strongly encourage you to use the rating system of 5 stars (1 being lowest, 5 being best) when reading through the information we've provided in FAQ's or the Glossary (you'll find the stars toward the bottom of the information item). Have some extra time? Feel free to read up on several topics and rate them. We've already done one round of updates to the FAQ's and info based on the ratings received. Anything with low ratings was reconsidered and reworked, in most cases adding more detail. For example, the FAQ of 'How do I know if my blog qualifies?' was changed to offer more details.
On the Customer Love side of this new tool, we can more readily access your history of communication with IZEA. Please understand, you may see some 'canned' responses as part of your ticket answers, but don't take that personally! The entire Customer Love team put a lot of time into creating just the right answers to fit common questions We focus on remaining personable, even in our canned responses. Nobody likes receiving an incomplete automated response - and our standards are higher than that. So when the 'canned' response doesn't address your full question, you can be sure to also expect details specific to your situation.
Have a request for specific information to be added to the Knowledge Base? Find any incorrect info out there? Feel free to let us know by Submitting Feedback with your suggestions.
Look for more options and features from this support portal in the coming months. As you might imagine, we are adding information and preparing for SocialSpark. After release, we can dedicate even more time to updates, improvements, corrections, & regular maintenance.
So, Posties, what lasts 24 hours, results in 10 different Posties receiving $50.00 each and one Postie receiving $500.00, is open to all Posties, all ranks, all locations, all categories and adds some extra fun to your average sponsored blogging day? It is . . .
And it's going to begin in about 5-1/2 hours!! Place some good snacks near your computers, program your DVR's to catch up on your fav tv shows on Wednesday, put your email notices on 'out of office', and double check your internet connections! Starting just after midnight (maybe . . .) is the next $1K Tuesday!
For those of you who have recently joined us as new Posties, well - first, WELCOME!! Also, here's what $1K Tuesday is all about.
* IZEA sponsors 11 individual Marketplace Opportunities, totaling $1,000.00 in offer amounts. One Postie will be able to grab the Opp worth $500!!
* These Opp's are open to all bloggers with an approved blog in the PPP Marketplace, no segmentation specifications are included.
* Opp's are released any time between 12:01 a.m. - 11:59 p.m., EST (That's Orlando & New York time) on Tuesday, March 4th.
* Link and Disclosure badge are required for each post. You'll need the ITK Tools for the Disclosure badge.
* Once you have accepted a $1K Tuesday Opp you will be benched for 30 days from other IZEA promotional Opp's. This won't affect your Tack rating at all, we just do this to reach as many Posties as possible with the $1K Opp's.
* We try to keep these Opp's fresh and surprising so the titles and short descriptions of the Opp's will not give away they are part of the $1K Opp's. Simply follow the instructions in the Opp's long description if you happen to grab one of these. They'll be reviewed just like any other posts.
Keep in mind we have a lot of fantastic Opp's in the Marketplace from our advertisers right now so even if you aren't able to grab one of the $1K's tomorrow, you still have a great group of Opp's to choose from!
Good luck, Posties! And Happy Blogging!
I'll try to keep it brief 'cause I don't want you to miss the awesome post below by Drew.
Apparently Ted thinks I've been getting too much sleep because $1K Tuesday continues this week!!! The Opp's will be released from midnight, beginning of Tuesday through 11:59 pm, end of Tuesday, all times are Eastern Standard Time. We will release 11 non-segmented Opp's, with offer amounts totaling $1,000.00! That's 10 opp's at $50.00 each, and one big opp at $500.00!
Check out the specifics in last week's post if you need. Remember, grabbing one of the $1K's means you'll be briefly benched. So if you got one of the $1K's last week, you are benched for 30 days from the next $1K's to share the fun with as many Posties as possible.
Good luck, Posties!!!
Ooooh, I bet you're wondering . . . is that the right image? Did they accidentally grab the $1K Tuesday pic? Did someone mix up the graphics? And the answer is NO!
$1K Tuesday is back!!!
'What is $1K Tuesday,' you ask? It's just the best possible form of blogging fun there is. Ever. Anywhere. Involving the best bloggers. That's all.
So here's how it works:
* A total of 11 Opp's will be released by PayPerPost between midnight (beginning of Tuesday, Feb 19) and 11:59 p.m. (end of Tuesday) Eastern Standard Time.
* The total payout of those Opp's will be $1000.00 to the lucky Posties who grab them. Ten of the Opp's will be worth $50.00 each, and the one biggie Opp is worth $500.00 to one Postie!!!
* Any and all Posties with an approved blog in PayPerPost's Marketplace will be eligible for these Opp's.
* They will be open to all locations, all ranks, all categories.
* Each will require a link & a Disclosure Badge (you'll need the ITK Tools for the badge).
* Once you accept one of these Opp's, you will be temporarily benched so each Postie can grab only one of the $1K's. No worries - that has no effect on your Tack Ranking.
If you are one of the lucky Posties to grab one of these tomorrow, just follow the simple instructions in the Opp. We'll review these just like any other Opp, and send you an email with the results!
As before with $1K's, the last thing we want these Opp's to be is predictable. The Opp titles will most likely not give them away as $1K's. And you may be just as likely to see one released at 2:47 a.m. as 4:45 p.m. Or maybe those will be two of the exact release times and I just made a huge slip. Or maybe we'll be sure to NOT release any at those times because now you expect it. See how much fun this is? And it's not even Tuesday yet!!
Good luck, Posties!! We can't wait to see those $1K Posts!
Just a short while ago Postie Karen stopped by the IZEA office for a visit! She actually brought her husband and daughter along with her. Karen is joining Mr. Fab and a couple of other Posties this weekend for a SocialSpark User Group Review.It's always great to have Posties come visit us in the office, particularly when it's on old friend. And Karen certainly is. See Karen had the chance to meet a bunch of us in Las Vegas a few months ago, when she was a panelist on "The Fab Four" Postie panel at PostieCon; Karen is one of PayPerPost's top earners and share some insight into how she's done that.
Today was also a great day for Karen to stop by because it's her birthday and we got to give her birthday wishes in person! If you have a chance stop by her blog and wish her happy birthday! Now if only we'd been given advance notice, we could've made Karen do a special "birthday" cakeplow. Hmmm...maybe next time.
Happy Valentine's Day! Here at Izea we take advantage of any opportunity to eat candy. Mostly we celebrate on days that end in 'y'. But on official greeting card holidays, like today, so many sweets abound that we will all likely be in a sugar coma by noon. Mmmmmm....candy!
Those of you who refamiliarize yourself with our Terms of Service daily will already have noticed that the Terms were updated yesterday. Most of the changes were superficial, but there are a few changes that you should be aware of.
For Bloggers:
The biggest change comes in the way that we review blogs. From February 13th going forward, a blog will need to be thirty (30) days old with a minimum of ten (10) existing posts written within the 30 days prior to being registered with us in order to be accepted. This is a big change from the previous Term requirements of 90 days and 20 existing posts. Hopefully this will allow many great blogs and bloggers into the Marketplace.
If you have have recently been rejected for age reasons, please be sure to resubmit your blog to us so that we may review it again. To resubmit your blog, first go to the My Blogs tab at the top right of your account. From there, click on the title of your blog. On this page, you'll be able to make any necessary changes to your blog's url or information. Once your blog is ready to resubmit, just hit the Update button at the bottom of the page, and your blog will automatically be resubmitted for review.
For Advertisers:
The outline of two new features have been added to the Terms to make sure that you get the most out of your campaign. First, should an issue occur where you find that you would like to request that bloggers alter or remove any post or link created for your campaign, our Account Management Team will help you to reach out to the individual bloggers and manage this process. You can also request that each post in a new campaign be manually reviewed to ensure that every post meets your exact specifications.
For more information regarding the costs or implementation of either of these services, please be sure to send a ticket to our Account Managers by clicking on the 'Contact Support' link at the bottom of each page of your account or by clicking on the 'Contact Us' link at the bottom of each page of the Izea or PPP site.
Thanks for your time, now it's back to the candy!!!
Part III: Disclosure
Whether you're a newbie (new to PayPerPost) or a veteran Postie, Disclosure should be a common word in your blogging vernacular. Disclosure is all about transparency, and is a topic that continues to confuse and confound. So, whether you're extremely familiar with disclosure, or not that familiar with disclosure (be honest), we're here to help clear-up any misconceptions.
So let's begin....
What is Disclosure?
Disclosure is a way for a blogger to let their readers know that some of the posts on their blog have been sponsored. To help facilitate the transparency disclosure provides, we launched Disclosurepolicy.org in the Fall of 2006.
Why Does IZEA Require Disclosure?
We feel that truth in advertising is extremely important. As a blogger your readers enjoy your site because they trust in what you have to say. When you receive money in exchange for blogging about a product or service, even if you would have written about it on your own, you can give the impression that your opinion can be bought. By being completely open in disclosing that certain content has been sponsored, but that all the conclusions and opinions are your own, you let your readers know that you are worthy of their trust.
How Do I Disclose?
There are actually two (2) different ways to disclose that you're being compensated to create content, and your style or personal preference will determine which you select.
1. In-post Disclosure. In-post Disclosure is simply including text at the beginning or end of your post, noting that it has been sponsored, or thanking your sponsor. Many variations of this are acceptable as long as the casual reader coming to your site can clearly discern your relationship with the advertiser.
Sample:
2. Sitewide Disclosure. Sitewide Disclosure consists of creating a Disclosure Policy which is then linked by badge or hyperlink to each page of your blog. DisclosurePolicy.org can assist you in setting up your own policy.
Sample:
What do I do if an Advertiser Requires "No In-Post Disclosure"?
For these Opportunities, the only way to meet the requirements of the advertiser and the PPP Terms of Service is with a Sitewide Disclosure policy. Again, this would be either with a badge posted somewhere on your site, or a visible text link.
Does a Disclosure Bubble satisfy the disclosure requirements?
Yes. A disclosure bubble meets the requirements for the PPP Terms of Service and does not violate an advertiser request for "No In-post Disclosure".
Sample of disclosure bubble:
What should my Disclosure Policy Say?
The two most important elements of any Disclosure Policy are: 1) it lets your readers know you've accepted compensation for some of the content on your blog and 2) you yourself have written the posts.
Where should I place my Disclosure Link?
As long as the link is clearly visible on each page of your site, you can put it anywhere you wish from header to footer. Some Posties add the "I Disclose" badge (see above) from DisclosurePolicy.org to their sidebar, while others link with a hyperlink that reads Disclosure Policy, Sponsorship Statement, Paid Posts, Advertising Policy or even Disclaimer. Again, many variations are acceptable as long as it is a clear indication that your blog contains some sponsored posts.
Can I place my Disclosure Policy link in the "About" or "Details" page of my blog?
As it is not clear to the average viewer that clicking on your "About" or "Details" page will lead to a statement of Disclosure, this would not be an acceptable form of disclosure and may lead to your post being rejected in review.
Can I add a no-follow to my Disclosure Policy link or "I Disclose" badge?
Absolutely. We do not require that these links be followed.
What if I Disagree with a rejection for Disclosure or I have more questions?
Should you have any additional questions or ever disagree with a rejection for any reason, please be sure to send a ticket to Customer Love by clicking on the "Contact Support" at the bottom of each page of your account or the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of each page of PayPerPost or IZEA.
Visit the "Code of Ethics" page on PayPerPost.com to read a little more about the importance of disclosure.
Technorati Tags: blog transparency, disclosure, Disclosure Policy
Hi Guys,
It's that time again! We're about to run another sampling campaign. Aren't you EXCITED?!?! I won't tell you what the product is, but I will tell you it has a wonderful, soothing, and sensual scent to it. And, the best part is It's ALL NATURAL! Have I got your curiosity yet? These days there are so many variations of scented products: candles; body wash; shampoo; oils; you name it! It's for me to know, and you to find out! One thing I do know is that I'm going to have sample this one myself.
So, for those of you that I've managed to entice and you live in the United States, (sorry others), make sure your mailing and e-mail addresses are current in our system. The campaign is scheduled to go live the 3rd week of February and we'll be mailing out the samples shortly before. We will be using the same process we always do, which is mailing approximately double the amount of samples versus the number of posts needed. So be sure to check your mailbox daily and grab your post quick upon arrival! These will be gone quick!
Best of all, if you like the product (which I'm confident you will), there's a $1.00 off coupon with it. We all love smelly things... especially us women! Make sure your address and e-mail address are updated NOW! For those of who fall into the criteria I listed above, expect an e-mail with the special 'invite only' TAG code soon!
I know what it is, but you don't know.... na, na, na, na, na.....
Part II: PayPerPost Message Boards
While PayPerPost is certainly a platform that helps bloggers make money, it is...at the core...a community. A community of bloggers, advertisers and content creators. The heart of this community is the PayPerPost Message Boards, and probably PayPerPost's best-kept secret. They are moderated by Posties, are valuable and insightful, and contain answers to every question you could ever ask (and a few hundred you've probably never thought of asking). It is a 24/7 live support system from people who know blogs best. It also allows you to communicate directly with the advertisers who have created Opportunities, and the other bloggers who have accepted them.
Now we realize navigating the boards can be a daunting experience, especially for a newbie. There are hundreds of topics spanning dozens of categories and, let’s face it – it’s hard to be the new kid on the block!
That's why part two of our "basics" series is all about the boards. So let's get started:
• Begin by taking a look around. You DON'T have to register for the boards to read any of the past or present topics; however, you will need to take a minute to register for an account if you want to comment on a thread or start one of your own. To register simply click on 'Register' at the top of the page or click here.
• The boards consist of four main sections: Posties, Better Blogging, Advertisers and Help.
• FAQs. At the very top of the Posties section, you’ll see the FAQs for Posties that contains simple answers to the most asked questions while starting out. There is a similar section at the top of the Advertiser section with the FAQs from the advertiser’s perspective.
• Don’t see what you need? Try the 'Search' tool at the top of the screen to look up any past or present thread related to your question.
• Under the Posties section, the General Discussion topic is the most active and contains the liveliest discussions -- everything from becoming a better blogger to community happenings and industry news to opinions on christening gifts. This topic will give you the best idea of what others are talking about today!
• Having trouble with an Opp? The Opp. Discussion category in the Postie section gives you a chance to connect with other bloggers who are completing the same task, and allows you to reach out with any questions you might have.
• Just getting started? The Better Blogging section contains threads where you can have other bloggers rate your site and offer advice and encouragement for writing posts, site design and building traffic.
• Receiving an error? Hey, it happens from time-to-time. Check out the System Updates/Errors topic under the Help section to see the latest threads of any issues that may be occurring.
These are just a few tips to help you start your involvement with the PPP community. Once you become more familiar with them, you'll find the boards are the first place you look to when you're searching for information or have questions about something. Although the IZEA staff does keep track of the happenings on the boards, please remember that the boards are primarily run and moderated by the community. Should you find that you do need additional help, you are always welcome to start a ticket to Customer Love by clicking on the "Contact Support" link in the footer of each page.
If you visit the boards here's what you can expect to see:
USEFUL TOOLS IN THE MESSAGE BOARDS:
- PayPerPost home button
- PayPerpost blog button
- Privacy Policy link (footer)
- Terms of Service link (footer)
- PPP Boards FAQs
Hey Posties!!
Long time, no posting (for me, that is - but I'm back!). I've been working behind the scenes to help get the new ticketing system up and running, and then working with folks here to optimize it for all of our customers. You can expect some helpful tips on using that ticketing system coming up on the blog, too!
For now, I wanted to let you know that we will be adding Topics to the tickets this week. So when you begin a ticket, you will be asked to select a Topic from the drop down we're now finalizing. This will help route your tix even faster, finding their way to the appropriate people with all the right info!
We've put lots of work into Ticketing so far, and expect to keep improving it for you. Watch for those Topics!
How would you like to attend SXSW for free, hang with the IZEA crew, oh and be selected as the winner of the "shoeperstar" contest?
Register online for a chance to meet up with Jeremy Schoemaker of ShoeMoney and Ted Murphy of Izea at SXSW in Austin, Texas on camera for a special episode of RockStartup. One lucky blogger will grab a free flight to Austin (within the continental US), 3 nights hotel, conference pass and $1,000 spending cash. All you need to do is register online and blog about why you should be selected as the ShoeperStar!
Three finalists will be selected by Jeremy and Ted by February 11th, 2008 based on the quality of the blog post (yes, it's subjective). Public voting between the three best posts will take place the week of February 18th with the winner selected at midnight easter on February 22, 2008. Airline travel allowance up to $500 for international bloggers. Hotel selected by Izea staff. We are not responsible for applicable taxes on prizes. Void where prohibited by law.
Carri & I are joining forces in the way of a new weekly series for bloggers, titled "Tip of the Week." Pretty ingenious title, eh? It might be simple but we think it conveys just what our goal is: to help Posties get the most out of their PayPerPost experience. We want to equip everyone from the most inexperienced bloggers--just starting out with PayPerPost--to the more veteran Posties who have become exceptional at their craft.
Given that, we have chosen to launch this series covering some basic topics we feel are important to both Posties and Advertisers. Part I: Categories.
As a Postie you might ask yourself these questions when it comes to categories:
- What is a category?
- Why should I choose categories?
- What categories should I choose?
- What are the "right" categories for me?
- What should I consider when choosing categories?
For starters, a category is a general overview or a guideline of topics you blog about most often. Categories should not be chosen by what you would LIKE to write about, but based on what you already DO write about.
When choosing categories for your blog, the expectation is that a chosen category should be clearly reflected in a large percentage of your posts. In the PPP Marketplace, you are permitted to choose up to four (4) relevant categories for your blog. This means that, in taking a look at the non-sponsored content for a month's time, you should see several posts represented in each of your chosen categories.
To choose or update your categories simply click on the 'My Blogs' tab at the top right of your account, and then click on the name of your blog. (See image below.) Although choosing four categories is not required, most blogs do cover at least three to four general topics and choosing the best categories for your blog will help you to qualify for more relevant marketplace Opportunities (Opps).
'My Blogs' tab:
In the PayPerPost Marketplace, there are several factors involved in the segmenting of Opps including domain, rankings, location and categories. Advertisers choose categories for their Opps so that they will be taken by bloggers who specialize and blog primarily about these categories. This is part of the inherent value of a sponsored post as the advertisers are attempting to target not only bloggers in this genre, but also an audience interested in this genre. As such, bloggers who post Opps outside of their categories do not present any value to an advertiser either in related content or target audience.
Being more mindful of the categories that you choose will allow you to create a much sharper focus for your blog which should result in increased readership and lead to higher rankings. In short, everyone wins!
So that you can maximize your Opportunity potential we strongly encourage all Posties--new and veterans--to check the categories they currently have selected for their profile, and make sure they are relevant not only to your blog(s) but also to your audience. (Please note: You may only change categories once every 30 days on approved blogs.)
USEFUL TOOLS:
- Support Center. Click the "Contact Support" link at the bottom of each page.
- Glossary. This is located in the Support Center, under "Glossary."
- Best Practices. This is a helpful list of guidelines that includes tips on titles & categories.
If you have any feedback or have a topic you'd like highlighted in a future "tip" please e-mail tips@izea.com.
The easiest way to describe me? Sassy. While I don’t like to think of myself as a nice girl, I’ve been told I’m the type of girl you take home to mom. I’m a writer, a graduate student, a hockey fan and collector of sunflowers. All-in-all, I’m a midwestern girl, trying to live my life as fabulously as I know how.
Name: Catherine
People call me: Catherine
You can call me: Monique (my blogging name)
Why did you start blogging?
I started journaling after I received a diary for my 12th birthday. I was faithful about documenting my life for years. In my 20s, however, I stopped and, eventually, I missed that creative outlet. I began my blog when I was 30 and newly divorced; I really just meant for it to be a replacement for a paper journal. Slowly, though, I found readers and the site has grown from there. I’ve been blogging now for about 2 ½ years.
How has being a part of the PPP Community enhanced you as a Blogger?
By writing posts for PPP, I’ve been introduced to new bloggers and new products that I otherwise would not have been exposed to.
Fill in the blank: My favorite thing I own is ____.
My iPod.
If you were a famous pop star, what would your “stage name” be?
Monique. Duh.
Pretend you started a hip phase that caught-on everywhere. Think “that’s hot”! What would your phrase be?
Fab-tastic!
What’s one thing you would change in the world, for better or for worse?
I would love for all of the divisions in the world to disappear. We separate ourselves in so many ways. I’m a Libra; I like everyone to be happy!
What’s your ultimate dream vacation?
A little hut on the ocean.
What's your favorite color?
Pink.
What's your favorite video-sharing site?
www.youtube.com
What’s your favorite RockStartUp episode and why?
Umm is it bad to admit I haven’t watched any? Blame my short attention span.
Tell us one thing your blog friends might not know about you.
My name is really Catherine, not Monique.
What’s your favorite memory of junior high school?
Oh dear. I’m not sure that I have a favorite memory! I was the epitome of awkward. Glasses, braces, bad hair … it was the 80s, after all. But, if I have to think of a positive memory, it would have to be collaborating with my best friend to get out algebra homework done ahead of time so the teacher would let us go to the school library to play Wheel of Fortune on the computer!
Who’s your favorite blogger?
Don’t make me choose just one! A few of my favorites include NYC Watchdog (www.apileofdogbones.com), Ricardo (www.un-loaded.com), Sodapop (www.sodapoplv.com), Laci (www.beautifuldance.net) and Lucy (www.lucysdilemma.com).
Complete this thought: When I was little I wanted to ____.
Be a big-shot lawyer when I grew up.
Please list any and all of your blogs:
When We Were Liars (www.whenwewereliars.com)
Scandalous Bitches (www.scandalousbitches.com)
Times Like These (www.timeslikethese.whenwewereliars.com)
30 Days to God (www.30daystoGod.com)
Technorati Tags: blogging, IZEA Featured Blogger, Monique, Posties
5...4...3...2...1... The countdown has commenced! Believe it or not round three of the Finalist voting for Blog Battle Royale is finally here (in leiu of a couple of challenges). All of the Finalists have received their iPod Touch and have had a chance to spend some time with it.
Their posts talking about their experience with the iTouch can be found listed below, in no particular order. If you would like to vote for your favorite you'll need to head over to the PayPerPost Boards. The links there correspond to the ones found on this post. If you're not registered on the boards you'll have to take a moment to do so, but it's well-worth your time. PLEASE read through all five posts, and vote based on the one you think truly deserves the title of Champion. I know it's easy to vote for someone simply because they're a friend, but all five bloggers put time and energy into their post, so they at least deserve a read.
FINALISTS:
1. Apple iPod Touch – An Epic Product Review
2. Perfection - The First Day of My Life With The iTouch
3. In The Land of Don’t Touch, Comes iTouch
4. My iPod Touch: It Ain’t No Walkman.
5. iGot my iPod!
Voting for this round will remain open through Friday, January 4, 2008 at 12pm EST. That's one week, and plenty of time to encourage your family, friends, and blog buddies to participate. Remember, voting should really be based on the creativity of the post, and how you feel the blog author presents their experience with the product.
Good luck, Finalists!
Yesterday I was sitting in my living room and I heard a strange noise coming from down the hallway. I was a bit alarmed since I live alone, and honestly I was a bit scared. Quietly & carefully I arose from my couch and tiptoed across the room. In the darkness I peeked around the corner that led to the hallway and was floored by what I saw! To my shock there was 2008 staring me straight in the face. Can you believe it?!?! Right there in front of me! All I can recall is my immediate re-enactment of the movie poster for ''Home Alone,'' with my hands flat-palmed against each of my cheeks, mouth wide open. Get it? 2008 is just around the corner? OK, it's bad, I know. That's my feeble attempt to battle the wit and humor of Mr. Fab, but I fear I failed miserably. Oh well, I can never be accused of not trying, right?
My point is, the new year is nearly here and so is our new office space! While we haven't ''officially'' moved in yet the team did get to see the nearly-completed space late last week. It rocks, and is gonna be great to be settled in our new area -- everyone's going to have their own desk! So once we've moved into the space upstairs from our current digs, we'll have two office areas. That means TONS of wall space to cover, and we'd love to fill-it with your faces!
Why not send us your most creative photo & frame to be featured on "The Great Wall of Posties"? If you do we'll send you some fab swag*, including some rad new IZEA stuff (those who attended PostieCon back in November can tell you). In addition to the PostiePack you'll get a feature here on our blog. Basically we're talking about free exposure for you and your blog(s)! How can you turn that down? So go ahead and send your framed photo, your t-shirt size (the women's shirts run small), and your blog urls to the following:
ATTN: The Great Wall of Posties
150 North Orange Avenue, Suite 412
Orlando, FL 32801
Looking forward to receiving these new photos! And remember, we have to look at these everyday so be as creative as you can! Check out the January and February archives of the blog to see some of the photos we received earlier this year.
* Please keep in mind the PostiePacks are typically less than five pounds and are sent via regular mail. Any costs associated with out-of-country deliveries or additional taxes will be absorbed by the recipient.
Technorati Tags: bloggers, blogging, IZEA, PayPerPost, The Great Wall of Posties
If you were to walk into the local internet cafe, you wouldn't notice Courtney. She'd be in a corner, with her headphones on, in her own little world. As she reaches for her cup of coffee, her eyes don't stray from her computer screen, she wouldn't notice you either. There'd most likely be a slight scowl on her face, a tell-tale sign that she's working on something. If she's deep in thought, her tongue would be poking out the right side of her mouth. She'd be sitting there with one of her thinking caps on her head, if it's spring/summer it's a ball cap. If it's fall/winter, it's a beanie. If there's something important happening, she's hatless and her hair is curled.
So, what's behind the scowl on her face and the tongue sticking out of her mouth? That can be answered with one word: blog. She's either hacking it, re-designing it, or writing on it.
Name: Courtney Benefiel
People call me: Courtney, Court, Cory, Corky, CorBen
You can call me: I'll answer to anything positive, hey good lookin', hey beautiful, sweetie, honey, babe...is that too much for you? Ok, you can call me Courtney.
Why did you start blogging?
I started blogging because I had a life worth writing about, and if I didn't, the other peeps in high school were worth writing about. It was back in 1997 when Geocities was the thing. I had a design that was the work of a newbie to html/javascript and Photoshop. I was so damn proud of my rollovers. Everytime I wanted to write something new, I was uploading a new page and manually updating my links. Goodtimes. In 2000 when I started working in the web development industry, I graduated to Blogger. A couple years after that I bought my first domain; when I got bored, I stopped blogging (yes, I got bored), eventually, I got another domain name, courtroversy.com, everything was a courtroversy up until it wasn't and then I had nothing courtroversial to write about and so I quite blogging again. There was a gap in my blogging reign until almost 2 years ago when I started TravelingThoughts.com and the rest is history. I'm now a professional blogger, if my ability to blog is taken away, I get cranky. I'll write about anything that crosses my path and sometimes it is my boring life, but most of the time, it's fun stuff. If you want in my head, you visit travelingthoughts.com, although, I must warn you, you may be misled because you just never know where my mind might lead me on any particular day.
How has being a part of the PPP Community enhanced you as a Blogger?
Being part of the PPP Community has helped me realize what I don't want my blog to become and as a result personal standards have been set that I'm striving to achieve everytime I write.
Fill in the blank: My favorite thing I own is ____.
My Fuji Finest 2.0 Road Bike
If you were a famous pop star, what would your "stage name" be?
Kolbe Slider
Pretend you started a hip phase that caught-on everywhere. Think "that's hot"! What would your phrase be?
"don't brake, just roll butthole"...ok, maybe it wouldn't catch on everywhere, but it will catch on among cyclists.
What's one thing you would change in the world, for better or for worse?
I'd like to see the end of disease. If disease is too broad, I'd like to the end of diabetes because it's the one that affects me the most.
What's your ultimate dream vacation?
My ultimate dream vacation, I'm a dreamer all right. Let me set the stage. Courtney and [currently non-existent] boyfriend have been dating for a while. He knows of her love for Italy, the sights, the food, the music, the history, and the culture. While there, he takes her to Florence, Rome, and Pisa. The last place they go is Venice where he's booked them a private ride on a gondola. While floating along being serenaded by the gondolier, he proposes. That's my ultimate dream vacation, but I'll settle for just the trip to Italy if someone wants to fund it or take me ;P
What's your favorite color?
Midnight blue
What's your favorite video-sharing site?
I'm in with the in crowd; And I know what the in crowd knows
The in crowd tells me YouTube, if you're willing to offer up something better, I'm willing to try it out.
What's your favorite RockStartUp episode and why?
I'm thoroughly entertained by RockStartUp and having watched all 39 episodes and having several favorites, it would be difficult for me to choose just one. However, I do have a favorite RockStar Confessional Video. Ted, I'm inspired to write about an experience of my own just because you told the world about your chapped ass cheeks and your bleeding nipple ;P
Tell us one thing your blog friends might not know about you.
When I get bored, I have a tendency to go and have things pierced.
What's your favorite memory of junior high school?
I played the viola in orchestra while I was in junior high and we had one concert where the piece we played was a concerto for 3 kazoos. Our band teacher and two special guests played the kazoos and it was hard to pay attention to what I was supposed to be playing because they were so funny. It was beyond entertaining to watch and just being part of it was exciting.
If you're thinking I'm strange for this being my favorite memory of junior high that's ok, you kindof had to be there to understand, lucky for you, YouTube is there for us. Watch and listen ladies and gents, just watch and listen to Peninsula Youth Orchestra (PYO) as they play the concerto for 3 kazoos.
Who's your favorite blogger?
My favorite blogger, that's an easy question, there's one blog I read religiously, and that's the blog of Heather Armstrong (Dooce.com). She brought blogging back to life for me after I quit blogging. I had been a blogger for a while before I found her site, but when I quit it was because I was bored, because what I was writing was boring. I had to take some time to re-evaluate the point of blogging, and Heather showed me that even the normal everyday stuff can be turned into something worth reading about. She's my favorite blogger by far, and the blogger I aspire to be like.
Complete this thought: When I was little I wanted to ____ when I grew up.
I wanted to be a fighter jet pilot for the Airforce, and through no fault of my own, I'm not, thank you very much diabetes. I'm only slightly bitter about it. I might get over it some day.
Please list any and all of your blogs:
TravelingThoughts.com is my primary blog, it's where 99% of the thoughts I write about get placed.
RideToRemedy.com contains the other 1% of my thoughts that I'm willing to write about, and those revolve around my diabetes, my experiences with diabetes, and what I'm doing to try to help find a cure for diabetes.
I received another addition to The Great Wall of Posties while I was away in Vegas. I must say opening up packages makes me very excited -- it's like opening-up gifts on Christmas Day! So I was thrilled to find a very creative frame sent by Postie Jose Fresco, along with a very nice note.
Make sure and visit Jose's sites:
- josefresco.com
- JosiahCole.com
- OOMNY.com
If you would like to have your photo featured on "The Great Wall of Posties," as well as here on our blog then send a framed picture, your t-shirt size, and your blog urls to the following address:
For months and months BloggersChoiceAwards.com has been a highly-trafficked, very popular site in the blogosphere. It's been a huge success and as many of you know there have even been a couple of celebrities campaigning to win in the "Best Celebrity Blogger" category. This is truly a testament to the power and reach of the blogosphere. That being said, the winners of the 2007 Blogger's Choice Awards were officially revealed at a VIP party this past Saturday night at TAO Las Vegas. Everyone who attended the party had a great time and enjoyed seeing who some of the most popular blogs right now are. In fact, our Posties took lots of photos of the event (as well as PostieCon) and many of them can be found here.
If you weren't able to make the party then you can see a list of the winners here (or in the list below):
- Best Animal Blogger: Cuteoverload.com
- Best Blog About Blogging: Problogger.net
- Best Blog About Stuff: Postsecret.Blogspot.com
- Blog Blog Design: Kentuckygurl.com
- Best Blog of All Time: Cuteoverload.com
- Best Blogging Host: Blogger.com
- Best Business Blog: Optionaddict.Blogspot.com
- Best Celebrity Blogger: Rosie.com
- Best Charity Blog: Heroesforchildren.Blogspot.com
- Best Corporate Blog: Blog.Dreamhost.com
- Best Education Blog: Internetsafetyadvisor.info
- Best Entertainment Blog: Officetally.com
- Best Food Blog: Veganyumyum.com
- Foreign Language Blog: Sedentario.org
- Best Geek Blog: Lifehacker.com
- Best Gossip Blog: Perezhilton.com
- Best Health Blog: Scienceroll.com
- Best Hobby Blog: Yarnharlot.ca/blog
- Best Humor Blog: Thesneeze.com
- Best Marketing Blog: Copyblogger.com
- Best Parenting Blog: Thecowgoddess.com
- Best Photography Blog: Thepioneerwoman.com
- Best Podcast: Keithandthegirl.com
- Best Political Blog: Feministing.com
- Best Pop Culture Blog: Postsecret.Blogspot.com
- Best Religion Blog: Standfirminfaith.com
- Best Shopping Blog: Purseblog.com
- Best Sports Blog: Mvn.com/nfl-giants
- Best Travel Blog: Hostelbuenosaires.Blogspot.com
- Best Video Blogger: Brotherhood2.com
- Freakiest Blogger: Dead-silence.org
- Hottest Daddy Blogger: Neilgaiman.com
- Hottest Mommy Blogger: Dooce.com
- Most Obnoxious Blogger: Perezhilton.com
- Most Passionate Fan Base: Blacktygrrrr.wordpress.com
- The "Blogitzer": Dooce.com
- Worst Blog of All Time: Perezhilton.com
A BIG congratulations to all those who had the most votes in their categories! If you are one of the lucky winners listed above we would like to send your award to you. Please e-mail your address (no PO Boxes) to ashley[at]izea[dot]com, and include your t-shirt size.
All 2007 nominees (and winners) were automatically included in 2008 nominations, although all votes were cleared out. The 2008 winners will be announced on a yet-to-be-determined date and location but you can sign-up on the site to receive e-mail updates.
Congratulations, also, to those who were runners-up in the categories. It's a big achievement to get to where you were, given the success of the site. If you have any stories about how the awards site impacted your blog or traffic we'd love to hear them! Simply leave them as a trackback or comment to this post.
Technorati Tags: Blogger's Choice Awards, blogging, blogosphere, celebrity bloggers, social media, TAO Las Vegas
I'm sorry I'm a bit delayed in posting about the Blog America Tour but in all honesty much of the travel was through areas that had no wireless reception. Yes, irritating. Obviously the same with cell receiption. So we fell a little behind on keeping-up with our trip. But as I mentioned in the last update of our tour, we drove--and survived--an all-nighter from Dallas, Texas to Albuquerque, New Mexico. I'll be honest in saying none of us were either looking or feeling our best when we finally arrived at our destination at 5am. And to make things worse we had to brush our teeth at a Super Wal-mart. We've been having a great time on our trip but last night was a little rough.
Needless to say we were eager to meet Postie Courtney (http://travelingthoughts.com)...and grab a LARGE cup of coffee. Our venue of choice: Flying Star. It's a great little place with a fun atmosphere and yummy food -- just what we needed. And, of course, it was awesome to finally meet Courtney face-to-face, and chat with her about her experience and growth as a blogger. She's really cool! So cool, in fact, that she gave each of us a "goody" bag for the road. AND on top of that she also brought 132 canned foods with her, which we immediately dropped off at the Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico; that's the most donations we've received yet.
A couple of other cool things happened to us while we were eating breakfast and chatting with Courtney:
- We met-up with our Director of Human Resources, Glennis, and her sister and niece and nephew. They live in the Albuquerque area and Glennis thought it'd be fun to fly out and meet-up with us on our Postie stop.
- While we were talking a reporter from one of the local television stations popped-in to the restaurant, and interviewed Ted about the Blog America Tour. Apparently his station had picked-up our story from a press release we sent out late last week. Very cool! Check-it-out here.
Morning
Oklahoma City. Bricktown. We met-up with one of the Blogger's Choice Awards finalists, Confessions of a Pioneer Woman. It just happened to work out that author lives somewhat near our tour path, so we decided to contact her and find a place to meet-up.
Afternoon
The afternoon found us heading to the outskirts of Dallas, and a chance to hook-up with another one of the BCA finalists -- they happened to be located on our route, so we thought we'd pop in and say hi! Heroes for Children is a fantastic non-profit organization that helps families with children who are battling cancer in the state of Texas. We visited with one of the co-founders for quite some time and she had a very moving story to tell. If you have some time please drop by their website and learn more about them.
Late Afternoon
The last stop of the day was at the home of Sean Jackson, President of the Dallas Ad League. Along with being one of the panel moderators for PostieCon, Sean hosted a get together at his home when we passed through his city...complete with a custom-made banner for us!
What was even more great about this stop was Postie Laurie met-up with us, and since she brought us canned foods for donation, and was the only Postie who showed-up, she was given the iRobot Roomba! Congratulations, Laurie.
Evening/Late Evening
We hit the road around 7:30pm, with the mission of driving all night through to Albuquerque. Yup...10 hours of driving through nothingness. We made it but not without a visit to one of the most interesting bathrooms any of us have ever seen! This was inside a well-known fast food restaurant (location to remain nameless):
Technorati Tags: Blog America Tour, blog awards, Blogger's Choice Awards, bloggers, blogging, Confessions of a Pioneer Woman, Dallas Ad League, Posties
I think all of the travel might be catching-up with me. We've been driving literally all day long. We left New Orleans around 9am Central Standard Time, and since we weren't able to meet-up with our Postie Rebecca (hope your mother-in-law feels better) in Jackson, Mississippi, we kept driving straight on through to Oklahoma City. Right now it's nearing 10pm CST, so you can do the math. Fortunately our car has satellite radio installed to keep us entertained.
While this photo was taken in Atlanta a couple of days ago, this is what I feel like at the moment: