Only a year old, PayPerPost has already established itself as the leading authority for blog pay-per-review networks.
In October 2006, only several months after its launch, PayPerPost raised 3-million dollars through venture capital funding which helped give the new startup an added boost in the blog advertising market.
PayPerPost’s business model connects bloggers with advertisers; advertisers get access to thousands of bloggers and the opportunity to market their product or service through their readership, while bloggers get the opportunity to both earn money and provide content on their blogs at the same time.
Signing Up
Signing up to PayPerPost is fast and simple, however the following requirements must be met and upheld:
* Bloggers must be prepared to disclose their relationship with PayPerPost advertisers and advise readers of any sponsored content via a disclosure policy or on a per post basis.
* Bloggers must be at least 18 or have written consent by a legal guardian.
* All posts must be written in English or on a blog written in the English language.
* Blogs must be at least 90 days old, verifiable by a third party index of the site. If over 90 days old, blogs must have at least 20 entries in the past 90 days. If just around 90 days old, blogs must have 20 pre-existing entries.
* No blogs with post gaps of over 30 days will be accepted.
Bloggers who are US citizens must present a valid tax ID (either social security number for individuals or an EIN for companies), but it is not required for members of other countries.
Once an account is created, bloggers need to submit their blog for approval. Typically, blogs are approved within 48-72 business hours. As soon as approval is given, bloggers are ready to start.
Reviewing
Products or services available to be reviewed for cash called opportunities. There are currently two ways to receive opportunities: through the marketplace or PPP Direct:
The Marketplace
PayPerPost Opportunity Listings
Enlarge (Pop-Up)
The marketplace is the main hub where opportunities are located. From the marketplace, opportunities are listed by title, price, media type (text, images, video, etc.), time remaining, tone (see below), and overall rating. Bloggers can sort the list by any category, and can view only opportunities that they are qualified for.
Bloggers qualify for opportunities by meeting certain minimum prerequisites. Currently, there are three qualifying categories: tack rating (see Tack Rating), Google PR, and Alexa.
Each opportunity has its own opportunity details page, which lists additional information such as the entire description, images, and required links and anchor text.
The open marketplace generally pays between $5 and $25 per opportunity, and thus it appears to cater more to smaller blogs than it does to the larger, more established ones. PayPerPost does occasionally land some high-paying offers in the $150-$500 range, but the prerequisites for such high-paying offers are usually very tough to meet (PR6, Alexa of under 10,000).
Larger blogs that aren’t eligible for the high-paying opportunities but consider the low-paying ones too low, may find PPP Direct to be their answer.
PPP Direct
PPP Direct allows bloggers to invite advertisers to purchase a review from them directly. This works by having bloggers attach a PPP Direct badge on their blog. When the advertiser sees that the blogger accepts paid reviews and clicks on the button, a visually friendly window is displayed that explains to the advertiser how they can proceed.
Bloggers get to set their own price with PPP Direct, which is why it is a good alternative to the marketplace.
PPP Direct requires a separate sign-up but is quick and easy. It requires one small line of Javascript code to be added to the blog, followed by the badge code which is simply just a linked image. (Note: It can take up to a couple days for PayPerPost to recognize the installation of the code on their site, but should function fine on the blog immediately.)
Bloggers can choose from a nice selection of existing images, with 3 different colour schemes to match the blog,
Another aspect to PPP Direct is that the blogger can negotiate the deal. For example, the advertiser may offer $40 for a review with a minimum of 200 words, plus an embedded video. The blogger can then respond and counteroffer a request of $50 because he or she feels that the video warrants another $10.
Bloggers can also always decline an offer, for any reason, at any time during negotiation.
Tones
PayPerPost uses a tone system to help identify the disposition that the review needs to take.
For example, positive means the review has to be positive, neutral means it can be positive or negative and negative means it must be negative. Chosen by the advertiser, bloggers are not forced to review an opportunity where they do not feel comfortable with the given tone.
Most tones for opportunities in the open marketplace are positive, while some are neutral, and very few negative.
Tack Rating
PayPerPosts’s tack rating is quality score system used to help evaluate bloggers. The tack rating uses a 5-star scale, and new members of PayPerPost start with 3.
The tack rating is an important quality identifier, as it is often a prerequisite for opportunities. For example, if a blogger has a tack rating of only 2, but the opportunity requires a minimum of 3, then the opportunity will not be available to that blogger.
As opportunities are reviewed, advertisers have the option of giving the blogger a tack rating, however this is indeed optional and most advertisers don’t do this, thus it can take a while before a bloggers rating improves from the initial 3.
The final tack rating is an average of all the scores advertisers have given a blogger’s posts. Advertisers also have the option of banning bloggers from taking any further opportunities from them, which will affect their tack rating in a negative way.
One possible flaw the tack rating creates is the possibility of bloggers being pressured into only writing favorable reviews, with the fear that advertisers may respond with a poor tack rating.
Payment
One major advantage PayPerPost has to other pay-per-review networks such as ReviewMe is that they only take a 10% cut. This 10% is paid by the advertiser, whereas competitors such as ReviewMe take 50% from the blogger. Therefore if a blogger did a review with ReviewMe for $50, they would only receive $25, whereas with PayPerPost they would receive the full $50.
Reviews are usually approved within 72 business hours and must remain on the reviewer’s blog for 30 days (the post doesn't have to remain on the front page). After 30 days PayPerPost will check to see if the review is still live and meets the opportunity requirements. If so, payment will be sent.
Currently, PayPerPost pays only through PayPal.
Dashboard
PayPerPost DashboardDisplayed as the starting page when members log in, the dashboard is the central hub for news and events. It provides a lot of information such as news, premium opportunities available, member payment stats, as well as a top earners list.
The list also displays the top-10 PayPerPost earners’ names and how much they’ve earned, which can be sorted by month, day, or all-time. This serves as great motivation and inspiration for bloggers, knowing exactly how much they've made so far as well as how much money is possible to be made through PayPerPost.
In addition, the dashboard displays featured opportunities which are typically higher-paying opportunities which are available to almost everyone.
Referral Program
PayPerPost has a referral system and pays $15 per signup.
Bloggers get paid once the referee’s first blog posting is reviewed, approved, and then finally accepted 30 days later. This means they need to go all the way through the process in order for it to be a legit referral.
However, the referral stats are displayed instantly, in real-time, as opposed to many networks which update such information once every 24-hours.
PayPerPost’s referral system also offers a wide selection of banners to link to, and publishers can use static text links if they prefer.
PPP Tools
In addition to their open marketplace and PPP Direct systems, PayPerPost also offers the following tools:
Review My Post
PayPerPost’s Review My Post feature works by having reviewers set up their blog to display a small image (around 15x300 pixels) at the bottom of each post, which invites readers of the blog to review their blog posts! When someone signs up with PayPerPost, a special opportunity is created for which offers them $7.50 to write a post on their own blog to review a post on the referring blog.
Thus, both the referrer and referee receive $7.50. However, the referrer also benefits from a free backlink and exposure from the free reviewing post.
It should be noted, however, that PayPerPost does offer a full $15 for a standard referral, for bloggers who prefer more cash to backlinks.
Firefox Plug-in
PayPerPost offers a special toolbar for the Firefox browser which provide a few features, none of which are too useful other than the ability which allows users to log into their PayPerPost account with a single button.
Sign-up Forms
With a few lines of code, bloggers can add PayPerPost sign-up forms to their blogs. These forms are basically just an alternative to linking to banners through the referral system. However they take up lot of space (246x408 pixels) and are very intrusive.
Support
PayPerPost does not offer e-mail or phone support, but instead utilize a ticket system. The system is very easy to use and once a ticket is sent, it will display if it has been assigned to a support person yet, as well as display the exact position in line the ticket is in, which is very nice to know.
For research purposes when writing this review, we received a friendly and lengthy response the day after submitting our ticket.
As an alternative to the ticket system, members or prospective members of PayPerPost may find their forums to be a useful resource for support as well. There are a lot of friendly, active members who are more than willing to help with any questions they can. We received a helpful answer on the forums within minutes.
Additional Information
* Currently, there is a limit of 2 opportunities that can be reviewed per blog, per day.
* Multiple blogs can be added to one account, but require 10 opportunities to be reviewed first.
Summary
PayPerPost is an industry leader in the pay-per-review blog market and is a value resource for bloggers, both large and small, looking to monetize their blogs.
Eager to listen to critique and market demand, PayPerPost is constantly evolving their service to help cater to both bloggers and advertisers as best they can.
In October 2006, only several months after its launch, PayPerPost raised 3-million dollars through venture capital funding which helped give the new startup an added boost in the blog advertising market.
PayPerPost’s business model connects bloggers with advertisers; advertisers get access to thousands of bloggers and the opportunity to market their product or service through their readership, while bloggers get the opportunity to both earn money and provide content on their blogs at the same time.
Signing Up
Signing up to PayPerPost is fast and simple, however the following requirements must be met and upheld:
* Bloggers must be prepared to disclose their relationship with PayPerPost advertisers and advise readers of any sponsored content via a disclosure policy or on a per post basis.
* Bloggers must be at least 18 or have written consent by a legal guardian.
* All posts must be written in English or on a blog written in the English language.
* Blogs must be at least 90 days old, verifiable by a third party index of the site. If over 90 days old, blogs must have at least 20 entries in the past 90 days. If just around 90 days old, blogs must have 20 pre-existing entries.
* No blogs with post gaps of over 30 days will be accepted.
Bloggers who are US citizens must present a valid tax ID (either social security number for individuals or an EIN for companies), but it is not required for members of other countries.
Once an account is created, bloggers need to submit their blog for approval. Typically, blogs are approved within 48-72 business hours. As soon as approval is given, bloggers are ready to start.
Reviewing
Products or services available to be reviewed for cash called opportunities. There are currently two ways to receive opportunities: through the marketplace or PPP Direct:
The Marketplace
PayPerPost Opportunity Listings
Enlarge (Pop-Up)
The marketplace is the main hub where opportunities are located. From the marketplace, opportunities are listed by title, price, media type (text, images, video, etc.), time remaining, tone (see below), and overall rating. Bloggers can sort the list by any category, and can view only opportunities that they are qualified for.
Bloggers qualify for opportunities by meeting certain minimum prerequisites. Currently, there are three qualifying categories: tack rating (see Tack Rating), Google PR, and Alexa.
Each opportunity has its own opportunity details page, which lists additional information such as the entire description, images, and required links and anchor text.
The open marketplace generally pays between $5 and $25 per opportunity, and thus it appears to cater more to smaller blogs than it does to the larger, more established ones. PayPerPost does occasionally land some high-paying offers in the $150-$500 range, but the prerequisites for such high-paying offers are usually very tough to meet (PR6, Alexa of under 10,000).
Larger blogs that aren’t eligible for the high-paying opportunities but consider the low-paying ones too low, may find PPP Direct to be their answer.
PPP Direct
PPP Direct allows bloggers to invite advertisers to purchase a review from them directly. This works by having bloggers attach a PPP Direct badge on their blog. When the advertiser sees that the blogger accepts paid reviews and clicks on the button, a visually friendly window is displayed that explains to the advertiser how they can proceed.
Bloggers get to set their own price with PPP Direct, which is why it is a good alternative to the marketplace.
PPP Direct requires a separate sign-up but is quick and easy. It requires one small line of Javascript code to be added to the blog, followed by the badge code which is simply just a linked image. (Note: It can take up to a couple days for PayPerPost to recognize the installation of the code on their site, but should function fine on the blog immediately.)
Bloggers can choose from a nice selection of existing images, with 3 different colour schemes to match the blog,
Another aspect to PPP Direct is that the blogger can negotiate the deal. For example, the advertiser may offer $40 for a review with a minimum of 200 words, plus an embedded video. The blogger can then respond and counteroffer a request of $50 because he or she feels that the video warrants another $10.
Bloggers can also always decline an offer, for any reason, at any time during negotiation.
Tones
PayPerPost uses a tone system to help identify the disposition that the review needs to take.
For example, positive means the review has to be positive, neutral means it can be positive or negative and negative means it must be negative. Chosen by the advertiser, bloggers are not forced to review an opportunity where they do not feel comfortable with the given tone.
Most tones for opportunities in the open marketplace are positive, while some are neutral, and very few negative.
Tack Rating
PayPerPosts’s tack rating is quality score system used to help evaluate bloggers. The tack rating uses a 5-star scale, and new members of PayPerPost start with 3.
The tack rating is an important quality identifier, as it is often a prerequisite for opportunities. For example, if a blogger has a tack rating of only 2, but the opportunity requires a minimum of 3, then the opportunity will not be available to that blogger.
As opportunities are reviewed, advertisers have the option of giving the blogger a tack rating, however this is indeed optional and most advertisers don’t do this, thus it can take a while before a bloggers rating improves from the initial 3.
The final tack rating is an average of all the scores advertisers have given a blogger’s posts. Advertisers also have the option of banning bloggers from taking any further opportunities from them, which will affect their tack rating in a negative way.
One possible flaw the tack rating creates is the possibility of bloggers being pressured into only writing favorable reviews, with the fear that advertisers may respond with a poor tack rating.
Payment
One major advantage PayPerPost has to other pay-per-review networks such as ReviewMe is that they only take a 10% cut. This 10% is paid by the advertiser, whereas competitors such as ReviewMe take 50% from the blogger. Therefore if a blogger did a review with ReviewMe for $50, they would only receive $25, whereas with PayPerPost they would receive the full $50.
Reviews are usually approved within 72 business hours and must remain on the reviewer’s blog for 30 days (the post doesn't have to remain on the front page). After 30 days PayPerPost will check to see if the review is still live and meets the opportunity requirements. If so, payment will be sent.
Currently, PayPerPost pays only through PayPal.
Dashboard
PayPerPost DashboardDisplayed as the starting page when members log in, the dashboard is the central hub for news and events. It provides a lot of information such as news, premium opportunities available, member payment stats, as well as a top earners list.
The list also displays the top-10 PayPerPost earners’ names and how much they’ve earned, which can be sorted by month, day, or all-time. This serves as great motivation and inspiration for bloggers, knowing exactly how much they've made so far as well as how much money is possible to be made through PayPerPost.
In addition, the dashboard displays featured opportunities which are typically higher-paying opportunities which are available to almost everyone.
Referral Program
PayPerPost has a referral system and pays $15 per signup.
Bloggers get paid once the referee’s first blog posting is reviewed, approved, and then finally accepted 30 days later. This means they need to go all the way through the process in order for it to be a legit referral.
However, the referral stats are displayed instantly, in real-time, as opposed to many networks which update such information once every 24-hours.
PayPerPost’s referral system also offers a wide selection of banners to link to, and publishers can use static text links if they prefer.
PPP Tools
In addition to their open marketplace and PPP Direct systems, PayPerPost also offers the following tools:
Review My Post
PayPerPost’s Review My Post feature works by having reviewers set up their blog to display a small image (around 15x300 pixels) at the bottom of each post, which invites readers of the blog to review their blog posts! When someone signs up with PayPerPost, a special opportunity is created for which offers them $7.50 to write a post on their own blog to review a post on the referring blog.
Thus, both the referrer and referee receive $7.50. However, the referrer also benefits from a free backlink and exposure from the free reviewing post.
It should be noted, however, that PayPerPost does offer a full $15 for a standard referral, for bloggers who prefer more cash to backlinks.
Firefox Plug-in
PayPerPost offers a special toolbar for the Firefox browser which provide a few features, none of which are too useful other than the ability which allows users to log into their PayPerPost account with a single button.
Sign-up Forms
With a few lines of code, bloggers can add PayPerPost sign-up forms to their blogs. These forms are basically just an alternative to linking to banners through the referral system. However they take up lot of space (246x408 pixels) and are very intrusive.
Support
PayPerPost does not offer e-mail or phone support, but instead utilize a ticket system. The system is very easy to use and once a ticket is sent, it will display if it has been assigned to a support person yet, as well as display the exact position in line the ticket is in, which is very nice to know.
For research purposes when writing this review, we received a friendly and lengthy response the day after submitting our ticket.
As an alternative to the ticket system, members or prospective members of PayPerPost may find their forums to be a useful resource for support as well. There are a lot of friendly, active members who are more than willing to help with any questions they can. We received a helpful answer on the forums within minutes.
Additional Information
* Currently, there is a limit of 2 opportunities that can be reviewed per blog, per day.
* Multiple blogs can be added to one account, but require 10 opportunities to be reviewed first.
Summary
PayPerPost is an industry leader in the pay-per-review blog market and is a value resource for bloggers, both large and small, looking to monetize their blogs.
Eager to listen to critique and market demand, PayPerPost is constantly evolving their service to help cater to both bloggers and advertisers as best they can.
0 comments:
Post a Comment