Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Sponsored Post: ReviewMe

There has been alot of controversy regarding the PayPerPost service. Basically what PayPerPost does is pay bloggers for reviewing and including links to products and services. One of the main focal points of the criticism about it has been its lack of insisting on a disclosure by the blogger that the post is actually sponsored and they are receiving monetary compensation for the post.

The Internet is similar to the business world in that the ultimate goal is to build a better mousetrap than the guy before you. Enter ReviewMe, a new service that pays bloggers for their reviews of products. I got tipped off about this service by The Ice Chewing Queen, and after Virginia mentioned that she was rejected, well I wanted something to rant about so I figured a rejection from them might be what I need to set me off.

Alas, I wasn't rejected. In fact ReviewMe not only accepted me, but they also are sponsoring this post about themselves. Normally, I would shun something like this. The fact is that in general I would berate it and call them corporate mongers and bloggers who participate as sell outs. Yet here I am, doing a sponsored post about ReviewMe. You may be asking yourself if I quit my job and needed an alternative source of income quickly, to which I assure you that is not the case... yet.

The fact is I like ReviewMe's style much better than PayPerPost. First off, they REQUIRE you to disclose the post is sponsored. They give a few examples, and I chose the header of Sponsored Post: to be my disclosure. The second thing I liked about them was that they set the price for a post on your blog... not the price the sponsor is willing to pay. They have in fact placed a value on your space. For me, it's a $40 price tag of which I will see $20. The Ice Chewing Queen is getting $30 but that's because she is SO much more popular than I am. She does chew ice live on her webcam afterall. They not only take hits into account, but also RSS Feed subscribers. I have no idea how they do that, but I find it to be an excellent approach to blog value. Afterall, content is king isn't it? Oh and clicks have absolutely nothing to do with it at all.

The third thing... and this is the part I truly love... they do not allow sponsors to require a positive post like PayPerPost allows. So if someone wants me to post about their book, movie, or product and I think it sucks... I can say it sucks and they pay me. Heh. Yeah... that's cool. So let's test that out shall we?

The truth is ReviewMe is another way for people with personal blogs to sell out the very ideals that their blog is based on and shove more advertising down the unsuspecting gullets of their readers. Sites like ReviewMe are nothing but corporate mongers hiding behind the "Web 2.0" label so they can make a buck. While a 200 word post @ $20 is technically 10 cents a word, which is the going freelance rate in most magazines, these people are making an ADDITIONAL $20 off of YOUR WORDS and most importantly the READERS who want to read ABOUT YOU! There is a reason it is called a PERSONAL BLOG and not a REVIEW OF PRODUCTS BLOG! Sure you can have one of those... but really... how popular are they? No really, think about it... how many readers would you have if you just blogged about hair products?

A reader does not read your personal blog to find out about cool new hair products, new perfumes, golf outings, or magazines you've never read. They are there to read about YOU. I will never disgruntle anyone for trying to exploit the corporate advertising dollar on a blog about things such as hair products, perfumes, golf, or magazines. I do have a problem with people trying to do it on their personal blogs. Now I'm not a draconian... and if you do it well that's up to you. I won't stop reading you. However, I will assure you that ANYTHING you post about I WILL PURPOSELY AVOID. Yes... those advertisers will be driving away a customer... even if it is for Entenmann's chocolate chip crumb loaf... I will stop eating Entenmann's all together. ReviewMe makes it SO easy to identify those advertisers. I never have to troll their site comparing offers to recent posts like I do now with PayPerPost.

Overall I think ReviewMe is honestly the best way for bloggers trying to become the next Engadget to perhaps pay for a month's worth of broadband. The click ads surely don't pay for it no matter how many you put on a page, and those monetizing your RSS Feeds are surely guilty of vampiric blog reader syndrome if you think that actually does anything other than piss people off. As for personal bloggers who use it... well you're not being personal anymore you corporate sell outs. You're just another corporate drone that is propaganding the same old thing for the powers that be. You are one of the mass followers of sheep, having given up the individuality and originality you supposedly craved when you started your personal blog, all in the name of profit. Right this way to the slaughterhouse my little lambs...

This is a sponsored post by ReviewMe. Will you be seeing more sponsored posts here at APODB? No. You won't. This is my first and last "sponsored" post. This ultimately is a personal blog and therefore I will be sponsoring it myself. If ReviewMe does pay up the $20 for this post I will donate it somewhere. Anyone have any ideas, say so in the comments. I doubt they'll pay though... which will prove the whole negative reviews allowed aspect of their site must not be good enough for the gander.

Now I'm going to go harrass The Ice Chewing Queen for some of her Bath and Body Works stuff she got with her money so I can scrub the slimey filth of being a corporate mongering sell out off myself.

TAGS:ReviewMe
Posted by New York City's Watchdog :: 11/14/2006 12:15:00 AM :: Permalink :: 12 Bones Added to the Pile

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