Do I Have 'Stupid' Stamped on My Forehead?

Even if "stupid" IS stamped on my forehead, can you see it?

Sponsored posts companies must think I'm stupid when they send me tasks that pay $6-$10 each. Wait a second; I don't do sponsored posts anymore, right? Check, right, affirmative. Then why do I still allow them to send me these things?

A Source of Inspiration

To tell the truth, I would never visit most of the websites that sponsored post services handle because they're about things I have absolutely no interest in. Every once in awhile, though, I'll see one that I want to write about. Heck, I'll even throw in the links they ask for when I write it. I'm not, however, going to go through the trouble to meet their formatting and length requirements; not for a piddly $6 or $10. I make more than that from AdSense in a day most of the time, on this blog. I probably wouldn't do it or $100. The Google slap isn't worth it.

Sometimes I'll visit the websites that are sponsored, just to see what they're all about. 99 times out of a hundred, it's a wasted trip. That one time when it isn't, well, I probably won't write about it anyway unless it's something I'm concerned about. Things like gas prices, environmental impact, new technology and obscure things are the things that rock my boat.

I'm Stupid, but I'm Not That Stupid

Back in October of 2007, my blog got slapped down to PageRank of 0. After fixing everything, and requesting reconsideration from the Google gods, I got it back up to 4. Later, something happened that wasn't something I did wrong and it got knocked back down to a 3. I sent another note to the powers that be and managed to get the 5 I have now.

There's no way in hell I'm going through that crap again.

I'm Not 100% Stupid

I'm stupid, but I can't be completely stupid because I have proof. If you have this video game, Hexxagon (yeah, it's old just like me), see if you're less stupid than I am. Check it out:

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June 10th, 2008 By RT Cunningham | Untwisted Vortex | Philippines | Categories: Advertising | Tags: AdSense, Google, PageRank, services, sponsors | Respond | Trackback URL

2. Frank C on 2008-06-11 at 12:18 am (Reply)

   I find it more profitable to do my own sponsored reviews. I find a product available on eBay that gets good search traffic, write a short article with the right keywords, add eBay affiliate links and get paid as much or more than what I'd be paid for a paid review. That easy.

   I think a lot of people in the blogging arena have come to the conclusion that paid review posts are a bad idea. They put your pagerank at risk if you don't nofollow the links, the pay is low unless you turn your blog completely over to doing paid reviews and harm social traffic while not helping with search traffic.

3. Stevo on 2008-06-11 at 4:24 am (Reply)

   I disagree, Frank. There are still huge numbers of bloggers using PPP and its new demon-spawn. Buying links is big business.

   I'm with you, RT. $6-&10 is not worth the risk.

4. Frank C on 2008-06-11 at 4:31 am (Reply)

   It could be Stevo. I just haven't seen them on as many blogs recently but maybe I'm viewing higher quality blogs these days.

   Frank C's last blog post… Arby’s Collectible Christmas Glasses

5. MacBros on 2008-06-11 at 4:51 am (Reply)

   I'm using Social Spark now. They require the rel="nofollow" on ALL of their paid links.

   They actually have better ops than PPP does too. Stuff you can actually write about.

   I also have folks e-mailing me to do reviews of their products and they are sending me free products to review too. So far I've got some Antipoleez and some pinhole glasses.

   I'll still do it if the money talks. But most importantly, fits the blog it's going on. Like I'm not going to review feminine hygiene products or anything, that would be a weird video, wouldn't it!?? LOL

6. HMTKSteve on 2008-06-11 at 7:29 am (Reply)

   I also get free stuff in the mail to review. Sometimes it is not worth it. such as when you get a real crappy video game that requires about 5 hours of gameplay time just to tell the world the game sucks.

7. Deb on 2008-06-11 at 4:12 pm (Reply)

   Not worth the risk, Goggle is very smart about finding out stuff we dont want them to

   Deb’s last blog post… Mexico Golf Vacations | Mexico Golf Resorts | Mexico Golf Courses

8. Larry from Commercial Lighting on 2008-06-11 at 8:24 pm (Reply)

   If you don't mind me asking, what caused the initial page rank to fall off?

   2. RT Cunningham | Untwisted Vortex | Philippines on 2008-06-11 at 8:51 pm (Reply)

      I was doing sponsored posts and I got spanked.

9. April from Scotland on 2008-06-12 at 12:07 am (Reply)

   I'm glad I have left all that behind. The best thing I ever did was ditch sponsored reviews in favour of passive income. I wrote my own review last year for a company that I use which gives customers a discount code which you can then give to other people. The result is that I have made about $140 off that one review and I'll keep making that money for the foreseeable future.

   April's last blog post… Tchai Ovna Review

10. Barbara Ling on 2008-06-12 at 2:02 am (Reply)

    I've personally never seen the point to doing sponsored posts. Affiliate posts, yes, reviews, yes, but sponsored as in, I'll pay you to say my product is god-like?

    Just doesn't flap my earlobes. Your mileage may vary, of course.

    Data points, Barbara

11. Abhinav Sood from Inspirit Blog on 2008-06-12 at 2:41 am (Reply)

    I haven't wrote a single sponsored post for Social Spark or LoudLaunch, etc ever since I started blogging at Inspirit even when they keep sending me offers.

    I cannot write without interest and the $ 6- $ 12 they offer for a post on my PR 4 blog isn't worth it. Especially when it is going to reduce my PR to 0 in sometime and then offer nothing more than $2-5 for a sponsored post!

12. Tool Belt on 2008-06-12 at 7:19 am (Reply)

    Ha ha love the post, as a new blogger it will help me know not what to do.

13. Yiwu on 2008-06-13 at 10:13 pm (Reply)

    Search the word "Stupid" on google, has anyone found this post in the first page?

    2. RT Cunningham | Untwisted Vortex | Philippines on 2008-06-13 at 10:21 pm (Reply)

       Haha.. Not "stupid" by itself. "stupid stamped" and "stupid forehead" come up as #4 each.

14. Craig on 2008-06-17 at 4:53 am (Reply)

    I don't know if you noticed, but most people are in fact, not too bright. I and many companies there for assume that you are a idiot until you prove otherwise.
    Lets look at an example: helmets
    They have been invented to stop you from cracking your skull. So instead of you not tacking part in activities, that can crack your skull, millions of people wear helmets.

    Craig's last blog post… Hiking camping insect bites

15. Lin from business school ranking on 2008-09-10 at 4:03 pm (Reply)

    Yea I agree. Don't mess with the paid links services. There are plenty of other ways to stay under the radar. I'd perhaps build relationships with good webmasters and do it under the table like some of you are doing.

16. David from Contact Lenses on 2008-10-06 at 6:16 pm (Reply)

    hexxagon! haven't seen that in ages thats epic

17. ad on 2008-11-03 at 11:25 am (Reply)

    ad

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