Each generation of technology seems to enable us to edge closer to using what the pros do for a smidgen of the cost. What used to require an Avid studio and monstrous computers ($$$$$) can now be done in Final Cut Pro on a Macbook ($$). Same for audio as well.
If you’re like me, you probably bought a headphone/microphone combo at some point to upgrade from the dollar store mic included with most computers. Today, I want to take a look at a kit that’s several levels above that, and won’t set you back too much.
After following a little bit of Joseph Jaffe’s Fatblogging, I thought this would be a good time to profile a recent friend of mine who’s passion for what he does is so strong that it really needs to be shared.
If you’re ever having trouble getting motivated or inspired, talk to Adam Gilbert (warning: link contains corny montage). I recently met Adam (well…virtually met) and his passion for what he does is a welcomed breath of fresh air. You’re always told as an entrepreneur to do what you love, yet so many people disregard it in search for the almighty dollar. They end up just creating another “job” for themselves.
Darius did a fantastic job illustrating the issues in the world of online advertising from a publisher’s position. I’m going to try and look at what I believe the issues and opportunities are from an advertiser’s (client) viewpoint.
There’s no question, paying for the effectiveness of your ads as opposed to the impressions or clicks is the ideal scenario. As mentioned, Jim Coudal is on the right track with The DECK and a Cost Per Influence deal.
No matter the model of cost or optimization of website, the effectiveness of your ads is in the hands of the creative behind them.
A very long time ago, way back in the past… like 10 years ago, people started getting on this crazy thing called the World Wide Web. Somewhere in a dark room filled with crabby old men, it was decided that advertising online would never make sense… “nobody is really going to spend a lot of time in front of the computer. They have books & magazines to read, movies & television to watch, music to listen too…” (I guess they never thought we’d end up doing that ON the computer.)
It was this lack of faith in the internet that kept online advertising from being seen as a legitimate way for companies to reach their markets, so the key to the internet’s chastity belt was left right out in the open. With no set rules, people looking to make boon with online advertising established the game. Web pages could have several if not a dozen forms of advertising on a single page. (Can you imagine a 30 second TV commercial that pitched 213 different companies?)
How Do You Measure the Madness?
As it it is now there is no practical and meaningful standard of measuring a websites true value from an advertisers perspective. Let’s examine the following methods currently used to measure a websites attractiveness to advertisers…
David over at Mind Petals shared a video of his presentation at the New York Technology Meetup from last September. The video, which you’ll see after the jump, is a great intro for MP and anyone that hasn’t heard of his network/community, but I found the last three or so minutes the most intriguing.
If you’re an internet astronaut who someday hopes to have his or her site rocket to the stars, then at some point you’ll probably be considering your options when it comes to monetizing your site. For some that means taking any and all advertisers regardless of the “punch-the-monkey” types ads. For other with a bit more pride in their creations and who don’t want to see it whored out to any old advertiser there are really only a handful of quality advertising networks. Here is a list of those networks and how they break down.
1) Networking. To be honest, I would be in a completely different situation than I am today if YGG didn’t exist and I hadn’t the opportunity to meet and work with all of the people I have over the past year or so. Chances are I’d still be working the same 9-5 job making an extremely stable income……hey, wait a second…
2) All the cool kids do it. Blogs enable you to associate yourself with the big names in just about any industry and break the barriers of communicating with them. Not knowing what a blog is or having your own in certain circles is a quick way to label yourself as an outcast.
3) It’s one of the easiest ways to build my personal brand. Being recognized as an expert in a certain field is essential in labeling yourself as a professional. Blogging allows me to develop my name and brand with a bit of empathy as I learn the ropes and rise in rank.
4) No matter how large a blogger you are, seeing a comment notification or receiving a nice email from a reader makes your day. Seeing a message in your inbox from an author, celebrity, or entrepreneur that you look up to will make you all giddy for a moment, whether you admit it or not. I always enjoy these surprises.
5) To be a part of the people powered media. A thousand individual bloggers are much more powerful than a television network, radio station, or newspaper. We’ve become a trusted source for news and insights minutes after they occur, not hours or days. We produce a wide variety of content that you control how, when, and where you absorb it and join the conversation when you wish. It’s exciting to be a part of this movement.
To keep this meme moving I invite Chris, Kevin, Jason, and David to share the 5 reasons why they blog.
Over the last several years, I’ve worked with a large number of people that I’ve never actually met. The internet allows us all to work together, no matter how far away we may be. I’ve been hired by people in other countries and contracted work with people across the country or state. I’d say that on the whole it has all worked out pretty well… but there have been some bumps along the way.
This week I had the chance to meet two people I’ve been working with over the past few months. One I met in court and the other I met for some drinks.
Here are 6 Tips for Working with People You Don’t Know
The majority of them are considered eyesores, others fade into the sidebar and are hardly ever clicked upon. At some point, somebody thought these were an effective way to navigate a blog.
I can understand and somewhat appreciate how the larger words in the cloud represent popular topics or content, but there are plenty of other ways to highlight such content in a much more efficient manner.
