Entrecard Synchronised Ad Displays

Entrecard Synchronised Ad Displays

When dropping Entrecards, I notice that quite a few sites practise synchronised mutual advertising (er, something like that anyway), i.e. Site A displays Site B’s Entrecard, at the same time that Site B is displaying Site A’s card.

Am I missing something here? Depending on which site of the two, you land on first, the other site misses out on your click thru from their ad, because why would you click thru to a site that you’ve just surfed in from?

Any clarification gratefully received.

Reward Rebel

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Making Money Online: Rinse And Repeat

Making Money Online: Rinse And Repeat

Products teaching Internet Marketing and Making Money Online are in plentiful supply. What surprises me is that so many of each week’s new launches have been written, developed or sourced by the same comparatively small group of online entrepreneurs.

Stop. Rewind. What am I saying? I’m not surprised.

These entrepreneurs tell us that they’ve worked countless hours developing the latest and greatest, for no reason other than that they’re fed up with seeing us – the ordinary guy making money online – given so much of the internet marketing picture, and then being hung out to dry. Altruism at its most heroic. What? Hasn’t it warmed the cockles of your heart?

Of course, these are the same internet marketing entrepreneurs who refer to a mailing list as a personal ATM, because they can withdraw money from it whenever they choose. They practically tell you to your face that they take you for a sucker, and such a stupid sucker that they can even tell you that they are doing it! I don’t think this is the type of online entrepreneur that I aspire to be.

Each new internet marketing product launched promises to be the one that will teach me everything I’ll need to know. They enthusiastically inform me that I require no technical know-how, copy writing skills, or indeed a functioning brain. Then they attempt to dispel any lingering doubts that I may be harbouring about my ability to undertake an online business venture.

Ker-Ching! Here’s the Paypal button!
Ker-Ching! Give us your hard earned!

Fast forward two to three months. The same entrepreneur emails me with their latest product, which promises to lead me by the hand to that villa in the Caribbean, before I can say… hold on. If their previous product was so mind-blowingly awesome, why would I be in need of another one?

Of course, in between times, there’s been a relentless deluge of email promos vomiting into my Inbox, which are about the “you can’t live without ‘em” latest and greatest offerings from the entrepreneur’s internet marketing friends. Somehow, they’re convinced that I won’t want to be without this product either, even though I may already have their own version of the same thing.

Fortunately, there exists a wide variety of methods of making money online, because in my opinion affiliate marketing has hit an all-time low. So many people are trying to jump on the bandwagon, it’s drowning in its own tsunami of hype and insincerity.

Making money online isn’t as easy as it used to be. Making money online in an ethical and dignified fashion appears to be the most difficult objective of all to achieve. But, dear god, if I ever start turning into one of these internet marketing leeches, I’ll flick off the switch on the modem for the last time.

I’m not a guru basher, well OK, I’m not usually a guru basher, well, apart from when I got a bit enrantified and wrote:

• Gurus Mutual Appreciation Society

and then I wrote,

• Trickery of the Gurus

Perhaps it’s best if I draw this to a close, after all, my adventure may find me networking with these very same internet marketing gurus at some point in the not-too-distant future!

So, mum’s the word…

Reward Rebel

Change

Nowadays in business, we have Change Management, which in turn requires Change Managers, as if Change is a recent development, a new technology for which people need guidance in order to accommodate it in their lives.

This is an instance of concept creation by marketing consultants, which has evolved a whole new managerial mezzanine.

Many people resist change, after all, it implies moving outside of the comfort zone, and this makes people edgy.

No-one is entirely comfortable with the unknown, but for some this manifests as an exciting, anticipatory frisson, whilst for others it’s an all-pervading sense of dread.

Change is the constant. Change is the one thing in life that can be relied upon absolutely not to change. It’s the ultimate paradox.

Change represents new experiences, speculative anticipation, and excitement, as we stretch ourselves to rise to new challenges. It’s possible to be happy in our day-to-day lives… a loving relationship, savings deposited in the bank, kids en route to university, smart motor vehicles adorn the front drive… life has been generous.

Stability and contentment are very valuable commodities, but they don’t set the world on fire. Sometimes things need a good shake-up, mix up the molecules, turn life’s template on its head, introduce change.

It’s the anticipation of a new experience that excites us and gets our blood pumping. We dutifully take our body to the gym, but what about exercising those wasted muscles — sight, taste, smell, hearing, touch and emotion – they all need a good workout, too.

Our very survival is dependent upon the ability to change when circumstances alter and make it necessary. Without change, life stagnates and dies. Change keeps us alert, both mentally and physically – the ability to think on one’s feet is a good indication of an ability to adapt.

Internet marketing is constantly changing, as it evolves in tandem with the technological developments that make it possible. When I started my online projects, I first learnt how to create static html web pages, with the intention of applying a standard business model, utilising one time offers and email promotions.

Then the whole interactive social networking phenomenon rudely shouldered its way into my life, and though I tried to ignore it, I was postponing the inevitable. If I didn’t adapt to accommodate these new aspects of online business, I’d fail.

So Reward Rebel was created, and I joined a multitude of social networking communities, with the cold-blooded intention of manipulating them to suit my business objectives.

This plan was ambushed by the disarming friendliness and altruism of the people who inhabit these cyber realms, and another adaptation was required. Change is a cycle, a flow, it’s the rhythm of life itself.

Take a step outside your comfort zone, “feel the fear, and do it anyway”.

Reward Rebel

My Brain Just Quit

My Brain Just Quit

With grateful thanks to Blog Comics

The adventure will continue after neural resuscitation.

Reward Rebel

Valentine’s Day Link Love

Valentine’s Day Link Love

During this blog’s short life, it has grown, matured, blossomed, and I have absolute confidence that it will bear fruit.

[My love sent me kisses via the above card... aw.]

The development in writing style and quality of content is due in no small part to the support of its readership. It seemed appropriate that today I should show a little Valentine’s Day Link Love to express my gratitude to some of the blog authors with whom I have developed friendships.

People who’ve helped me overcome difficulties hacking Wordpress, editing plugins, or ensuring a lively debate in comments. Whenever I’ve needed help, there’s been someone within the blogging community willing to provide it.

The sites featured may amuse, educate, entertain, arouse, enrapture, infuriate, stimulate, or even discombobulate, but they aren’t going to make you yawn or vomit, so that’s a bonus.

To view each blog, click on the underlined title or the screenshot.

The Spitting Vessel

Insightful and hard-hitting presentation and discussion of current news and political events — the kind that leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Correr Es Mi Destino

The author is a Mandarin Chinese speaking French immigrant to Canada, who presents her new life in colourful words, photos and artwork.

What Have You

A blog in search of enlightenment, both for its author and readers, it discusses healthcare, sociological issues, and making money online.

CyberfiZZle

Everyday presents an extraordinary news photograph and headline, accompanied by the author’s comment to prompt further discussion.

JT Pratt’s Blogging Mistakes

A One Stop Shop for first class articles and tutorials to guide the rookie entrepreneur through the hazards and pitfalls of professional blogging.

That’s the links taken care of, now let’s get on to the love part of this recipe… right, here we go, I’ll just roll it up into a tight little ball, like that… tie it round, so that it doesn’t unravel and fall apart before it reaches you… now, you be ready, OK, get yourself primed to catch the love lob served Rebel style. OK, a-one, a-two, and-a… Ka-BOOOM!! It’s soaring through the air, it’s gaining altitude, it’s coming right at you… MmmWaH!

Valentine’s Day Link Love – Reward Rebel Style!

The Prize Winner

The Prize Winner

In my last post My Own Worst Enemy I’m whingeing about the amount of time required to efficiently manage a blog. However, I must emphasise the importance of investing both the time and the effort in effectively communicating, and consulting, with your readership, as well as with those outside your immediate circle, but who provide interesting articles and ideas of a quality to which you aspire.

They say, birds of a feather flock together, and because individuals in a group pick-up traits of their associates, it’s possible to improve your writing ability and style simply by hanging out with people whose work you admire.

There is a brief cautionary tale that I’d like to share with you, which serves both as an illustration, and a warning of the unexpected turns an action can take, when you attempt to style your writing on work you admire from another source.

I’m not talking about plagiarism, but emulating a style or technique simply because you consider it attractive and engaging, not because you harbour devious and unethical motives, and are attempting to clamber to the top by stealing other people’s work!

Until secondary education, I attended a church school, and when I was about 10 or 11, there was a handwriting contest, and the winner would receive recognition and a prize at the annual awards ceremony. All school events were held at the church with which the school was associated (well, not all, for instance it wasn’t practical to hold sports day there, as the aisle couldn’t accommodate the 500 metres relay).

At the time I wasn’t particularly happy with the appearance of my handwriting, and for purely aesthetic reasons, I emulated the elegant script of a friend. Prize Day arrived, and imagine my surprise — and the absolute horror of sitting in church, directly under ‘the gaze’ — as the winner’s name was announced and I’d been awarded first prize!

Even though I’d simply created my own version of my friend’s handwriting style – because it was attractive — the guilt consumed me. I’d never intended to cheat, or deceive, and I don’t recollect it ever occurring to me that I’d actually win the contest.

The prize I received? ‘The Works of Lewis Carroll’, which still sits on my bookshelf, very dog-eared and grubby with the evidence of many years’ enjoyment.

If you’re attempting to build a successful, professional blog or a successful blog that generates a professional-sized income, you do need to carefully select your associates, and think through the possible consequences of your words and actions.

In this respect, blogging and online marketing are no different to business — or indeed life — anywhere else, in that you are judged not only by what you do and say, but also by the company you keep.

That said, it’s an appropriate point at which to take a break from the adventure.

Reward Rebel

My Own Worst Enemy

My Own Worst Enemy

I suppose it’s time for me to get a bit more serious about monetizing this blog, at least to sharpen the focus of the ads already here. I’ve signed up for all sorts of advertising ventures… but am having some difficulty finding enough time to get to grips with it all, as well as plan the site layout.

It’s a little offputting that I plan to install a custom designed theme in the near future, so feel it may be best not to waste time doing jobs that will soon need to be done again.

Reward Rebel is more than this blog, there are numerous rebel offspring in cyber space. Recently, just taking care of posting every couple of days, responding to comments, and dropping Entrecards nibbles away at considerably more time than I can sensibly spare. I need to prioritize — other projects are potentially good income generators, whereas the temptation with Reward Rebel blog is that I REALLY enjoy doing it, so find all manner of reasons to justify spending a lil more time on this or that.

Dagnabbit, I’ve just realized that I’m doing it again! Procrastination is a devious little bastard. Just writing these few paragraphs is keeping me away from what I’m supposed to be doing.

The adventure must prevail!

Reward Rebel