Online Business Advertising On Entrecard

Making money online isn’t easy if you don’t have complete control over all the elements that comprise your online business.

Entrecard provides an excellent free service, which can really kick-start a new blog, and revitalise one that’s a bit wilted. Also, they listen to what their customers want from them and, for the most part, provide it. Entrecard has embarked upon an ongoing program of upgrades to the service and the website, and understandably is developing into a very successful online business… a real success story.

I haven’t advertised Reward Rebel on other websites, other than via Entrecard, but does anyone else find organising their Entrecard advertising as difficult as I do?

I try, really I do, but because of the way advertising scheduling is set up on Entrecard, I quite frequently find that I have too many ads being displayed one day, and not enough on another. Hopefully, every blog featured enjoys satisfactory returns from their advertisement, but some will be more satisfied than others.

Of course, I’d prefer not to dissuade prospective advertisers from promoting their website on Reward Rebel, so for absolute honesty, here’s a screenshot of the most recent incoming Entrecard dropping activity on Reward Rebel.

And a shot of Reward Rebel’s Alexa ranking statistics graph showing its rise in traffic over the past few months — currently, it ranks at 89,142, although the past week has averaged at 54,688, which is very encouraging.

I’m not so naive that I expect this level of traffic to continue, should I cease my activities on Entrecard, however, I am happy to have accumulated additional readers, as well as friends, whilst exploring Entrecard’s community.

Recently, a website with a very high profile on Entrecard placed an ad on Reward Rebel at a cost around 300 credits. When it had completed its scheduled run, the owner contacted me to express his delight at the 193 click thrus his site had received, and submitted a second ad at a cost of over 300 credits.

Can you guess what happened? Of course, you can. Yep, the second, more expensive, ad generated an ROI of only 30 hits! Why the huge disparity between the ROI on Ad 1 and Ad 2? Erratic scheduling of Reward Rebel’s own advertising, and too many disappointing returns.

When we submit an ad for approval, Entrecard provides a guide to how long it should be before it’s displayed. However, it’s rather a vague guide, because it doesn’t take into account how long it may be before the request is approved, or how many requests there may be awaiting approval.

How can Entrecard and its clients develop a system of scheduling advertisements that allows the advertiser to deploy them accurately?

I’m no whizz at figuring out this kind of logistical exercise, and so I don’t have a solution to offer, but I’m interested to hear your own experiences and ideas for improvement.

On the other hand, if I’m the only Entrecarder experiencing this advertising stats roller-coaster, perhaps you could let me know and I’ll shut up!

I’m in the process of contacting site owners who have recently advertised with me, to try to ascertain the true value of advertising on Reward Rebel. I’m considering adding a number of independent advertisement spots to the site, and need to gauge how much to charge.

Making money online wasn’t an original objective of this blog, however, it’s now enjoying enough traffic to warrant its inclusion as an earner in my online business empire-in-the-making!

When I have collected the data regarding Reward Rebel’s ROI, I’ll most likely be posting a follow-up on Entrecard Advertising.

In the meantime, how do you organise yours?

Reward Rebel

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Make No Mistake

You know how some things just grip in your memory, you carry them with you throughout your life. When I was just 14 years of age (and I was a precocious enfant terrible), a cute young hippy approached me on Earl’s Court underground station in London and asked, “how d’ya know when ya’ve made a mistake?”.

“Er… I guess when things start to go wrong“ was my uninspired reply.

“But how do ya know what would’ve happened if you’d made a different choice?”, he countered sagely.

That was the entire conversation, because my train arrived and I boarded it and journeyed out of his life. He, however, remained in mine.

His words had had a profound effect upon my teenaged mind – or perhaps I just fancied him – but what he had said stuck firmly; and here I am contemplating it once more.

During my life, I haven’t adhered to the philosophy at the heart of his statement, but I have often pondered the purpose behind events — good and bad. Lately, I’ve been at a crossroads, and because I’ve just taken a fork in the path that’s signposted to the unknown, I find myself once again thinking about the meaning of those words, spoken so hastily, all those years ago.

Life had become predictable, too stable, stale, practically inert — my need for challenge and to stretch myself wasn’t being fulfilled, and isn’t that what provides the Zing, the Pling, the Ker-Bling?

So, I’ve taken a deep breath and a leap of faith. I’ve left my job at the charity, where I’ve found my purpose in life for the past six years.

It feels a bit scary, but also very exciting.

Now I have to be exceptionally self-disciplined and scrupulously organised.

I’m looking forward to being able to invest more time into researching new ideas and ventures, as well as focusing on making money online by building my current projects into consistent money spinners.

At a squeeze, I’m earning sufficient to remain afloat, but there’s a long way to go before I’m able to indulge myself in the style to which I aspire!

My ultimate goal is to develop a network of (mainly passive) income streams through internet marketing. Freedom from the reliance on any one source of earnings will enable a greater flexibility in how I live my life.

My decision to try making money online has already enabled me to start working from home. As soon as I’m making enough money online to relocate anywhere in the world, I plan to make a home on the Greek island of Crete.

I’m already studying the language, and imagine I’ll fit right in with the local community.

To think that the young hippy, whose name I never knew, is still in my life, and doesn’t know it. If you were around in the seventies, and recollect a brief, but profound, chat with a fair-haired London gal, do say “hello”!

Reward Rebel

Competition Ain’t Happening

There are so many contests ‘live’ at the moment, and for a number of reasons, I wouldn’t be giving you my best if I were to forge ahead, just to present any kind of contest. It’s got to be worthwhile, and fun for everyone, or I won’t do it at all.

When I originally posted about running a contest, I’d had an idea, which I thought was perfect, but I’ve since completely gone off that one, which means it’s back to the drawing board. But not immediately, because I’m spread too thin at the moment to do it justice.

Once again, I apologise for stringing you along, — my original intention wasn’t to lead you nowhere.

Reward Rebel

Blogging Widget Fun

Blogging Widget Fun

Although Reward Rebel has existed since last August, I’ve only applied myself to learning Wordpress (PHP), and how to use CSS in the last month or two, and as yet I have no idea how widgets and plug-ins are constructed.

But I’m satisfied with the progress that I’ve been making generally — each day empowers me a little more, and soon I’ll begin designing my own unique theme for Reward Rebel.

Dane Carlson’s widget, “How Much Is Your Blog Worth? is displayed on many blogs, resulting in people referring to him as ‘the most successful link baiter ever’!

According to the version of the widget displayed on Dane’s own website, his blog is worth $6,220,101.72.

I have no idea how this value is calculated, however, when we don’t understand something, we destroy it. Isn’t that the way of the world these days? Ooops, sorry wrong article, I’m not on a rant today!

The widget isn’t dynamic, and it isn’t going to update as your blog increases in value, so why not have some fun tweaking it to say whatever we fancy?

After playing around with a variety of exaggerated statements, I finally decided on the message you see above.

If you have one of these devices on your blog, why not play around with the wording and see what you can think of saying to make yours unique?

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

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

Making Money Online and Blogging 3

Making Money Online and Blogging 3

On a number of occasions recently in comments, I’ve made reference to having rediscovered how much I enjoy writing. When Reward Rebel was born, it was as a vehicle with which I could learn and practise blogging technicalities, with a view to making money online. It was never really my intention to promote it and encourage visitors.

The first entries I posted are barely-edited private label rights articles, which served the purpose of providing content around which I could learn the fundamentals, so that I could then apply my new skills to niche marketing sites.

It was a surprise when I found myself hungrily searching for just the right word to evoke whatever imagery I was attempting to conjure up from thin air. This was fun! What’s more it was my blog, hosted on my server, so I could do whatever I wanted. The control freak geek’s ultimate wet dream!

Internet marketing and blogging are inter-connected, but they are also worlds apart. The affiliate marketing aspect of internet marketing is very competitive, and although there exist network marketing joint ventures, ultimately the leading webpreneurs are all competing to promote the same products to the same finite market.

They start to look a little ridiculous, as they each offer a more generous bonus than the last guy, in an attempt to bribe you into choosing to buy the latest ‘wonder product’ from their affiliate site.

On the other side of the coin, we have bloggers practically knocking each other out as they offer you their hand, to help pull you up!

The friendly, supportive nature of the blogging community was a refreshing surprise, and is in fact having a profound effect on the development of my present attitude to my online activities. I’ve welcomed the kindness of strangers, and in turn I’ve tried to give assistance wherever I’m able.

The discovery of blogging and the blogging community has been a real eye opener, and is without a doubt, a positive enhancement in my life. I’m enjoying the writing, the interaction, and the interesting new things I’m learning.

Everyday the adventure grows.

Reward Rebel