Some of the Pay-2-Blog programs allow advertisers to hand pick the blogs where their ads will appear. Until now, PayPerPost did not have this option. Note that I said “until now.” PayPerPost has released part one of “Birdo,” their one-on-one, advertiser to blogger marketplace. And once again, PayPerPost does it better than anyone else.

I’ll admit I’ve used only a few of these other services. However, I’ve used them for several months and the results have been less than pleasing. One of the direct programs sets your blog price for you; I have absolutely no idea how they come up with the prices they set but I do know I’m not happy with mine. The other allows you to set your own price but the offers are so infrequent that I usually forget all about the service.

Perhaps the thing that most sets PPP Direct apart from the others is the fees it charges. Unlike other sites that take as much as 50% of your price for their own fees, PPP Direct charges just 10%, and half of that goes to the transaction fees for PayPal and credit card processing. That’s right, the blogger makes 90% of the fee. I’ve looked over just about every Pay2Blog company out there and no one offers such a sweet deal. Just another reason to love PayPerPost.

Of course, this is a brand new part of PayPerPost so I’m still learning it myself. That isn’t too hard, though, since PayPerPost really does hold your hand and walk you through the steps. That’s more than I can say for other companies that barely have 5 FAQ answers for the whole process.

PPP Direct is just the latest goodie the PPP folks have offered us. This, on the heels of 1k Tuesdays and HDTV Tuesdays, is just icing on the cake. I’ve got to hand it to Ted and the gang, they do listen to their advertisers and Posties and they deliver on their promises. If you blog (and if not, why not???) and you haven’t joined PayPerPost yet, now is the perfect time to do just that. Get signed up and start getting paid to blog about the things you love!

Recently, Calacanis sat down with Ted Murphy, CEO of PayPerPost, for an interesting and lively podcast interview. It’s about an hour long but it is worth watching.

As I watched this, comments and retorts were blurting from my mouth. There was so much I wanted to say to Jason, to set him straight. Ted did a fine job but he missed a few key points. Understandable since he was there, in the heat of the moment and I was able to watch at home in my recliner.

Anyway, I won’t go through the whole podcast. I want to make just one point. Calacanis used magazines and their “Advertisement” disclosure as an example of ethical journalism and to illustrate his objection to bloggers who use sitewide disclosure. I know what he had in mind; I’ve seen those obvious advertisements in magazines, too. But that isn’t an accurate analogy to what bloggers are doing. I was trying to find a better comparison when I finally gave up and retreated to my comfy chair to read my latest edition of Allure magazine. And that’s when it all came together.

Just pick up a copy of the April issue of Allure. Turn to page 174; that article caught my eye because I’ve been a mineral makeup convert for over 5 years. The article, as expected, mentioned the better known makeup brands which also happen to advertise within the pages of the magazine. No problem It was an independant article, right? Well, maybe.

On page 175, toward the end of the article, is an editorial box making mention of some mineral makeup brands. Each and every one of those brands advertise in Allure magazine. There is no notice anywhere near that box signifying the items are paying for a mention. And there are dozens of other mineral makeup companies with excellent products that could have been mentioned there as well. However, none of those companies advertise in Allure.

I will point out as well that people pay for that (and other) magazines. No one pays me to read my blog. In fact, I pay for hosting and my domain in order to publish my blog. I would have to say that magazines have more of a responsibility to explain the process by which particular brands ended up in the sidebar rather than the dozens of other equally qualifying brands that don’t buy advertising space elsewhere in the mag.

Need more examples? Just check out the various regular columns in any magazine. Brands that buy advertising within the pages of a magazine are likely to be mentioned elsewhere in the magazine, not in clearly marked advertisements but in editorial pages and regular columns as well as article sidebars.

And yet Calacanis bashes bloggers who accept the offer to review sites and products for money. You would think that Jason has never accepted compensation, in money or product, for any written or verbal review (and yes, that includes a test item if he’s allowed to keep it after reviewing it). Uh, no. I find that hard to believe. I also find it disingenuous to proclaim that his disclosure is understood within the context of his post because people know him so well yet we peon bloggers must disclose in the first sentence of a post because otherwise, we’re being deceptive. Right. Different rules for the mighty Calacanis.

I can’t help but get the impression that Calacanis’ primary objection to PayPerPost is that he didn’t think of it and implement it first. He just seems like that kind of guy, given his Digg history.

The cost of the convention and trip down might be manageable but the lodging looks like it will be a deal breaker. Hotel prices are high but it may be less expensive if several of us went together on an Orlando Rental property for the weekend. The problem then is getting to and from the venue and, of course, parking.

There are just so many options to consider. Making a decision is tough. I’d rather drive to Florida but who knows if that would be the best deal economially?

Times like this I wish I still had family living in Florida.

But I think I know it already.

There’s a certain Postie (an affectionate term for PayPerPost bloggers) who we’ll call, uh, Colleen. She’s been one of the most vocal cheerleaders for PayPerPost since its inception. She’s won contests, she answers questions at the forum, she’s The Top Earner, and she even turned the tables on Ted by doing a Reverse Postie Patrol on him.

Well, Miss Colleen has a number of excellent blogs. Her Simple Kind of Life is general but so entertaining. Her Buy Me Blog offers all kinds of shopping insight. GeekySpeaky has grown from just a blog to also include a link directory and an active forum. She has a couple of other blogs, about her hometown, too.

Anyway. Colleen is just so full of ideas and has proven that she is a can-do lady. She has conquered the PayPerPost world and has caught the eye of Ted and Company. And that leads to the big announcement.

I believe that Ted Murphy, CEO of PayPerPost, will be offering Colleen a nice six figure amount for her vast array of blogs. This will allow them to offer her a 7 year contract to join the Department of Customer Love at PayPerPost.

I know, you all want to know how I came to this conclusion. Just trust me on this. It’s in the stars. And it has a lot to do with that horseshoe that Colleen carries around with her. Don’t ask me where she keeps it, though.

If you’re a postie, be sure to get in on the fun by submitting a post. Write up a new post or dig through your archives for a golden oldie. Just be sure to join in!

This week’s theme is going to be pets and animals. So let’s all get talking about those little critters that we love so much! Just click on the link in the widget that says, “submit an article” and you’ll be whisked away to the very place where you can submit your favorite animal or pet blog entry. Be sure to get them in by noon on Sunday, 2/25.

Oh, and if you’re not a Postie, it’s easy to join. Just click my badge over there on the left and sign up.

Now, I admit I don’t qualify for $1000 opp just yet, but I like to set goals and I’m determined to meet that one. I’m doing well with PayPerPost now, with just a PR5, because PayPerPost charges advertisers just 35% service fee unlike the 100% markup that ReviewMe charges. So yeah, this is the best place for making the highest amount of money. No one tops PayPerPost when it comes to rewarding bloggers.

It’s important to note, also, that PayPerPost now requires full disclosure on individual blog posts as well as a site-wide dislosure policy. This has brought transparancy to blog advertising and ensures that this model will grow and flourish.

Advertisers, too, have greater control over their ad campaigns with the release of segmentation. Advertisers can select the desired minimum PR, the maximum Alexa score and a specific catagory or catagories for their advertisment. They can also rate bloggers from one to five and select a rating number they prefer for their campaign.

PayPerPost has listened to advertisers and bloggers alike to make this the blog marketing model that will withstand the test of time.

I hate to admit it but I did a bit of complaining, too. Shame on me. But I knew they’d get it all fixed because the PayPerPost dev team rocks! So to sent them some thanks for a job well done and to say “I’m sorry” for any griping I did at the forum, I sent them a little treat. I sent them some peanut butter fudge, made from my mother’s own secret recipe. Of course, I didn’t realize they were all on a weight loss mission. Whoops!

But guess what? They all loved it! Well, except for Marty who’s alergic to Peanuts. I feel so bad for him. but it looks like Ted ate Marty’s share. And maybe Brit’s, too, since she’s sticking to her diet and not eating any.

I’m so glad it arrived without melting in the Florida heat. And with that sugar buzz they’re all feeling, they ought to be zipping through those post approvals!

Cass has a boatload of great submissions listed. If you like reading and can appreciate excellent writing skills, then you won’t want to miss today’s installment of the Postie Carnival.

And remember, if you want to participate in the next Postie Carnival (which, btw, will be hosted righ here at the Dandelion Patch!) just head on over to PayPerPost to sign up to be a Postie by clicking on my badge over there on the left. Then come on back here and join the Carnival!

So I signed up for PayPerPost’s consumer generated advertising in the hopes of making a little extra money. I’ve been particular about the paid opportunities I take. They have to fit with my blog, my life. It has to be something I’d blog about anyway. You’d think that would limit me but it hasn’t. I’ve been able to find some really nice opportunities that fit perfectly with my blog.

I just added up the money I’ve earned with PayPerPost. I can’t believe it. I’ve earned over
$1100 so far. Not bad for doing something I love.

I’m proud to say that I’ve done a good job of saving my PayPerPost money. I’ve spent only a small amount of it, saving most for my upcoming trip to Hawaii to see my husband. If not for that money, I would have a really tough time getting there this time.

Now I’m starting save for another trip I’d like to take in June. If I can allow the money to grow for a few more months, I may be able to afford a trip to PostieCon, a convention for bloggers and the PayPerPost community.

And after that? I guess it’s time to start making a list of the things my PayPerPost money is going to buy.