March 8th, 2012: Are You a Health Activist? Fitfluential Ambassador?
Although I am a featured publisher through Foodbuzz, I have no other affiliations at the moment. I don't belong to Fitfluential, I don't have any buttons on my sidebar and I am not a WEGO Health Activist. I've been exploring these avenues so that I could better understand what I want to affiliate myself (and my blog) with.
WEGO Health: This is kind of a social networking site for people interested in health issues, obesity, nutrition, weight loss, etc. They emailed me to participate in a nutrition roundtable last week and I was intrigued. I spent an hour on the phone on a conference call with several others interested in nutrition. I believe that 3 of the 5 of us on the call were registered dieticians (obviously, I am not) so I felt a little out of my league. I did learn a lot and while we were talking WEGO Health was tweeting out some of our comments live.
I earned a $25 Amazon gift card for participating in the call. However, I have not signed up or created a profile with WEGO. I would only recommend it if you are really interested in health rather than physical exercise or simply tasty food and cooking. Also, if you are actively trying to gain Twitter followers (I barely know what that hashtag nonsense is) participating in the Round Table as I did would be a good way to do so.
Fitfluential: I know several bloggers who are part of this network and the benefits seem to be the opportunity to getting free items to try, giveaways, race entries and more. My big problem with this is that it seems that everyone who applies is accepted.
Have you ever heard the quote from Groucho Marx: "I don't want to belong to any club that will have me as a member"? I kind of feel like that. I don't particularly feel like I am "influential in the fitness world" so I'm not sure what I would have to share. Plus, while I do reviews/giveaways I only do things I WANT to do - I don't know if it would be okay to turn down offers repeatedly from Fitfluential.
One final thing - I'm a snob. No surprise here. I guess I worry that by accepting membership into one of these networks that my blog posts will resemble other posts by different bloggers because we are all encouraged to write about the same thing on the same day.
Do you belong to any other groups/networks/affiliations? What are the benefits you have received so far, or any of the cons I failed to be aware of?
I'm curious to learn what your personal experience are and whether you view these affiliations as a positive or negative thing.
*One more thing! I realize after writing this that I was probably thinking about it thanks to this post from Rose- go over and read her thoughts about Fitfluential as well.
February 21st, 2012: Getting Paid to Blog?
It's not a secret that I make money from my blog. Legally I'm not allowed to share how much I earn with anyone, but...email me if you want a ballpark figure. The two most popular ways to earn money in this area seem to be Google Adsense and Foodbuzz. Both have pros and cons, so let me briefly explain how they work.
Google Adsense: Will bring in money ONLY when someone clicks on the ad. How often does that really happen? Advertisments can be in subtle locations on your blog if desired, and you can choose between text ads and picture ads as well. The ads are supposed to target the reader, but if you have ever visited a site for cake recipes and seen Russian mail order bride ads you know that doesn't always work, does it? If your blog gets a lot of traffic, those few clicks can really add up.
Foodbuzz: This is the company that I ultimately decided on. You get paid not by how many people click on the ad, but by how many actually see it. The catch is, only North American views are counted. (Thanks for nothing, my Lebanese readers). Also, you have to live in America to become a Foodbuzz Featured Publisher. On the plus side, you are able to opt-in to a lot of different food samples and opportunities sponsored by Foodbuzz and other brands. I have received hundreds of dollars in samples so far. Also a negative is the contract, which can be frustrating at times to understand. I do know that most bloggers who sign up with Foodbuzz won't be allowed to have competing ads. I was told that my Foodbuzz profile would bring in traffic, but if it has it's been very minimal.
Although I am a featured publisher through Foodbuzz, I have no other affiliations at the moment. I don't belong to Fitfluential, I don't have any buttons on my sidebar and I am not a WEGO Health Activist. I've been exploring these avenues so that I could better understand what I want to affiliate myself (and my blog) with.
WEGO Health: This is kind of a social networking site for people interested in health issues, obesity, nutrition, weight loss, etc. They emailed me to participate in a nutrition roundtable last week and I was intrigued. I spent an hour on the phone on a conference call with several others interested in nutrition. I believe that 3 of the 5 of us on the call were registered dieticians (obviously, I am not) so I felt a little out of my league. I did learn a lot and while we were talking WEGO Health was tweeting out some of our comments live.
I earned a $25 Amazon gift card for participating in the call. However, I have not signed up or created a profile with WEGO. I would only recommend it if you are really interested in health rather than physical exercise or simply tasty food and cooking. Also, if you are actively trying to gain Twitter followers (I barely know what that hashtag nonsense is) participating in the Round Table as I did would be a good way to do so.
Fitfluential: I know several bloggers who are part of this network and the benefits seem to be the opportunity to getting free items to try, giveaways, race entries and more. My big problem with this is that it seems that everyone who applies is accepted.
Have you ever heard the quote from Groucho Marx: "I don't want to belong to any club that will have me as a member"? I kind of feel like that. I don't particularly feel like I am "influential in the fitness world" so I'm not sure what I would have to share. Plus, while I do reviews/giveaways I only do things I WANT to do - I don't know if it would be okay to turn down offers repeatedly from Fitfluential.
One final thing - I'm a snob. No surprise here. I guess I worry that by accepting membership into one of these networks that my blog posts will resemble other posts by different bloggers because we are all encouraged to write about the same thing on the same day.
Do you belong to any other groups/networks/affiliations? What are the benefits you have received so far, or any of the cons I failed to be aware of?
I'm curious to learn what your personal experience are and whether you view these affiliations as a positive or negative thing.
*One more thing! I realize after writing this that I was probably thinking about it thanks to this post from Rose- go over and read her thoughts about Fitfluential as well.
February 21st, 2012: Getting Paid to Blog?
It's not a secret that I make money from my blog. Legally I'm not allowed to share how much I earn with anyone, but...email me if you want a ballpark figure. The two most popular ways to earn money in this area seem to be Google Adsense and Foodbuzz. Both have pros and cons, so let me briefly explain how they work.
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Google Adsense: Will bring in money ONLY when someone clicks on the ad. How often does that really happen? Advertisments can be in subtle locations on your blog if desired, and you can choose between text ads and picture ads as well. The ads are supposed to target the reader, but if you have ever visited a site for cake recipes and seen Russian mail order bride ads you know that doesn't always work, does it? If your blog gets a lot of traffic, those few clicks can really add up.
Foodbuzz: This is the company that I ultimately decided on. You get paid not by how many people click on the ad, but by how many actually see it. The catch is, only North American views are counted. (Thanks for nothing, my Lebanese readers). Also, you have to live in America to become a Foodbuzz Featured Publisher. On the plus side, you are able to opt-in to a lot of different food samples and opportunities sponsored by Foodbuzz and other brands. I have received hundreds of dollars in samples so far. Also a negative is the contract, which can be frustrating at times to understand. I do know that most bloggers who sign up with Foodbuzz won't be allowed to have competing ads. I was told that my Foodbuzz profile would bring in traffic, but if it has it's been very minimal.
I'm definitely happy with Foodbuzz right now, but I can see why it might not be beneficial down the road. I've had to turn down some private company ads because of the contract, although they were pretty minimal so it certainly doesn't bother me.
Foodbuzz may be a good thing for American bloggers, but Canadians cannot participate in the Tastemakers program and I am thinking that you don't get paid for Canadian hits either.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to know if Google ads are really worth it...
ReplyDeleteI applied to be a Foodbuzz Featured Publisher but never heard back from them- how long did it take you to be accepted?
ReplyDeleteI just checked and it was about 5 weeks between the time I applied and the time I heard back from them - certainly not right away!
Deleteme too, still no reply a month later
Deletei've tried to get on with foodbuzz as i heard it pays more than the blogher ads, but i have enjoyed the reviews i'e been able to do with blogher.
ReplyDeletei will say that i was more excited about my fitfluential status in august when it was a small select group. technically the group is still decently small, but it has grown substantially and i am concerned it will get watered down to mean less
I used to be fitfluential.... until everyone and their dog was accepted and then I dropped. I wasn't interested in someone telling me what to write about, I wasn't interested in writing reviews and doing giveaways unless I loved the product so much that begged them to let me do something. I don't know. It felt like I was supposed to become an ad, and that's NOT why I blog. So I quit. I want to be able to write whatever I want, whenever I want- even if my opinion on something changes or I end up liking another brand of compression socks better than a pair I originally used. I'm entitled to a change of opinion!
ReplyDeleteStepping off my soapbox...... now.
YOU GO GIRL!!!
DeleteI think you took the words right out of a lot of our mouths!!
DeleteI didn't know FitFluential was like that...
Here I've been feeling SUPER LAME that I perhaps was the ONLY person they didn't respond to or accept as an ambassador!!
OH and CONGRATS on the Ogden Marathon!!
I absolutely get what you're saying. I'm in fitfluential and I keep hoping for great opportunities...and nothing so far. There's no obligation either way, but so many things are just not for me. It is frustrating that so many people are getting accepted and it's like..uh there already aren't tons of opportunities as is...I'm sticking with it for now, but..well..we'll see.
ReplyDeleteHey I loved this!!! so I was right to be excited to read it ;) I have no problems with the bloggers I see "in the club" but I was asked to join them back on my old blog when I had barely begun to even know what being fit was - I posted about running and eating 5 pieces of cheesecake and definitely didn't seem to fit their fit bill ;) I did ask some questions to their rep but I didn;t like the answers. You're right it seemed like anyone could join and that really it was more beneficial to THEM if you did. I have gone over to their blog to read guest posts from bloggers I like, like Heather, and Tri-Girl....but really I'd like to know if anyone in the club thinks they're reaping rewards b/c it seems like all that's happening is that FITFLUENTIAL is all over the blogosphere reaping all the social traffic benefits for NOTHING that the blogger couldn't achieve on their own.
ReplyDeleteam I wrong here???
look what I just read .... http://fitfluential.com/brands/
Deleteit seems to me like they're making money off of their ambassadors but what are they giving them in return??
combining their facebook reach and pageviews - very creative. If fitfluential was in the Shark Tank - she'd have a deal ;)