Recently there has been a lot of discussion regarding paying for blog posts as a means of advertising. In the summer of this year, PayPerPost, a new web startup that allows bloggers to earn by making posts about company’s products or services, was launched. Since its launch over 4 months ago, the site has created a rift in the online blogging community between those who think paying for blog posts is ethical, and those who think not.
Many argue that their service is not ethical since bloggers do not disclose that they were paid for the post. Others argue that it is the blogger’s individual right to choose whether or not they want to display advertisements in the method of a post and whether or not they want to disclose that they were paid for the post. We will stay out of the politics of the issue and instead focus on how this service has sparked interest in “Paying for Blog Posts” as a primary way of monetizing weblogs.
Over the past few months, many new web startups such as ReviewMe have followed the PayPerPost model, but created their own variations. ReviewMe allows advertisers to choose certain blogs to advertise on, while PayPerPost allows bloggers to choose which “opportunities” they want to blog about.
PayPerPost recently reported that they have earned over $100,000 since their launch and that tens of thousands of posts have been made using their network. This and the fact that they recently received $3 Million in VC Funding should lead to a great increase in the “paying for blog post” market of web advertising over the next few years. The industry is definitely one to keep a close eye on.
