Sunday, September 16, 2007

A Brief Note About Pay Per Post

I just did a Pay Per Post ad and was glancing through the remaining opportunities when I came across one that offered a hefty payout, but included this restriction: "We would PREFER you NOT to disclose that this is a paid post."

What does that do to the integrity of a blog? If I'm blogging about some product or another and I don't tell you I'm being paid to do it, doesn't that corrupt the rest of my writing from there on out? And how obvious would that be, anyway? "No, really, guys, I'm totally in love with my new SewerVac. I've never had such a clean sewer line. It hardly ever gets clogged up and fills the lower two floors of my house with raw sewage now that I'm using SewerVac!"

Uh, I don't think so.

So just what is the Pay Per Post client who doesn't want you to be honest with your readers selling? Their product or your soul?

4 comments:

ligneus said...

Maybe they think it would be more effective if the reader doesn't realise it's an ad, also less likely to skip it. I don't see anything nefarious in it, it's just the way the adverising business runs.
It's like the Hollywood adage, Sincerity, that's the most important thing, if you can fake that you've got it made.

Foxfier said...

I'd be tempted to do a pay per post with the information that's it's a ppp-- since they only "prefer" that it not be said.

Anonymous said...

Just announce that your other posts are not for pay.

K T Cat said...

When my kids were younger, I helped them believe in Santa, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny because it let them live in a happy, magical, innocent world. The ruse was worth the price.

In this case, I'm trying to pull one over on people who come by to read what I write for the benefit of someone I've never met in exchange for about $20.

No way.