Pay Per Play, Pay-Per-Play, PayPerPlay, and PPP. However you spell it, advertisers and users will lose.

I just started hearing about a new form of advertising, Pay Per Play Ads. There's currently a big push to get Pay Per Play deployed and I was interested because unlike most advertising, site owners will get paid every time a page is viewed and a 5 second audio Pay Per Play ad is played, or seems to be played.

http://www.sellingppp.com/samples.html

But after hearing some samples, I see Pay Per Play as a bad implementation of a good idea. Recorded ads are good, but having them play automatically is bad.

I listen to music constantly while I am working on the computer, and that is about 10-16 hours a day on average. On many days I would never hear ANY of these ads, since I listen to the radio or a CD and must flip a switch on my stereo to hear any computer sound. When I do have my computer sound on, it's mostly because I am listening to Techno music, and when the ads play they are very hard to hear and understand over that hard-thumping beat I enjoy. And I would hate to be listening to more normal music, a Podcast, or classical music and have these Pay Per Play ads intrude upon my enjoyment. What's funny is one of the sites promoting these audio ads say these are "non-intrusive". Maybe to the eye, but not the ear!

So that is two problems for advertisers, users with no sound on or sound that drowns out their Pay Per Play ads. Advertisers should also worry about "page-view fraud", where pages are requested by automated scripts and no one ever sees them or hears the ads. Yes, a web page file request would not play an ad, but it would be easy enough to request the Flash media file and that would make it seem like the ad was played.

I would not be posting about this dumb Pay Per Play idea, but the promoters are looking for site owners to run the ads, and since it's "impression-based revenue", which means you could have any kind of traffic to your site and earn from it, the incentive will be high for webmasters to add it to their sites. Man if you search for "Pay Per Play" in Google you will see a flood of paid ads for the service, but all that I looked at all seem to be copies of the same affiliate site...!

http://www.sellingppp.com/
http://voice2page.com/info/gaa.html

So check it out and see what you think. I think this idea is headed right for the trash for any self-respecting webmaster that does not want to annoy their visitors, but I fear it will not die completely once it takes root. Contact me if you want to know a simple method to block Pay Per Play Ads on most Windows computers...!

(hris

Cheapphonecards.com Announces New "Tell a Friend" Program, Rewards Customers for Each Cell Phone, Card, Airtime Purchase Their Friends Make

New "Tell a Friend" program at Cheapphonecards.com gives customers a great reason to call all of their friends. Customers earn points for every friend they refer who places an order. They can use the points to get free phone cards an prepaid cellular cards.

Charlotte, NC  -  September 6, 2007 -- Cheapphonecards.com announces its new "Tell a Friend" Program. This new program takes reward points to whole new level. As always, Cheapphonecards.com rewards consumers each time they purchase a cell phone, a mobile refill card code, or a phonecard. Consumers may redeem reward points to obtain free phonecards or additional cellular airtime, as well as have access to frequent discounts, sales, and coupons. But now, customers can also earn points every time they refer their friends to the site, when their friends make a purchase.

With a few clicks of the computer mouse, consumers can fulfill all their phone needs. The secure online shopping allows the phonecard or mobile airtime to arrive in the consumer's e-mail account within seconds. No waiting in lines. No listening to instrumental music while on hold. Consumers may view account detail online any time day or night. In addition, customer service is always available to offer friendly assistance.

As if saving money on clean, pinless phonecards for calls all around the world isn't enough, Cheapphonecards.com also chooses to reward consumers for each and every purchase. Accumulating reward points allows the consumer to get free phonecards and airtime.

"We value our customers and want them to enjoy the simplicity and savings that Cheapphonecards.com has to offer. Now, with our "Tell a Friend" program, they get rewarded for referring their friends to the site, when their friends make a purchase," Russ Snapper, Cheapphonecards.com Marketing Director said. "From our user-friendly online shopping to our unique rewards program, we always keep the customer's needs in mind."

Cheapphonecards.com is a leading online e-pin calling card and mobile refill card merchant offering the leading landline phone cards and offering mobile refills for the largest prepaid programs including AT&T Go Phone, T Mobile To Go, Verizon, and more. Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.

Press Contact: Russ Snapper
Company Name: Cheap Phone Cards
Phone: (800) 316-0806
Website: www.cheapphonecards.com

The World's First Domain Name Barter Trading Portal

Online Domain Name Swapping Marketplace Launches on the 4th of July 2007.

Penang Island, Malaysia (PRWEB) July 24, 2007 -- Swapnames.com is the industry's free and safe marketplace for everyone to literally trade their domain names or websites in return for other, more valuable domain names.

With SwapNames, domain owners can now actively search out domains of interest, offer their own domains to swap, as well as receive swap offers from other domain owners. Additionally, the site acts as a domain name marketplace where users have the option of buying or selling valuable e-properties. All listings on SwapNames have both a fixed selling price and a trade value, which creates valuable exposure to easily market and sell or trade domains.

Presently, there are no open, 'free-for-all' marketplaces just for domain name barter trading. All other domain name marketplaces are either auction houses or 'for sale listing' sites. With the launch of SwapNames, the domain name industry now has its very own true-blue barter trading portal.

The idea for SwapNames was inspired by a man named Kyle MacDonald who traded one red paperclip for a different item, and continued trading his items until, 14 trades later, he owned a house. SwapNames' founder Koay Al Vin, after reading about the One Red Paperclip project, immediately related the idea to the hundreds of domain names he had invested in.

"Most of my lesser quality domain names could not be sold, and were left undeveloped and gathering 'digital dust'. I could not properly monetize the names, and renewal dates were drawing nearer!" said Koay. "Because of the circumstances, I had to actively search out fellow domain owners to barter trade my names with theirs. Today, every domainer in the same boat can actively 'trade-up' their domains and that is an extra alternative instead of just letting their domains expire," he added.

"I knew that this industry was really in need of a platform for people to swap their existing domains. Now, everyone can diversify their portfolio of domains the way Kyle MacDonald did, but this time it will be for virtual pieces of properties: domain names."

About SwapNames

Swapnames.com was founded by a Malaysian-based domain investor and entrepreneur, Koay Al Vin.

With a little help from a kind angel investor and some money made from a domain name sale, Koay hired a talented programming team from India to chase his vision. He dreams of a totally new marketplace where domain name 'trade-ups' could potentially be among the mainstream tools for domain investors.

SwapNames, Inc was incorporated in Delaware, USA and operates from a tiny, but beautiful, island in Malaysia called Penang.

One other virtual property founded also by Koay is DNHour.com, another industry's first. It is a DIGG-style domain industry news portal.

Press Contact: Koay Al Vin
Company Name: SwapNames, Inc.
Phone: +6012-4726233
Website: http://www.swapnames.com

From the Oilfields to the Vineyards: New Small Lot Winemaker Goes from Crude to Cabernet

After spending much of his life taking oil samples and grading gasoline, new winemaker now takes barrel samples and pours vineyard soul. Small lot winemaking has always been big in Europe. The trend is growing in the U.S.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) September 20, 2007 -- After spending much of his life taking oil samples and grading gasoline, new winemaker now takes barrel samples and pours vineyard soul. Small lot winemaking has always been big in Europe. The trend is growing in the U.S.

Jonathan Branch remembers hearing the old man say it first. He was sitting at a cafe table in a small town in Italy. The old man said the word "Animae" to the waitress. He was describing a wine to her. After the man left, Jonathan asked the waitress what "Animae" meant, and she said "soul". The wine had soul. He instantly new that he wanted to make wine. Wine that had soul.

Jonathan had worked for 17 years with Britsh Petroleum. Taking crude oil samples and grading finished gasoline. Work allowed him to travel the world, and he had his first experience with a great wine from the Alsace region while visiting Paris. It changed his life.

Paris was a long way from the hard and violent streets of the fifth ward in Houston, Texas. He considered himself lucky to make it out. But many of the older folks who lived in the fifth ward were transplanted farmers, and they also knew about "Animae". They grew much of their food in their backyard.

So what does a person with a great job do when he falls in love with the idea of making his own wine ? He quits. Volunteers to work at a co-op winery shoveling grape skins, sorting the spiders from the fruit, and doing punchdowns until his arms are about to fall off. In doing this, some of the best winemakers around gave up their knowledge, and allowed Jonathan to source some excellent fruit from Napa, and produce his first wine. A 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. Which is aptly titled Branch Cellars "Animae"Blend."

Jonathan Branch has no regrets about leaving the 90 octane tests, and hopefully scoring some 90 point reviews of his wine. He knows African -American winemakers are rare , and small production wines are just starting to catch on, but he believes people are coming back to things that are made with a little love, and a little "Animae."

2005 Branch Cellars "Animae" Cabernet Sauvignon
A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot; this desirious red wine truly has soul. Aromas of blueberry, cocoa, and tobacco are featured prominently on the nose. The palate delivers mouthwatering, fruit forward, flavors of black cherry, cocoa and subtle mineral notes that compliment this red's soft tannins. --Tom Dinardo of WineSquire

Press Contact: Jonathan Branch
Company Name: Branch Cellars
Phone: 626-840-6745
Website: branchcellars.com

In-Textification Or In-Text Infestation?

by Kory Kredit , Thursday, December 13, 2007
DEPENDING ON WHOM YOU ASK, the in-text ad is either an ingenious ad revenue-generation mechanism (an opinion typically shared by marketing and ad sales people), or pure unadulterated evil invented by Lucifer himself (popular opinion among journalists and editors). These two groups could be referred to as bottom-liners (not to be confused with bottom-feeders), and content purists (read: hopeless idealists).

The bottom-liner views the proliferation of in-text advertising, or in-textification, as a natural progression of the ad-supported Internet universe. In this world, Web sites exist to generate revenue, or at least that's what their job description says. These people are generally responsible for squeezing every last penny out of any available pixel they can confiscate from their editors and/or Web site designers.

Content purists, alternately, see the growing threat of in-text advertising as an unwanted infestation that crosses the line between their sacred words and the necessary evil that is advertising. While they subconsciously acknowledge that advertising pays their bills, they long for an Internet utopia void of banners, interstitials, rollovers, adwords, pop-ups and the like. (If only Al Gore could have foreseen the dark side of his creation, would he have done it differently, knowing what he knows now?)

The common ground for both of these groups is that they understand and embrace the reality that one cannot exist without the other -- or let's at least pretend they do, just for the sake of argument. Without the bottom-line focus of marketing and ad sales people, the Internet would most likely be an overgrown college message board. By the same token, ads without compelling content wouldn't draw eyeballs to visit a Web site (although that hasn't stopped a large number of video-sharing sites from adopting that model).

The lure of in-text advertising for bottom-liners is that it essentially creates prime real estate that didn't exist before. It offers a wonderful solution for Web sites that don't have any more ad inventory to sell. This newfound treasure trove can be turned into additional ad inventory that doesn't require any modifications to the layout of a page.

For the content purist, however, embedding ads into individual words in their articles can create an unwanted intrusion and a poor user experience for the reader.

This leads us to the issue at hand. Can in-text advertising provide additional ad revenue while not detracting from the user experience, or possibly even enhancing the user experience?

There are a number of companies like Yahoo, Snap, JargonFish and LingoSpot that have created a next generation of hybrid in-text applications that may offer an acceptable alternative that benefits the bottom-liner, the content purist and the Web site visitor.

This hybrid model displays related content from a variety of online resources (i.e. YouTube, flickr, IMDb, Wikipedia, Technorati...) along with a display or text ad. With this type of application, the ad unit is secondary to the content in the window. The added value of the related content provides the visitor with a compelling reason to click on the highlighted link and view the contents of the in-text window, including the ad.

The result is an in-text solution that could appease both the bottom-liners and the content purists. The ad unit generates revenue and the related content adds value to the overall user experience, or at least that is the intended goal.

While this solution may not completely bridge the gap between salespeople and journalists, maybe the two sides could view it as a small plot of common ground in the battle for Web page real estate. Sort of like the Switzerland of the Internet.

Post your response to the public Online Publishing Insider blog.

See what others are saying on the Online Publishing Insider blog.
Kory Kredit is director of marketing at AdOn Network.

Online Publishing Insider for Thursday, December 13, 2007: http://publications.mediapost.com/

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Domain Name Dispute Cases and Domain Harassment

I was just contacted by someone that as had not one, but two domain name complaints filed against them, and for the same domain by the same company. Each time this happened, the domainer was charged a $29 fee by Godaddy and his domain name was locked for an extended period of time. While this fee is reported to be mentioned in their Godaddy TOS, I had never heard of it or of anyone being charged it. Being charged twice for the same thing seems excessive and harassment.

What is to stop a company from filing complaint after complaint and using Godaddy to put the pressure on the domain holder? I do not know yet what the domain name is or the company that is filing the complaint, but too often companies either do not know or do not care what the rules are and cause problems for domain holders without contacting them first to see if something can be worked out.

Most domain name owners are not evil and not wealthy. They are just trying to make a buck from registering a domain name and either parking it, developing it, or holding it as an investment and if someone has a real problem with a domain they own they should be willing to talk about it. Just calling in the lawyers and filing complaints only serves to stir up anger and unite the domain industry against the companies.

There are cases where a company has to be tough and protect itself, but I think they will find more advantages in getting to know the person behind the source of their concern or they may discover that it's not just one domainer but an entire industry.

Check out what some of the current disputes are about. Domainers mostly know already, but it will be interesting to note the type of domain names that are attracting complaints.
http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/cases/2007/d1600-1799.html

(hris

SMS Media Group Launches 'Cell Phone Ads'

SMS Media Group announces the launch of Cell Phone Ads, the first of its kind network for advertisers to market to opt-in cell phone subscribers. Cell Phone Ads offers a non-intrusive way to advertise on cell phones due to the fact that subscribers have signed up to receive content they enjoy getting on a regular basis that is ad-supported.

Aliso Viejo, CA (PRWEB) December 3, 2007 -- SMS Media Group announces the launch of Cell Phone Ads, the first of its kind network for advertisers to market to opt-in cell phone subscribers.

The Cell Phone Ads network lets advertisers place up to 60 characters of text on mobile content such as news, entertainment, finance and other timely alerts.

Advertising on cell phones is predicted to be worth $10 billion by 2010, and SMS is expected to be the most widely used platform by wireless users. Over 350 billion text messages are sent each month around the world, with over 15 percent of these messages, according to Yankee Group, being commercial or marketing in nature.

Unlike mobile web or mobile search advertising, Cell Phone Ads offers direct SMS marketing to the wireless users inbox. These advertisements can be targeted according to user demographics and list preferences. "It's the next evolution of direct marketing, and it's virtually untapped by advertisers," says Gary Brooks President of SMS Media Group.

Cell Phone Ads offers a non-intrusive way to advertise on cell phones due to the fact that subscribers have signed up to receive content they enjoy getting on a regular basis.

"The Cell Phone Ads network was developed to fulfill three purposes," explains Brooks ... "First, to provide a way for advertisers to reach their mobile audience; second, to allow publishers to monetize their mobile content; and third, to allow subscribers to receive mobile content that is ad-supported."

According to Forrester Research, 43 percent of U.S. marketers are using or are about to use mobile marketing in the next 12 months, and nearly 90 percent of major brands plan to market on mobile phones by 2008.

To learn more about advertising on cell phones or to request a data card, go to CellPhoneAds.com.

About SMS Media Group
Founded in 2002, SMS Media Group (SMSMG) is a mobile media company specializing in permission-based SMS communications to cell phones, otherwise known as "text messaging." The company's focus and strategy is divided into three segments: messaging, advertising, and content. SMSMG's mobile messaging platform, SMSdelivery™, allows businesses to send text messages to wireless subscribers.

Press Contact: GARY BROOKS
Company Name: SMS Media Group Inc
Phone: 888-681-3965
Website: http://smsmediagroup.com

Work Media Lands Student Loan Financial Group Account

Work Media, a Nashville, TN, based Internet marketing firm, recently landed the online search account for Student Loan Financial Group (SLFG), a Maryland-based private supplier of student loans. The account was awarded to Work Media after a review that included some of the largest search engine marketing firms in the United States.

Nashville, Tennessee (PRWEB) December 6, 2007 -- Work Media, a Nashville, TN, based Internet marketing firm, recently landed the online search account for Student Loan Financial Group (SLFG), a Maryland-based private supplier of student loans. The account was awarded to Work Media after a review that included some of the largest search engine marketing firms in the United States.

"We offered the client a comprehensive search program that has already proven to be of tremendous value to them," says Jerry Work, president of Work Media. "When we were named a finalist for the business, SLGF compared and tested our methodology against that of the other much larger finalist. In the end, our proprietary techniques delivered better results and the account was awarded to Work Media."

Within the first week of launching the paid search campaign, the Work Media-managed search ads were delivering student loan applications at half of SLFG's target cost.

Work Media's client list includes Honda Power Equipment, Bentley Systems (an engineering software company), and Columbia State Community College. Work Media is partially owned by Frank/Best International (FBI), a full-service advertising agency in Nashville.

For additional information, contact Jerry Work at 615-473-2045 or via email at jwork @ workmedia.net.

About Work Media
Work Media is a search marketing firm in Nashville that specializes in using natural and paid search campaigns to drive targeted traffic to web sites.


Press Contact: Jerry Work
Company Name: Work Media
Phone: 615-263-2811
Website: http://www.workmedia.net

Introducing Direct Mobile Advertising, Inc - Most Unique and Effective Outdoor Mobile Billboard Advertising Agency in Bergen County, NJ

Introducing Direct Mobile Advertising, Inc (DMA) -- a leader in outdoor mobile billboard advertising. DMA offers a unique and affordable alternative to traditional print, radio, TV, Internet and direct mail advertising.

Bergen County, NJ (PRWEB) October 9, 2007 -- Nowadays, both small and large businesses are constantly on a lookout for new and innovative ways to break through to customers using various forms of marketing and advertising. Similarly, many advertisers have pointed out that traditional forms of advertising have become less effective in reaching their consumers.

Direct Mobile Advertising, Inc (DMA) is an advertising agency operating a fleet of mid-sized trucks that are equipped with state-of-the-art scrolling billboards on each side which use high impact graphics and unique powerful backlighting to bring advertising message to life in vivid colors. These moving billboards are in constant motion repeatedly traveling the same pre-determined routes based around the highest traffic areas in Bergen County, as reported by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. In addition to potentially generating over 100,000 daily impressions, DMA employs professional street teams to distribute flyers, coupons and special offers directly to advertiser's customers.

"As business owners we've experienced a lack of opportunity and prohibitive costs associated with outdoor advertising of small and mid size businesses. More than that, traditional ways of advertisement such as TV, radio and print publications were not always effective and as targeted as we wanted them to be" says Henry Polur, a founder of DMA. "We saw an opportunity to provide local businesses in Bergen County with outdoor advertising and marketing services at a fraction cost of traditional mediums, while delivering effective, targeted, and results-driven campaigns" he concludes.

Multiple studies conducted in the field of outdoor advertisement confirm that mobile billboard marketing reaches the hard to reach consumer more effectively than any other form of advertising. Also according to the European outdoor advertising association in Zurich, Switzerland mobile billboard advertising boosts company name recognition 15 times greater than any other form of advertising. Mobile billboard advertising is most useful for: Corporate Branding, Advertising Campaigns, Holiday Promotions, Special Events, Athletic Contests, Grand Openings, Large Sales Promotions, Conventions and Trade Shows, College and Charity Events and Political Function.

As far as the vision for the company, Daniel Rozengurtel, a DMA co-founder says: "Our most important priority is to help local businesses grow by being exposed to outdoor advertising and marketing just like the big players in the market are. We're not interested to merely sell as many ads as possible, but to really work with our clients to understand their needs to help drive success to their business by creating tailored, targeted and powerful advertising campaigns."

About Direct Mobile Advertising, Inc.:
Direct Mobile Advertising Inc. (DMA) provides mobile marketing and advertising services with media presentation utilizing state-of-the-art scrolling billboard technology mounted on each side of a mid-sized truck. DMA offers unique and affordable alternative to traditional print, radio, TV, Internet and direct mail advertising. DMA is affiliated with over 70 other operators nationwide and is able to provide marketing services throughout the US. For more information on how to reach your target markets, visit http://www.directmobileads.com.

Press Contact: Daniel Rozengurtel
Company Name: Direct Mobile Advertising, Inc
Phone: 9178070183
Website: http://www.directmobileads.com