Ebuzzing UK launch

Ebuzzing is a platform that brings advertisers and bloggers together, ebuzzing enables advertisers to pay bloggers to promote their services via sponsored posts. This is one way for bloggers to increase their monetisation without adding additional banner advertising to their sites. Paid posts are comparatively new in Europe although they have been a hit in the United Stated of America for some time. I know several US bloggers who make $2000 plus per month through paid posts.

Started in 2007 Ebuzzing has been offering bloggers ways to monetize their blogs by broadcasting videos and creating content for brands. Ebuzzing  helps advertisers  increase their visibility and generate traffic to their websites.  Ebuzzing works with brands such as Coca-Cola, Intel, MTV, LʼOréal, MasterCard, Toyota, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, eBay, Canon, Diesel, Warner Bros, Philips, StudioCanal.

To take paid posts or not to take paid posts, that is the question that many bloggers ask themselves. In my mind as long as you are transparent that you are being paid and only truly recommend something that you believe in the I do not have a challenge with it. To find out what you could earn register on ebuzzing.com

Disclosure and transparency are important for readers and advertisers and bloggers are required to declare that it is a sponsored post. To keep Google happy all links must be no follow links, which also keeps bloggers safe. All articles must be at least two hundred and fifty words in length to meet the Ebuzzing quality post score.

Callsdirect David Resnik an interview

CallsDirect is a performance-based media buying company that specializes in generating quality high volume phone inquiries. CallsDirect’s mission is to use media as efficiently as possible to generate results for media owners, target the right audience, and deliver quality high volume calls to advertisers. CallsDirect is uniquely positioned in its focus on using all types of media to make the phones ring for advertisers on a fixed price basis. http://www.callsdirect.com/

The Pay-Per-Call Opportunity – An Interview with Jason Spievak, CEO of RingRevenue

Q: There has been a lot of buzz lately about pay-per-call, and most of the top affiliate networks are getting on board with it. Tell us what it is and how affiliates can use it.

Jason Spievak: Pay-per-call refers to the use of unique toll-free and local phone numbers that can be used in both online and offline advertising to track the source and effectiveness of an ad campaign. For example, let’s say you see a flyer on a school kiosk advertising a product you want to learn more about. You call that number, and the advertiser knows exactly which ad prompted your call. He may be running ads on flyers all over the country, or using any other media channels online or off, but now he knows where your call came from, and can combine that information with data from the other sources to see how effective his ads are and which ones his customers are finding to be the most relevant.

So, the ability to track these calls either online or off is what makes pay-per-call an exciting opportunity for affiliate marketing. With pay-per-call, affiliates can use telephone numbers in their ad campaigns – whether they’re doing search or email marketing, using video or display ads, social media, coupons, or doing mobile or offline marketing – and get paid for every call they drive to an advertiser. On top of this new way to get paid for their efforts, research shows that just having a phone number in your ad can increase the conversion or click rate, so pay-per-call is a real win for affiliates.

Q: Wait – doesn’t driving calls to a call center cost a lot more?  Why would advertisers want to do this? Wouldn’t they rather have consumers buy online?

Jason Spievak: That may be some advertisers’ preference, depending on their product or service. But smart advertisers listen to their customers, and customers often have questions and want to speak with someone, especially for more complex purchases.  They’ll purchase a book online, but not an insurance policy. With pay-per-call, the benefits outweigh the costs. Calls convert considerably higher than clicks – 30 to 50 percent compared with one to three percent for clicks. Plus, by adding personalization and upsell potential to a qualified phone call, the average order size is about double.

Q: So advertisers like it because more calls ultimately means more revenue.

Jason Spievak: Exactly. Advertisers can manage online and offline campaigns from one central location, while expanding their reach and improving the effectiveness of their ads.

Q: So why are networks suddenly so interested in this? Call tracking has been around for a while.

Jason Spievak: That’s true. But legacy call tracking solutions failed. They were tough to use, they didn’t take into account the specific needs of both advertisers and publishers to scale, and they weren’t easy for networks to work with, either. Today’s technology makes it easy to track calls like clicks on a large scale.  

In the past there were also issues of quality, and we saw lots of fraud in the industry – especially in lead gen. Calls deliver better quality customers. And growth in the mobile sector has helped this take hold as well – there’s more content delivered to the phone these days, so it’s become easy for consumers to interact that way.

Another point worth making is that networks realize they have only been attracting a small portion of advertiser budgets. The bulk of these budgets – 90 percent – goes to offline media sources. Networks see an opportunity to track more transactions and attract more dollars by offering phone-based campaigns for high-end products and services, to capture local and small business ad spend, etc.

Q: So how are publishers making money with this?  

Jason Spievak: Publishers make money – more money, actually – by connecting consumers with advertisers by phone using display, search, email or blog campaigns. And that’s just online. As I said before, studies show conversion rates for phone calls are 30 to 50 percent, and consumers are more likely to buy big-ticket items when they can speak to someone live. We’ve seen this high conversion rate drive double-digit pay raises for publishers who have gotten into pay-per-call. And now, because of how successful this has been, we’re seeing many networks increasing publisher commissions for pay-per-call leads.

Q: Wow. That’s pretty enticing. You said that’s just online – you had mentioned earlier that publishers can take their affiliate marketing campaigns offline. Why is that something they would want to do, and how does it work?

Well, even with offline revenue on the decline, there’s still more than $200 billion being spent in the U.S. on offline media.  Much of it is being spent to drive more than 20 billion sales calls a year. So let’s say you, Murray Newlands, have your own radio show on a local radio station. That same advertiser may also offer radio ads that you could put on your station, each with a unique phone number, so that you can track which ads are driving the most quality callers, and then focus on those ads to generate the most revenue for your ads. Or, consider the flyer example I gave earlier. For an affiliate to run a pay-per-call campaign using flyers posted to school kiosks or laundromat bulletin boards, the cost of goods is really just a ream of paper.

Q: So, essentially, pay-per-call enables affiliates to expand their reach to channels they may not typically think of when they think of affiliate marketing.

Jason Spievak: Exactly. Again, online advertising today represents only about one-tenth of the overall spend on advertising globally. With pay-per-call, publishers can tap into that incredible revenue opportunity by adding offline media such as print, TV, radio and direct mail to their online campaigns.

Pay-per-call is also a big opportunity for affiliates who aren’t ready or don’t want to get into offline marketing. Adding a phone number allows affiliates to promote more big-ticket items and services online. While in the past a consumer making a large purchase – like a computer, for example – may have hesitated to click that “buy” button because he had a few more questions about the product, he will now just call for more information, and the affiliate still gets credit for the sale.

Q: I love it! Where can affiliates sign up?

Jason Spievak: Contact us, and we’ll help get them set up in our partner networks: info@ringrevenue.com or 888-338-6101.

Q: Fantastic. Thanks for your time, Jason.

Jason Spievak: Thanks for having me, Murray.

Jason Spievak is CEO of RingRevenue (www.ringrevenue.com), provider of pay-per-call tracking technology to the major affiliate networks.

XY7 Affiliate Network Jon Fondy an interview

Find out more at www.xy7.com/

Y7.com is a leading provider of online marketing solutions through our performance-based affiliate marketing network. With a variety of online programs to market and cutting-edge technology, affiliates are sure to find the programs and options to make their marketing efforts a success.

Making video easy…is hard. But it is starting to happen and adding a new dimension to socialisation on the Internet.

On the social web and on Facebook, the trend towards sending and sharing video is growing at enormous rates, internet TV viewing in the US alone has increased more than 50% year over year. But there is a difference between sharing a video on YouTube, viewing a concert on Facebook through Ustream and what innovative startups, like Vpype, is calling social video.

The social aspect of video is blurring the boundaries between real life and real experiences online. But more interesting, it is letting people connect with celebrities, brands, politicians and leaders in a powerful new way. This is the game changer.

The state of art for socialisation around video today is in three buckets.

With YouTube, you capture a video moment, upload it and share it by sending it around. Fun stuff, and we all feel good when we get comments like ”looking good” or  “great vacation” or “can’t wait to see you” – similar to a video post on your Facebook wall.  While richer content than a photo, it’s not really that different.

With the streaming companies like Ustream, Livestream and JustinTV, we are finally getting events and shows delivered digitally to us on our laptops and phones inside of Facebook. It’s cool to watch a show, comment on the wall, or Tweet what you’re thinking to your friends. Similar to Social TV. Their goal is to create a virtual living room or concert hall around the shared experience. The event is streamed, the comments are to your friends via chat.  This is less about changing socialisation than about changing the delivery from analogue to digital.

The third, more embryonic and more interesting is what is termed social video and is finding a home on Facebook. Simply this lets an individual or a brand or businesses create a video conversation with their friends or fans. You use your Friends Lists and Event Manager to decide where and when, you broadcast live and share the broadcast channel with your audience who can ask questions, interact and shape the content of what you are presenting or talking about.

So social video is a two-way, one-to-many shared channel of communications where the broadcaster interacts live, unscripted with their audience. The entire event is saved, shareable and reviewable. The content of this video conversation is the combination of the broadcasters video and the viewers’ comments. The sum of both defines the experience. Think of a live TV show with an audience that interacts freely with the host.

OK…so we have a live two-way channel between brands and fans.  It’s authentic because you can see the broadcaster. It’s real because it’s live and free flowing. And it’s more intimate and compelling because it’s personal. Yes, this is where real life and real conversations online start to come together.

But the game changing power of this comes from something special that is only available on the social web. And that is connecting with stars (from your local politician to a movie star) in real time in a personal way. Think for a second about Twitter and one of the many reasons why it’s so powerful. You can message Ashton Kutcher or John Mayer and potentially get a response back from them in seconds. For millions this is beyond a wow experience. This could also be a local MP, sports star, Stephen Fry or Jonathan Ross.

With social video, this connection between brand and fan could become a video conversation on Facebook from a Fan Page or personal profile. With these celebrities talking to their fans or customers through their fan pages directly.

Many of these ideas are realised in an exciting new social video product on Facebook called Vpype Live Broadcaster – which currently has early beta testers including a Hollywood Screen Writers Pitch Contest, Evangelical Ministers, auto shops, DJs, etc.   This just one example of what is naturally starting to happen on Facebook.  Having a cloud-based architecture, a global massive audience that grows by 500,000 a day and a proven model for friending and socialisation makes Facebook the perfect platform for this type of application – not to mention monetisation from its advertising model. I’ve blogged further on this subject here.

Today, social video is a conversation defined in a video and gravitar-based chat environment. Voice channels and split screen (Larry King-like) environments are being tested now. And with 4G networks within reach, the paradigm will go mobile for broadcasting as well as interactive video chatting.

It is still early days for this dream but it is really starting to happen. It’s empowering for all of us to be on the brink of another chasm-leaping breakthrough in technology and behavioral change.

As much as I’ve embraced the social web and Facebook today, this leap is really something to get excited about.

I’ll be online broadcasting and trying this one out.

By Arnold Waldstein
Social media explorer. Blogger. Business Advisor. Wine Aficionado.
http://arnoldwaldstein.com

Alltop For Mom Bloggers

Alltop.com has a separate page for mom blogs. Having your blog included on this site can drive more traffic to you. Alltop, which is owned by Guy Kawasaki, is known for its ever changing content because it pulls feeds from news websites and blogs from all over the internet. It’s also the place to find new content and new blogs. The great thing about Alltop is that the categories you are interested in are easy to find, for example mom or mommy blogs are categorized as moms.

How do you get your blog listed on Alltop? You can use the submission form, contact Guy or Neenz on Twitter. If you are going the Twitter route, don’t be pushy or retweet your message. You can write about Alltop on your blog and add a widget to get noticed which may help your blog get pushed up on the mom blog page.

Most blogs have a listing of the most recent five posts on Alltop, but because there are so many mom blogs listed, only 3 feeds are included. The real estate on the moms page is precious so mom bloggers may go out of their way to get their blog moved up. As it’s stated on the About page,

If you’ve gotten the impression that Alltop is not based on computer algorithms or popular voting, you’d be right. We are highly subjective and judgmental.

Once your mom blog is listed, be respectful and write a post about it. Also add one of the badges to your blog and display it proudly, all the time. Guy Kawaski’s latest site is Holy Kaw! It’s possible to have a summary of one of your blog posts written on there and tweeted by Guy. Imagine the traffic that would bring you.

Continue to write great content and your blog may be included or moved up on Alltop for mom blogs.

ConnieFoggles

In San Francisco this Friday, March 5, Artfulchange will use green social media marketing to raise money for Connect the Dots. Artfulchange is a Bay Area nonprofit that uses the arts to create events to raise money for other Bay Area nonprofits- this Friday, March 5, they host a Benefit Concert featuring the Jay Trainer Band and The San Francisco Review for a night of fun and support for greening Non-Profits.

5:30 – Visual arts gallery reception & HAPPY HOUR
7:00 – Jay Trainer Band | Jay Trainer YouTube Channel
8:30 – The San Fran Review featuring *bernadette* & Pamela Parker!
Location: Root Division (Map) 3175 17th Street (at South Van Ness) San Francisco, CA 94110
RSVP on Facebook

Connect the Dots is a Bay Area nonprofit that helps other Bay Area nonprofits reduce their environmental impact as they deliver on their social missions.

As Maikhanh Nguyen, founding director of Connect the Dots, says:

“We recognize that we enjoy the luxury to not be overwhelmed with other operational responsibilities and emergencies to concentrate efforts in energy efficiency, water conservation, waste diversion, and responsible purchasing.  Also, we have access to utility bills across multiple facilities which enable us to identify these savings opportunities to spread from one organization to another.”

At the event, Connect the Dots will feature their 3-month Green Start program concentrating on easy conservation practices yielding deep impact to “jump start” organizations towards sustainability. Their services include connecting nonprofits to single-issue incentive programs that diminish their ecological footprint and generate near-term financial savings, with a focus on under-resourced and critical Bay Area communities. Why? Because they recognize that their constituents are typically most vulnerable to environmental degradation and catastrophes.

Randa West of The Bewitchin’ Kitchen An Interview

Randa branched out from a foodie blog to one that covers weight loss, wedding planning and product reviews. She also has a well connected network of blogger friends who she can reach out to for help and lends a hand when needed. She uses a few memes that are regulars including Meal Plan Monday, Wedding Wednesday and Feature Friday, where she interviews and features bloggers.

Tell me about your Blog -

The Bewitchin’ Kitchen first started out as a recipe blog, but in the last couple months it has evolved into more. I now do bi-weekly “Weight Loss Wednesdays” (where I share my 60 pound weight loss stories, I even have bikini before/after pics [still not sure if I should have done that] and I share my tips too) and “Wedding Wednesdays” (I am in the middle of planning my wedding and sharing every step of the way). I also have some great reviews and giveaways, and of course recipes because without the recipes it wouldn’t be The Bewitchin’ Kitchen!

What was your first blog?

The Bewitchin’ Kitchen is my first blog. I started it in June 2009.

What is the biggest tip you would give to product reviewers?

Well, I am still new to it but I would tell everyone to put yourself out there! If there is a product that you think would make a great review, send the company an email asking if you can. If I never put myself out there, my blog would have gone in a whole nother direction.

Are you contacted by advertisers or do you contact them or both?

I have only had three companies contact me offering me a review/giveaway. The majority of my product reviews come from me e-mailing the companies asking if I could review a product and why I think we would make a good team. I also sign up at sites like Blog Friendly PR.

What is your favorite product that you have reviewed?

This one is tough! I love the food reviews but Eden Fantasys was amazing! Such a great company to work with and the Shunga Candle I reviewed is great! I actually use it on a daily basis as a cuticle cream!

What do advertisers do that you wish they wouldn’t/ do that you like?

I’m still new to reviewing products and I haven’t encountered many dislikes but I can tell you something I don’t appreciate:
A company emailed me and asked me to do a review and giveaway, or so I thought. The e-mail was very unclear. So when I replied saying I would love to help promote their company, but I was unsure if they wanted a review or a giveaway it seemed like the lady snapped at me. Saying that it was obvious that I had to chose between a review or a giveaway. It kind of hurt my feelings, because the email I received babbled on and on and showed me different examples that made no sense. By the time the giveaway ended, I received an apology from the company and was informed that she no longer worked there (they saw our email exchanges).

What I do like is when the company gives you a sincere thank you and compliment about your review! I strive to make them happy and it’s nice to see when they notice.

What do bloggers do that you wish they wouldn’t/do that you like?

I have heard that there are little feuds, but I have never experiences any negativity from other bloggers and I am thankful for that. The bloggers I have been in contact with are wonderful! I have asked many for advice and they seemed eager to help me. I would like to even go as far as saying I have made some blogger friends. However; I would like to add that if anyone ever used some of my content without linking back to me, that would not be appreciated. I would expect a link back (but I would never be rude about it).

What advertiser would you like to work with given a chance?

Eden Fantasys, in a heartbeat. Nicole was so kind and thankful, it really meant a lot. I also really enjoyed working with Sweet N Salty By Design, Bianca was very informative and not to mention her treats were to die for!

Where do you see growth in the blogging field?

There seems to be a lot of review and giveaway blogs. Actually, come to think of it 99% of the blogs I read are review/giveaway blogs. I can understand why, it’s always great to hear about the product before you purchase it (especially if it’s an important one) and who doesn’t like winning something? I have never heard of a winner saying “no thank you” to a prize that is of interest to them.

What is one thing about you that not many people know?

I am a certified make up artist, I have been wondering if I should incorporate that into my blog, but I have been a bit hesitant. There are some great beauty blogs out there, and I just don’t know if I can compete. (Not yet, anyway.) I have a passion for makeup (especially M.A.C Cosmetics) and I have about $3000 worth of it in my personal collection. (Yeah, my credit card loved 2008.)

What’s your favorite book?

I adore Breaking Dawn and Eclipse they are, by far, the best books in the Twilight series. I was surprised with how much I enjoyed that series, even the hubby loves them! For those of you who were hoping I wouldn’t chose a “Twilight” book I would have to say it’s a toss up between Survival of The Fittest by Johnathan Kellerman and Star by Pamela Anderson. I get made fun of because of how much I liked Pam’s book, I found it fascinating! Don’t knock it until you try it!

What is on your iPod?

I’m probably one of the only people in the world (aside from my 102 year old great-grandmother) who does not own an iPod. I got a shuffle for free years ago when I signed up with Telus back in 2005 but I never used it, it is actually probably in one of the boxes downstairs I never got to unpacking. My favorite music is country. Old Tim McGraw, Old George Strait, Garth Brooks, Mark Wills, etc.

What are your contact details?
You can contact me at
thebewitchinkitchen(nospam)@telus.net
http://bewitchinkitchen.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Bewitchin-Kitchen/106360994340
Twitter @bewitchinkitch
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/bewitchinkitchen

What events do you attend?

I have never been to a single one. I’m currently in central Alberta, Canada and we don’t get anything around here.

How do you prefer to communicate?

I love e-mail. This may sound strange, but I love to type and I’m fast at it!

Who would you recommend, and why?

Laurie at Guessing All The Way…Tales From A Clueless Mama (http://www.guessingalltheway.com/) she is a joy to talk with and she has a great blog with great reviews.

Angela at Northern Mama (http://northernmama-northerngirl.blogspot.com/) when I was starting out, she gave me some great tips and she even let me guest post last month. A great fellow blogger.

Stacie at Simply Stacie (http://stacievaughansblog.blogspot.com/) I just started following Stacie’s blog, but when I was her featured blogger she was so kind to me and I really enjoyed working with her.

Dana at Fun and Funky Mommy (http://funandfunkymommy.blogspot.com/) She is my featured blogger today on my blog! I am a new follower of Dana’s blog but I have nothing but great things to say about her. I contacted her last week from some advice and she followed up with me today, it’s so sweet how she remembered. Just goes to show that she is a caring person.

Laura at Household Treasures (http://www.householdtreasuresblog.com/) Laura is the reason I became a blogger. We have known each other since we were little and re connected through her blog. She inspired me with all the great things she did with Househould Treasures, but she hasn’t posted since August because she is pregnant with her son (due soon) and still waiting on the internet (she moved). I miss her posts dearly!

Amanda at Natural Mommie (http://www.naturalmommie.com/) when I was in a rut and was having a hard time getting subscribers Amanda gave me some great advice and she is so sweet! I really respect her as a fellow blogger.

Kelli at 3 Boys and a Dog (http://3boysandadog.com/) I was fortunate enough to do a guest post for Kelli on a recipe of mine. She gave me a great compliment and I love how close she is to her readers.

All the ladies at Holidays With The Cricut (http://www.cricutholiday.com/) I comment on this blog daily! I always liked their blog for all the neat ideas for the Cricut machine, but after a Ustream party I was a part of, I became hooked. They are great gals!

Natalie at Natalies Killer Cuisine (http://www.natalieskillercuisine.com) this isn’t a giveaway blog but if you are looking for some amazing recipes, head over to her site! She is such a nice person too.

Tenille at Feisty Frugal and Fabulous (http://www.feistyfrugalandfabulous.com/) another fellow Canadian blogger who gave me some great advice when I started, and I was sure to listen. Her blog is a major success!

What is one thing people can do for you?

I would love it if everyone who reads this, stops by my blog and has a look around. I would appreciate it if those who really enjoy The Bewitchin’ Kitchen follow me via Google Friend Connect. Thank you.

ConnieFoggles

Stephanie Darmock of A Pocket Full Of Buttons An Interview

Stephanie is a blogger and a business owner. Her blog promotes her business but has grown in its own right to become a site where you can read product reviews and take a peek inside her life.

Tell me about your Blog -

My blog A Pocket Fullof Buttons started out as a way for potential customers of my online boutique Sew Fierce to know the person behind the company. I wanted them to see how much I love to sew and that I take pride in my products. I wanted to offer giveaways of my products and make people happy. Then one day it took on a life of its own and now blog about everything. Reviews, giveaways, recipes, family, crafts, other blogs, etc.

What was your first blog?

A Pocket Full Of Buttons is my first and currently only blog.

What is the biggest tip you would give to product reviewers?

My biggest tip for other reviews is to be honest. Do not feel that because you received a free sample that you must give a perfect positive review. If there is a problem you really do not like be honest about it. Also send an email to the company letting them know your recommendations on how to improve the product, it could just help.

Are you contacted by advertisers or do you contact them or both?

Normally I am contacted by the companies, but if I see something I think my readers would really like to know about I will send an email introducing myself, my blog and ask if they would like a review.

What is your favorite product that you have reviewed?

I have been lucky to review wonderful products and have liked them all but I would have to say my favorite so far is the PUR Water Pitcher with Flavor Options. This product helped my daughters switch from drinking juice all day long to only drinking water and they love it. It has helped to make our family as a whole more healthy.

What do advertisers do that you wish they wouldn’t/ do that you like?

I wish they didn’t have 20 blogs running the same giveaways at the same time. It makes it tough sometimes to get people over to your site for your giveaway when they have already signed up for the same thing on other sites.  I love that they give us the opportunity to work with them. Where else can a stay at home mom feel like she is actually doing something more. Something for herself besides being just someone’s wife or someone’s mother 24/7. We get to be writers. We get to express ourselves and our honest opinions to people who are interested.

What do bloggers do that you wish they wouldn’t/do that you like?

I do not think this question is up to me. I think every blog should do and post what they think is best speech and all that. We as readers have the choice to read or follow any blog or not too. So if something offends you or you do not like it, do not read it. Do not however feel you have the right to g onto someone else’s blog where they are expressing themselves and post a rude or negative comment. I do like the camaraderie between blogs. Commenting back when someone visits you and all the wonderful “blogging buddy sites” to join like SITS and The Mom Bloggers Club.

What advertiser would you like to work with given a chance?

Honestly I have never thought about this. I have been very lucky to work with wonderful companies and look forward to more in the future.

What is one thing about you that not many people know?

The thing that always surprises people the most is when they find out I used to be an Autopsy Intern for the County Coroner when I lived in Sacramento.

What is your favorite book?

I do not have a favorite however currently I am reading Cesar Millan’s book “Cesar’s Way”. We have a new dog in the house and I love Cesar’s way of not training but “rehabilitating dogs and training people”.

What is on your iPod?

Wish I had an iPod! I use my Blackberry. I tune into Pandora when I need music on the go.

What are your contact details?

Email: stephd@(nospam)sewfierce.com
Company: Sew Fierce
Blog: A Pocket Full Of Buttons
Facebook: Sew Fierce Boutique

What events do you attend?

I have not had the opportunity yet to attend any events.  Of course I would love to be a part of the Blogher and Blissdom events but as a military wife with toddler girls planning and funds are always limited. The only thing I can always count on is moving every three years. However this year I am excited to say I do plan on attending the SITS Bloggy Boot Camp in San Francisco in August. Because it is not a far drive from where I currently live and I have friends in Frisco, this is my perfect opportunity.

How do you prefer to communicate?

I never have time for phone calls due to two sometimes unruly toddler girls so email is always the best way I can get in touch with anyone and vice versa.

Who would you recommend, and why?

I follow so many amazing blogs it is hard to pick out just a few sometimes. So I will give you some of my top and if you would like to see the others I adore stop by my profile page for more!

Carma Sez (http://carmasez.blogspot.com/) She IS the sharpest tool in the shed. I enjoy her constant sense of humor.
Of Mice And raMEN (http://ofmiceandramen.blogspot.com/) – She always finds the best most unique things to share that most of the time trips me out.
Mama’s A Mess (http://mamasamess.blogspot.com) A close friend who not only suggested I start my blog but has a wonderful crafty blog herself where I get many of my inspirations from.
Sew Mama Sew Blog (http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/) – Spectacular!! Tutorials, giveaways, yummy fabrics…everything a crafty girl could want!
Muffin Tin Mom (http://michellesjournalcorner.blogspot.com/) – Michelle has become a great friend since we moved to CA. Her blog not only is home to Muffin Tin Monday which my girls adore, but her “No need for the Sunday paper” is full of awesome finds and crafts!
Katie’s Nesting Spot (http://katiesnestingspot.blogspot.com/) Raw talent Katie has. I wish I had a fifth of the creativity she has. Her craft projects are amazing and personally she is just a sweetheart.
Frogs In A Bucket (http://frogsinabucket.blogspot.com/) – Shannon is always making the best clothing. I envy her because I have yet to sew something for myself, but she inspires me. Someday I hope to sew for me.
Fudge Ripple (http://fudgeripple.blogspot.com/) Who doesn’t love recipes and she has some super yummy ones!
No Time For Flash Cards (http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/) – A newer blog to me. I love it because it is full of wonderful activities for my girls.
Living Locurto (http://www.livinglocurto.com/) – Michelle from Muffin Tin Mom turned me on to this site. Her print outs, meal plans and party ideas are wonderful!

What is one thing people can do for you?

Comment! This is what keeps me going. Knowing someone took the time to pop in and say hello, make a recommendation or whatever, and drives me to post more, review more, giveaway more. Plus I like to stop by their blogs in return to say thank you and that is when I might find new blogs I didn’t know about before.

ConnieFoggles

SkimKit by Skimlinks the tool to make linking more efficient and lucrative for online publishers

SkimKit is a desktop tool that empowers editors and bloggers to easily produce revenue generating
content in a way that also allows them to keep their distance from the commercial side of the
process.

SkimKit offers a live, searchable database of millions of products from Skimlinks’ merchants. It lets
publishers research, find and link to products they are writing about, cleanly and easily, with
immediate access to deeplinks and image URLs. The tool also features a service that creates
shortened, monetised links for use in Twitter and email newsle tters.

“Skimlinks allows publishers that wouldn’t usually  have the resource or ability to harness affiliate  
marketing as a  revenue  stream, and  SkimKit is the next step in our goal to help transform the  
publishig  industry. It brecks  down barriers; allowing  editors  to  have a truly  active part   in  the  
monetisation  process  without feeling any impact  on their  inte grity  or impartiality,  as  th ey  are still  
writing  about  the  kinds  of products  and  retailers  they  normally  write about.”  says  Alicia  Navarro, 
CEO &  Founder  of Skimlinks.  

Head of Digital for Mirror.co.uk  Paul  Hood says  ”It  places  the  content and the  commercial  
opportunity  together.   The  editors  have got complete  control  over  the  content  that they’re s electing  
and the comercial happens  automatically.  We’re not missing any opportunities.”

To find  out more about SkimKit visit:  http://skimlinks.com/skimkit