Digital Bytes

The most powerful blogs...according to the Guardian

Not sure how many of you read blogs on a regular basis but just came across this article on the Guardian outlining which blogs they think are the most powerful on the blogosphere.  Are any of your favourites in there?  Do you agree/disagree?  Or maybe you haven't come across any of these in which case you probably want to check a couple of these out to see what's been discussed out there...click here to read more.

For more write ups on this article click here...

Hot Shop

Last week the Sun expanded into the unfamiliar territory of affiliate marketing with it’s brand spanking new ‘Sun Shop’, and with 8.5 million unique users The Sun is now one of the largest affiliate markets.  For example if  you want to buy a television, you can search on the Sun shop which will provide you with several options, then, if you were to choose and purchase a television from Woolworths through the Sun shop, the Sun will take commision. For consumers it is a bit like a multibrand department store and for The Sun it is a new revenue stream. To find out more visit www.thesun.co.uk and click on ‘shop’.

Spooky pumpkins

Tom Nardone has a somewhat unusual day job, providing information and products to the public through the internet, that is, information that is just too deeply embarrassing to ask anyone else about, and products that are just too shameful to be seen buying in the shops…(make of that what you will!)  However, he uses his digital skills to share his unusual seasonal hobby with the world- extreme pumpkin  carving!

Tom questions “at what point did the carving of pumpkins turn into a "cute" event? When did boys stop carving pumpkins and mums start? Where did we lose touch with one of the years coolest events?”  He and others really have taken the traditional ‘jack lantern’ pumpkins to a frightening new level! Where most Halloween sites will tell you to use glow sticks and flashlights in your pumpkin for safety reasons, at Extreme Pumpkins they use fire, more fire, lighter fluid, road flares, and gasoline (probably not suitable for the kids though).  There are also sections on the site about power tools, pyrotechnics and explosives- but it’s not all for boys, there are also some handy hints on pumpkin preservation, the versatility of pumpkin seeds (very good roasted apparently) and how to get rid of those pesky trick or treaters who are old enough to get jobs to buy their own sweets!

Check out some of the truly terrifying and highly original pumpkin designs at www.extremepumpkins.com

Making money

All you need to make some extra money these days is a blog and some readers.  Companies will pay you to mention their brands or to promote their products.  Companies like Pay per Post are working to connect brands to people through bloggers.  The debate is around whether or not this blurs the line between advertising and content too much, already around 50% of consumers struggle to tell the difference.  There is no doubt that this kind of marketing could work for brands but it could easily backfire.  Remember that with this type of marketing you are directly infiltrating conversations, the blogger is consenting but are the readers?  Maybe the onus is on the blogger to tell readers that their content may contain commercial information.  Is this really any different to giving away free products to opinion formers in the real world? I may just give it a go and see how easy it is!

Forrester Research report identifies blog strengths for marketers

From Forrester

Forrester have released some research into calculating hte ROI of Blogging.  Blogging is often considered by companies wishing to engage with online consumers and internet users. Of those companies who take the step and enter into the 'blogosphere' many have to cleverly manage their blog to show they support and adhere to their business goals. Although the value of blogging cannot be measured precisely, Forrester states that marketers will find that calculating the ROI may be easier than they initially thought by following a 'three step process' whereby they can create an outline of the benefits, costs and risks presented by blogging