Why do I post paid links on my blog?

Because, quite simply, links are what a blog is for. To refer people to sites that you think are worth visiting and provide a direct link to that site. (I wrote an article on blogs here.)

In summary it points out that a blog evolved from a warping of weblog into wee-blog and then to blog. A weblog is a log of the web. A page of links to the mass of information out there that brought about a need for index sites like Google and Yahoo and Ask Jeeves. No one complains because the major search engines have links to sponsor sites on their website, and yet, there is controversy over bloggers having paid links on their sites. Why? People read blogs for the content, but blogs in their most basic of levels are merely a listing of links to other websites with descriptions added by the blogger. People have gotten so lazy in the era of the big brand search engines that they have forgotten that search engines started as weblogs - as blogs.

PayPerPost allows bloggers to locate people that will pay them to discuss and link to subjects that the blogger would be discussing anyway. I've made posts about a *LOT* of things that I would have posted about anyway - and I'm betting that most if not all of you can't pick out exactly what all ones I was paid for and which I posted just because I wanted to share the link or something. (Hint: every other one is *NOT* paid, I've posted several times in a row links I was not paid for.) PayPerPost allows me to post about what I want how I want when I want and get paid. I don't have to praise anything I don't feel deserves it, there is none of the "sellout" that people presume to be part of being a member of PayPerPost.

Earlier tonight I was telling a friend that I was working on a post for my blog and that got us to talking about PayPerPost and she asked me if it was legitimate or not, had I been paid anything by them? Yes. I have. PayPerPost is legitimate and they have already paid me $46.50 into my PayPal account. Money I got and have spent on things I wanted to spend it on (A subscription to Mind Body & Spirit Fitness magazine and one to Shape magazine, and $25 sent to my regular bank account to help pay a bill). PayPerPost is set to send me another $82.15 over the next month and I anticipate to be sent even more the next month.

If you have doubts about them, if you think blogger's that use them are sellouts, then consider this - money is money, and as long as I am not referring places that are crap, as long as I refer places that are presented in genuine honesty and that I think you might like to visit, then what does it matter if I was paid or not? I can use the money, I have the highest stress non-paying job in the world (family caregiver) and I can't afford to buy myself a new pair of socks without borrowing the money from my parents. If I make a little money from my weblog, the same way that Google and Yahoo and all them search engine (web log) giants make their money, then what is the problem with that? How do I hurt you or anyone?

Check out PayPerPost for yourself. Join them, pick one offer and post about it. No one will know and in a month you'll have your answer on if they are legitimate or not. I hope you'll post more than one offer though. I hope you'll post three a day every day. It's good for you and good for the advertisers - as long as you stick to the principle of only posting links to things that you believe in, that you would support without being paid to do it. If you stick by your principles then no one can call you a sellout for anything you do with your own log of the internet - your blog.

Cheers and happy blogging and blog advertising. Oh, and if you decide to join, tell them Sandra@phantascene.com sent you. ;-)

Sandra
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(Who is happily watching her PayPal account grow and waiting for the day when she can pay off the $200 she owes to the local walk-in clinic for two emergency vists she had to make. THANK YOU PayPerPost!!!!!!!)