IBD Insurance Services is currently conducting a contest, or shall we say, a raffle open to all bloggers around the world.

So how do you join? Its simple, just write a post regarding their contest (just like this one) with links to their contest page and homepage. Once your post registers a pingback/trackback/linkback to their contest page, that pingback/trackback/linkback or whatever you call it becomes your official entry.

So join now! For more details, check the official contest’s page.

Here’s the best part, the prize money is $25.00. Raffle will be on 01/01/2008.

Paid reviews sucks.

Yes, they suck. Personally, I only have one paid review in my blog, the Smorty Smorty article. It was my first paid review and it sucked.

So why do paid reviews suck?

• You’re tempted to write even if you haven’t used the product/service yet. (My Smorty Smorty review was my first Smorty paid review. I haven’t really used Smorty but still I reviewed them!)
• Some paid reviews requires a specific text anchor for the link. You need to tweak your grammar to fit the anchor text.
• There are only a limited number of offers. You may have a hard time finding one that you can really review.
• They just suck!

Hahaha. Now, I love doing this roundup posts.

I admit that I blog for money. It’s tempting, with the number of available programs to make money online. But I also blog for other reasons; to express, to entertain and to educate.

Last week, I stumbled on this sort of pay-per-sponsored-post program Smorty. Smorty pays a minimum of $6.00 ($60.00 maximum) for every approved post, a pretty good amount for a starter. All you need to do is to write your something regarding a product or service. The image banner above explains it all: GET PAID TO WRITE THE THINGS YOU LIKE! Cool, isn’t it?

Another nice thing about Smorty is that they use a unique metric, the Smorty Score. Smorty Score scores your blog based on your Google PageRank, Alexa Ranking and other reliable variables, just like your Blog Juice. The higher Smorty Score you have, the more high-paying offers are offered. (more…)

It’s my first time to write on my earnings in here. Just to warn you, I’m not earning a really big amount from this blog. It’s really hard to start monetizing a blog but I believe that once your on it, it’s not that hard anymore.

Yesterday, I received my first ever Google Adsense Referral earning. It was from my Google Firefox with Toolbar referral link. The referral link is found on my annoying referral post visible only when using Internet Explorer. Too bad I only got $0.10 for it, a tenth from what the highest possible amount Google offers.

Firefox plus Google Toolbar: When a user you’ve referred to Firefox plus Google Toolbar runs Firefox for the first time, you’ll receive up to US$1 in your account, depending on the user’s location. Your referral must be a Windows user, who has not previously installed Firefox, in order for you to receive credit.

Source: Google Adsense

It’s been three days since I used Widgetbucks. It’s a lot better than Adsense, I get higher clickthroughs and earnings with them. Yesterday, I earned $1.10 without clicking my own ads. They have this tagline “Ads sucks. Ours dont” which is quite catchy and true.

Here’s a list of reasons why you should use Widgetbucks:

1. Higher clickthrough. They’re advertisements are cute and attractive.
2. Higher cost-per-click than Adsense.
3. You get a $25.00 bonus upon signup.
4. Payout is only $50.00. You just need to earn $25.00 to get your first payout.

I’m planning to replace all my Adsense ad blocks with Widgetbucks but I’m still thinking on it.

What are you waiting for? Sign up now and get your $25.00 bonus!

Screenshot of centralized adblock manager. Oops, blame MS Paint for the crappy screenshot.

Last week, I’ve read that Google would be rolling out new features. Now, it’s right on my account.

What’s new?

• Uh, there’s already a Resources tab on your account manager. There you can find tons of useful tools and references. It’s now easier to navigate the policies and guidelines, optimization tips, your AdSense calendar and other stuff. There’s also a link there on Adsense success stories, try to read those boring stories for a change (hahaha).
• Another is the centralized ad block manager. A user is now allowed to edit settings of an Adsense blocks without changing code. Pretty neat feature. (When I first read about it, I thought it was sort off useless but it’s actually useful.)

I’ve only noticed those changes. If there are more, you may add if you want. Kudos Google, keep on improving.

Hi.

For people out there who enjoys forums, here’s a sort off forum like website that pays you every time you post.

It’s myLot.com! It’s a sort of Friendster with the twist of discussions. Every time you post a senseful discussion or a response to a discussion, you get cash.

So far, I haven’t reached the $10.00 minimum payout, and I’m near it. Why don’t you try it yourself! Register here.

[Update] They pay through PayPal or e-gold. You may prefer using e-gold but you need to register an account here. To redeem your e-gold to peso, here’s a method by PinoyGoldExchange.

Small/Developing blogs, usually have a hard time earning on Google Adsense. The scope includes this blog, who’s earning not a dollar a day (just a few cents). Only the determined ones get the chance to reach the minimum payout $100.00, others just give their accumulated earnings up freeing some good space on their blogs. (more…)

Google Adsense has recently launched a new payment method for cashing-out earnings, the Western Union Quick Cash option.

Good news for us, we don’t have to wait for checks to arrive home. We don’t have to pay $24.00 just to make sure our checks doesn’t go to the red hands of Philippine Post staff (see below for related posts). Plus, payments are usually sent a day after the normal payment schedule.

How’s that? It’s a duo of security and convenience.

Related Posts:

• YugaTech: Tales of Lost Adsense Cheques
• Thoughts In Binary: Some dude stole and cashed my AdSense check!