Paid to blog - Controversy or Natural Reaction?

TechCrunch discussed the issue as they pointed out, despite the controversy, venture capitalists have pitched a few million bucks into the pot to see what happens. The idea of "shills," or "paid reviewers" is an old one - dating back to roadside salespeople, then new anchors and now bloggers. My take on this situation is this: As long as people are speaking their mind and throwing valid, REAL opinions out, who cares if they are paid to do it. When it gets spammy is when people say things that simply are not true. And in a world full of money and greed - this tends to happen. One thing you can count on from Think Blogger is the truth. So if you're going to speak your mind truthfully, go ahead and make some cash with blog advertising.

So its been a few months...
Some of you may know I am going to be a father. Preparing for a family is the most exciting and beautiful thing I have experienced so far in my life. Its changing me beyond any predictions I may have had. My fiance and I tell each other to "drive safe" every time we leave, we cook all our meals at home now and drive in the slow lane...

Its also made me think about my career and what I have to offer the world very seriously. I am an artist at heart and I deeply hope I will inspire many throughout my life with it. To bring home the bacon I currently do all the eMarketing, Advertising and Brand/Web Development for a Venture Capital companies portfolio of companies. I have been very successful promoting these companies online and offline, achieving top placements in Google, MSN and Yahoo for keywords that have millions of competitors, managed successful Paid Search Engine Marketing campaigns and developed tools that have made many peoples lives easier and more efficient.

In the past 6 months I have decided to organize all of my knowledge, techniques and connections and have been working on a book to help businesses succeed online and offline. I believe that showing everyone from the Home Based Business Owner to the Corporate Marketing Professional and everyone in between how to succeed with their business is the best thing I can do. I have realized that as long as the steps I have learned are followed, and quality is emphasized in everything you do, ANYONE can take their business to the top.

I will update everyone on the progress of my book as I go.

Grassy roots and family man: Guerilla Marketing + One on One + Baby Time

Seems things are more tied together than we like to admit.

Just recently found out I'm going to be a father, my theory that one on one grass roots marketing taking over is right and no matter how hard we like to think that things fall into place... you have to work like a guerilla to get to the top, if that's where you want to be, and you have to work to be a good farther... and hopefully all of us men want that.

Top of the trees, top of the ladder... top of your family man abilities... providing, teaching, protecting, whatever: NOTHING HAPPENS WITHOUT "good old fashioned elbow grease" and lots of it. Maybe its not walking up hill in the snow both ways, but it sure takes a hard worker to make things happen, in the work place and in the home. And I'm not just talking testosterone here... a good marketer and a good father really CARE about his audience and his family, and if he doesn't, well, we'll just leave those people to their spamming.

Smart work is just as important... spreading yourself too thin in areas that are not focused towards your goal just leaves your inbox overflowing and the light at the end of the tunnel farther and farther away.

I just finished cleaning my inbox today, realized it was a "must do" 2 weeks ago when I started realizing I was working hard... but not as smart as I should be (took me the whole two weeks and a couple hours a day and 16,000 messages later when I COULD have just stayed on top of it five minutes a day). Focusing on the little tasks every day (like cleaning out your inbox) and working a bit on your long term goals for the future REALLY makes the day to day things not only bearable, but enjoyable.

I even have time today for the first time to blog. /Sigh... all is good in cyber world.

Reading the article on business week about the impact MySpace and other social networks is having on the marketing world and how it is changing the way advertisers think is a HUGE revolution in my book. Read it here. I have been preaching grass roots and word of mouth marketing since I was a kid and THANK GOD (or whoever) I did not go to advertising school only to be inundated with "make flashy 3 second ads that people won't forget" because now its finally about getting a quality buzz going... with style AND politness. The other side of this coin however is that you simply cannot just sit and pray that a buzz will start and as much as it pains me to admit, a lot can be learned from the Guerilla Marketers that work on generating traffic for gambling sites... forget the spammers, I'm talking thier tactics and PR, and if you don't believe me, read this article, with caution: Gambling Marketers Tactics

Digital Point...

Just found a great resource that anyone who is anyone in the webmaster would either frequents or knows about... www.digitalpoint.com

They have amazing tools for tracking data related to Search Engine Optimization and Marketing, as well as a forum that some really bright users spend a lot of time on.

If you want your site to be seen or meet people with the same thirst for technical creativity, check it out.

Quotes to remember...

"Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity." ~ Charles Mingus

"The life of money-making is one undertaken under compulsion, and wealth is evidently not the good we are seeking; for it is merely useful and for the sake of something else." ~ Aristotle

"People aren't stupid. They are just too busy or too distracted to care as much as you do about the stuff you care about."

Ti, i, eee ime is on my side... Yes it is.

No matter how hard I try it seems... More and more just gets piled into my inbox, and the tasks I feel will utilize my talents in the best possible manner seem to get farther and farther away from completion...

Then I realize I'm 22. I have only been in my industry of choice for 4 years, and I am actually making a lot of progress.

Are you too? Then don't only focus on where you're going. Take time to think about how far you've come... And relax, its only a job.

Spending time with my family and friends, feeding my creativity and staying healthy are high priorities, and I am always reminded that balance is the key to success... In any area.

don't think too hard, spend too much or laugh too little.

Food for the brain:
Creative Relationships

Is there anything else? Some say there is a certain 'way' to be a good boss, husband, wife or friend. I am constantly taught by life that there are really only appropriate and inappropriate actions in relationships... and the best ones are those approached creatively based on what has or has not worked in the past. Remember what has helped the relationship before and really ask yourself how to best address the given situation based on both yours and your partners needs.

There is usually a goal in any encounter, whether its to work out a problem with a loved one or to get that raise you have been looking for. I had lunch with a smart man who manages his employees and relationships flawlessly, and he reminded me that most times people want to walk away from an encounter feeling like they got something out of it. So when hoping to gain something yourself, it may be to your advantage to offer the person you're dealing with something in return. Whether its a kind voice and a helping hand, or a profit center that puts more money in your boss's pocket to go along with that raise your asking for.

This attitude may seem selfish but if the goal in the relationship is contentment and trust, then it only seems fitting that the more positive exchanges the better.