Posties! Rule of Thumb
Mari’s been on a little PPP splurge in the last few days, but Mari’s really broke (or will be), so Mari sort of has an excuse.
Mari has some advice for you, posties. Mari is sure you’ve heard about how PPP blogs just aren’t the same. Never fear! There’s a way to do it right.
Two to One. If your blog has a 2:1 ratio of total regular posts to total paid posts, you’re doing too many paid posts, and it will start to drive away your visitors. Think of it as TV commercials. They’re really annoying. If you own a Tivo, you know what Mari is talking about. It’s so annoying to fast forward through those 10 minutes of a 30 minute show devoted to commercials. If you start to get your blog up to a third paid posts/commercials, just like TV, it devalues your blog.
Mari is lazy, so Mari rarely does paid posts. Mari has only done 19 so far. Mari has done 288 posts (including this one). Whenever Mari does paid posts, Mari makes sure that she does at least two or more regular posts for each paid post done that week. A ratio of 10:1 on paid posts is a good idea. Mari thinks it looks really bad when her whole front page is half paid posts, but it’s the only way Mari can pay her bills.
[Edit: Hey, check it out! Mari is #16 on Despair topsites right now. Neato!]
PayPerPost 
12 August 2007, 22:01
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Wow… I love your style of writing
Yes I do admit, that while reading someone’s blog entry, sponsored posts are annoying. I’ve never bothered to go and sign up for Blogsvertise or anything; I simply can’t be bothered.
@Morgan
People forget that it’s annoying once they start doing them on their own blog. And sometimes they just let them take over their whole blog.
Honestly, as long as the PPP posts are labeled as PPP entries and if they’re creatively done, I don’t mind them… too much.
Yes, but it’s true… to have any kind of credibility, a PPP blogger has to write more non-PPP posts.
@Fruityoaty
Yeah, if they could almost be actual posts it’s not as bad.
Indeed.
Eina thought your previous entry (the one with the dolphin movie) was a real entry and not a sponsored one.
I don’t mind PPP entries as long as those aren’t the only entries in the blog.
Yeah I sorta agree. If you have too many PPP there is nothing for people to like read or do.
Emz thinks this is a very good tip! Considering what Emz said on her post about many sites being ‘ruined’ by PPP, very few would be (if at all) if they followed this rule of thumb!
Mari should be the leader in a new way of PPP life.
Emz thinks it’s cool Mari is #16! Emz hasn’t ever appeared on the topsites!
Meep, WordPress thinks I’m spam
@Eina
That’s another thing. People don’t care to read the categories on the single post page for some reason.
Well, it’s impossible for PPP entries to be the only ones. PPP requires that you have at least one normal entry in between the paid ones.
@Amber
And it’s very hard not to have too many paid posts. Especially when you’re broke.
@Emz
XD You’re such a kind commentator that you fooled Akismet with your flood of comments.
But unfortunately, some people just want an easy way to make money with their blogs. Those people don’t care about the integrity of their sites.
XD Emz, you’re too nice.
Mari is seriously wondering how she did it. Mari almost never pays attention to her Despair link.
I never post about anything I wouldn’t buy or visit the website for. That way, I keep my sponsored posts to a minimum. But it’s good advice to share! Some people have really gone overboard with the paid posts.
@Laura
Mari chooses the best looking (read: usually highest priced) opps, so sometimes Mari has to go out of her site’s normal mode for them.
Exactly.
[...] posting can easily get out of control. Some bloggers need to be reminded to keep paid posts at a low, low ratio, far less than 1:1, in order to preserve blog quality. There are some bloggers out there that just [...]