PayPerPost, ReviewMe...LinkPost? Huh? Really?!

Paid blog posts are a hot item these days. That's no secret.

But the fact that we will soon be offering this service to our bloggers & advertisers is. OOPS! I guess it's not anymore...

Apparently Ron and the 'Colombian Crusher' have been working on a "top secret mission" for the past several weeks:

Mission: LinkPost

I was thrilled when I heard the news. Double C told me on Tuesday that he'd been working on a 'surprise' for me but he wasn't at liberty to say what it was. So, after Ron had some fun with it, too, he gave me the scoop. We'd talked about doing this a few months back but as usual, it's tough not to get swept up in the day to day chaos and let good ideas sit on the back burner.

But, it's a done deal. Literally, too. Like, it's ready to go.

SWEET! THIS IS GONNA ROCK LIKE A CONCERT!

There are a few minor improvements we're planning to make before we launch it, but it's awesome. The goal was to take a cool service and put a LinkWorth spin on it. I think it's a great mix of the best features already available through other venues with a few more perks. I can't go into it all right now, but it will kick ass.

This will be a great value add for our bloggers...70% payout, baby!! NICE. Add that to the simple fact that our salespeople are now chomping at the bit to include multiple LinkPosts in all their client campaigns means bidness for the blognation and even more success for our advertisers!

More details soon. I wouldn't be surprised if this is another service that will be introduced with the unveiling of our new site, but don't hold me to that.

Until next time,

Matt Stoddart. Out.

LinkWorth World Tour 2007

OK, maybe "national tour" is more appropriate since we won't actually be leaving the country, but it's just not as rock 'n' roll as "world tour." (I mean we are in a band). Oh well...moving on.

All is going according to plan and I couldn't be happier. I've mentioned that we're going to get out amongst 'em this year and ol' Ron has taken the bull by the horns. He's being the ball. He's got the eye of the tiger. He's thinking outside the box. He's every other super-generic business cliche you can think of, too. Why, you ask? Because he just ponied up and booked us at every industry conference he could think of between now and November. We'll even be exhibiting for the first time at SES San Jose.

Hello, world, here we come!

Here's a quick rundown of where we'll be...

• April 10-13 - SES New York
  
• June 4-5 - SMX Seattle
• July 8-10 - Affiliate Summit Miami
• July 31-Aug 1 - Ad-Tech Chicago
• August 20-23 - SES San Jose
• Oct 16-17 - SMX New York
• Nov ?? - Pubcon Las Vegas

That's what I'm talking about!

Now I need to do my part which is making sure we make the most of these trips. And by that I mean making the best use of our time. And by that I mean buying some folks some drinks, cheeseburgers, or whatever else may float their boat.

Eric, let's talk links, brotha!!
Rand, can I interest you in a nice cold beer or four?
Patrick, we've already talked about New York...still on?
Rae, I want to talk blackjack and Sopranos!

Okay, okay....one step at a time. Don't hate me because I get excited. Oh wait....nobody is listening....

5 Reasons I'm Excited About LinkWorth

So, it's time to get into it. The real reason I decided to write this blog. The thing is, I'm just really excited about LinkWorth.

Ron (as in "Wicker"...founder and President/CEO of LinkWorth) and I have been good friends for a long time and currently I'm his EVP of Sales. I've been around since LinkWorth's inception. It's been a great ride so far and the fun has just begun.

That said, '07 is really shaping up to be an exciting year for us. We're 3 years in to this thing and we've come a long way. We're busier, we're more productive, we're smarter...fun things are happening. What exactly? Well, here are the top 5 reasons I'm excited about LinkWorth...

1. New Website. I don't have to explain to anyone why this is number one, but this is going to be great! Our current interface is overwhelmingly informative and that coupled with the fact that we've "outgrown it" make this a great time for change. Look for clean pages, efficient navigation, plus all the information you need AND MORE tucked away neatly in places that will be easy to find if you need them.
   
   And it's gonna look AWESOME.
   
   
2. New Products/Services. We have rolled out a few new offerings over the past few months and will roll out a few more in the months to come. I'll go into more detail about all of these later, but this bundle of services is designed to fulfill more of our clients' needs within the realm of SEO/SEM. Press release services, directory submission services, article submission services, SEO Consulting, LinkWords (our proprietary in-content pay-per-click product), LinkIntxt (tell you soon enough!!!), content services, and more.
   
   I'd love to go into each one right now but it'll have to wait. No doubt, though...I'M FIRED UP!
   
   
3. Our staff. We've been doing a lot of hiring (and unfortunately some firing, too) over the past year or so and I feel great about the pieces we have in place right now. This industry doesn't have an overwhelming pool of talent just hanging around out there waiting to be hired, you know. And even if there was, our little startup has a certain methodology and vision that must be taught. I think we've done a great job with that and have some powerhouses on board that will be integral components once we open up the flood gates a little bit. And one other thing that's pretty cool; nobody has ever left. My background tells me what a testament that really is!
   
   
4. My Office. Our entire office is great, actually. It's new, it's big, there are a bunch of cubes, there are people that work in them, blah, blah, blah. But my office in particular kicks ass. I just love it. Ron recently hooked me up with a 2nd monitor and man, it's like going from a Yugo to a Cadillac. My chair rocks, too. Not 'rocks' as in rocking-chair (although it does that, too) but 'rocks' like Motley Crue. Very comfy. The windows in my office (although now a bit obscured by flat screen displays) tell me a story everyday. We're on the first floor with lots of foot traffic and people watching is serious business.
   
   
5. LinkWorth Just Saved A Bunch Of Money On Their Car Insurance. (Are you lol'ing, Ron?)
   
   Seriously? The future couldn't be brighter and I'm so all-about this journey. Ron and I were talking just the other day about how small our industry really is and how we should be more involved in it. We've been to a few conferences and met some people but aren't nearly as active as we should be. I am going to take personal responsibility to do this. After all, I'm the "sales guy" right?
   
   So, that's the plan. We're hittin' the road. We're gonna hang out with our friends, clients, peers, and whoever else wants to tag along. (No more tats, though. Well, ok....maybe one or two more BUT THAT'S IT!)

There they are...5 reasons I'm psyched about LinkWorth these days. That felt pretty good, really. It's nice to tell this to nobody...even if someone does actually read it.

Hi, I'm Matt Stoddart.

I have to start this whole thing off with a preface: I'm reluctant to do this. Why? Because I like to do things well. And because good blogs require consistency. And because good blogs require thought. And most discouragingly, good blogs require a lot of time.

Sadly, I can't contribute any of the aforementioned qualities to this particular blog.

BUT...

There's something on my mind...I think. And I just might want to talk about it.

I'm pretty excited about some things going on in my professional life right now and my personality requires me to express my feelings somehow. And opposed to beating my family or friends into complete submission with the minutiae of shop-talk, I figured I'd just write another lame friggin blog. Nobody will read it. It's for me, so screw it.

Here's my blog-oath to myself:

• I will not discuss my gorgeous wife or my two beautiful daughters. (Maybe I watch too much Dateline NBC: To Catch a Predator)
• I will not attempt to monetize this lame blog
• I WILL blow off steam at will

Now that that's out of the way, let's see what happens.