Six months ago we held a huge blogging event right here on The Chitika Blog. An entire month of blogging wisdom from some of today’s internet thought leaders. It’s holiday shopping season, the best time to open this book for guidance. Lets go over a few of the best tips from this eBook:

• Ten Secrets of an Earlier Adopter Tech Entrepreneur by Chris Pirillo he tells us:


“Ignore the echo chamber – Once everybody starts talking about it, you already missed you chance to be the early adopter”

Who doesn’t want to be the king creator of original content? Take away message: Keep your content fresh!

• Sell Without Selling -By Rosalind Gardner, she says:


“The point is to remember that our customers are likewise put off by the hype they too see every day, so it’s our job as online marketers to advise, recommend and endorse products rather than try to ‘sell’ them.”

Rosalind knows how to bring you to the softer side of selling and when you think about it, it’s easy: Simply get to know your readers!

• Dare to Be Eccentric, Manolo says:


“Do not be afraid to be seen as different, or even eccentric.”

Leave it to Manolo to provide the simple advice that’s uplifting and grounding at the same time :)

That’s just 3 out of many tips from this one of a kind eBook: “Deep Secrets of Successful Blogging“. I’m sure you will find all 30 posts in here inspiring, some may even change the way you blog forever!

The eBook is free read it here.

Who would you trust to choose what ad products are displayed on your pages? Someone who doesn’t know your readers at all? I hope not! We think it’s important that all our publishers have complete control over what is shown on the pages of your website; after all, you know what your readers are interested in better than a company who will target the ads for you. When you login you can choose your own products you want displayed in your ad units.

Simple changes, large results!
The small things count and can go a long way; take Tony for example - he increased his revenue ten-fold by making simple changes. And he was only able to make those changes because he was using Chitika’s flexible products to properly relate his ad units to his blog.

Who else?
Ian from eveythingusb.com, simply changed the title of his RPU from “Related Products Unit” to “Related iPod Cases”, “Related iPod Accessories”, this brought some attention to his RPU & highlighted some cool accessories related to his blog posts!

And this is true with any of Chitika’s pay per click products. You can customize them all on each product code page to fit your pages perfectly.

What to do when you’re not sure of what’s best
Only when you’re not sure what your readers may need is when we will give you personalized tips. Our experts take the time to look at your website or blog and tell you exactly what may help you increase your revenue.

LOGIN AND CUSTOMIZE MY UNITS

Dive into Chitika’s Open House and put your concerns to rest…
We understand it can be a long waiting game, first you have to sign up and be approved, then you have to wait & see what kind of revenue results you get from the new eMiniMalls you’re (pretty sure) you put in the right place.

We say, skip the waiting and find out BEFORE YOU SIGN UP whether or not Chitika will work for your website or blog! We will also tell you which Chitika products would benefit you the most. No other service available right now is willing to tell you that information for free before you sign up. All you have to do is submit your site and our experts will tell you whether or not it’s worth signing up, for free!

Publisher: Tony E., DigitalTechNews.com

DigitalTechNews.com launched in May 2005 with the goal of focusing on the consumer electronics products and technology innovations that make up the digital world we live in.

The blog had really started as a hobby, since I was already constantly reading about the latest in tech and gadgets, a sort of side project that complimented the work I do in multimedia/web/graphic design, and music production”, says Tony E. of DigitalTechNews. “Shortly after launching DigitalTechNews.com, I did some guest blogging on a tech blog for Problogger.net’s Darren Rowse- who I have to acknowledge for all the great blogging tips on his blog. I’ve also done some graphics for, and learned a few tips from GearLive.com Blog Network along the way – shout out to Andru Edwards.

“There are now about 1600 posts on Digital Tech News, so I would suggest that readers have a look at the archives for a good idea of tech and consumer electronics innovations and developments of the past two years or so. With about 15,500 RSS subsribers, DigitalTechNews.com is certainly more than just a hobby these days. I’ve been able to successfully monetize the blog with various Advertising and affiliate programs – Chitika being one of the best performing at the present time.

“After signing up with Chitika about a year ago, I’ve been impressed with the company’s developments, but only recently I’ve seen about a ten-fold increase in earnings thanks to the optimization tips that I got from Chitika’s Ryan Travis. The eMiniMalls and RPU Ads are what’s working best for me, but I’ve also set up some ShopLinc online storefronts that you can check out at www.DigitalTechNews.com

I can’t wait to see what Chitika has up their sleeve for the future. -Tony E.

Ryan Travis helped Tony increase his revenue ten-fold and he can help you, too! He is available LIVE and ready to help Chitika publishers & non-Chitika publishers reach their goals at Chitika SPHERE Optimizations.
Not a Chitika user? You can find out before signing up whether Chitika is a good match for your blogs/websites!

About Chitika

One important thing all RPU users have in common right now is how something so simple works so beautifully on their site.

“It was actually pretty easy to implement.
And I am not surprised because it’s a very
simple effective concept.” - Luigi, Owner, I4U.com
I4U saw a 15% overall ad revenue increase after using the RPU…

5 QUICK MONEY-EARNING RPU FACTS:
1. The RPU is completely non-contextual and can be customized to match the EXACT look and feel of your site by modifying the RPU CSS!

2. Ever wonder why there’s a “What’s this?” link next to your RPU? That little link earns you referral revenue for 15 months!

3. The RPU is PRODUCT-centric not DEAL-centric. So when you’re blogging about a specific product, your visitors will see deals similar to YOUR product - not just other deals.

4. Have you ever been able to customize the title of your ad unit? RPU lets you name your unit! EXAMPLE CODE: ch_att = “Popular Related GPS”;

5. WHERE IT MAKES SENSE MAKES MONEY
The RPU was specially designed to be placed right at the end of your blog post or story. This works perfectly in sync with a review of a product because once a visitor is done reviewing a product the RPU gives them the information to take their interest to the next level: purchasing options.

Are you Ready for the RPU?

Questions and implementation contact tom(at)chitika(dot)com !

Back to school time can mean many things for different people, but for those who are looking forward to gearing up their ad units to target those back to school shoppers, here’s something that may make it simple for you to get started.

Right now, anyone can take advantage of the 45 different pre-made categories at anytime for their eMiniMalls, Multi-Product Unit (MPU) or ShopCloud$ making life allot easier. But for this years shopping season we put together a “back to school” code with what we think are the Top 5 products for this falls season.

OUR TOP 5
1. Palm Z22 Handheld Organizer
2. Mini Refrigerator
3. Jansport Backpack
4. Texas Instruments Calculator
5. HP Pavilion Notebook

Sample “Back to School” Live Unit:

CLICK HERE FOR ABOVE UNIT CODE!

We give you Ryan, a simple smart sociable guy turned pro optimizations guru overnight! Ryan, Chitika’s Sr. Account Manager, developed a knack for helping his clients with positioning and keywords through simple customer support in email. Once these users praised him for his personal efforts that turned their mediocre revenue streams into gushing rivers, we knew we had to unleash Ryan among our entire 15,000 publisher network & let it rain revenue! Oh ya, and he’s not bad to work with either.

GET LIVE OPTIMIZATION WITH RYAN!
Simply post your URL in the optimizations thread on Chitika SPHERE.
Yea, it’s really that easy.

What do you find is the most rewarding part of being asked the same question for thousands of different people multiple times a day?

I like the variety, hehehe. But being serious, I get excited if I can help others make more money. Usually it is a few easy changes that will result in significant increases in a site’s revenue - and it feels great knowing that I can help do that. Now I just need somebody to make ME some money!!!

How do you manage your time with all these accounts at once?

Sacrifice - pure and simple. I have had to cut my gaming time (yes - this includes Xbox 360 AND the Wii) in half. These are the types of tough decisions that have to be made when it comes to standing out from the huge crowd. You know the crowd I’m talking about - the huge crowd of website advertising optimization experts who also manage Chitika accounts.

What is the most simple piece of advice you can give beginner bloggers that may get them on the right track to a steady income?

Go big or go home! Seriously though - stand out from the crowd. Nobody is interested in reading the same stories re-worded over and over again. Traffic is the first step towards making money on the internet, and in order to get traffic you need to do something different (or if not different - then better!) than the next person.

GET LIVE OPTIMIZATION WITH RYAN!
Simply post your URL in the optimizations thread on Chitika SPHERE.
Yea, it’s really that easy.

-Karla Escolas
CRM/Marketing
karla(at)chitika(dot)com

Everybody knows about his achievements, but what really differentiated Michael Jordan was his work ethic and his killer attitude. Here are 5 habits of his Airness — and how it applies to blogging.

1. The Playoffs Are Way More Important Than the Regular Season

When it came to big games — Michael Jordan delivered (6 championship rings to be precise!). And that is what made him so great. When it comes to blogging, the championship game is “the scoop“. Its that piece of news or story you have that is completely unique — and nobody else has it. If you get the scoop, you get instant growth in readership — and you become a magnet for future scoops. Its not easy (Hey, who said winning championships was easy?), but it can be done.

2. The Last 2 Minutes Are More Important Than the First 46

In “crunch time”, Jordan would always demand the ball. When a big story is in play (e.g. “Paris Hilton in Jail”, “Google Buys Doubleclick” or whatever is “big” in your world of blogging), are you ready to demand the ball? What new perspecitives do you bring to the table? Are you adding to the story, or just reporting what Seth Godin, Robert Scoble or some other A-lister is saying?

3. Bring It — Everyday

Michael Jordan’s work ethic — on a daily basis — was legendary. He practiced hard and had a rigorous daily training schedule. What does this mean to you as a blogger ? Get into a rhythm. Get into what Problogger calls his “daily rhythm“. Ask yourself this question: what will get my readers back to my blog today? Most blog readers have attention deficit disorder, so keeping your blog fresh and vibrant is paramount.

4. Be Market Smart

Jordan wasn’t the only one to win a bunch of championship rings — but he was the man when it came to market savviness. He knew how to play the media and play the hearts of the TV-viewing public. As a blogger, you must build the relationships that elevate your status as a blogger. Why is this important? Because “Power attracts Power“. As you elevate your status as a blogger, you will notice more and more powerful entities attracted towards you (think: Michael Arrington of TechCrunch)

5. Make your teammates better

MJ was awesome when it came to getting the best out of his teammates; in some cases, they even made clutch 4th quarter shots to win championships instead of him. For you as a blogger, this is all about your community. They are your team — get them engaged. Get them rooting for you. And most of all: Show them the love. Make your readers famous. Show them some link love.

Comments are open. Please feel free to add your own two cents.

Posted by Alden DoRosario (alden [at] chitika [dot] com)

This post was inspired by Problogger’s Group Writing Project sponsored by Chitika.

Take back control of customizing your ad units & increase your revenue!
How can you take your earnings potential to the next level if you can’t customize your ad service in your own way? You can’t. The most important thing to remember while catering to your visitors and your revenue needs is, you know your viewers better than anyone. With that in mind, what can you do to make sure your giving your visitors what they need to help you purchase a larger wallet?

eMiniMalls

1. Chitika gives you full power to select your own products to display. With this YOU are in control. This is important because your website may be about kitchen appliances, however, YOU KNOW your visitors would be interested in purchasing smaller items for their kitchen, like knives. So you would simply choose products for the knives you would like to offer your readers.

2. Let’s make it even easier, select from a pre-defined set of categories, like: Home and Garden. Let’s face it, you want it all! We don’t blame you, in fact, take it! You want to be able to choose the ads you’d like to display, but you don’t have time to sit and think of them all. Done! There are 45 different pre-made categories, simply click and go!

One of the observations raised at Elite Retreat San Francisco was: Digg Users are lousy ad clickers. So I decided to put this theory to the test using data from the billion+ ads served by Chitika over a 31 day period.

For the impatient, here is the take-away message:

Digg Traffic is more than 3 times Less Likely to Click on an Ad than Google Traffic

Background:
There’s been a lot of discussion about the value of Digg traffic (Problogger, Neil Patel, etc). This analysis aims to use the data culled from the Chitika logs over a 31 day period to put an actual number to this theory. Since pretty much everyone receives Google traffic, this analysis uses Google as a base to compare against.

The Actual Analysis (for the stats folk):

1. I started off with the entire log data over a 31 day period from Feb 26th 2007 - March 28th 2007. This comprised over a billion ad impressions and millions of clicks.
2. I then filtered down the data set to only publishers using the Chitika | RPU product line. Since the RPU is always placed in the exact same position on all publisher sites (i.e. the bottom of the blog post), this had the nice side effect of eliminating any positioning effects (as in: You should never compare an ad unit placed at the top of the page to one at the bottom).
3. I then filtered down the data set to only those publishers who get Dugg. This way, any publisher who gets a ton of traffic from Google but never gets Dugg does not skew the results.
4. Lastly, I calculated the impressions and clicks on the ads for traffic from both Digg and Google and calculated the click through rate (CTR)

Results:

1. Over the 31 days, the google traffic resulted in a CTR of 0.97% on the RPU ads — compared to 0.30% for the Digg traffic.
2. Digg traffic is more than 3 times less likely to click on an Ad than Google traffic.
3. Publishers who talk about Diggable topics like Apple, Games, Linux, etc seemed to get Dugg a lot. This indirectly confirms the demographic profile of the classic Digg user (think college-going Internet power user).

Dealing with Digg Traffic:
So what do you do with the Digg traffic ? Is it worth your time to get your post Dugg ? Here are some experts who have delved on this topic:

1. How to get the most out of digg traffic - Neil Patel
2. How to Build a ‘Digg Culture’ on your Blog - Problogger.net
3. How To Monetize DIGG Traffic Immediately - TechSoapBox (via BlogHerald)

Questions ? Thoughts ? Comment below ..

Posted by Alden DoRosario (alden [at] chitika [dot] com)