So, to start things out I dumped about $100 into StumbleUpon to run ad stumbles for my free marketing eBook. To stretch things out a ‘bit, the daily account budget was also adjusted to $5 per day.  For the particular webpage I was promoting, that equaled out to about 100 daily stumbles. 

So, how did I do? I received 2,283 ad stumbles and a little over 150 natural or "free" StumbleUpon visits. 

StumbleUpon can generate real traffic.  If you pay for 100 stumbles a day, you will get 100 people stumbling across your content on a daily basis.  The only problem is the amount of time they stay there on your website.  I would say it is highly doubtful I converted many new RSS subscribers or fans via this method because the average time they spent on the page was around 5 to 15 seconds.  I have learned though that to run a successful advertising campaign on StumbleUpon you have to keep the goals really simple.  Grab their eyeballs, give them a goal and hope for the best.  You don’t have a lot of time to waste as these visitors seem to jump to the next link very quickly.

Hope this helps others out who might want to try StumbleUpon out as an advertising option, but wasn’t sure if it was really worth it or not.  I would say as long as you have a big enough budget to make a dent, give it a shot.  Just make sure you have a plan or a goal in mind.

Everybody has a mobile phone these days (except me) so you need to make sure your website preforms both on common desktop browsers and mobile phone browsers too.  One way to insure that you have the best looking mobile website out there is to pick up the MobilePress add-on for WordPress.

This is a free WordPress plugin that makes your website "mobile friendly".  You can also create a lightweight mobile themes for different mobile browsers. Here is a little more about the add-on from the developers:

MobilePress is a free open source WordPress plugin that turns your blog into a mobile friendly blog when viewed on a cell phone. MobilePress is flexible in that it allows you to customize your mobile presence by creating your own themes, creating themes for specific mobile browsers (iPhone and generic devices) and also allowing you to decide when to display your mobile blog.

You also are able to theme the mobile version of your website to look the way you want it to look.  MobilePress integrates with Aduity.com too, which will cover your advertising side of things. I have not yet had time to install and play with this add-on myself – but after trying to check out one of my websites on my sister’s phone the other day, I am really thinking about picking it up.  You want your website to be as easy as possible to use and MobilePress gives that ability to you. 

To learn more about the WordPress add-on (or to download it yourself) go visit mobilepress.co.za.

Looking for a way to embed articles or images into your own website layout?  Embed Anything is an interesting new service that delivers you the chance to embed both on the fly.  The idea here is simple, let your visitors embed your content – rather than just taking it.

Here are a few key reasons for giving Embed Anything a shot.

• Embedded content comes with a link back to build SEO and traffic
• Embedded content is invisible to search engines
• Ad space contained within each embed lets you monetize embedded content
• Reporting and control over which sites are embedding your content

So when somebody sees an image or an article on your website they would like to use, they will be offered the chance to embed it, rather than just copying it locally.  This gives them an easier way to grab your content and re-publish it.  It gives you the chance to gain a few more eyeballs with a link or two you might not have gotten without the service.

Overall I think it is a neat idea.

So if you want to offer a new way to share your content out there, I would say give Embed Anything a shot.  I am really interested to see some real world feedback on it, to see how useful this service and tool is in the long run.

Where does the big hand come from? I don’t know either.  For those of you unfamiliar with Pole Position it is a racing game that was released back in 1982 by Namco.  In the game, you must complete a lap in a certain time limit in order to qualify for the “big race”.   Have any other favorite classic video game commercials you love?

Where is the catch?  Well each word will cost you $1 per letter.  So if I wanted to buy the word awesome, it would cost me $7.  Now we have seen the “charge a little ‘bit of money for the big advertising” deal before, but at least Paddy and Lee (the two guys behind the project) are trying to put a new spin on an old idea.

Right now they have 2,160 active words and counting.  Want to add yours as number 2,161?  Also be sure to stay tuned to their blog which has some pretty solid content if you want to watch their progress with this unique idea.

Here is the uncut version of the Candice Michelle 2008 Super Bowl ad:

I like this one a little more than the one they actually showed for GoDaddy during the Super Bowl. Anybody else agree with me?

Here is the ad that ran durring the Super Bowl…

Which lead to this ad here (which FOX rejected because of the word “beaver”)…

Could have been better, but it did get a slight giggle out of me.

Well I guess it finally happened sometime last night. The nice sleek and clean interface of Yahoo! Mail became ad-tastic. As an AT&T DSL customer I was getting the “plus” E-mail pack with my Web mail from Yahoo. I have been over this story before though.

I don’t mind ads on Web sites that are more “general” – that isn’t what bugs me. I just don’t like ads in my applications – such as Web mail, feed readers, ect.

Here is some feedback from others who don’t like being in the same boat:

I am on the phone with Yahoo At&T right now and they maintain that this is a part of their world class service. They are actually telling me that over the phone! It does get better, they are trying to give me a case ID that….you guessed it….they cannot send via email! I am a mail plus customer as well, no way I am sticking around and paying for something like this. Off to Google and GMail.

I’m a paid AT&T/Yahoo Mail, and first the very fist time I’ve found it being “decorated” and “laced” with all sorts of ads. I suppose I’d just have live with them now.

The ads hit my inbox tonight. Unacceptably obtrusive and annoying. I cannot believe paying DSL customers are being treated this way. No way I’m gonna send AT&T/Yahoo more money for an ad-free “plus” account. That is part of what I’ve been paying for the past several years. Time to change my homepage to Google and set-up a G-mail account.

So looks like I have two options that I’d consider going with. Go out and find a Greasemonkey script to take ‘em out or go give my money to Google for their apps service. I’m starting to lean towards the Gmail option – just got to find the time to give Yahoo a swift kick in the rear and a wave goodbye.

For the best example, check out this video:

+ YouTube – Hot Girl + Web Hosting = WTF!?!?!

At the time of me writing this, this average (a little boring for my tastes) video has gotten 89,927 views. Web hosts, that could be more than “just a few” new accounts. Now I’m off to go search for a female mascot/spokesperson for the Web Hosting Show. Any volunteers?

Want the good news? Yahoo is going to give us unlimited E-mail storage soon. The bad news? If you haven’t been seeing ads – you are about to get them back – even if you have been paying for your E-mail service! I have enjoyed the perks of having the “paid” version of Yahoo Mail since I am a AT&T DSL customer. When I moved over to DSL I signed up with SBC Yahoo! DSL. One of the perks I liked the most was that there were no ads on the E-mail application.

Here is a copy of the E-mail I got from Yahoo:

Dear AT&T Yahoo! Member:

AT&T and Yahoo! have a history of providing our members with award-winning, industry-leading Internet products and services at a great value.

As more members are using AT&T Yahoo! Mail to send and receive photos, videos, and music, we will begin offering unlimited email storage in May to both existing and new members. Your service will continue to include all the premium products you already enjoy including video, LAUNCHcast Plus, and an all-in-one security suite.

Additionally, within the next few weeks you will begin seeing graphical advertisements in your AT&T Yahoo! Mail service. These advertisements will be integrated into the AT&T Yahoo! Mail experience, and we hope you will find the advertisements useful. Advertising such as this allows us to continue delivering new and innovative elements to our service and helps us keep prices competitive, while we continue to provide the high level of service that you have come to know and trust.

We strive to provide you with the best online experience possible and to address all your needs on the Internet.

Sincerely,

AT&T Yahoo! Member Services

I love how they push the advertisements as an additional feature to look forward to. Shame on you Yahoo!