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ActiveRain's Sponsored Featured Posts $$$

By Maureen McCabe

Real Estate Agent with HER Realtors

September 25, 2009 11:09 PM

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Dave Humphrey, Broker

RE/MAX Marketplace - Celebration, FL

Real Estate Advice You Can TRUST!

I guesss I am too new to AR to grasp all this. Sounds messy though.

Sep 25, 2009 11:12 PM

FN LN

Toronto, ON

Most people probably do not realize that it is a sponsored ad. The "sponsored ad" text is a small font size on the bottom right underneath the coloured box.

The creator of a blog post who comments on his/her own post also has a coloured box as do comments from ActiveRain staff. However, those comments are not sponsored comments. Thus, many people may not realize that certain posts are commented.

Sep 25, 2009 11:27 PM

Sally K. & David L. Hanson

EXP Realty 414-525-0563 - Brookfield, WI

WI Real Estate Agents - Luxury - Divorce

Must admit that it took me a while Maureen to realize that they were actually "commercials" and it would seem that would not be an appropriate venue for comments.

Sep 26, 2009 12:19 AM

Maureen McCabe

HER Realtors - Columbus, OH

Columbus Ohio Real Estate

Dave Welcome to ActiveRain. I don't know that it is that messy, you'll get used to ads on ActiveRain and ignore them like most people or talk back to them like the *less controlled....if you are *less controlled and I am sure you are not.

I wonder why some of the sponsors do a post where hecklers can heckle rather than an ad. $? Not sure what the cost of either is.

There'd be heckling on some vendors posts whether or not they were featured but some of the comments are because it is featured.

Marc I think the words 'Sponsored Link' on Google is the same size....

Do people go leave nasty comments on the sites of the Google Sponsored Links? Sit and Click the ads? Fill out the forms on the site with nastiness? Probably.

Does that help them? Work out their aggression?

My third comment was not meant as a dig.

"it is a sponsored post isn't it? Yellow. They are paying. That is why there are no comments either."

None of my comments were meant to be disparaging of him or his product.

Sep 26, 2009 12:20 AM

Bob Murphy

Keller Williams Realty Consultants - New Albany, IN

Maureen - Thanks for pointing out the "sponsored Posts" on Active Rain. I didn't realize there was such a thing. I didn't read your comments on the post in question. I suppose the ad just didn't get my attention. But then it's pretty hard to get my attention sometime.

Sep 26, 2009 12:20 AM

Cheryl Johnson

Highland Park, CA

If I paid for a sponsored featured post, I think I would be inclined to disable comments on it; I wouldn't want some naive newbie to spoil my carefully crafted advertisement with a dumb comment. :-)

I've been searching and haven't yet come up with a page on AR telling what the ad rates are for a sponsored featured post. Anybody know?

I'm thinking it would be kind of fun to advertise a hot listing in that spot.

Sep 26, 2009 12:31 AM

Missy Caulk

Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI

Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate

Maureen, when I see a vendor (sponsor) of interest I will click on and read. If I have used the product, I will give it a thumbs up, like I did on Wise AGent.

If I have not heard of them and it sounds interesting to me, I will read to find out more.

However, I will not attack a product on line that I have not used and don't know a thing about.

Sep 26, 2009 12:34 AM

Cheryl Johnson

Highland Park, CA

UPDATE: Well, I found the Active Rain Media Kit http://activerain-internal.s3.amazonaws.com/media_kit.pdf

Which is actually quite interesting and well written, but all it tells me is I must call for pricing. :-)

Sep 26, 2009 12:36 AM

Maureen McCabe

HER Realtors - Columbus, OH

Columbus Ohio Real Estate

Sally I think they want comments or why would they write a post rather than feature an ad?

I don't think some of the sponsored featured posts are written well enough to start conversations and I am not necessarily saying "don't say anything if you can't say anything nice" but I am trying to point out it's an advertisement.

They are paying so you don't have to. Do the people who have commented talk back to the TV if a local flat free brokerage commercial comes on?

Bob There are posts about the Sponsored Featured Posts and some of the other sponsoring opportunities available to advertisers on AR. They'd be on the official AR blogs and owners /employees (Bob, Brad, Jeremy) posts I believe. I can't remember the AR ad guys name...

Sep 26, 2009 12:36 AM

Maureen McCabe

HER Realtors - Columbus, OH

Columbus Ohio Real Estate

Thanks Missy and Cheryl... thanks for the link Cheryl... I was too lazy to go find it. I remember it said "call for pricing."

I think they will sell an ad to anyone but I would think for most RE agents it would be a waste.

I'd rather the ad be there than in my mailbox. I would rather the ad be identified as an ad... no one would comment on most of the posts if they were NOT on the dashboard.

I think some good writers are smart to use the Sponsored Featured Post and something that is controversial and keep the comments on.

Sep 26, 2009 12:41 AM

Julia Odom

Select Realty Professionals - Chattanooga, TN

Chattanooga Homes for Sale

I've always known that those were paid advertising and I don't see any problem with it. Like Missy, if it sounds interesting I'll click over and take a look. Just like any other post, it may or may not resonate with the audience and therefore get more comments and thus more attention. That's my take on why it's done as a post with commenting enabled.

Sep 26, 2009 12:49 AM

Maureen McCabe

HER Realtors - Columbus, OH

Columbus Ohio Real Estate

Thanks Julia I use the ads similarly. I inquired about one tech service because I saw an ad on AR, I read some of them. Skip over those that I have no use for. I think this was the first one I commented on.

There are other members selling franchises on AR. Their posts don't necessarily get the negative comments.... maybe Scott is getting what he wants from it. Controversy...

I knew of the Sponsored Featured Post s from an announcement but the first time I saw commenters kick the crap out of a vendor it was a lead seller. I can't remember which.

Personally I believe more vendors should pay for sponsored featured posts.

I doubt they want the usual AR "Great post thanks for sharing" type comments but I can't imagine kick the crap out of the guy selling flat fee mls franchises inspires anyone else to write a check to AR.

It's labeled.... it's an ad.

Sep 26, 2009 01:03 AM

Maureen McCabe

HER Realtors - Columbus, OH

Columbus Ohio Real Estate

I left my comment number 4 on the post asking if people realized it is sponsored and got a snotty response from a member.

Wonder how those who feel compelled to leave disparaging comments about the companies business model would feel if other AR members comment on their Localism posts (written to consumers )questioning their business model?

We wouldn't waste time visiting the post and saying "I'm a full service real estate agent blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...

Comments include:

"Scott you might be in the wrong area to market this concept here. At least as a sponsored add. No offence, just and observation."

and

"This keeps coming back, can't AR limit the times the same posts go up or is it just the money??"

Hmmm sounds like good business to me... AR is a real estate site, they should limit ads (Sponsored Featured Posts) to only people who are "Traditional"

Sep 26, 2009 06:03 AM

Jane Peters

Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles real estate concierge services

Maureen, forgive my ignorance, but I don' t want to miss out on anything. Where do these sponsored feature posts appear - on the home page? And in answer to your question, I would not delete any comments I made in the past. They look quite appropriate to me.

Sep 26, 2009 07:20 AM

Irene Kennedy Realtor® in Northwestern NJ

Weichert - Lopatcong, NJ

Maureen,

I was one who kicked the crap out of that lead generation post. Never had posted about it because I had begun legal action against the entity. When I saw them offering the same bogus thing to fellow AR members, I spoke my piece. In my case, the poster contacted me and within 3 days I had a full refund of every dime.

My view? If someone leaves a comment any blogger doesn't like, he or she can simply exercise the delete button. True whether or not one pays. Ditto on "don't allow comments."

Sep 26, 2009 09:26 AM

Maureen McCabe

HER Realtors - Columbus, OH

Columbus Ohio Real Estate

:- (

Sep 26, 2009 11:02 PM

Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL

Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL

Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Maureen,

I followed the links, read the comments. I guess we are approaching the sponsored posts as any other regular posts. Maybe AR should separate the sponsored posts somehow. No comments or some other measure...

Sep 29, 2009 02:15 PM

Maureen McCabe

HER Realtors - Columbus, OH

Columbus Ohio Real Estate

If we treated everyone respectfully ActiveRain would not have to take any measures... and most people would move along and not comment on a post like that....

Instead we become an angry mob, one snotty comment leading to the next. The comments aren't all snotty but I have a hard time with peoples need to stop by and call out and defend their business model. Why is he a threat to people. Do they harass the VOs, discounter, etc. in their market?

Sep 29, 2009 06:49 PM

Christopher Ohlsen

Credit Werx, LLC. - Malone, NY

Interesting discussion. I just left a comment on a sponsored featured post about the CL Ad Maker Tool... I think that its a great tool for people that do not know how to write basic HTML... That is what I indicated; I hope that the author does not take offense... Good Post Maureen.

May 31, 2012 04:37 AM

Maureen McCabe

HER Realtors - Columbus, OH

Columbus Ohio Real Estate

I wondered if we even had sponsored featured posts anymore on AR when I saw your comment in my email Christopher. I guess they do! I wonder if that sponsored featured post is still up. I have never heard of CL Ad Maker Tool. Interesting. I doubt they would take offense.

The heckling was on non Traditional real estate companies advertising their services to others in the industry as I recall.

May 31, 2012 05:22 AM

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