We’re now just six weeks away from Affiliate Summit West 2010, and I have a few reminders I wanted to pass along.

Have you got your ticket?

I have just booked my room have you booked yours yet?

Important Deadlines:

http://www.affiliatesummit.com/register/  the cheapest pass you can get has now gone up to $149, remember they do sell out!!!

December 16, 2009 – Last day to book your room at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino for the group rate of $169/night. Book your room with the affiliate summit discount code https://www.harrahs.com/CheckGroupAvailability.do?propCode=RLV&groupCode=SRAFFI0 

It is going to be great, you can even here me on a blogging panel, book now before you miss out.

Missy Ward an interview. Missy was FAB as usual: she is such a lovely lady. Missy and Shawn have just launched a new publishing company if you do not already know about it. They would also love your support with Affiliate Summit in Vegas find out more at www.missyward.com

Aaron Brazell and Missy Ward

I would like to thank Missy Ward ONCE AGAIN for introducing me to Aaron Brazell. Missy has done a lot for me over the years and today she was at it again. I was leaving the Izeafest event (well the bar) and I thanked her for her interview she did for me here on murraynewlands.com. I also mentioned that I was looking for more people to interview, she jumped right up and grabbed Aaron Brazell and made the introduction! Missy Ward is a great example of someone who listens in conversation and acts selflessly to help so many others, social media in action online and offline. Missy you are wonderful, thank you for all you have done for me and continue to do for everyone else!

Aaron Brazell my questions are on their way.

A4UExpo hits London is just over one month- are you ready?

The largest affiliate marketing conference in Europe happens next month. If you are involved in affiliate marketing in Europe, you know you need to be at this conference. Focus topics will include These include SEO, SEM, Paid Search, Social Media, Affiliate Management Strategies, Start-up Advice and Conversion Rate Optimisation. It will be two days of the best networking, learning and sharing opportunities in the world for affiliate marketers.

A4UExpo can be found on twitter @a4uexpo and they are using the #a4uexpo tag for all conference tweets. They are capping attendance at 1,200 Delegates and the event is expected to sell out. Register for A4UExpo while you can.

Why should you be there? Look at the amazing speaker line up:

A4UExpo London 2009 Speakers:
Joanna Butler, SEO & Online Marketing Consultant, Latitude Group,
Patrick Altoft, Director of Search, Branded3,
Lyndon Antcliff, Linkbaiter, Lyndon Antcliff,
Sanjit Atwal, Publisher Development Manager, TradeDoubler,
Nadeem Azam, Managing Director, Azam Marketing,
Matt Bailey, Head of Affiliates, i-level,
Richard Baxter, Founder / SEO Consultant, SEOgadget.co.uk,
Gary Beal, Managing Director, Vanguard SEO,
Dr Karl Blanks, Chairman, Conversion Rate Experts,
Michelle Boxall, Client Strategist, Affiliate Window,
Christoph C. Cemper, Founder Cemper.com,
Will Critchlow, Co-Founder & Director, Distilled,
Ewan Darby, Affiliate Director, Neo@Ogilvy,
Liane Dietrich, Managing Director, LinkShare Ltd,
Paul Dixon, Global Managing Director, Research TMN,
Kieron Donoghue, Managing Director, UK Offer Media,
Robert Durkin, Co-Founder, FusePump Limited,
Kevin Edwards, Strategy Director, Affiliate Window,
Scott Gallagher, Digital Advisor & Investor Director, Accelerated 360,
Chris Garrett, Founder chrisg.com,
Angela Greenwood, Online Marketing Manager, Red Letter Days,
Angus Hanton, Founder, Giraffe,
Thomas Hessler, CEO, Zanox,
Dom Hodgson, Founder, Think Visibility,
Chris Howard, Senior Manager, Affiliate Marketing Europe, eBay Partner Network,
Nick Hynes, Managing Director, SOMO,
Nicky Iapino, Online Marketing Consultant,
Eve Ireland, Digital Acquisition and Marketing Innovation Manager, British Airways,
Duncan Jennings, Managing Director, eConversions,
Ben Jesson, CEO, Conversion Rate Experts,
Dixon Jones, MD, Receptional,
Mel Kirk, Social Media Manager, White Label Dating,
Judith Lewis, Director, Seshet Consulting,
Gavin Male, Group Sales & Marketing Director, tmnmedia,
Ben Manning, DIRECTOR – td Affiliate, TradeDoubler,
Gillian Muessig, President & Co-Founder, SEOMOZ,
Jon Myers, Head of Search / Associate Director, Mediavest,
Lisa Myers, Director, Verve Search,
David Naylor, Managing Director, Bronco,
Kelvin Newman, SEO & Social Search Manager, Site Visibility,
Julia Nisted, European Affiliate Manager, eBay,
Ciarán Norris, Director: Search, Affiliate & Social Media, altogetherdigital
Joshna Patel, Affiliate Manager, Red Letter Days,
Per Pettersen, CEO, Estalea,
Duncan Popham, Managing Director, Total Search Solutions,
Charlie Ranger, Affiliate Manager, TUI,
Grant Reid, Senior Consultant, Stream,
Seth Richardson, CEO, DC Storm,
Peter Rowe, Head of Affilinet, UK Affilinet,
Sri Sharma, Managing Director Net Media Planet,
Mark Simpson, Founder and Managing Director, Maxymiser,
Andrew Slack, Co-Founder, MoreNiche,
Michael Steckler, Managing Director Platform-A UK,
Marcus Tandler, CEO Mediadonis,
Dan Thut, Client Services Director Qua Media,
Bas Van Den Beld, Owner and Chief Editor Searchcowboys,
Francesco Votta, Director Web Services Zanox,
Missy Ward, Affiliate Summit,
Philip Wilkinson, Founder & CEO Crowdstorm,
Matthew Wood, Founder a4uexpo,
Paul Wright, Affiliate Marketing Director, Mediaedge

Online Marketing: Online Advertising from International Blogger Ayako: An Interview

Tell me about your Blog?

I have 2 blog sites. One is Branding100.com and I blog about the online advertising industry in Japan and U.S. Another one is AyakoFromJapan.com and I blog about the online advertising industry in the U.S. in Japanese. I lived in Japan from birth until I was 27 so I use my Asian background as my “niche”. My main goal is to connect Japanese and U.S. online marketers so they can share some ideas that benefit both ends and create more innovation.

What was your first blog?

My first blog was totally33.com. The blog is all about fun/weird stuff in Japan. I started to learn more about WordPress and some other basic tech stuff from working on that blog. I did not do anything special to customize it and just update it for fun every now and then.

What is the biggest tip you would give to a newbie blogger?

Pick something you really feel passionate about. Try out many different tools and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Read lots of other people’s blogs and networks.

What do advertisers do that you wish they wouldn’t?

Work with network(s) they really don’t know anything about but their name. They should be very picky who to advertise with in order to reduce parasites.

What do bloggers do that you wish they wouldn’t?

Have too many ads on their site because that is very distracting.

Where do you see growth in the blogging field?
Content that utilizes video and mobile capabilities.

What new ideas are advertisers coming up with to take advantage of new trends?

I enjoy seeing more and more advertisers involved with Twitter. Twitter provides a great place for consumers to connect with advertisers.

What is one thing about you that not many people know?
I was a pianist from age 2-18 and wrote 2 kids songs that were recorded and distributed to elementary schools in Japan.

What’s your favorite book?

One of the business books that has a great message and I enjoy reading over and over is The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott.

What is on your iPod?

Right now, I have Janet Jackson, NKOTB, Beyonce, John Mayer, Pussycat Dolls and some Whitesnake

What are your contact details (email, company, blog, facebook, myspace, forums, etc)?
E-mail: ayako@branding100.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ayako
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ayakobingham
Twitter : http://twitter.com/ayakobing

What events do you go to?

Mainly Affiliate Summit, AdTech and BlogWorld. But, I am willing to attend any events as long as it’s worth going.

How do you prefer to communicate?
E-mail

Who would you recommend, and why?
• Shawn Collins and Missy Ward : Because they are the Rockstars who started the Affiliate Summit, not to mention they are just awesome people to talk to.
• Melanie Seery: Because she voices valuable information and opinions about the affiliate tax issue.
• David Niu (BuddyTV) and Ben Huh (ICanHasCheezburger.com): They are some of the sharpest and most fun people I have done business with and I respect both of them as successful entrepreneurs.
• Will Smith : Because he knows how to express himself without swearing.

What is one thing people can do for you?
Say “Hi” to me at events and connect via Twitter, LinkedIn or any other places. Don’t be shy!

Online Marketing: Online Advertising from International Blogger Ayako:An Interview

Outsourced Program Management for Affiliate Marketing Consultant and Blogger Stephanie Lichtenstein from Andy Rodriguez Consulting

Tell me about your Company?
Andy Rodriguez Consulting specializes in Outsourced Program Management for 8 years. As program managers, we strive to work with ethical and booming merchant programs. The key to our business is to build lasting relationships. We have partnered with Internet Retailer 500 companies and hold several spots in the ShareASale Top 100 PowerRank.

What was your first experience of social media?
My first experience with social media was through MySpace. In those beginning stages, it was used to keep in touch with friends. MySpace did teach me basics on how to insert HTML code. Nowadays social media plays an important role in both my personal and professional life.

What is the biggest tip you would give to a newbie in social media?
Interact with others, that is the point of social media. I try to respond to any questions directed towards me or that grab my interest. To gain followers, share your expertise with others they will appreciate you for it.

What do advertisers do that you wish they wouldn’t?
I wish all advertisers would become better educated about the affiliate marketing industry. When they take the time to understand affiliate marketing, they gain the trust and proper elements to grow a successful program.

What do bloggers do that you wish they wouldn’t?
Bloggers do not add someone to your blogroll just because you want the favour returned. Instead add resources that compliment your blog and the link love will follow.

Where do you see growth in the social media field?
Social media can be leveraged on a small to large scale. Corporations, celebrities, politicians, small businesses, and individuals are changing the game mostly for the media. We no longer wait for the nightly news now we learn things as they happen.

Corporations can offer quick customer support like Whole Foods does by answering questions; not to mention this is a cost effective method and free press. Politicians can use this throughout their campaigns to keep followers informed on their stance, this worked wonders for Obama. Individuals can share their passions with others, I share my blog posts through social media. Locally, I have met my tech community thanks to social media connections and meetups.

There is growth in social media because it changes our pace of life. With that, comes new opportunities and responsibilities. Not only that but others are starting to realize how powerful this tool can be for them. Social media will continue to grow because it is an effective way to connect with people in real time.

What new ideas are advertisers coming up with to take advantage of new trends?
Advertisers are using social media to reach their target audience. They have all created overnight blogs, fan pages on Facebook and started tweeting to the world pardon me, Twitterverse. If they use social media in the right way this can help their brand loyalty. It is important that advertisers don’t try to be pushy with sales. They need to become a resource on their products or service. By sharing useful information they will build a solid following and this will bring them success.

What do you do to improve the world?
To improve the world, I would eliminate racism. I have two things on my life list that I feel strongly against and that is one of the two.

What do you do that is green?
I am proud to share that in college I helped start the recycling program. It is still active at Florida State University called “Garnet and Gold Goes Green.” It started as a project with my environmental science class but something I am very happy I was a part of. Nowadays I work at an online company, so thankfully we don’t drive much or waste paper.

What is one thing about you that not many people know?
In College, I started an intramural bowling team. I am not very good but my tactics are entertaining. Since I was the team captain, I decided I could bowl however I wanted and it was good fun.

What’s your favorite book?
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, if you YouTube the last lecture you will get chills.

What is on your iPod?
Incubus – Monuments and Melodies. My taste ranges from mellow music to hip hop to spanish rock, just don’t try to get me to listen to country.

What are your contact details (email, company, blog, facebook, myspace, forums, etc)?

Email: stephanie@andyrodriguez.com
Company: http://andyrodriguez.com/clients.html
Blog: http://stephanielichtenstein.com
Twitter: @StephARC
Facebook: http://facebook.com/stephanielichtenstein
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/stephanielichtenstein
ABW Forum: http://forum.abestweb.com/forumdisplay.php?f=81
ABW Name: Steph-ARC
AIM: Affiliatelady
Fight Against the Advertising Tax – Facebook Group!

What events do you go to?
Local tech and networking events, Affiliate Summit, Think Tank, and looking at adding other events like PubCon and AdTech. If you are attending Affiliate Summit in NYC I will be speaking on the Sunday panel: Getting Noticed FAST. I hope to meet you new faces then!

How do you prefer to communicate?
During work AIM is the easiest. If you need to reach me immediately sending me a DM on Twitter works. If you have something lengthly to ask then email would be best.

Who would you recommend, and why?

Lisa Picarille Lisa shares her thoughtful opinion on important industry matters.
Missy Ward Missy is dedicated in all she does and she is always an industry leader.
Scotty Jangro Scotty has been my mentor in the industry.
Shawn Collins Shawn’s daily affiliate tips are a must.
Trisha Lyn Trisha blogs with the most details on events and sessions it amazes me.
Gary Vaynerchuck Through his passion, Gary V is easily my favourite inspiration.
Jangro.com So nice he gets picked twice. Besides being my mentor he is an industry innovator.
Official ShareASale Blog ShareASale is the most ethical and excellent network out there.
Joe Sousa Joe helps me see things from an affiliate perspective.
http://thespew.fm/  women’s opinions on geeky stuff.
http://coffeecast.fm  two men rambling about their love of coffee.

What is one thing people can do for you?
Partnerships with my affiliates is most important. By creating relationships I learn which programs fit them the best and those partnerships end up being long term. It is a win-win for all. Everyday I look for opportunities to strengthen each partnership. If there is an affiliate that would have any questions for me, I would be more than happy to speak with them.

Outsourced Program Management for Affiliate Marketing Consultant and Blogger Stephanie Lichtenstein from Andy Rodriguez Consulting

Scott Richter, Affiliate Giant and Media Super Star an Interview

Scott Richter the past the present and the future of online marketing. Scott has grown Media Breakaway and the affiliate.com network into arguably THE biggest affiliate power house in the world, outside of Google that is .

Scott Richter  in Adtech San Francisco on Earth Day photo by HeatherinBC

Scott Richter – Not without controversy, making a TV appearance on the Daily Show, and featured in Details Magazine, People Magazine, Time Magazine, USA Today, the New York Times and many more magazines and newspapers from around the world. Like Apple and Oracle he has had his run in with Microsoft. Yet, despite the challenges he and his team have faced, and maybe in spite of this, he has developed a global empire. I was told Scott does not do interviews so I feel honored to have been given the opportunity to interview him for murraynewlands.com. If you have additional questions let me know I am hoping for a follow up…

Q: Scott Richter, tell me about Media Breakaway. What is it doing right now?

With the affiliate.com Affiliate Network?
A: affiliate.com is continuing to grow nicely but the pace has slowed from levels back in the heyday for the industry. With more than 750 affiliate networks out there now, it is becoming a much more packed market place.

With email?
A: We are still going strong in email, but the business is more complicated with different filtering by ISPs and block lists. The key is building a super-clean double confirmed email list that you can send to daily without any issues.

With mobile?
A: We purchased a mobile company several years back and we have grown turned that into MBmobile, LLC – a powerhouse of unique offers with many more in the pipeline. Our newest release was RingnRock.com (a new mobile storefront), which so far has been doing amazingly well in private testing with super affiliates.

Social media and apps?
A: This is one of the fastest growing areas on the Internet, as more and more people globally get addicted to social networking sites to find out the latest info on their friends and families. Not long ago we launched our app division (Lunatic Games) which has come out with several smash hits like http://apps.facebook.com/spotthedifference/ and http://apps.facebook.com/canyouspotit/.

Q: Scott Richter where did it all begin for you?

A: I launched Optinrealbig.com / saverealbig.com back in 2000 working out of the back of one of my restaurants. We started out as a company selling pagers and then evolved in to marketing other products like Ginsu knives, spy ears, laser pens and even American flags. Over time as the Internet grew, we continued to change what we did and eventually got into email marketing. Then in 2003 we launched the CPAEmpire.com Affiliate Network – which we re-branded it in 2008 as affiliate.com. Along the way we also launched a hosting company called WholesaleBandwidth.com, a domain registrar called Dynamic Dolphin and an email list management division called DataOverdrive. We also acquired Opera Telcom USA in 2007 (which helped us for MBmobile) to help us do more business in the ringtone and mobile space. We have launched several successful mobile brands like Ringtones.net, Tone.com and RingnRock.com.

It has been a rough and challenging ride over the last 9 years, but as with any business, that have been many downs (lawsuits and bad press) but also lots of high points to that make it all worthwhile.

Q: Scott Richter where is the future of affiliate marketing and where do you see media?

A: Affiliate marketing will continue to grow. Especially as times get harder, companies are looking at CPA deals more than ever before. Advertisers can’t lose when they are only paying on a performance basis.

Q: Scott Richter what are the main things affiliates do that you wish they wouldn’t?

A: Normal affiliates who run offers are terrific, but the ones that are fraudulent or deceptive hurt all of the good ones by causing all sorts of issues for advertiser and charge backs for affiliate networks. I wish there was a good way to get rid of all the fraudulent affiliates.

Q : Scott Richter what are you most proud of?

A: I’m very proud of how we have come so far and grown the business over the years. Outside of work, my Twin boys Michael and Joseph make me the proudest and just like their Dad, they our following in my footsteps by playing hockey.

Q: Scott Richter Doing the Daily Show Video obviously brought you a lot of publicity and notoriety, any regrets?

A: The Daily Show spot was one of the best things I ever did. The press coverage from it was tremendous. What a lot of people don’t know is that it was all staged and scripted and that the email address given out on the show (scottrichter472@yahoo.com) wasn’t really my email address. But after airing on the show the account got over 25,000 emails sent to it. Even a few dating offers.

Q: Scott Richter Shawn Collins just released a survey that over 51% of affiliates now collect optin databases, is it true you and your team still send over one hundred million emails a day?

A: I’m not sure if the number is accurate across the entire industry, but I do know a lot of affiliates do collect data. While we are still involved in emailing, we don’t send anywhere near as much mail these days.

Q: Scott Richter  there was a rumor that you were going to sell last year for over $100 million, any truth in that?

A: Over the last several years we have received a number of offers from companies interested in acquiring the company, but so far nothing has come to fruition.

Q: Scott Richter today it you had to bet it all on shares in Myspace, Facebook or Twitter, where do you put your money?

A: I think Facebook, its slick and clean. Myspace is too cluttered and geared to a younger crowd that doesn’t have the same spending power. Twitter has a lot of potential, but Facebook can wipe them out if they ever launch their own internal Twitter-like program.

Q: Scott Richter what do you do to improve the world?

A: Here at Media Breakaway we have our Media Breakaway Makes a Difference Program where we run several projects a year to support the local community. Some of the ones that stick out the most for me in the last year were initiatives supporting Habit for Humanity, the Salvation Army Giving Tree and the Food Bank of the Rockies. On a personal side, I participated in the Muscular Dystrophy Association Lock-Up Event and raised over $16,000 to send 20 kids with Muscular Dystrophy to summer camp for a week here in Colorado.

Q: Scott Richter what do you do that is green?

A: We have Blue recycling bins next to all of our desks to recycle. We stopped giving out disposable cups and went to only washable mugs and also did away with bottled water and went to a bulk water system with water coolers located throughout the office to cut back on waste.

Q: Scott Richter  what is one thing about you that not many people know?

A: That I play hockey 2 to 3 times a week and in 2005 topped the scales out at 308 pounds before going on a two-year long diet.

Q: Scott Richter  who would recommend you and why?

A: Missy Ward – She worked with us for several years and is like an older sister to me that somehow keeps looking younger and hotter every year.
Jeremy “ShoeMoney” Schoemaker – Jeremy wasn’t always my biggest fan, but after getting to know us last year has become a good friend.
Dennis Yu – Dennis liked us so much that he moved his company down from Boulder into office space in our building.

Q: Scott Richter what one thing can people do to help you?

A: Affiliates can really help us by letting us know what offers they want us to provide through affiliate.com. We are always happy to go after new offer that can help our affiliates make more money.

Thank you Scott Richter of Media Breakaway

Affiliate Marketing Conference Affiliate Summit AffStat Report

Affiliate Summit affiliate marketing conference release the much awaited 2009 Affiliate Summit AffStat Report. Affiliate marketing benchmarks. Over four hundred affiliates were surveyed on their methods preferences and strategies. This is a great pice of work and extreamly valuble to the affialite community.

The report contains some interesting survey results about affiliates such as: On email marketing 51% of affiliates now do maintain opt in email lists. 55 % of affiliates use PPC to promote their campaigns.

The report also provided affiliates to speak out and provide feedback to affiliate networks and affiliate managers about their treatment of affiliates.

“Also stop treating Canadian affiliates (and non-USA publishers for that matter) like second class citizens. Some of us perform much better than “homeland” based publishers while honestly working within your service agreements. This is a global industry – keep this in mind and you will find some amazing markets out there.”

The 2009 Affiliate Summit AffStat Report is well worth a read and you can read a full report here 2009 Affiliate Summit AffStat Report.

I would like to thank Shawn Collins Missy Ward and the whole Affiliate Summit affiliate marketing conference team for including my murraynewlands.com in the list of resources for affiliates.

Affiliate Marketing Conference Affiliate Summit AffStat Report

Famous Blogger Murray Newlands

Famous Blogger Speaking Engagements

In mid-July I had the chance to visit Doug Richard at the Dragon’s Den and the School for Startups for an interview. He asked some challenging questions and invited members of the audience of 150 to pitch in with questions about their companies and how affiliate marketing might work for them. It was a time for quick thinking and straight answers. I had great fun, Doug and I were able to offer some real value to the participants.

Famous Blogger Coverage

This week saw my article come out in FeedFront – The Official Magazine of Affiliate Summit. This followed my interview in Revenue Today, the website of Revenue Magazine. Getting coverage in both the publications in such a short time-frame did wonders for my blog both for searches and links in pushing me closer to the Famous Blogger goal. Thank you Shawn Collins and Missy Ward as well as Chris Trayhorn over at Revenue Magazine.

Famous Blogger Sponsorship

MarketLeverage joined as sponsors of the Murray Newlands blog competition which lead to an increasing number of famous Blogger sign ups to competition. I would like to thank famous Blogger s @Joetech, @HeatherinBC, @BenSparks,@JohnRaser, @ MLDina, , @MarketLeverage, @ConnieFoggles, @vincestev, @TrishaLyn for working hard to promote the blog competition this week and mention http://dreamindemon.com, and http://www.liveforfilms.com/ for being in first and second place for votes this week. The competition is heating up as to who can get the most votes and become the Famous Blogger.

The Famous Blogger Goal

The growing success of MurrayNewlands.com is exciting and rewarding, and as I said, brings me closer to my personal goal of becoming a famous blogger. It is an honor and a pleasure to be part of the blogging community, and while fame is a relative term, I see people (like I mentioned) that can call themselves a famous blogger as both inspirations and mentors. A famous blogger is more someone with value to add to the community and enough traffic to get their message out there. If you or anyone you know has blogged the road from that first post to the position of famous blogger, I would love to hear about your journey!

Famous Blogger Murray Newlands

Keywords
famous blogspot
famous blog
famous blogs
infamous blogspot
famous google
famous para
famous comments
famous carol
famous blogging
famous people
most famous blog
most famous blogs
how to become famous
infamous blog
famouse bloggers

See also
Celebrity Blogger
Celebrity Blogger
Famous Blogger
Celebrities on Facebook
Famous people on Twitter
Marketing on Facebook
Barefoot Celebrities
Top 10 Music Blogs

Interview with Ben Spark, Blogger at BenSpark.com and IZEA Insider.

Andrew Bennett AKA Ben Spark has been a blogger for over 6 years. He’s also an incredible photographer who has taken over 1500 consecutive photos. He’s an IZEA Insider and has been a speaker at PostieCon as well as at IZEAFest. He is also a champion Diaper Changer and all around SuperDad. He even has a widget so that you can display his daily photo on your own blog. Oh and he is a famous blogger.

Tell me about your company?

My blog is really just my stream of consciousness that is inspired by my daily events. I take a photograph every single day and have done so for four consecutive years. I write whatever I would like, whether it be a review/recap of my favorite TV shows, what I had for a meal, or a contest. My blog is about me and my family and our life in photos. If you want a concise description of BenSpark.com then this is my elevator pitch. I have to constantly update it as I continue to take photos.

“Everyday Photos… Every… Day… BenSpark.com is about my life through photography. Each image is a gateway to a story about my daily life. Occasionally funny, inspiring, interesting or creative BenSpark.com is real life in photos. With over 1500 consecutive days and five different cameras BenSpark.com has documented images from the mundane to the amazing.”

In the interest of full disclosure I would like to point out that I am an IZEA Insider and as such I have very strong ties to the IZEA company. My IZEA Insider Crew is called The “I’m Not A Famous Blogger” Crew.

What was your first blog?

My first blog was called The BenSpark it was an amalgam of my last name and my girlfriend’s (now wife) maiden name. I created it for two reasons. 1.) I was bored at work and found that I had no creative control over anything. So I wanted something where I could express my creativity and still retain my skills with web design. The second reason was to showcase the places I traveled to while working so that friends and family could see where I was and what I was doing. That blog was on BlogSpot Plus. Which I think was prior to Google acquiring Blogger.

What is the biggest tip you would give to a newbie blogger?

My biggest tip for a newbie blogger would be to listen more, say less. Seems kind of a strange thing to say when blogging is a way to express yourself. I guess what I mean is that I’m not going to take a blogger seriously if they have five posts and their latest one tells me that they know the secret to making money online. No, you don’t. Listen and learn, tell me what you think about an article from someone who is truly an expert. Look at bloggers who have done amazing things like Chris Brogan, Ted Murphy and Chris Pirillo. Those guys have something to say and when they do people listen. Go to their blogs, read posts, make intelligent comments and then write about what you learned from these folks. Get some experience and wisdom under your belt before you go trying to sell someone your e-book, or whatever else you are selling.

The other piece of advice would be to blog every day. If you can’t blog every day and you don’t have something burning to tell people each and every day then stop blogging. Because if you are passionate about the things you are saying then you want to tell people every single chance you get. Do it daily.

What do advertisers do that you wish they wouldn’t?

I wish that some advertisers would look at a blog before trying to pitch their product to the blogger. I love working with advertisers on contests and promotions. I do as much as I can to get the word out about every advertiser that works with me. I’m selective and am only going to work with products and services that fit the tone of my blog. I’m sure I could make a bunch of money pitching the whole payday loan racket. Heck back in the day when I was cutting my teeth in the blogging world I probably wrote a post about payday loans. I’ve matured since then and pick good advertisers to work with. Actually they find me and things work out well.

What do bloggers do that you wish they wouldn’t?

I wish that bloggers would find their own voices. I use tweetdeck to follow specific conversations and people on twitter. What I often see is that the top Twit tweets and then suddenly their is a flood of retweets. Sometimes I think Twitter should be named Parrot because of all the people parroting others. If you want to be seen and heard you have to add to the conversation rather than just retweet the sayings of those with way more influence than you. So, if I see a blogger who has real insight to the original tweet then I’ll check that person out. So, bloggers, my advice to you is to have your own voice don’t just echo everyone else.

Where do you see growth in the blogging field?

I see growth in the blogging field for Daddy Bloggers. There has been an explosion of Mommy Bloggers out there. The Mommy Bloggers that I know have had some incredible experiences with sompanies sending them on trips to their headquarters. I see the potential for companies like Sears to have say Sears Dads, bloggers who are hard working dads trying to provide for their family and who see quality in the products from Sears and use those products in their daily lives. I’d love to see Disney Dads. I just came back from a trip to Disney and I can tell you a number of tips and tricks that Dad’s would love to hear. I think that Dads have been relegated to the bumbling buffoon on TV shows and movies that people don’t take Dad seriously anymore. I think that it is time for us competent Dads to take back our place as teacher, advisor and mentor to our kids and our families. We can also share our knowledge with others through our blogs.

What new ideas are advertisers coming up with to take advantage of new trends?

Advertisers have jumped all over Twitter. Seeing Twitter discussed on the Ellen Show and on Oprah opened up Twitter to the masses. Everyone had to get on Twitter and advertisers did as well. How else can I explain the 15 DMs a day that I get from people trying to tell me how to get more followers on Twitter. There is value in the number of followers that people have, if there wasn’t then why bother with all the different ways to attract followers. No, advertisers have certainly taken advantage of Twitter.

Look at the contests that are happening on blogs all over, notice that each one of them has some sort of Twitter aspect to it meant to help increase the number of followers for either the blogger or the advertiser or both.

What do you do to improve the world?

What do I do to improve the world. I try to give back. My family and I were fortunate to participate in an IZEA/Sears event this past Christmas. We were given a $100 gift card to use at Sears however we wanted. We chose to use the money to buy toys for a local Charity called Christmas is for Kids which donates toys to needy families at Christmas time. It is not much and might seem frivolous to some but I believe that kids should get to stay kids as long as they can and to wake up and see that Santa didn’t forget them on Christmas morning is important. Kids grow up too fast these days so I would like to do my part to help preserve childhood. So in an effort to make this a yearly event so that we can teach out daughter about giving I’ve been putting away $10 a month so we can buy $120 worth of toys (from Sears again because their promotion with IZEA inspired us) and give those toys to Christmas is for Kids.

BenSpark Grants a Wish – http://www.benspark.com/benspark-grants-a-wish.html

We are also putting away $120 for Heifer International. We are doing this so that we can stock Eva’s Farm. In an effort to personalize our giving and include our daughter Eva in this we decided that we would give money to Heifer to buy animals for “Eva’s Farm” Eva’s Farm is a fictional farm that so far is stocked with a flock of chickens and a share in a llama. What we will eventually do is set up a board that says Eva’s Farm that has photos of Eva with baby chicks, Llamas and other animals that we donate and the years we made the donations that way she can see what we as a family have done to help make the world better.

Eva’s farm http://www.benspark.com/help-stock-evas-farm.html

What do you do that is green?

We drive energy efficient cars, we recycle and we have a compost pile.

What is one thing about you that not many people know?

They probably don’t know that I was a short order cook way back when. The reason I bring that up is that being a short order cook for an utterly crazy (like a fox, he was frugal to a fault and brilliant) guy was the best job ever. The work was constant and grueling and the boss got mad and threw things but at the end of each day he shook my hand, looked me in the eye and thanked me for coming to work that day. I learned so much from him in that one summer. I’ve never had a boss like him before or since.

What’s your favorite book?

If I just want to veg and enjoy an adventure then there is none better for me than Clive Cussler. If we are talking inspirational books then I’d say Randy Pausch’s The Last Lecture was incredible. If I want to pee myself with laughter then I reach for Christopher Moore’s book Lamb. If I want to enjoy the beach and escape then I read Jimmy Buffett’s A Salty Piece of Land.

What is on your iPod?

My iPod has music, a couple of genius playlists for when I’d like to listen to music, Jimmy Buffett, Ellis Paul, Christopher Williams, Antje Duvekot. I have an iPod Touch so I have many podcasts like Missy Ward’s The Spew. I was trying to learn Chinese this year so I have about 15 learn Chinese podcasts, audio books and the like. I can pretty much say Ne-How and that is it. But what I really love to watch on my iPod is video podcasts. I like TikiBar TV, Geekbrief.tv, Best Week Ever, but what I really love is Average Betty. Her cooking show is so funny and so well done, plus Betty herself is so friendly and so awesome, I luv her.

What are your contact details (email, company, blog, facebook, myspace, forums, etc)?

E-mail benspark@benspark.com

Twitter – http://twitter.com/BenSpark

Vimeo – http://www.vimeo.com/benspark

SocialSpark – http://socialspark.com/bloggers/benspark

Facebook – http://www.benspark.com/facebook

How do you prefer to communicate?

I prefer e-mail. I am not a fan of the phone and like to write more than I like to talk. If I’m on the phone for more than 10 minutes I get a screaming urge to get off. I really can’t stand the phone.

Who would you recommend, and why?

Ted Murphy – He’s transforming the world of blogging every day.

Chris Brogan – He’s always got something interesting to say.

Pete Janelle – One of the co-founders of Dad-Blogs. He had a great idea and ran with it.

Jennifer Leet – She finds the most amazing prizes for awesome contests.

Ashley Edwards – The man behind so much of the organizing of IZEAFest, truly an unsung hero.

Missy Ward – She just rocks, there is so much to say about her but it boils down to the fact that, “She Rocks”.

Darren Rowse – His 31 Days to a Better Blog was an amazing program, things I knew and already did but taking the time to concentrate my efforts once again was very useful. The program is a great one for any new blogger.

Justin Wright – a fun, free spirit, pro blogger who blogs full time for a living. Doing something I’d love to do.

Kevin Dixie – Creator of FuelMyBlog. Kevin has been my friend for years and he has some amazing ideas.

Dina Riccobono – Marketing Manager @ MarketLeverage and Host of MLTV marketleverageTV.com. Dina has been so great to our family. She is also gracious and welcoming in person.

What is one thing people can do for you?

I have a great idea for a contest tie in with regards to IZEAFest this year and I would love people who could get me in contact with advertisers or bloggers willing to sponsor some great prizes. That is kind of a tall order but for the everyday blogger I’d love it if you just left a comment or two on my posts. I love to see what people think of my photos. And of course if a blogger is on SocialSpark they’d really benefit from being a part of my “I’m Not A Famous Blogger” crew.

Thanks to Ben Spark, Blogger at BenSpark.com and IZEA Insider!

See also IZEAFest