What’s All This Then!

So there I was, standing in my local IRS office, eagerly waiting to surrender my latest extortion payment when I noticed a new poster on the wall. It was a eye-catching picture of a beautiful sunlit Earth suspended over the black background of space. In large, white letters across the top of the poster was the title “IRS Environmental Policy”. Under the glowing Earth, in smaller white letters, there was about 200 words arranged in three paragraphs. To the lucky reader of this poster, the IRS described how they strived to be the friendliest, most environmentally conscience agency that ever terrorized a planet. It was touching to read all the politically correct, green-sounding jargon. But I think I could have done a better job with much fewer words and much more honest text: “While we at the IRS work diligently to take your money, we will do our very best to not tax the environment as well.”

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A newbie salesperson at PayPerPost asked posties to comment on what they preferred as rewards from advertisers for their posts. His question (if I understood his posting correctly) had great timing!

As I traveled home tonight, National Public Radio did a piece on the dilemma that advertisers are having. It seems more and more people have digital video recorders. Because of that, most of them zip through commercials. A few resourceful advertisers are now creating mini-shows within the shows to hold people’s attention. For example, Revlon has makeup tips during a runway model show. Of course, these mini-shows cost money. A much cheaper alternative is the pay-for-blogging business model. I don’t know how difficult it would be to show an advertiser that, with a lower expenditure, they could have a more effective return-on-investment by using the blogging model. For an effective, persuasive PPP sales person, this type of sell should be on par with (if not easier than) selling ice cream to “indigenous people of the Arctic.”

What do we bloggers want? From this particular postie’s prospective, cash is very helpful … especially tens and 20s. Non-monetary items can be equally rewarding … such as food, clothing, and other goodies that help us from being fired from our main job. Of course, luxury items are definite bonus. Once Maslow’s hierarchy of basic needs have been satisfied, then PPP could think about rewarding us with more abstract ideals: plaques, our pictures on a prominent blog, perhaps an atta-boy from Ted Murphy, you know things that stroke our egos after we’ve fed our families.

Anyway, the newbie posed an interesting question. Ultimately, as PayPerPost experience will show, we posties will pretty much accept whatever minimal level that PPP decides upon. This is the extent of our love…

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