Hi,

Apparently, there's no more paid e-mails? All points or no cents? Is it just temporary or what?

Anyone care to fill me in?

I'd appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

I think it's in the stuff you need to know thread. There is a problem with cash flow at the moment, so Ron is sending cash ads as points for now until we get some more cash into the site. Lydia

Inasmuch as we're not selling nearly the amount of ads we used to, we're having to make a few changes so we can stay sustainable. The majority of upgrades were either paid for with points or were given away as prizes, we can no longer afford to include cash ads. They will all be repolaced with the same number of hits as the cash ads were but will instead be sent as 60p ads. This will be effective November 1, 2009. Maybe, once the cash ads sales goes back to where it was a year ago, we can bring back the cash ads. It is our sincere hope that this will not cost us members. It was either this or close the site which is something none of us wants to have happen.

There will still be cash ads if people buy cash ads. It is just the "free" upgrade ads that are affected. And, of course, members can sell their points to raise cash.

Hi,

Ok, no problem. Thanks for the update. Whatever is the better option for Tesas. And hope for the best for the program!

Perhaps, maybe one possibility is to only allow members to use cash and not points to upgrade? What do you think?

Points worked out more cost effective for the site. I think I remember Ron saying that. There is a cash option it is in Other Redemption Area.

Maybe it did back then. But maybe it doesn't now?

Maybe what the site needs is a front page upgrade link where both points and cash options are listed together.

Maybe it's also a question of we need to encourage more members not to be afraid to spend a few bucks. Having too many "freebie seekers" that only look into what "they can get out of and not what they can put into" a program isn't good for the program. They're the same ones that are willing to work longer, harder and put in more time and energy just to earn or save a few bucks. Rather than be willing to spend a few bucks to generate more growth more quickly. It's also a question of the flow of money.

I do try to buy here but I must admit I am not very active in PTR these days and my buys elsewhere as infrequent.

If only I did not spend time sleeping I could do more computer work.

Maybe it's also a question of that more need to also learn a little more on how to be a little more selective on how they spend their money. Some that wouldn't spend a few bucks to grow more within a program or even in life wouldn't think twice to spend that same amount on junk or renting movies.

Speaking of sleeping, how much sleep are you getting? That contrary to the stereotyped "I need at least 10 hours of sleep" way of thinking, sometime all you need is just between 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 hours with half hour afternoon naps thrown here and there.

For instance, as constructively put, it's been ages you had something in your signature? I mean how long should it take to put something in there? 5 minutes or what?

I think that's a big part of it and the members cannot be faulted because the rule is to ripoff the members rather than pay them what they're due and we honest POs are real lucky the months we don't take a loss. Why do we continue to take a loss month after month? So there's at least one more honest site where we do what we say we're going to do and we don't come up with flimsy excuses or refuse to answer members' queries as is so prevalent in the industry so the members are paid on time, everytime.

Maybe one possibility is to make it harder for those that only seem to "look into what they can get out of and not what they can put into" a program to cash out? Perhaps raise the paying threshold or something? And not make it too easy for 'em to do so with those mass payout payments you tend to make? What do you think?

Dan, I have only begun recently to advertise here using funds from my paypal account. It is not that I am a greedy person or looking just to take what I can get. It is because I can rarely afford to advertise. I am squeezing a few dollars out of my funds to do this. I'm just one of the little guys, not a big time marketer.

I have a challenge for you. I have been thinking about putting up an ad on clixsense, where I usually get great results by using my earned funds for advertising. I don't have enough in my account right now to use for an ad, but I'm willing to put up an ad saying that TTM has lowered ad prices and pay for it with my paypal funds. Are you willing to match that? I think two different ads would generate more interest in the site. Lydia

Lydia,

I'm kinda promoting other programs in ClixSense at the moment. Thanks for offering though. Perhaps, maybe someone else reading this would take it up here. And good luck!

np, I am still going to do this, with or without someone to match me. I will put an ad up in the next few days, may or may not be at clixsense. I'm thinking possibly adpaid as I have not done any advertising there for a while, always get good results and Jeffry is running an ad special on a couple of items right now. Lydia

Then you'll have a lock on ClixSense as I never see any ads for TTM there.

Allow me to clarify that. We're not sending cash ads out as points, we're changing the cash ads given to upgraders to points. Before, when I was making a fair amount from searches, I took my profits to subsidize the site and give away ads that we couldn't afford to. Now that the search profits from 2005 are all gone, we're no longer able to give away free money. If/when I find another paying affiliate site the members choose to support, there will be more cash to give away. Until then, we have to remain sustainable so ads paid for with points are going out as points ads rather than cash ads.

Probably the biggest reason we allow members to upgrade using points is because it encourages ad readers to support the advertisers by giving them a click. The ad readers then can either redeem for an ad or upgrade. Those are the best ways to use points here. Of course, ad readers are free to sell the points back to the advertisers at the ad readers' price but there are better ways to utilize the points than selling them. Once the ad readers curtail selling their points so cheaply, the more the advertiser will have to read other advertisers' ads to get the points required for ad purchases and upgrades.

Funny you should mention this as the 24th ad in line waiting to get processed is a .4¢ ad to all

I will go with ClixSense then, if you would rather it than AdPaid. I can spread my money out over more ads at AdPaid, but you have a valid point with putting it on ClixSense. I have to think about the wording for the text at ClixSense so I don't lose attention by being too lengthy.

If it were my call to make, I'd spend my advertising money at a Paid to Read Emails site rather than a Paid To Click site. With ClixSense, a Paid To Click site, clickers are paid for clicking the link regardless of how long they spend on the site which lends itself to cheating the advertisers wheras spending the advertising money at a PTRE site gives a better chance tht the ad will be read (instead of a short note that is rarely read) and produce results.

Please note: we aren't saying there's anything wrong with ClixSense. They've been around for almost as long as we have and sites don't last over half a decade if they're not operating legitimately.

I'm a fairly new member so not sure on something.....I see the ref banners....would it be okay if I take one of those, make a second banner mentioning the ad prices and animate them together to use? I see they are copyrighted so wanted to double check first.

Tell me which one you're thinking of and I'll contact the author to secure permission.

This one please - thanks. I always try to check first - always have.

Would love to snag the bear in a teacup off the homepage to use in my banner maker - would that be possible?

OK, I will go with AdPaid. I have never tried their emails, but the ptc section works well for me. I don't have a fancy banner maker, but I could make a plain banner with just text. Seems to do the trick for a couple of our well respected members. I will try to do it tomorrow if my day goes better. Hopefully I will not wake up to another wild pig. (see the support thread for details) Lydia

Cool if Ron gives the ok. Would you be sharing this with other members? Lydia

I hope you get permission as well, I was thinking it would be nice to have a new banner for TTM.
Could I get a copy if all goes well? Will of course host it myself!

We have plenty of bandwidth so we can either host the banner here or at my personal site which has unlimited bandwidth.

I made a plain text banner. If a fancy banner is not forthcoming, I will be happy to share it with all members. I will be getting a couple of ads out tomorrow. Today did not go so well and I just now got the banner made. Lydia

I'd love to see it.
I made one a couple of months ago with Paint, haven't used it much, lol.

Me too - still waiting to see if it's okay if I use the other banner/bear from the header?

It's just a plain old banner, not fancy at all. But those seem to work really well for Papy and a3member. Their banners always get my attention for some reason. Anyway, here it is:



Not sure why it reduced it, but it looks better as a full image. Lydia

I hope you share it with us, I'd like to have a better banner, but I don't have a fancy banner maker. I needed something in a hurry because the ads I placed came with free banner impressions. Nothing fancy, but it says what it needs to. Lydia

Grabs my attention. Says what it needs to. Maybe you need to add a large and supportive membership?

Who am I to critise? I have never attempted to do anything like this in my life.

That's all the room I have for text. The free banner maker is extremely limited. 2 lines only, no adjustment for text size. It was really confusing at first, but easy when I got the hang of it. Not sure if my ad is doing any good. Got one ref from it, but I think just getting the word out is important. If other people will do the same and put ads up where they can, we will get some advertisers. I think I have spent most of my available money at this point, but will keep up using some of my upgraded ads for it. If you would like to use it, just click where it says full image, right click and save, upload to photobucket. Or you can just right click on properties once you are at the full image, go to properties and snag the link. Lydia

duh, or just use this link

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p157/av...nners/TTMAd.png

I saw it today at AdPaid, I think it is quite good! I am attracted to homemade banners too, always want to see who it belongs to. You did good!

Thank you, got 3 refs, hopefully they will advertise something. Lydia

Here is the one I made in paint on 07-16-09 Here. I've used it a couple of times.! I've been looking around for a bear to put in a teacup, and I may have found one. I'm new at this stuff, but I have a desire to learn.

I feel really ashamed of myself with what you lot are up to. But at the moment I am concentrating on earning as much as I can as we are spending so much at the monent. Life is really kicking us in some ways but, hey, I have survived far worse, and now I have a supportive husband even if he is not with me physically at the moment.

Do let us know when you have the bear on it or another one!

Don't feel bad, mine came only out of necessity and was pretty much a no-brainer. I should be concentrating more on earning and still have upgraded ads I have not used this month. Life happens, so I do what I can each day. Lydia

Found a bear tea party, not sure if you could use it.

http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-sto...ty-image2449669

Lydia

I have an assortment of bears and teacups, family knick knacks that I'm trying to use, spent a couple hours last night playing with GIMP a free program like photo shop. So between all of us we may come up with something! Anything new is a plus!

Do keep us posted with your results. Inquiring Widdle Bears want to know!

I've found a couple of tutorials for GIMP, and I'm trying a couple of things. I'll share what I come up with, right now Ive got to figure out the best way to take a photo of my bears and the teacups! lol I feel like I'm having a tea party! My mother-in-law is letting me use a couple of tea cups she has, fine bone china. I'm scared I'll break something!

Did you catch the thread in which Ron has gotten permission to use the TTM bears for banners? Wish I knew how to do all that stuff, I would get right on it. Lydia

I did see that post! But my mother-in-law had another TIA yesterday evening so I've been busy with her. As soon as I get a a couple hours I'm gonna give it a try! Will share my results.

I'm new here at this forum, but not to PTR and have always been amused by this tone that seems to be very common on forums. People are told that they can earn money by reading emails or clicking links and so they do that and then they are told by people like this that they are being selfish for doing what they were told they should be doing to earn money. Don't you realize that people come here to earn money and not to spend it? Is the promise made to these people unimportant? If they were told they should be investing money in these programs instead of investing their time maybe they wouldn't be acting this way. Or maybe people like you should be advertising differently...