called2account

Wednesday

Service announcement

Post a Comment April 21, 2010 – 4:20 am | Share and Save | Permalink |  Print This Post |

The last few weeks I’ve had a number of requests from vendors wanting to put posts onto AccMan. I don’t allow that. Vendors are free to sponsor the site as per the sidebar but that’s it. Here’s why:

• I’ve always wanted to maintain 100% editorial control. My site, my rules and no commercial taint from dumbass adverts or fluffy PR stuff that nobody cares about but which take up screen real estate.
• Past experience with publishing has taught me that the moment you become beholden to an advertiser, you’re in trouble. Editorial direction goes out the window as the money takes over. I neither want nor need that. The day that advertisers realize it’s not about the message but about the story then things might change.
• Advertorial prevents me from having any control over content. If you want to push out your PR fluff then AccountingWeb has a great service.
• AccMan needs to monetize. A little bit. In the beginning it cost next to nothing to keep AccMan going. That remains true today when compared to a big publishing house but over time costs have crept up. There was only so long for the free bandwagon to roll before people realized that fresh air doesn’t put bread on the table. But…it doesn’t mean that AccMan has to become yet another media foghorn for vendors. Purists will never understand and always look for imaginary conflicts but heh – that’s their problem.
• The cost of sponsoring AccMan is deliberately modest. That way I have to work harder to keep sponsors but then if one or two drop off then it isn’t the end of the world.  Surprisingly, the ‘rotation’ levels have been very low. It also means there is opportunity for nimble new entrants to get some sort of media presence without having to fork over fortunes.
• Sponsors provide content markers. They often provide useful links and content that can be expanded upon here. When they don’t – nobody cares which goes one more step towards proving my point about content beating out adverts and advertorial.
• AccMan is not my main source of income. If it was then I’d be in trouble.
• Content providers that operate in niches are very early in understanding what the ‘new’ ways of communicating will look like. The sponsored post idea is only one of many models that might work. It’s one of the better alternatives to all those annoying banners and pop-ups.

Any questions?

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