Waiting for Ximmy to Show Me the Money..

The Monetizer is patient, but when it comes to websites paying up, I like to see them do so as their FAQ state. In fact if it's money we earned through our efforts, it should be payed to us in a timely manner. After all, bill companies don't let us decide when to pay, or else we are assessed fees. Some affiliate sites online are iffy when it comes to payments, so I want to share this cautionary tale. For example, Ximmy, a site like Digg that pays, offers the following for affiliates:

When do I get paid?


You get paid once you generate $25 worth of commissions. Payments are made once per month (the 1st of the month) for the previous month.

Simple enough right? The Monetizer has hit the threshhold for a payout in May, but has yet to see it come through. The 1st of June was of course a Sunday, and many businesses don't operate then. That's all fine and dandy, but you'd think that payment would show up the very next business day, Monday. No show from Ximmy. This is just a minor rant here, as it's only a small $30 payout.. but it's good to be aware that some sites take their time in paying you, so keep on them about it! I don't want to completely trash Ximmy as a site, so I've emailed them and pending response and payment, I'll gladly inform everyone here that Ximmy is an honest payer (just that they don't always pay on the 1st).

You can give Ximmy a try yourself, as they also offer payment based on points for commenting on content at the site, or for getting content you submit onto their front page. Be careful of course that you don't expend too much time, because as of yet I'm not sure of the reliability of payments. If anyone else has seen a payment from Ximmy come through, let me know about your experiences as well.

The Secrets of the Millionaire Mind

Several posts ago the Monetizer revealed the 17 distinctions between rich and poor people, as written by T. Harv Eker in his excellent book. Eker's book "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind" is designed to put you right into the mindframe of a rich person. The basis may seem similar to other books on the subject with the motto "Think Rich, Get Rich". After all, people who think money is a problem and controls them, will have a very hard time getting rich. In Eker's book he outlines the various distinctions between rich and poor people and the end of each of them gives you some homework to do. For example jotting down phrases your parents used to say about money. Some parents might have thrown around phrases like "money doesn't grow on trees" or "you think I'm made of money?", and those impact how kids view money as they age. So if you get the book, consider getting a notebook or journal to accompany it.

Eker provides sound advice towards saving in terms of setting up various accounts for specific purposes, but overall he seems to teach positivity and money management. One technique is to get in the habit of managing every dollar you have by taking 10% of it towards investments or your savings accounts. You'll find some great tips and techniques to employ throughout. I enjoyed the book quite a bit, although at times it can get downright wacky. One example is Eker's suggestion for the reader to go out and buy a brand new tuxedo or elegant dress, then come home, put it on, get down on one knee and declare "I'm worthy from here forth!". It's silly, but it might be exactly what seem people need to get inspired for moneymaking.

I give the book a thumbs up, and if you can find a copy at the library or even buy it online at Amazon, you're doing yourself a favor. You're bound to get some interesting perspective and ideas from Eker. Also, with the more positive material you read, whether it's on money, personal development, health or any other positive subject, can only help you advance yourself. You don't necessarily have to subscribe to every word written, but there might be just one nugget of valuable advice that inspires you , so the book will pay for itself many times over.

Order Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth at Amazon.com to get yourself in the mindframe of a millionaire!

Buy & Sell Blogroll Links at Blogrolled.com!

The Monetizer usually tries to stay away from copycatting other make money online bloggers, but learned of Blogrolled.com from my daily email via John Chow's blog. The concept behind Blogrolled.com is pretty cool as it allows you to sell Blogroll links on your blog without the fear that Google often brings about. You could also use it to find good blog sites to buy link love for yourself.

The beauty of Blogrolled.com is they are doing their best to help bloggers avoid Google penalizing them for selling links. In the past there's been issues with bloggers who used ReviewMe.com or PayPerPost, because they've been required place links from various websites in the review posts. Therefore sales are made and the blogger who sold the blogroll link must manually put a link into their blogroll, no code required. Other bloggers or advertisers simply search through the listing of blog sites offering links, and choose which ones to purchase, for a monthly flat rate. Not a bad idea to get yourself some link love. I'd also recommend bloggers who use the Entrecard system consider messaging bloggers in their niche via the EC site. I've been able to get my page rank up on a few other blogs this way.

On the Monetizer blog here, I've used the "Tip Me" type link widget up on my sidebar. It's worked well, but doesn't necessarily give people the link love they need. On some of my other blogs I tried the free blogroll link exchanges, but also realize that some of my other blogs have better ranks and could possibly fetch some money. It's all about not leaving money on the table, if you're trying to profit online. So it just might be time to experiment!

Check out Blogrolled.com for more info!

Get Smorty's New Contextual Ads!

Although The Monetizer is signed up with Smorty's blog program for some other blogs, it's not something I've implemented much, here or there. However, I received this interesting email announcement from the folks at Smorty today regarding a new contextual advertising program you might want to add into your website and blogging mix:

Dear Smortians,

We have an exciting new feature! Digxa Mini Stores.

Publish contexual click through advertising on your blog with Digxa Mini Stores. This customizable solution allows you to place both standard and pop up product banners from related words within your posts. For example, the words "mobile phone" may generate a visible link that pops open a banner advertising a "mobile phone" if the visitor places their mouse over it. If this product is clicked on, you will receive a commission ranging up to $0.60.

A few things noted in their FAQ section:

- You can register up to 10 blogs for your account.

- Editing the code is a no-no and will get your banners removed permanently.

- It's ok to use Digxa Mini Store with other forms of advertising, like Adsense.

- You can choose the number of links displayed in your posts, 0-10.

- Payments are only made to valid Paypal accounts, 15th of the following month (after you've earned)

- Wordpress or Blogspot hosted blogs can't use Digxa Mini Stores code at this time. You will need to have your own server hosting the blog to use the code.

So there you have it, seems very similar to Kontera and other contextual ad programs. Smorty also offers paid blogging opportunities and a referral program as well. So if you're not a "Smortian" publisher yet, head over to Smorty.com and get signed up!