Who the fuck is BetUS?
Much like the temporary rash of "this is a paid ad" posts from a year or so ago, they're popping up in people's blogs all over the place. You know what? They're fucking dumb and retarded ads. They're SO out of whack with the normal style and flow of these writers that I sometimes wonder if their accounts have been hacked and this full-justification boilerplate was inserted without their knowledge.
I hope they pay really well.
Hell, the Bodog ads are almost as annoying, but at least they sound like they were written by the blogger. I love that after I finally asked to be taken off the weekly "come play in the Bodog blogger game!" e-mail because CANADIANS CAN'T PLAY ON BODOG, I was told, "Okay, you're off. Can I let you know when Canadians CAN play? Oh, and in the meantime, can I interest you in advertising our site?"
Yes, you can let me know when I can play on the site. NO, I will not fucking advertise a site I have NEVER been on and WILL NOT LET ME GET ON. Do I look like a billboard?
I've got no problem with people having ads and links up and down their sidebar. Hell, if you want to put links to sponsors in your posts, that's your perogative. But these blatant "this is an ad for some random site" posts have profound effect of making sure I'll AVOID being a customer of that site. Especially when it's some random, obtuse, general template talking about how it's hard to pick a poker room online, or how great online poker is, with the words "online poker" or "poker room" or "choice" linking to the site.
I get the 48 IQ thinking involved in recruiting bloggers to put up posts that advertise things. "Hmm... people who read these poker blogs like poker. But the click-through on the sidebar ads isn't very good because the same people read every day and they ignore the ads. What if we paid them to write a post about it! Then readers would think they're reading a legitimate recommendation of something and click on the links!" 1.- When you approach a bunch of people who are in the same community, they clue in really fast that it's advertising, not genuine praise. 2.- Some of us are smarter than your average bear and can see right through the BS. 3.- If your site/product/whatever has never been mentioned before and then generic text about it starts showing up, some of us might think "well, if it was any GOOD, they wouldn't need to use online marketing 101 methods to attract people." And people wonder why geeks want the marketing departments defenestrated.
Oh and if some dipshit marketing person from BetUS found this post from Googling their own name? Fuck off, don't even bother asking.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Mildly Annoyed
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16 comments:
Astin,
Have you ever been annoyed in poker? BetUs provides easy pokering! Come poker with us, the only site that sends you a real deck of player cards! And with instructions!
Find people who like to play cards more better than the pros like to play them. Get cards and play them where ever you are!
Come read all about it on my MySpace or Facebook account.
BetUs = a casino and sports book online.
No poker.
BETUS dot COM and BETUS dot COM
/CASINO
Their current promotion is for the Ky Derby on the book.
The phone (like you really want it) is 1.888.59.BETUS
1) yes it's annoying
2) I don't like in post ads, but
3) My bankroll is looooooow
Proving once again that everything has a price if the timing is right.
Goat - Thanks! Now I know where to go when I'm annoyed by poker.
Tenmile - Which further illustrates my point of ignoring the ads as soon as I see them.
Thus the reason to post quality stuff after you post it, so it soon disappears and doesn't bother you anymore.
Now, sit back, grab a bottle of vino and relax.
:-)
I'm with you Astin. We've received TONS of offers to do that kind of advertising at UFP, but we've declined.
However, in the poker blogging world, get yours while you can. To each their own!
I could be this high and mighty before I had kids. Now, not only do these ads give us some much, much-needed breathing room in raising the toddler and twins, it's really the only way I can make it to Vegas every December to see all of you without damaging my not-so-hot bankroll.
And it's for doing something I'm doing anyway.
:)
"I hope they pay really well."
Yes, they do.
I forgot to mention they send junk snail mail. That's where I got the book yesterday with the Addy. I'm totally with you. I don't know for sure anymore which, since losing my other computer with notes, but one of the defunk poker rooms after UIEGA sold their membership list to the bookies.
1. Yes, they pay well.
2. I do feel like a cheap whore after posting them.
3. I don't think they expect anyone to believe they are actual posts by blog owners, or expect anyone to click through - it is all about google page rank.
I don't even get offers. :(
great post. i was thinking many of the same thoughts after i read bayne's post this morning.
and jesus, does goat ever write anything that isn't hilarious? i <3 the incorporation of your hatred for all things myspace and facebook.
Excellent post.
Bloggers who post ads like this lose all their credibility as writes.
Of course bloggers who call all ins with A2o should forfeit credibility as poker players as well.
Bayne_S says:
"Bloggers who post ads like this lose all their credibility as writes."
Well I may not be a writes but as a writer, I do understand that there are borders that have to be put down, and label posts that are being sponsored, I was asked to put BetUS in the Blogroll and denied that action and put it in the advertising section.
It's an ad. When you pimp a tourney you are writing an AD. When you ask a girl out on a date you are creating an AD for you.
Thus if you are not going to read my blog because of the ads, I wasn't doing a good enough job with CONTENT in the first place!
Remember Suzy, content is king.
Note to IT: Read Bayne's blog today. Post #1 - BetUS "content" ad. Mayhaps there was sarcasm in his comment...
And I never create an ad for me when asking someone out... my awesomeness (and modesty) is pretty apparent.
Sarcasm + Sarcasm = Lost
No that's Goat's job.
No wonder why we are such good friends, my Canadian Dry humor.
IT :-)
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