Advertlets, a Malaysia ad network will be first among their local competitors to announce text ads, in fact it’s something more interesting; text + image ads. I’ll be showing you some screen shots in a while (which you’ll only get to see it here in hongkiat.com). These text ads will run on a geo-location Cost Per Click (CPC), that means publishers get paid when visitors click on the ads.

Josh, founder of Advertlets has also made it clear that there will be standards in determining CPC and CPM in Advertlets; that is:

• CPM – Banner Ads
• CPC – Text Ads

Is this a good news?

I think yes. As a publisher, you are able to tweak the ad style so it looks blended with your blog. Blended ad create higher click through rates and thus it could potentially create better earnings comparing to image CPC ad. If you think your current CPM ads are doing just fine, at least you’ve got another option now. Here’s some screenshots of Advertlets text ads, in 2 different formats.

Let’s now see from a advertiser standpoint, which is what I’ll most definitely interested in. The minimum budget to become an advertiser will be reduced, with RM100 you can become an advertiser yourself. With the budget greatly reduced, I believe there’ll be lots of advertisers rushing in. And when that happens, it guarantees more variety for the text ads. You don’t want to see the same ad on your site, don’t you?

Conflicts with Google AdSense?

I don’t think so. Gokita (Nufflets)’s text ad has the same problem during their launch where bloggers were worried that it might violate Google AdSense’s TOS but Nabil of Gokita has confirmed with Google that as long as visitors are able to differentiate between these 2 ad networks, it’s fine. So same case applies here, there’s really nothing to be worry about.

Advertlets will likely launch this anywhere in April, so if you are looking of a chance, be sure to keep an eye on the announcement. I’ll keep you guys posted.

Ok, let’s faced it. It’s pretty careless to have your domain expired but I personally don’t see much point in blaming anymore. When Advertlets goes down when their domain got expired, it affected all parties and that includes NuffNang. NuffNangers who uses Advertlets ads during the Advertlets downtime also got their site redirected to somewhere else, that indirectly affected the efficiency of ads displays of NuffNang clients. It’s a all-lose situation. Advertlets are back online now and apologized, so I guess angry bloggers should calm down, NuffNang fans should chill too.

Josh Lim, founder of Advertlets posted an apology entry over at Adverlets blog, pretty much sums up all the Why, How, What about the domain expiry and downtime.

So now, are you ready to go back with Advertlets or are you dropping them for good? Why?

It seems like Advertlets forget to renew their domain? Many bloggers from the local blogopshere reported that their Advertlets ads are taking control and forwarding their sites somewhere else. If you do a WHOIS on the domain, you’ll noticed that advertlets.com’s expiry date is 3rd of January, today’s already 5th.

That’s really a very careless mistake to make. Many bloggers had thrown in their wildness assumptions on why Advertlets has forgot to renew their domains, but I’ll say let the owner give his official explanation when he get things all sort out.

Lesson of the day: Renew your domain 1 year in advance. It only taken less than a minute.

PS: Special thanks to Edward, Aaron, Nabil, Jess, Krazl, Pinolubu, Anthony and those who don’t want your name up here. Appreciate the heads up.

Updates #1

According to Josh’s Twitts, they are now working on solving this.

Updates #2

Managed to talked to Josh Lim, founder of Advertlets. Situation is controlled. Nameservers are propagating, some are already viewing the “actual” advertlets.com, the rest will soon be.

Conclusions on publishers’ thoughts

After the entry, massive comments were left in LiewCF as well as readers emailing me asking for my detailed point of views. Compiling all these comments, I’d say most of your thoughts are as follows:

1. You are happy with Advertlets earnings, but not Nuffnang (or vice versa), or
2. You are not happy with both because you earn little from them, or
3. You are not planning to try, because the ads are static, or
4. You are sticking with both, hoping it will be better, or
5. You are earning a lot, so you disagree with me, or
6. You don’t know what Advertlets and Nuffnang are.

Your earning depends on traffic, or is it not?

I am firm believer that no matter what ad network you stick to, without some handsome amount of traffic, you will not see much revenue. I advised bloggers to concentrate on good contents; get traffic; then start make money blogging. If you jump these steps, you will not fail but you will not succeed in the long run.

But maybe I was wrong too.

Today I received a print screen from a publisher of Nuffnang. I don’t think I should reveal the url but this blogger gets like 1500 unique visitors day and here’s his earnings. (Bands and advertisers’ names are removed)

Let draw a summary, this blog earns RM85 ($25 usd) per week but when ads are switched to CPC based, it’s only getting RM0.30 ($0.08)/click. This blogger earns $25 usd the first week, and about $4 usd for the rest of 22 Jun – 11 Aug.

Nuffnang reduced minimum payout from RM100 to RM50 months ago, if you are delighted over this news you need to think again – Has this makes you reach withdrawal faster? My guess is no, because I noticed an immediate changing of most campaigns to CPC, that makes earning harder.

Nothing personal, just business

It might sound like a catch but its normal, because this is business. At the current stage where image ads are running on CPC basis, you are better off as an advertiser than publisher. These are my personal opinions; don’t take my words for it. Observe yourself. I’d like to hear opinions from publishers, if you don’t mind sharing.

I find it rather surprise that Advertlets determine winners by the number of clicks on ads instead of clicks that convert to per sign up (Isn’t it the way referrals should be?). Anyway, for Advertlets advertisers, you know who has the highest click-through-rates now. Congratulations to the winners :-)

Winners of Advertlets Referral Contest

1. jimmychin (767 clicks)
2. kawazoe (499 clicks)
3. weiwei (447 clicks)
4. lawirene (303 clicks)
5. hinching (214 clicks)
6. micching (197 clicks)
7. nazri (164 clicks)
8. jaymovie (161 clicks)
9. budiey (145 clicks)
10. flisterz (118 clicks)
11. mohdsuhaimy (110 clicks)
12. cheekui (110 clicks)
13. mybloggo (108 clicks)
14. kennyp (102 clicks)
15. tebaboom (102 clicks)

Advertlets sends out their first batch of cheques on the 7th of Jun to publishers, a few have already received them this week, and that includes me too. In the envelope came with a little bit of surprise, a letter expressing their gratitude to publishers for their supports as well Advertlets stickers in 2 different sizes. What will Advertlets attach on the second batch of payout? Some t-shirts I hope :-)

If you remember, I’ve previously posted in my making money online weekly that Advertlets are giving out limited RM200 for reviews on their ad network. Blog and get paid for reviews, why not. Here goes Advertlets.

Who’s behind Advertlets

Advertlets is the brainchild of Josh Lim & Associates; JL&A also developed RedesignMalaysia.com. If you are exposed to the internet long enough and pretty quite pissed with your current broadband connection, you should have heard of Redesign Malaysia . You can read more about Advertlets on their website.

How Advertlets really works?

I noticed a lot of bloggers like to jump the bandwagon and sign up for ad networks before really knowing the model, how ad network pays and also uncertain if bloggers themselves are actually eligible for it. Here’s 2 ways Advertlets will get bloggers some revenue, at least ways I’m currently earning from it.

1. Collect demographics and serve ads.

Sign up an account, put up the codes and Advertlets will start collecting demographics. Ads are impressions-based. That means you are paid on each unique visitor impression. You can get ads as soon as they have an advertiser match for you (if your blog is popular or has something of interest to advertisers currently with them, it is easy). But once 50 demographics submissions are collected, Advertlets will be able to match you with even more advertising opportunities based on your site audience.

Example:

Say Advertlets is paying you RM0.01 per impression. Your site has about 3000 Impressions per day, of which 1500 are from local visitors.

1500xRM0.01 = RM15.

You earn RM15/day. Noticed that I’m not using your total impressions, which is 3000, because Advertlets ads are geolocated; in another words targeted by country (eg, Malaysia ).

2. Blogvertorials

Advertlets use the term Blogvertorials, it also means sponsored post, paid reviews, etc. From time to time, Advertlets will approach bloggers individually and offers such paid reviews, or they will announce it on the blog. So stay tuned.

Advertlets really pays bloggers?

I will not put a “YES” to this, at least not now, because so far I have not received payments from Advertlets yet. But will I? Certainly think so. Advertlets publishers are eligible to payout once they’ve reach RM100.

I’ve collected more than RM100 in my ads serving, and with this blogvertorial I’m receiving another RM200. Total up of more then RM300, I’ll hit the payout button once this totals up in my account.

Let’s drink the Advertlets

Here’s a little something. I’ll use these cash to open up a bottle, pay some shots or beers or something. The first person that comes up to me or leave a comment in this entry asking for a drink, I’ll pay your bill.

Verdicts

You are too fast, please slow down

Advertlets are running too many promotions, campaigns and announcing quite a few promises for mutual bloggers/Advertlets benefits. What I see, bloggers still have a lot of questions on current Advertlets. Expanding and introducing more stuff will certainly create more blur bloggers.

Benefiting Advertisers more?

Advertlets are benefiting advertisers more? I’m leaving this as a question instead of statement because it’s really depends on individual perspective. Advertlets caters advertisers the ability to on/off their ads on bloggers website in order to make appear on the “best time” advertiser finds.

I understand when advertisers pay for publicity; they want to utilize it the most at the best time. I’ve talked with Josh Lim the founder and they explained it was a feature they are testing at the moment.

If there are no advertisers, there will be no ads for bloggers. Also, without bloggers, who will publish advertiser’s ads? Really, it’s so arguable.

Suggestion: If advertiser choose to “off” their ad, publisher’s side have the option to totally wipe off the Advertlets default banners, showing something alternative of their own choice (like Google AdSense)

More Ads formats

Advertlets publishers are limit down to 1 size, though size-customizable but still it’s better to have mores sizes to have ads blend better into blogs. I noticed Advertlets is currently on testing mode, hope to hear the good news soon. I have also been selected to take part in a beta of a new ad format, and you should see it here soon.

Nuffnang

Nuffnang paid!

After one week or so of putting up the Nuffnang ad (top right), earning figures are now showing up on my members account (Thanks for tipping, Cely). I’m earning RM140.45 ($40 usd) / week with one ad unit. This gives me an extra RM560 ($160 usd) / month. Sounds fine ;)

How Nuffnang pays?

Many I’ve asked are not really sure how exactly Nuffnang calculate your earnings. Well, what I got from Timothy, Nuffnang co-founder is that your earnings are based on unique visitors/per week; not CPC, CPA or CPM. I Hope I got this right Tim.

Advertlets

Advertlets fixed!

I’m not sure how many of you Advertlets publishers out there are aware of this, but your URI comes with extra codes if you display Advertlets Polls. I’ve taken down my Advertlets fearing these extra codes could affect Google indexing or so. Its fine now, it’s fixed.

My account, Josh?

I’m probably one of the first few beta testers of Advertlets but I’m still a publisher without a login/password.

When is Advertlets paying?

Collecting of demographics has been a while and Advertlets publishers are now desperate (ok, probably just me).
Million dollar question – How close are publishers away from getting paid?