Help Requested: First (possibly legit) advertising request | Bloggers Lair | Yakezie Forums

I receive spammy e-mails all the time requesting I post poorly written guest posts, infographics that link to a specific site, etc. Today I received what might have been a legit request to advertise directly on my site. The e-mail message seemed somewhat spammy and definitely used boilerplate verbiage. However, the end request wasn't to post some link filled garbage article, but rather to advertise on my site (not sure exactly how). The person wanted to know what requirements would be needed in order to do so and provided an e-mail address to further discuss.

I am still partly convinced this is a mass e-mail request and not truly a legit advertising opportunity. I briefly checked out the site provided and it seemed somewhat gimmicky, but not overtly scammy or suspicious. That said, this is uncharted territory for me. I'd appreciate any guidance here. I know there have been lots of others here on the yakezie forums asking for similar advice, but most of them seem to go to PM so they aren't really that directly helpful. If anyone is willing to lend a helping hand on how to proceed, I'd be much obliged! I can share the message or provide further details. Thanks!

I simply do three things if I think the offer is spammy:

* Check out the website and perform a google search for "companyname spam". If I'm happy with what I find, I move on..

* Ask for the link to be included in the advertising. Have a look at the linked product. If it is suitable for your site and a well known brand, then great.

* Demand payment up front. The serious guys are always willing to pay (at least a deposit) before the advertising goes up

Mr. Utopia said:

moneystepper said:

I simply do three things if I think the offer is spammy:

 

* Check out the website and perform a google search for "companyname spam". If I'm happy with what I find, I move on..

* Ask for the link to be included in the advertising. Have a look at the linked product. If it is suitable for your site and a well known brand, then great.

* Demand payment up front. The serious guys are always willing to pay (at least a deposit) before the advertising goes up

Thanks, moneystepper. Those are some good tips. What's the best response to open up with? The sender wrote "what requirements would be needed in-order to make this possible" (referring to advertising on my site) and then asked for a reply "outlining your quotations." Ha, I don't really have any "quotations."

I handle advertising for several dozen bloggers, feel free to email me at justinweinger@aol.com if you need advice. I deal with countless inquiries daily. You want to make sure you maximize the amount you can get, which helps if I know who it is and if Ive worked with them before, and you dont need to demand payment up front for many reasons, all of which I can explain in an email.

My suggestion is that we keep discussions of this nature off the public forums.

Thanks!

Justin