Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Passionfruit 2.0: Yay or Nay. + An EXCITING Update



Yesterday, Passionfruit Ads released an update with loads of new features + changes to the site. I personally was really excited about all the changes but when I got online I felt the feeling wasn't mutual among my other blogger friends.

If you're not sure what Passionfruit is- basically it's the  best thing that ever happened to me as a blogger. No, seriously. This site does all my dirty work for ads + swaps + makes getting paid for ads SO much easier. If you're new to Passionfruit, you should totally go read up on the site here.

The new updates are as follows:
  • New Spot Types: You can now create spots for Sponsored Posts (guest posts, product reviews, giveaways, any post), Social Media Mentions (Facebook posts, Sponsored Tweets,  Instagram Photos), Services (banner design, blog design, writing, consulting, mentoring), and Sponsorships (whole site sponsorships, events, meetups).  We’ll have much more about this change soon, but go explore these new Ad Spots!
  • Ad Shop is a Shopping Cart: Your ad shops are all new, and sponsors can check out with multiple items at the same time. So you can sell a banner and featured post and design service all at the same time.
  • Ad Details: Now better details about the ads you buy and sell, with sponsor and blogger contact information front and center. Click tracking and more statistics are coming shortly as well.
  • Marketplace Search: You can now search for keywords in the Marketplace, and sort the sites based on activity, price, and how new they are to Passionfruit.
  • Easier Swaps: Spots can now be set to $0, which means you no longer need a promo code for swapping. We’ve also added a “Swap” flag on the spot details so we can add swaps to the Marketplace here in the next week or so.
  • Tons more tiny details that may take you a few times to notice..
(this is direct from the site)

So over all, I think these updates are pretty awesome. I'm excited about the new ad spots because that makes things a ton easier for other bloggers who sell guest posts. I'm also loving it for the reason that you can use it for design work. I've been working on designs for a while now + it's a one stop shop for bloggers who are looking for design work too. I also really like that you can search for swap ads. I know that a lot of people use Passionfruit just to swap ads + this makes it a little easier.

I think the reason most people are not in favor of the new update is because Passionfruit is now charging for their services. I can understand how this will hurt some bloggers who are small and are not making a profit from their blog. Passionfruit is asking that each month, you pay 9$ (or a 50$ for a one year subscription) for UNLIMITED use of their site. Because Passionfruit serves so many ads, they have to start charging people to swap ads. It's all about business people + if you REALLY think about it, Passionfruit is one of the best tools I've used as a blogger- to me the 9$ is worth it.

I don't sell a lot of ads through Passionfruit, honestly. Most of my ads are swaps + I'm okay with that. I still think I'm a smaller sized blogger but I'm willing to pay the 9$ a month for the services. I don't turn a lot of profit from this blog but Passionfruit has made ads super stress free for me + that's worth the money to me.

What are your thoughts on the new update? Are you going to look elsewhere for your ad services or are you going to "put a ring on it" and become a lover of Passionfruit?
Tell me below.

EXCITING UPDATE:

I've been working on opening up my design page for a little while now + I finally did it. There's still a lot of kinks I need to work out but I can't hold my excitement in any longer..


and I'm offering $10 off to the first 5 customers who book a custom design from me to help celebrate with me. Go check out the site + let me help make your page super super beautiful.


8 comments :

  1. Ooh I love the new updates :) I would love to implement Passionfruit sometime soon!

    xx
    stylevancity

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  2. I personally think that monthly fee is ridiculous , I was one of the beta users and kind Jason let me be his guinea pig , but after the announcement , I was like " Oh no , it's not so-fine" .
    Noor @ Noor's Place

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  3. I personally was pretty disappointing they're charging you, I thought they might just raise the commission fees. But I'm going to do it manually, or find another free website.

    xo sarah.

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    Replies
    1. I'm thinking the same thing now. I'm a little worried about it. But we will see.

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  4. Can you explain the whole "charging" thing to me? I've had passionfruit ads for a few months now, are they going to start charging me monthly?

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  5. I think it's a great idea but honestly I won't be able to afford it once it goes paid. I don't make any money off of it in the first place so this kinda sucks...

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  6. I'm going to have to stop using it and just do my own html. I've never sold a single ad, just swaps. I LOVE their service - I just can't afford it!

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