Adventure Bay Media Update–November 30, 2008

It is time for another round of Adventure Bay Media updates.  For those of you that are currently involved with Adventure Bay Media, this update replaces the email version that we have been sending out on a weekly basis.  All future updates should be found here for easy access to our network bloggers.

Let’s get going with the updates:

Part I: ‘Revolution’

Adventure Bay Media will be running off the Wordpress blog platform.  We have found that Wordpress is the easiest blogging platform in existance.  It is also an ‘open source’ platform.  This means we can change the blogs up if we need to.

All bloggers to Adventure Bay Media will be running on the ‘Revolution’ theme.  This theme has proven to be very versatile, user friendly, and easy to navigate for both you and your readers.  If you have used another blogging platform (blogger, Weebly, etc) than this should be a pretty basic upgrade to what you are familiar working with.  If you are new to the Wordpress platform, then we encourage you to take a day and just work with the system.  In about an hour, you should have it down and know what you are doing.

Part II:  ‘Partners’

Adventure Bay Media has teamed up with over 60 outdoor and adventure related gear companies to bring our readers everything from outdoor clothing and camping equipment to the latest in Big Expedition gear.  Many of these companies are giving us some great deals and discounts across a whole range of products.   If you are a blogger for our network, or have blogged elsewhere for awhile, then you realize the importance of writing about gea and gear companies in your related niche.  This brings instant interest and possible working relationships from the companies that we support.  The Adventure Bay Media ‘Partners’ program will be ran across three seperate platforms.

The first platform allows for easy access clicking from your blog’s front page.  You should see a navigational bar that will direct your readers to companies and deals.  You can se an example of this by clicking here.  Each of our blogs will have the same navigational strip running across the top, just beneath your blog’s banner.  Here you will find companies like Moosejaw, REI, and Snowboard Fusion.

The second platform will be a page dedicated to links for our 60+ Gear partners.  This will allow the blogger easy access to the information (which we do encourage you to write about occassionally..including gear, deals, etc.), while also providing our readers a place to go get the gear we talk about.

The third platform will include occasional blog posts about the companies, deals, and gear involved in this Partnership.  From personal experience, many times a blog post can lead to product reviews, endorsements, or even advertising opportunities and working relationships with those companies.  I have had companies contact myself upwards of a year after a post was written, seeking advertising opportunities from the article that I have put up.

Part III:  Adventure Bay Blog Network

Along with the ‘Partner’ tabs on every blog, there will also be a page dedicated to ‘Blog Network’.  This page will have links to all of the Adventure Bay blogs within the network.  This is great for getting around the network, keeping up to date on the Adventure Bay community, and getting involved and working with other bloggers within the network.  Don’t be shy.  Stop by and encourage your fellow bloggers on with comments, introductions, and even suggestions to help us all along.  Learning is what a big part of all of this is about.

Part IV:  Ad’s, Ad Networks, etc..

With any blog network comes the question of finances.  How are we able to afford to give free blog hosting, free domains, free blog set-up, and support?  To take this question down to it’s simplest form,  we are financed through personal investment, partnerships with leading ad networks, and a couple of programs that are meant to generate some revenue.  With the current cost of website set-up, hosting, domains, etc, approaching $500 per site, we are definitely not making a killing with a brand new network.  As a matter of fact, with the launch we expect to actually lose money for the first year.  Here is an overview of the programs that we will be running on all new blogs to the network.  I am only disclosing this information so everyone is well aware of what is taking place and why certain things are the way they are.

1. Outside Hub–We have teamed up with Outside Hub to deliver our banner advertising.  This will put two prime spots on each blog that will feature some of the best Outdoor and Adventure advertisers in their system.  This will also allow us to eventually open up the network to our own advertising programs and will allow the use of rotating banners.
2. Google Ads-Google Ads, while not the ‘get rich quick’ platform that many had thought, still seems to be the current mainstay of most blog and network revenue.  They don’t provide big bucks, but when ran in addition to our other programs, they do allow us to be able to afford to keep the network going.
3. Infolinks- Infolinks is a new program that we are currently test marketing.  This actually allows companies the opportunity to purchase keywords within a post.  These links will be ‘double-underlined” in the blog posts where they are found.  These links should also hook up with relevent information for our readers and allow a better dissemination of information across the network.

In the future we may get rid of a program or add something new.  The way the internet goes, there is always something new to be trying out or something that we need to reevaluate.  Don’t be surprised or angry if you see a change.  If you see something that bothers you or doesn’t seem right, speak up and drop us a line through the Contact Page.  We will take your views and thoughts in consideration on every matter of interest.

Part V:  Adventure Bay Media Network Page

Some of you have probably already noticed the new Adventure Bay Media launch page.  This page (where you are currently reading this post) will be used to give Network Updates, Network News, and some general blog promotion and adventure news associated with the Network.  Here’s a basic overview:

The left-hand column of the Homepage will feature three genral areas.  The first is the Feature.  This should be the top post of the left-hand column.  Right underneath that will be a “Discussion” area featuring a relevant question about something currently taking place in the outdoors and adventure world.  This is where we try to gert everyone involved and share thoughts on many of the top subjects of the day.  This should be updated on a weekly basis to give everyone ample time to join in the conversation.  The third area will be found right below the Discussion question.  This area will be used to bring attention to and from our blog network.  If you get ahold of a big story, the mainstream media picks it up, or you receive a col honor..this is where you will find that information.  You may also see occasional contests, community events, network news, etc.

The second column (middle) of the Adventure Bay homepage will include “The Adventure Bay Insider”.  This area is a daily update of some of the great gear deals going on with some of our top partners.  This will offer a single product or discount each day.  Swing by and chack back often.  We encourage everyone to blog about the great deals and gear and link to any of the information found on the Adventure Bay site.

This page should be used as our “Community Newspaper”, as well as a key recruiting tool in getting others to join our network.  You will see information about the blogs, and perhaps even about yourself pop up from time to time.  I am hoping to have at least one update a day on the page, so make sure you are staying up to date and informed on al the latest community news.

Part VI:  Is That Enough?  No! We’ve Added Our First Blog!

The first blog to be set-up and running on Adventure Bay Media happens to be my own latest project.  XtremeAdventurer.com goes back to the roots of where I originally began.  It will cover Big Expeditions, Xtreme Sports, and related material to the big time adventurer.  You can visit the site HERE, or set-up a blog with Adventure Bay Media and get an automatic link from my site to yours-You can’t get much better than that!

PART VII:  Adventure Bay Media is currently seeking new bloggers

There are a couple more blogs that we are currently in the process of setting up.  Check our “Browse Our Blogs” area on a regular basis to what new sites we have added to the network.  You will also find a backlink to the Adventure Bay Homepage, our Adventure Bay Facebook group and a whole lot more.

Speaking of blogs, Adventure Bay Media is currently seeking new bloggers.  If you write about adventure, extreme sports, expeditions, gear, outdoor politics, or any sport or recreational activity, or own a company in the Outdoors industry, we can easily set you up with your own blog and get you involved in this brand spankin’ new community.  Click here to read more about joining.

CONTEST!

Current Adventure Bay Media bloggers:  If you know of any blogger in the outdoors, conservation, environment, or adventure and adventure tourism fields that might be interested in blogging with Adventure Bay Media, put them in contact with us by giving them our home page address (http://adventurebaymedia.com), then encouraging them to contact us by using our ‘Contact’ page.  For any new blogger that signs up and uses your name as the reference, You will be placed into a drawing for a great prize package at the end of December.  Recruit one new blogger, you get one entry.  Two new bloggers..2 entries and so forth.  I do have to say that he value of this contest is worth more than the value of the time spent recruiting a few people to our growing network.  Put them in touch and you may just win yourself something very, very cool!  The drawing will be held on December 31st, 2008, with the winner announced on January 1st.