How Pinterest is secretly profiting from your links

Is surprise-hit Pinterest covertly capitalizing on the product-sharing behaviors of its burgeoning user base? Evidence amassed by savvy observers suggests as much.

Pinterest is the invite-only digital pin-board site where people, mostly arts and crafts enthusiasts between the ages of 25 and 44, “pin” products, recipes, and photos to themed boards. The two year-old company is an insanely buzzy up-and-coming social network that attracts millions of visitors each week.

But unbeknownst to the average user, … Continue Reading

Skimlinks skims $4.5 million to help bloggers earn cash (exclusive)

Skimlinks automatically converts product references in blog posts into affiliate sales links. The London startup just closed a funding round of $4.5 led by Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, the investment arm of media giant Bertelsmann AG.

For example, Skimlinks converts every mention of “Modern Warfare 3” in a review of that game into a link to a site like Amazon where the game can be bought. The blog earns a cut of every sale driven … Continue Reading

How Skimlinks can write a publisher a monthly $300,000 check

Skimlinks, a U.K.-based startup that tries to make it dead-simple for publishers to earn a cut of every product sale they drive, launched a product that automatically turns all product references in stories into affiliate links.

Publishers and bloggers typically earn advertising revenue through one of two ways — from the number of times an ad is exposed or the number of times that a visitor clicks on an ad.

But there’s also a third … Continue Reading

TrialPay gets you stuff for free — with just a bit of a catch

Skimlinks, a U.K.-based startup that tries to make it dead-simple for publishers to earn a cut of every product sale they drive, launched a product that automatically turns all product references in stories into affiliate links.

Publishers and bloggers typically earn advertising revenue through one of two ways — from the number of times an ad is exposed or the number of times that a visitor clicks on an ad.

But there’s also a third … Continue Reading