We bring you the latest on Marriott’s options with Starwood, all the direct flights from NYC on miles, visit the largest Gypsy Ghetto in Europe and more!
TBB Blog Mission: To Entertain. Educate. Inspire. In That Order!
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Apologies again for not getting that email sent out by MailChimp. I had to do it manually when I realized it never went out! If this happens again, time to pay the consultant again. Ouch.
This is an excellent article about what Marriott’s options are now regarding Starwood. I think they let it all play out next. This Anbang Group is not the most reliable company out there folks!
BofA now gives free FICO score to many cardholders. BofA is my main bank after 1,234 acquisitions!
Possible Diamond Hilton Status to 2018. This is not going to end well…
How many miles you need for 116 Direct Flights out of NYC. Really good info here, just pass the credit card pumping (AmexPlatinum for 40k, several others for 25k….come on man, really?)
A new set of 11 most inspiring travel photos by Matador Network. I love these. Did I say that? Oh yes I did.
Your personal finance fix of the day: The Flawed Prophets of Profit. Avoid these arseholes please! I am against all pumpers you see? #consistency #inmyDNA
This is why Yomadic is in TBB’s Blogs I Love List: This is Stolipinovo – The Largest Gypsy Ghetto in Europe. I tweeted at him if he knew when a Hyatt will open nearby lol. I am currently drowning in a sea of blog crap. Hopefully there is still some quality & talent left to enjoy and my blog’s mission is to bring it to YOU!
Airbnb’s first underwater bedroom. Hey you can win a free night and be surrounded by 35 sharks! Good luck!
Needless to say, the blogosphere has again turned into a giant market full of stalls blogs selling several credit cards that “expire”. SPG cards anyone? I have been on a tear on Twitter making fun of this totally pathetic and relentless pumping of readers. Come on, why do people take this crap is beyond me! Just a few representative entertaining tweets follow. VFTW, TPG, FTG, OMAAT, RP Ok, I am tired. All the Blogs in the Ignore Mega Pumpers List!
It’s been several days with the Ink Plus and still have not met the minimum spend! Totally weird situation. I think I am going to mail it in from now on #hint.
I was asked by a reader who even counts my tweets why does my blog suck commercially speaking. I responded and will expand here for all to see:
Or maybe it is because my readers are advanced and have had many of these cards before and can’t get them again like the newbie masses most blogs on the Ignore list tend to target?
Or because my readers KNOW several cards in my site are NOT the best offers! Unlike the sheep reading the commercial blogs who do not have a clue and like to be kept that way?
Or maybe it is because I don’t have the time to do SEO things, cozy up to other bloggers for backlinks/HTs/interviews/etc.
Or it is because I can’t stand any ads on my blog?
Or maybe it is because I like to call my own shots and not sign up under a blog network where I would probably make more by the ads?
Or it is maybe because I respect my readers’ time and I don’t make numerous posts per day with stuff like TSA rants, unimportant incidents on airplanes/hotels/lounges, or pasting news releases. Remember, no ad revenue here from traffic.
Or maybe I don’t spend any time learning how to do click-bait headlines? You know “shocking”, & “you won’t believe what happened next”. And don’t get me started with bikinis and such crap…
Or maybe it is because I don’t take the time to pump my readers with numerous referral links of every crappy website that offers one? I only have a few I USE myself and I could only refer to my mother. I wish my standards were lower, like the mother in law standard. Ouch, I will pay for this lol.
Or, hint, all of the above!
I earn enough now to keep entertaining myself and my readers. It is all about the journey dude, don’t take everything so seriously, sheesh!
Help small bloggers to keep going. If not, we eventually quit, thanks!
Enjoy the ride everyone!
And I leave you with this…
Please help bloggers you appreciate & make a positive difference in your life by spreading the word about their blogs, emailing and commenting and using their few $ links, thank you!
Check out my updated blog lists: Blogs I Love, Blogs I Like, Blogs To Ignore
TBB
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To your commercial earnings with the blog, there may be some readers that do not know that your amount you refer to does not include whatever you make from the credit card affiliate links. So, in reality, it really is more than just pennies a day, right? 🙂 That is just Amazon (which can be pretty pitiful – I know!).
Correct! If it wasn’t for some dinero from cc signups I would have quit a long time ago! The economics of this blogging thingie in our little space is just unique, that’s for sure.
I am perfectly happy with what the blog has done commercially speaking. Actually, it is much further along that I thought possible. But still, when you translated it to hourly earnings is rather sad. I try not to think about that. I only do when I see no click days to remind me. Thankfully, not many of those.
It’s a journey. I am enjoying it. Hope you all are.
Now back to more SPG pump posts….brace yourselves!
To aspiring new bloggers. Don’t quit your day job. Really!
Not trying to be mean, but the obvious lack of commercial success that you didn’t mention is purely a very low readership. Increase that and the other income will increase too!
Fair point.
I don’t judge my blog on commercial metrics. Actually every year it has grown on that aspect so I must be doing something right. But it is not my focus obviously. This is not my full time job, I have other interests. I have a mission here and I do my best to fulfill it. And I am trying to enjoy the process. The rest will fall where they may, not a big deal.
Most Titan bloggers focus on THAT aspect first and foremost. Because, as an old has been Titan once famously said: “It is ALL about conversions”.
Thanks for reading & taking the time to comment. You can express yourself here, try that at the Milevalue or DeltaPoints blogs. Lol!
I’ll keep blogging as long as it helps, but I’ll tell you what is disheartening: so many in “the hobby” are just plain mean.
I know to let it slide but it’s just so wasteful.
That is rough but if it is any consolation, every hobby online has that element! I follow some other areas of interest as well and they all have mean people as commenters/participants.
The nice part is that you get a base of readers that (normally) will come to your defense which is always nice. Either way, just keep going!
Have a great day, Dia!
Yep, this comes with the territory. You must develop a thick skin to survive as a blogger. Not many are cut out of it. And then some insane people may enjoy to mess around with them hehe.
Thanks, guys. I agree there’s an element in most groups. They’re just more entitled and more empowered here than in most. Best to just keep doing what you do, right?
Our species has defined “entitled” Or I should say “redefined” 🙂
Hello.
PS I think it is because you are honest enough to not recommend cards that don’t provide good vale.
Gracias amigo.
Well, no idea why instead of the Yomadic pic, the subscribers got some pic of a restaurant we visited in Greece last year. SORRY!
Well, at least the email went out this time, phew!
Some things that happen with blogs just have no explanation…
You need a staff! Which would require more conversions… forget it, just let things break sometimes and enjoy the ride!
Or, come over to BA! 🙂
I like to do things alone. I am like the lone gunman. I have always operated that way. That independence is priceless to me. And I totally understand why blogs join blog networks! The only time I seriously considered joining BA was when that Delta Points dude promised he will leave BA if I did. Since he was not serious about it (too much $ to lose!) I laughed at the idea and moved on.
For me, the only negative with a blog network is that many times people see your content by visiting the network’s home page. Of course, the generates a lot more views than if it was on your own but it also can make your home page be more invisible since people are just used to visiting via the main site.
But, that is completely on me and something I am working to improve for a home page and to bring more people directly to the site.
Yeah, if I was watching my Alexa rankings, wanted to spend no time on technical crap that keeps popping up all the time, etc….I would join a blog network.
Signed: “The Lone Gunman” 🙂
Looks like the medal round has been hijacked this morning!
Buzz, you do good work and I am entertained, educated and inspired on a daily basis. Heck, even your commenters are entertaining! Well, maybe not that dhammer53 guy… ;~}
Gracias!
Maybe it was done on purpose because the “Medals Fund” ran out hehe.
Doing my best to steal Last from that dhammer53 guy 😉
Hey Buzz, just finished minimum spend for SPG Business and then went for the SPG personal yesterday and got approved through your link. 🙂
Thank you very much. Please spread it around to the small bloggers so we don’t quit. #lookingatDrewandfading
Buzz,
Strong work as always — thanks for providing my daily morning entertainment. Been slacking on the podium hunt…blaming the Pacific time zone handicap.
Wife approved on SPG biz card through your link today. Interns rejoice.
The pumping drumbeat for that card the last couple days on the blogosphere is deafening!
Thank you very much, much appreciated.
I avoided messing around looking in my Twitter feed because I did not want to get hit by a drive by SPG link. I am actually serious!
Another great post, thank you for posting! The Yomadic article was absolutely fascinating, I had no clue this place existed.
I guess everyone will have Hilton Diamond status now, makes me wonder why I put $40k/year on the Surpass to get it, but I guess the points are good as well. I am hoping Marriott or SPG combo will start doing status matches, who knows, it may happen.
Thank you for all of your posts.
Cheers,
PedroNY
I had no clue that place existed as well. And this is a by product of this TBBing thing…I discover stuff I would not have had the chance to do so! And I think that’s just great!
I have no doubt there will be another higher Hilton status now, the Silvers will become Golds and so forth. This is just ridiculous!
Thanks again for the kind words!
Buzz………… Please use the word(s) JAW-DROPPING to start your Daily TBB Headlines and watch the Alexa rating rise.
I think I will try that just to f with them Titans…
The Click-bait wars!
I like to be challenged 🙂
This Trump dude said what about women and abortions….wow!
Buzz,
As a small player in the hobby, let me suggest joining BA.
I started there and learned what I needed to in order to get started. However, I feel fortunate I wasn’t sucked in by the constant barrage of mediocre offers and made it out unscathed. As you know there are many out there who won’t be as lucky and could get into trouble quickly. Your advise could help the masses see the light.
Thanks for your hard work. I am grateful.
Thanks for the suggestion. Many have suggested it to me. If I do it it would compromise me as a blog critic. I cherish my independence and not being accountable to anyone other than myself. I have always operated this way and I cherish it.
I also think there would be a revolt if this ever happened 🙂
They are not interested. I am not interested. I don’t do things to increase readers/conversions.
TBB=The Lone Gunman 🙂
these suggestions are no good. if traffic meant a blog was good then million mile secrets would be respected instead of mocked. and who in the world would want to join boarding area? does george want to lose the respect he has earned? the reason he doesn’t make money here is because he doesn’t have his own blog posts. that is where the money is. a post about how great a credit card is with links to that card. and his asking for clicks is confusing. it gets lost because there are so many of those requests and people don’t know where to click or if he is being serious or joking. needs to be more easy and clear.
Went to a local Ann Arbor miles hobbyist meeting and you would not believe what names the big commercial bloggers were called, wow! You would think they…are angry or something lol.
I think we have enough posts about “how great a credit card is with links to that card”…don’t want to add more!
I am joking a lot around here #true
No Amazon clicks in two days. But some cc clicks that hopefully will eventually come through. Without them I could only do this sparingly as a hobby a few times per week instead of every single day man.
The non direct cc links I have are designed to be anything BUT easy and clear. Those are the direct ones the pumpers have.
Now let me post about how you can get 5 cards in one day and flood my post with my imaginary cc direct links #yuge 🙂