=== TalkAhead Sponsored Comments === Contributors: Eyal Halahmi Donate link: www.talkahead.com Tags: sponsored, comments, talkbacks, ads, advertising Requires at least: 2.7.0 Tested up to: 2.9.1 Stable tag: trunk Earn more ad revenue fast! TalkAhead's new turnkey advertising platform called Sponsored Comments. Free and easy to implement and manage. == Description == **Sponsored Comments by TalkAhead** TalkAhead offers a new advertising channel called Sponsored Comments. Sponsored Comments are paid messages that respond to a news article or blog post and are prominently displayed at the top of the reader' comment section. You can choose the exact location where you want the Sponsored Comment area to appear (end of article, above or in the readers' comments section, etc). **Why Sponsored Comments** As a blogger, you know that marketers want to join the conversations your readers are having in your readers’ comments sections. Why not give them a legitimate option to engage with your readers; one that also allows you to open a new channel for revenues? **TalkAhead Alerts** Advertisers receive an immediate notification whenever a new blog post relevant to their business appears on any blog in the TalkAhead network. Because most articles receive the majority of their views within the first few hours of publication, TalkAhead Alerts give our advertisers a critical heads-up, and if the story is relevant, be the first to place a Sponsored Comment. Once you install the TalkAhead plug-in, your blog will automatically be included in the TalkAhead Alerts. Learn more about TalkAhead Sponsored Comments at [www.TalkAhead.com](http://www.talkahead.com) Please check the instructions before you download the plug-in. We recommend downloading the custom WordPress plugin from your TalkAhead account rather than the generic plug-in from the WordPress directory. == Installation == If you do not have a TalkAhead Publisher account, start here: 1. Create a TalkAhead publisher account at [www.talkahead.com/publisher/signup.html](http://www.talkahead.com/publisher/signup.html) 2. The first time you login in your TalkAhead account, follow the Wizard for the initial account set up 3. On Step #2 of the set up (Get Code), in the drop down "Select your type of Website", choose WordPress 4. Follow the instructions on that page. You will see a link to download the TalkAhead WordPress Plugin. 5. Download and install the Plugin 6. Activate the Plugin Note: when you install the Plugin from the TalkAhead Admin center, it will already include your TalkAhead Account ID. If you download the plugin from the WordPress plugin directory, you will need to enter the TalkAhead Account ID (see instructions below) If you already have TalkAhead Publisher account, start here: 1. Download the plugin from the WordPress directory and install it. 2. In Wordpress, on the “Manage Plugins” look for the TalkAhead Plugin and click on "Settings" 3. Enter your TalkAhead publisher Account ID. You can find it in the header (top right) of the TalkAhead admin center. 4. Activate the Plugin Note: You can also update the channel name if you created a new channel in the TalkAhead admin center. == Frequently Asked Questions == = What Types of Publishers Benefit from TalkAhead? = Any publisher that seeks to engage its readership will benefit from the TalkAhead platform. That includes publishers of news portals, review sites, non profit sites... = How do Sponsored Comments benefit advertisers? = Sponsored Comments enable advertisers to respond to the content of an article without having to resort to "astroturfing" (posing as a consumer writing a response in the readers' comments section). Prior to Sponsored Comments, there was no channel or mechanism for advertisers to respond to, refute, confirm or elaborate on the content of an article other than sending a letter to the editor (letters that appear in a separate area from the original article). TalkAhead has changed that with the introduction of the Sponsored Comment platform. Another benefit is that Sponsored Comments are true conversation starters. The goal of social marketing is to start conversations with customers, and Sponsored Comments let advertisers do just that. = How do the click-through rates of Sponsored Comments compare to other advertising channels? = Click-through rates for Sponsored Comments are in the range of 0.5% to 2.5%. Because Sponsored Comments are tightly correlated to the content of an article, they tend to receive very high click-through rates. = What is the billing model for Sponsored Comments? = The billing model is determined by the publisher. Publishers may choose from CPM. CPC, or CPT (cost per time). They may opt for a flat rate, or let advertisers bid. Moreover, publishers may opt for multiple pricing models throughout their site or sites. = Who sells Sponsored Comments? = Sponsored Comments may be sold via any combination of those sales channels: 1. TalkAhead sales team 2. TalkAhead partners (PR firms, Ad Agencies who will place Sponsored Comments for their clients) 3. TalkAhead self service wizard 4. Publisher direct sales (optional) == Screenshots == 1. Demo of a Sponsored Comment 2. Demo of a Sponsored Comment 3. Demo of a Sponsored Comment == Changelog == = 1.0.6 = Some fixes for Chrome compatibility = 1.0.5 = Stamp version number on the page source = 1.0.4 = A new Setting page. Publisher ID and channel can be set through the Setting page. = 1.0.1 = * Support TalkAhead Alerts = 1.0.0 = * First release == Upgrade Notice == = 1.0.6 = Upgrade to 1.0.6 to improve Chrome support for high availability. = 1.0.5 = The latest stable version with a new Setting page.