eBay Blogger Auction Sparks Blog Consultancy

(I-Newswire) December 20, 2004 - The eBay blogger auction closed December 6, but the calls are still coming in. Veteran bloggers Darren Barefoot and Jeremy Wright auctioned off their corporate blogging services on eBay, generating a well-publicized bidding war. With 39 bids placed, the duo has since launched InsideBlogging (www.insideblogging.com), a consultancy for businesses who want to embrace the blog revolution. Demand has been high for InsideBlogging's services, with a number of customers announced and more deals in the works.

"Corporate weblogs and sponsored blogs are coming online at a staggering rate. Companies are beginning to recognize that without a blog they're missing out on an effective way to communicate directly with their customers, establish themselves as an authority in their industries and dramatically improve search engine results," said Wright.

"The eBay auction was an ideal way to test the market," said Barefoot. "If no one bid on our services it would prove that businesses weren't ready to take corporate blogging seriously."

But companies did bid. Wright's auction reached US$3350 for a three-month blogging contract and Barefoot's bid closed at $2025, also for three months. One auction winner, www.Cincinnati.MD, is a health information Web site that will provide patients and doctors in over 600 cities with local healthcare information.

"A blog will help our audience of doctors and patients stay informed and will ensure that the people who need feedback get it as quickly as possible," said Joe Benza, Jr. Managing Member, Perfecto Dental Lab CDL, LLC DBA, www.Cincinnati.MD. "The idea to start this auction was brilliant and shows Jeremy and Darren's ability to think outside the box. These guys have brought blogging to the forefront for businessmen like myself. It would have taken years for many of us to learn about blogging."

InsideBlogging's first customers include Recruiting.com, Inkspress.com and eBizBlog.ca. Since the auction closed, eBay has put a stop to selling blogging services. The decision adheres to their long-standing policy that goods sold on eBay must be physical items and that services do not qualify.

About InsideBlogging
InsideBlogging (www.insideblogging.com) is a joint venture between bloggers Darren Barefoot and Jeremy Wright. InsideBlogging advises businesses on how to incorporate blogging into their marketing and PR strategies and implements blogs on corporate sites.

Barefoot's weblog, www.darrenbarefoot.com, has about 75,000 readers per month. He speaks regularly about weblogs and RSS and their role in corporate communications and writes a monthly technology column for a Vancouver magazine.

Wright is one of the business and tech industry's most recognized bloggers. His weblog, www.Ensight.org, recently made international news by being the first blog to be sold. More than three million people read Wright's commentaries on business and technology in various magazines, newspapers and Web sites every month.

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