I recently came across TNX.net (pronounced “thanks”) on a recommendation from a thread on DigitalPoint. Lucky for me, the friendly guys at TNX came to me personally to ask for a review of their great service, something I was more than happy to do. These guys have everything you need to get started as an advertiser or webmaster, friendly support, organized statistics and great features that make it a nice alternative to other networks.

I have been using the TNX system for about one month at this point, and I gotta say I am impressed. Everything is so well laid out, and the advertising is quite affordable. I have seen a good amount of targeted traffic come from the ads I paid for with TNX.net, and the traffic I get is a lot more organic than the visits I get from search engines and other networks. I haven’t had a chance to give the service a fair trial as a publisher (webmaster), but from what I’ve heard its nothing but the best. In fact, a recent review from JimKarter.com shows an average of about $66/month (on around 3500 PR0 and PR1 backlinks) on a very generic website with a pagerank of 4. A solid turnout from a new service.

The payment method is done through what they call “TNX-points,” essentially a credit-based system of objectively buying and selling link space around the internet. I think this is pretty nice option, and there are some great opportunities to earn TNX-points if you are a publisher which you can later either use or convert to cash (roughly $1 per 1,000 points).

Let’s break down the system into Advertisers and Publishers:

Advertisers: I feel that the advertising users will have a great time using TNX to gain solid traffic. Why? Well the way they have their system laid out, it presents several advantages over the typical PPC (pay-per-click) networks in that you can avoid click fraud among other things, automated systems and link exchanges. A lot of the traffic you get from these places is unreliable, but with TNX, you get to narrow down exactly where you want your ads shown so your credits are not thrown away!

It’s very easy to create a new adverting campaign, and I like the fact that you don’t need to know all of the technical jargon that most other networks assume you already know. There are two main metrics that let you chose the Yahoo Backlinks & Google Pagerank that you would like the websites which are displaying your ads to have. Without the proper rankings, your ads don’t get shown! What’s more? You get the chance to narrow things down by category, and then you can even choose as specifically as using 10% of ads on an MMO blog with PR2, or 35% on an automobile e-zine with 300 Yahoo Backlinks. They even offer you a free link-generator that produces Google-friendly page links so you don’t get in trouble or banned form their engines. The features and the amount of detail that is put into every campaign is simply unbeatable.

Publishers: After initially accepting every kind of website (many raved of all their PR0 websites being elligible), the folks down at TNX.net have slightly upped the requirements, asking for pagerank 1.. .but not requiring it. If you cannot get into these other networks like NeverBlueAds and Text-Link-Ads, I think that you are in luck. So long as you actually have some good indexed content, the great support at TNX will approve your account . This is an ideal solution for those upstart websites that have yet to be realized to a full extent by engines and directories.

How does it all work? TNX gives you a code right from the get-go, and once you submit your website (very easy), you can start to advertise right away. Essentially, you tell the system what you have to offer, and they bring the traffic and revenue right to you! Prices you receive are calculated on a metric involving search engine rankings (not pagerank, thank goodness) and they even allow you to combine the services with other advertising brokers like Google’s Adsense or whoever floats your boat. But here comes the kicker: unlike other ad networks like Text-Link-Ads, you can display TNX ads on multiple pages, or even every page! Because you aren’t tied to your main page, your profitability might increase tenfold!

The features on both sides of the coin, advertisers and webmasters, offer huge advantages over other competing ad networks. The prices for advertisers are reasonable, and the placement and revenue for publishers is great. TNX.net is able to cut out waste by inviting more specific listings, and definitely pulls it out . The only disadvantage I can honestly say is that the system is new, but with 0.25% daily growth (or 89% annual growth) as an average, there is a cause for getting in on the action early. There is even a great affiliate program for those of us looking to invite some added earnings to our performance. With so many features, you gotta check out the TNX network.

-The Net Fool

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If you have been a steady reader here at The Net Fool, you may have noticed that about a week ago I added a “Net Fool Twitter” widget to my sidebar. So what the heck does it do? Well basically, this is an online system that lets me update my current “what am I doing” status to let you guys connect with me on a different level. Sounds a bit strange/useless at first… but I am convinced that Twitter can be not only a tool for networking, but for increasing your traffic!

Let’s start with a general feel for what Twitter is, both on the surface and underneath it all. Here is how they define it:

“Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?” -Twitter.com

So really, I would think about it as a blend of Facebook, Instant Messaging, Email and Text Messaging. It is what is known as a “mini-blogging” tool, because it is essentially a low-end version of a weblog!

I know what you are thinking… “wow, how useless is that… what does anyone care about what I am doing?” I thought this too, but the system is actually a lot more practical than it appears on the surface. Using it is easy and completely free, which is always nice. All you need to do is make an account any you are on your way. They give you ways to generate code to put right onto your blog (as I have done), but you technically only need the website to let people know what you are doing.

When you log into your user account at Twitter.com, you are shown an obvious interface with a box to type/update what you are doing. Below this, a listing of all of your friends recent updates. This is a fantastic way to get a view on what people are like, what they are doing in their free time, which really is an advantage in building a relationship. For example: I have written on mine when I am in the Penn State Trading Room, and just what I am doing there. Am I researching a particular stock, am I updating my blog, did I find a funny video link or am I just watching a movie. Its just a simple one line of information, and I think that because it is so simple, people actually like to hear about it!

So how can you update your Twitter status? Do you really have to log into the website every time you just want to let people know you found an interesting YouTube video? As the network has expanded, so have its features. You can always opt for IMing the Twitter username your status, and they update it right away. But now you can do things like text messaging and even G-Chat messaging (my preferred ). All you need to do is write what’s up, and BAM! its updated in your feed (or in your blog’s sidebar or wherever you have it displayed), they call this a badge. Convenient and easy.

Twitter goes beyond just you updating your status, you can now communicate with friends by sending messages with “@username MESSAGE” as the format. In this way, messages are sent back and forth so you can talk on a whole new level. In addition to this, you can opt to “follow” certain members, and they can opt to “follow” you right back. This means that they will see all of your updates, and vice versa. I haven’t even advertised me doing this and I have picked up a few followers… nice .

Okay, okay. But how can Twitter increase your traffic?! I am a firm believer in networking and trade. All you really need to boost your traffic is more people visiting your blog more frequently. By having a Twitter feed embedded in your website, I would say it is up to 25% more likely for your readers to come back. Why? Part of blogging is establishing a connection with your readers. There is no better connection than a personal tab where you can both communicate. It’s easy, and by expanding on your “followers” network, more and more people are going to come around and read what you have to say. Bottom line: friends visit friends’ blogs

There are a few voices of concern around Twitter, but this is mainly about some bugs. For example, the servers seem to have problems with all of the updates, and it seems that a small percentage of “tweets” don’t go through and get updated. I have maybe had this happen once or twice, but it’s really not too much of a concern. There are also a few complaints floating around about the speed of things, but I feel like it updates fast enough that it shouldn’t be a problem.

Is twitter worthless and a waste of time? Perhaps, at least a lot of people will tell you. Can it be effective if used correctly? Yes, I believe so. Many people will tell you that using Twitter to update your status is a complete waste of time, but I feel that it can allow you to network in ways not before possible, so it can help your traffic along! Judge how you may, Twitter is worth checking out!

-The Net Fool

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You’ve heard about my Big March Subscriber Contest that is taking place this month. But regardless of what I do, it seems like nowadays there are always going to be people offering higher rewards to their readers. I want to bribe you guys as much as possible, so let’s see just what I can do here .

I have been noticing an increasing amount of contests that offer not prizes provided by the bloggers themselves, but provided by sponsors that donate to have their name and image displayed. The advantage here? Prizes are enormous when given away collectively. Winning The Web now has a contest valued over $12,000 and increasing by the day. The University Kid has a contest over $2,000. What does this leave for the other blogging websites?

I think that contests have taken a lot of value out of reading. The blogging world is turning into not who posts the most, but who bribes the most. I am really interested to see just how easy/difficult it is to organize a pool of prizes from bigger sponsors, so I am hereby announcing an April sponsored contest where anyone can donate prizes (over $5 in value) of virtual goods, services and just plain ol’ cash .

Subscriber numbers are important. Everyone seems to “get” that, but it seems like people are starting to increase these pulls only by offering some incentive to read. Contests are a great idea to increase your traffic… and hey, once you get people suckered in ( ), them reading through your content on the regular is a lot more likely.

One of the primary ways I am planning on getting sponsors for this project is essentially by asking. Sure, this isn’t the most popular blog around as of yet, but I think the growth potential is clear and people will see this. I am working on a list of bloggers/companies that I think might be interested… I think the possibilities are definitely there. Asking around in general is a great idea, as the personal touch simply cannot be denied.

I am interested to see just how big this can get for an upstart blogs. You’ve seen the mid-range bloggers get it done, now lets experiment and see just how many people are willing to sponsor some publicity around here! If you are interested in donating to this contest, please shoot me an email (via contact page) or post in the comment area.

-The Net Fool

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In the age of affiliate networking and social bookmarking through programs like EntreCard and AdSense, the so-called “Project Wonderful” has been making a splash as one of the best in its class. Made primarily for use by low-budget bloggers looking for some added traffic, the Project Wonderful system really does work well… despite its tedious flaws.

After using Project Wonderful to advertise my link to this blog, I feel that it is a great idea to let all of you know about the great ad prices you can get by using this network. A lot of the participating websites are somewhat small in the amount of traffic received daily, but I think that there is just enough around to get that added level of exposure we are all looking for .

What is Project Wonderful?
First things first, just what is this system? Primarily, it is an all-in-one ad management program. By installing a code on your website, you make it possible for Project Wonderful users to bid on that area constantly… the highest bid wins, and this winner can shift by the minute. What do I mean? Well if a 125×125 space on my website has been calculated to be $0.20 per day and I bid over this, my ad is immediately forced into that position until I am outbid. If AdSense and eBay got into a bad car wreck, the result would be Project Wonderful .

What is the advantage of using Project Wonderful?
Plain and simple, advertising space that is cheap. While many of the websites employing the service have little to no traffic, I have found some great buys and have been placing my ad (and getting hits) for no more than ten cents a day. The advantage comes in the fact that it is essentially an auction for ad space that is ongoing, and always gives you the best price possible. Using the system can be a great way to get some extra readers to your website.

Who should use Project Wonderful?
Small bloggers only. This is a new system, and as such, few people have actually signed up as producers. When you go to the “place a new bid” option and search out sites relevant to your own, you will typically come across only a small number of sites that are actually in your focus area. Because of this, I think that this ad network can really help out small bloggers by both giving some extra income on the publishing side, and gaining some cheap traffic on the advertising end of things. Bigger competitors might find the exposure very limited, and not worth the trouble.

Issues/Concerns with the PW System
My problems with this system lie in the auction-type configuration. While it may be an advantage in getting dirt-cheap ad space, you frequently get “outbid” by other members and all of your ads get bumped out of the system. This means that you really need to be checking all of the time to see if all of your slots are still active. On this note, if you are publishing other people’s ads, you are probably going to be giving away your valued ad space at a considerable discount to what you should be fetching.

My Experience
So far, Project Wonderful has worked out very nicely for me. Not only is it easy to advertise on the cheap, but they track all of your views and clicks automatically. Lets use my advertisement on Blogging Mix as an example. My current bid is just $0.13 for this great ad spot right on the top of the page. I just signed up for this last night, but have already seen 12 unique clicks at a “Cost Per Mille” of $0.22. So essentially, I am already raking in more traffic than my advertising is worth! The ability to track how your ads are doing makes Project Wonderful, well, wonderful!

“If AdSense and eBay got into a bad car wreck, the result would be Project Wonderful.” - The Net Fool

Bottom Line: Project Wonderful is a great (and thrifty) option for upstart bloggers like myself. Bigger contenders will typically be losing out on discounted advertising rates, so I would encourage only those looking to expand on some affordable traffic to use this system. The tracking allows you to check up on how you are outperforming/underperforming versus how much you are paying. Project Wonderful is a great new spin on advertising, and the ease-of-use makes them worth checking out

-The Net Fool

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When you consider a stock in the utilities sector of the market, I’m sure you are thinking about safety and income, not so much about over-sized gains. As a rule of thumb, these big players won’t be outperforming in a bull market… but in today’s uncertainty, why not trust an established utilities contractor with locked-in contracts?

What makes utilities companies so much different from your typical stock is in the way they are regulated. They are essentially allowed to hold monopolies in a free market system, which makes for a big advantage in troubled times. The problem now seems to be with federal interference. The U.S. Energy bill signed back in December of 2007 has really struck a chord with bitter utilities companies, and they sometimes struggle to expand in hard times. Regardless, we like the hedged exposure many have to oil and natural gas markets . Let’s pick up some great utilities stocks!

Electric Utilities - Exelon (NYSE: EXC)
If you are going to own an electrical utility company, I think the one for you is Exelon. Electrical companies like Exelon, despite the recent energy bill, may soon find themselves in the spotlight if legislature restricting carbon emissions progresses further. Most analysts covering the stock will tell you that the firm is undervalued with respects to their potential upside from such a move. I give you a price target of $88.20 versus their current trading under $80, but I think you can grab them closer to $75 .

Other than carbon emission speculation, EXC has a lot more going for them. Commodity prices for coal and gas have improved after increased profitability at nuclear plants. Also, Exelon has seen better than expected capacity prices at its big Chicago plant. These guys really haven’t fallen off the map as their competitors have, down just over 2% on the year (and enjoying a 2.7% dividend yield!).

What exactly does Exelon do? Well for starters, they are known for being the premier provider of nuclear energy in the U.S. People are turning to nuclear technology in order to save themselves from the increasing expenses in gas and coal, and EXC is sitting back with a grin . Bottom line: These guys are too cheap, despite not getting hit this year. Try Exelon for some solid growth in 2008.

Industrial Utilities and Power - PPL Corp. (NYSE: PPL)
Deutsche Bank says PPL is “sitting pretty within the diversified utilites.” Clearly, there is no arguing this case. Catching them around $45 where they are now is a steal on this domestic utilities powerhouse that I set a 12-month target at $60. They have been brought down somewhat unfairly by the broader economy, despite putting out earnings that beat expectations and slightly bumping guidance into the future . I think that people fail to realize that power is generally more resistant to the market than is currently implied.

PPL’s exposure to a tightening power market is definitely a good thing for business. They have systematically generated some risk-adjusted returns for shareholders, and are really taking every expansion, sale and upgrade in the most cautious light as possible.. which has turned out to be a huge advantage. They are working on expanding their nuclear plants (like that in Susquehanna), and have been flying under the radar for too long. You need to keep a keen eye on PPL with constant barrages of political contracts, but its hard to mess with a 2.90% dividend yield, a beta under 0.5, double-digit margin growth and returns above the industry across the board .

Water Utilities - SABESP (NYSE: SBS)
If I had to go one place in 2008 for stock market success, it would be Brazil. So why not take one of the safest plays (utilities stock) in one of the fastest growing markets? Companhia de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo (whew… I’ll just call ‘em SABESP again ) is just the international player we want in a diversified portfolio. SBS is a sewage company. To put it simply, a thriving economy like Brazil is going to leave a lot of sewage behind… and SBS basically has their work cut out for them. It’s really that simple!

These guys are winners. Plain and simple. Down just 0.7% for the year (I consider that a win), they have really been waiting to break back into their classic upswing. SABESP provides water to more than 25 million people in 367 Brazilian cities, and they are DIRT CHEAP compared to their peers. I mean c’mon… a P/E of 0.7 versus an industry 22.66?! Get out of here . If you can bring me a company that is international, undervalued (like nuts), carries a 53.57% gross margin and hasn’t been killed in 2008 as of yet… more power to you. I’m sticking with the utility with the long name, SBS .

Electric and Gas Utilities - MDU Resources Group (NYSE: MDU)
Montana-Dakota Utilities should be a buy on everyones list. They’ve won the hearts of Wall Street investors (10 buys, 1 hold, 0 sells)… now let them win yours! If you are interested in catching some of the Natural Gas & Oil action, MDU has a safe correlation to the commodities. Their operations in Natural Gas & Oil, Electric & Gas, Construction Services and Pipeline & Energy came in higher than expected, with their laggards found in the construction materials & mining segment. I see nat gas & oil alone driving earnings beyond their low-end guidance in 2008, but they could be hurt by residential construction. You should still be buying them, but just with a more cautious eye.

MDU Resources Grp. ended 2007 on a high note, and have taken a hit in 2008. However, they have continued to surpass earnings expectations and I feel that they will recover their losses in the short term and continue to impress in the long term. With a number of key acquisitions that have just been completed, MDU has taken their lumps and is ready to perform. The stock price continues to intrigue me at $25 versus my target set at $33. I think that following the economic stimulus plan, you can expect for lots of money to be thrown at previously unappreciated old-timer public works projects like those found under MDU. They haven’t ignored the strong pull of “green technology,” and really seem ready to break from an unfortunate downtrend. Consider them in your research.

That’s a wrap for the utilities sector. These stocks can add a huge layer of safety to any investment portfolio. While they might not have much in the way of sex-appeal, in a recession… you need some trustworthy under-the-radar successes like EXC, PPL, SBS and MDU. You need to be careful that you don’t catch them in the middle of a legislative disputes (happen somewhat often in the industry), so remember to do your homework.. and invest smart!

-The Net Fool

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