What’s Your Attention Worth?

by Kim Taylor

When I read this post (Want Me to Read Your E-mail? Pay Me.) on TechCrunch this morning, it reminded me that just a few weeks ago I’d received a plea via U.S. Mail from Arbitron to complete a quick survey.

Normally, that sort of mail would be tossed directly into File 13, but those smarties over at Arbitron played on my Catholic guilt (how’d they know?!) and enclosed a crisp dollar bill as a “thank you.”   Even better, they promised another $5 if I actually completed the survey.  I figured I had little to lose, so I did.

Now companies are applying this logic to e-mail campaigns—implementing online auctions where people bid to get you to read their e-mails.

So, would you be willing to open unsolicited e-mail if you knew you’d make a few bucks?  I’m leery, but then again, I’m also six bucks richer thanks to Arbitron …