BlogFrog, a self-described “social activation platform,” has raised $3.2 million in a Series A round of funding.
The company was first known as a community for “mommy bloggers”, allowing them to add social features to their sites. In the last year or so, however, BlogFrog has shifted direction, using its technology and audience for a new end — helping marketers reach an influential audience.
That doesn’t mean it’s another ad network, says co-founder and CEO Rustin Banks: “We’re basically anti-banner ads.” Instead, it currently offers two products. One creates online communities where fans of a given brand, like this site for KOA campgrounds. The other recruits influential bloggers (Banks says BlogFrog has a database of 65,000) to post on topics related to a campaign, and then include an ad unit at the end with a call to join the conversation. See, for example, this post on the Buried With Children blog for a LEGO campaign.
The round was led by Grotech Ventures, with participation from existing investors, including TechStars founder David Cohen. Banks says the big plan for the money is to “get the word out” — he estimates that the company is only selling 5 percent of the campaigns that it could with the bloggers in its database. Among other things, that means doubling the head count this year and opening an office in New York City.
TapInfluence (formerly BlogFrog) provides the industry’s only cloud-based software that automates the creation, management and measurement of influencer marketing programs from a single platform. Marketers use TapInfluence to scale their online reach and engagement with consumers in a meaningful and authentic way. Social influencers (content creators on blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social platforms) use TapInfluence to connect with relevant brands and generate revenue from their content. TapInfluence customers include ABC News/United Nations Foundation, Random House, Horizon Organics,...
Rustin Banks is the co-founder and CEO of BlogFrog, a social networking company that turns blogs into interest-based communities. In less than 18 months, Rustin helped BlogFrog become the largest network of mom bloggers reaching 5.5 million women online. Rustin got his start in online communities when he was 12 years old by hosting computer Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) out of his parent’s closet. He got his entrepreneurial start in college when he founded a tennis academy. Rustin earned...
As one of the longest-established firms in the venture industry, Grotech Ventures has built a reputation for being a collaborative, long-term partner for CEOs and entrepreneurs by aligning their definition of success with that of their partners. Their strategy is simple: early investors in high-potential technology companies. Grotech Ventures initially invests from $500,000 to $5 million and looks to continue investing and building value throughout the growth of your enterprise. They have the operational knowledge, personal networks, and industry expertise...
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