Monetize Your Blog, part 10: Traditional advertising

Posted by: kimc on Tuesday, June 28th, 2011
If you want to learn how to monetize your blog, start here:
  1. Don’t do it for the money
  2. Take your time
  3. Get your own domain
  4. 13 Great ways to build your traffic
  5. Getting the goods
  6. Giveaways!
  7. Make it sticky
  8. Keep an eye on traffic
  9. Affiliate advertising

Affiliate advertising may be a natural fit for most blogs but it's not the only answer.  Affiliate advertising works best a motivated blogger who really loves the products being sold and isn't afraid to pitch a sale at readers.  If you're looking for a more passive way to earn, you might want to stick with more traditional advertising, though the returns will probably be less.

Most traditional advertising can be broken down into three main groups, based upon clicks, views or actions.

Another popular type of advertising might be referred to as "contract advertising."  In this type of advertising, you allow a middleman to sell ad space on your blog at an agreed-upon price, usually based on traffic, page rank, and how desirable your particular niche is.  They find advertisers for you and keep a portion of the proceeds as payment for the service, usually around 50%.  Don't like giving away 50% of your advertising revenue?  I'll talk more about DIY advertising in an upcoming post.

Examples: Blogads, Text-Link Ads (I have used both for years)

Be sure to read the small print when signing on to a new advertising program.  When choosing an advertising program I recommend you stick with CPM ads that pay based on how many times they are viewed unless your site and readers are highly targeted.  This way you guaranteed to make at least a little money.  With PPC programs like Google Adsense, you don't make a penny unless and until somebody actually clicks that ad.  This is why so many small blogs never see a penny in advertising income.

On the other hand, if you can find a perfect fit for your readers and you're willing to nudge them, you might find that CPA/CPL programs work well for you.  But now you're back into sales, and you might want to take another look at affiliate advertising.  :)

Within each of these groups, ads may be text or image; they may be anywhere on your blog including sidebars, header, footer, above and below posts, and even within the post itself.   They might pop up over your blog, forcing visitors to click or close before they can read your blog.  They might pop under your blog so that readers won't notice until they close the browser tab.

When choosing advertisers, you need to consider just how invasive your ads will be.  Your readers probably won't like ads, but for the ads to be effective they do need to see them.  How many should you use?  How big?  Should they blend in or stand out?  You'll have to find the answers to these questions yourself.  Be aware that most readers run away screaming when they see a popup ad.  And whatever you do, don't clutter up your blog with endless ugly ads.  Remember that real estate on your blog is limited and valuable, and readers' opinions count.

Look for answers to these questions when choosing an advertiser:

  1. Will this these be text or image ads? (Images should pay more)
  2. Will any of the ads be objectionable to me or my readers?  (Most advertisers give the option to preview and reject ads)
  3. How much must I earn to reach the payout threshold?  (Most advertisers don't pay until you reach a preset minimum)
  4. Are these ads relevant to my readers?
  5. What are your requirements for ad placement?  (Some advertisers require ads be placed at the top of your blog)
  6. Am I limited in running other ads if I sign up with you?

Have you tried any form of advertising yet?  What results have you seen?

related posts:

  1. Monetize Your Blog, part 9: Affiliate advertising If you want to learn how to monetize your blog,...
  2. Monetize Your Blog, part 5: Getting the goods start here: Don’t do it for the money Take your...
  3. Monetize Your Blog, part 8: Keep an eye on traffic If you want to learn how to monetize your blog,...
  4. Monetize Your Blog, part 4: 13 Great ways to build your traffic start here: Part 1: Don’t do it for the money...
  5. Monetize Your Blog, part 6: Giveaways! start here: Don’t do it for the money Take your...

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