Saturday, February 02, 2008

Your View: Let's Talk About Ads

First of all, let me start out by saying I know exactly nothing about blog advertising...

... which is why I want to put this out there.

This post is going to be very simple. I would like you to tell me your thoughts and experiences with advertising on blogs.

Do you advertise on your blog?

If so, how much money does it bring you?

If you don't, does it matter to you if other people do?

Would you advertise if it brought in enough money? If so what is the magic number?

Ready? I'll start...

- No, I don't advertise.
- I'd possibly consider it if the price was right. For example, I wouldn't be interested if I was only pulling in $10/mo - but if I could earn $500/mo I might think about it. Who wouldn't?
- I don't personally care if another blog advertises, as long as the ads don't get in the way of my reading experience.

Ironically, Kathy just introduced me to a Firefox plug-in from this post that actually hides all ads from your screen, so this isn't even an issue anymore. But wouldn't that be the ultimate hypocrisy to advertise on my blog while suppressing the ads at the same time?

Anyway, if you can share information the rest of us could use, that would be great. For example...

What are the most lucrative types of sponsorship programs?

What are the payouts based on?

How long does it take until you start seeing cabbage?

You know, things like that.

Obviously I'm curious about this whole thing, otherwise I wouldn't be asking. And sure, I could do the responsible thing and actually take the time to research the topic myself, but it's much easier (and way more entertaining) to simply ask all of you... the people with actual opinions I value.

So please, enlighten us with your thoughts, experiences, pros and cons. I'm guessing I'm not the only one who is interested in this topic.

This post actually generated $0.25 in revenue because I just found a quarter in the cushion of my chair.


Memarie Lane said...

I've played around with ads a little bit. Google Adsense and Amazon Affiliates, and no one ever clicked on them. Right now I have no ads, if they aren't actually generating any money I think they cheapen the blog. However, I would like to rent out pixel space in my sidebar, that would generate a set amount. But not sure how to go about it. Some people like to do Pay Per Post but again I think that cheapens the blog, maybe even more so because you're literally whoring out your content instead of just putting an ad in the sidebar that can be ignored.

Anonymous said...

Do you advertise on your blog?

No because my traffic isn't there yet and also because I'm not sure I want to.


No because advertising is already everywhere.


Yes, about $1,000 a month. This would allow me to keep my job at a part-time level so I still have health benefits and the taxes are covered.

Honestly, though for me, I'm looking more towards writing gigs and freelance work over advertising. I think that is where the income for a blogger lies because everything print is moving to the internet.

We are also about to see an explosion in growth of internet surfing from your cell phone or pda.

One thing I do notice about advertising: a lot of people don't place it properly. But they do the same thing with widgets. It amazes me that someone will take Blogrush, which depends on being seen at the bottom of a sidebar.

I wonder if this is part of the reason why people don't make money on ads.

Whit said...

I use ads, they don't amount to much, but why not make a bit of money for something I'm doing anyway.

I have been pretty happy with BlogHer.

Gale said...

A couple of weeks ago I had a dime and a nickel in my pants pocket. I did the laundry and they were replaced with a quarter...pays to wash yer clothes.

Anonymous said...

I don't have ads, and don't think I ever would unless offered significant cash to do so (£100 - £200 a month). quite frankly I can't see that happening.

I don't object to others having them on thier blogs, but don't like it if they make the blog ugly.

I also don't have any blogger that does pay per post on my reading list. this isn't a conscious decision, but it probably tells you something about my attitude towards them.

Kathy said...

I'm the Kathy who Jeff referred to in this post. I use the Firefox AdBlock Plus plug-in to block in-page ads. It makes my web surfing experience cleaner and more pleasurable. Kudos to anyone who uses ads and can make money at it. But I'm averse to commercial advertising of most any kind, on TV, radio and internet. That's just how I'm wired. And it's the reason no one will ever see an ad on my blog.

Anonymous said...

Advertising can get trickey. I read where a man advertised for a new wife. His present wife read the add and sent a reply to the box number.--Bill

Idaho Dad said...

I've had ads on my blog for about year. First, BlogAds, but then I left them for BlogHerAds, which I found to be higher quality. How much does it pay? Not a whole lot, but enough to make a nice deposit each month in my kids' college savings accounts.

Advertising on blogs doesn't bother me in the least. I find most of them to be either innocuous or kind of interesting. BlogHerAds sends appropriate ads to me, like Disney Vacations, kids' snacks, family movies, etc. No AdultFriendFinder ads on my blog!!

Only a very very few bloggers will ever earn enough ad revenue to make it a full-time income. I keep my blog because it's fun, and it keeps my place in the conversation amongst the dads and moms out there. Earning a bit of change from a few ads is icing on the cake. And, like I said, it all goes into the college accounts. Over the next ten years it might actually add up to something significant.

I don't see a downside to it at all.

Karen MEG said...

I'm contemplating, I don't generate a lot of traffic, but if it can make a few bucks I figure, why not. And I've seen the Blogherads and they're not intrusive, and content is family friendly.

Interesting topic, Jeff!

Bloghoppin Hi!


A Man Among Mommies said...

I currently don't advertise, but if I could generate enough income to pay for a privately hosted full featured blog I would consider if the ads worked right... The main drawback is I despise ads...


Heather said...

I just added the Adsense but I doubt that I will get anything from it.

I have one other add that I get paid per month for. It was enough to buy Craig a decent Christmas present and some other things over the year that I will have had the ad on my blog. I hope that I can continue to get paid for that ad. Just the little bit extra really helps around here sometimes.

As for ads on other blogs. Mostly I don't pay any attention, so it doesn't bother me at all.

Jeff and Charli Lee said...

Great comments everyone!

And even though it's none of my business, feel free to share some average incomes if you can. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Good choice of topic, especially because it's one I've been contemplating myself lately. I will probably give advertising a shot once I find one that I think will work best for me--mostly having the appropriate type of content for my blog.

Happy Blog Hoppin' Saturday!
"Margarita Mom"

Ed (zoesdad) said...

I have a small section on my sidebar for Google ads but honestly, I don't even check to see if anyone ever clicks. Apparently they don't because I've never received a check from Google.

Ed (zoesdad) said...

Update to my comment. I just checked my adsense account at Google. Seems someone clicked an ad back in June last year. So I've got 3 cents waiting for me in an account there. Rainy day fund---boo ya!

Ed said...

I will never have ads. I hate them. There is enough selling in the world already. I hated when they infringed into the movie theatre without my asking. I hate their blight across America's highways. I don't mind the TV ones but I don't like the fact that they reduce the show run time to squeeze in more. My blog is about content and nothing else; I like a clean and crisp look. Awards, blog listing groups, all of the I've stripped away. If I want to buy something, I'll do my own research; not some impulse click from one of my favorite blogs...

yellojkt said...

I have AdSense ads on my Dowd Report blog mostly as part of the meta-joke of the site. The traffic is in the low double digits daily and I have earned less than tem bucks in four months. My goal is to eventually finance a weekly tall espresso frapaccino from the profits.

Mo MoDo said...

Uh, that's "less than ten dollars". Which isn't true. I currently have $13.59 in my account for an average of 13 cents a day. Would you like to see my W2 as well?

Mo MoDo said...

yellojkt is wrong (and he can't spell "ten"). Dowd Report has earned $13.59 for an average of thirteen cents a day. I'm not quitting my day job.

Gen said...

I don't advertise on my blog, but I don't have any problem with bloggers who do. I will say that when I stumble on a blog that is very ad heavy I tend to move on. I've found that I'm not all that interested in the content of those blogs that are solely money-makers for the author. I read blogs because I want to get to know someone else, I want to think, or I want to laugh.

So, if the ads are just an afterthought to a labor of love, they're okay, but if the blog post are just fill for a place set up for advertising and making money, I'll pass.

Anonymous said...

I don't advertise because the free Wordpress doesn't allow it. If I go self-hosted, I probably will do it. If only to pay for the monthly hosting fees - given that I don't have a ton of traffic that's probably about all the revenue would cover.

And no, I don't have a problem with people advertising on their blogs - as long as it doesn't start determining what they write about.


Maureen said...

Well, I don't have ads and don't ever plan on adding them (oops, unintentional pun there).

I don't mind ads on blogs if they are unobtrusive; if they overwhelm the site or make it difficult to read, I'll not hang around. I also don't read blogs to read product reviews; so I'm not interested in bloggers who write that stuff.

I've considered putting up one of those little owls that say "Ad Free Site", but then, wouldn't THAT be an Ad for No Ads???

Now I'm just confused.

Windyridge said...

I make about $2.00 a day with Google Adsense. That's about $60.00 a month. Well worth it for just sitting there on the blogs. Placement is very important for those ads and any others really. And generally they are pretty relevant to the content and so good sometimes I want to click on them myself! Adsense doesn't pay out until you earn $100.00. If you don't get at least 100 visitors a day tho' you probably won't make much with these. I also do pretty well as an Amazon affiliate, but that's cyclical with the best business being around holidays especially Christmas. One person ordered two Rhomba vacuums in one day and I almost passed out! LOL. For my Musings blog, I use it opportunistically. That is I don't create blog posts around selling a book or CD. I write first and then add the link if the thought comes to me and it's relevant. Most of my ad income comes from my 2nd blog That's business. It combines my interest in this type of thing with making money. I also work for an outfit that provides opportunities to write in exchange for $$ or samples. I only choose those I believe in and support. The American Heart association is the latest one on Musings. Occasionally I receive products to review. Those posts are my honest opinions of that product (lately I received two bottles of wine and some mustards). I also post for an outfit that asks you to insert a phrase or word link however you want. I consider that harmless fun and I work those into regular posts. And lastly I write what I call ghost posts for other blogs that pay me. Altogether my blog income varies greatly but it pays for our vacation home and boat. It helps to mention to friends that I am an Amazon affiliate. It's all the same to order through my link and Amazon sells everything so I think it is the best affiliate by far.

JD at I Do Things said...

I've made about $25 with AdSense in the less than 6 months I've been blogging. I've played around a lot with positioning of ads and never noticed much difference where they were. I don't have AdSense up now because Google can't get it right and it looks stupid. I've made a whopping $4.00 using Amazon Affiliates, but I like that option better. I can choose the products I want to include--as few or many as I like.

I don't have a problem with other people advertising as long as it's tasteful and doesn't get in the way of the content. I would love to make a little money blogging, so I'm going to keep at it.

JD at I Do Things

the frogster said...

When I started my blog, I put up a few ads. I think I made a total of about two bucks on them. I pulled them because I realized that in order for the ads to pay off the way a job would I'd have to be an all-day blogger, and I knew I didn't want to do that. If I was making enough money from ads that I could put all my effort into blogging and therefore improve my product, I'd do it. But I already know that I'm not, so it couldn't, so I wouldn't, so it couldn't, so I won't.

Anonymous said...

I'm SO totally over blog ads. And, I don't want to awaken the beast and have her eat my face, but I'm ESPECIALLY totally over BlogHer ads. I can't visit a blog now without seeing one...and it kinda grosses me out.

I don't even click through my feed reader to blogs anymore unless I have an awesome comment (like this one) because everyone has the same stupid ad up nowadays.

End rant.

(And if the she-beast kills me in my was nice knowing you.)

Anonymous said...

my husband, Joel (not Crummy-but-not-Joel, the other one) used to allow adverts on his blog, and they generated enough money to pay for his Typepad fees for a couple of months.

that said, i think there's potential for most folks to make small amounts of passive income, and who am i to complain? doesn't cost me anything to look, right? ; )

lol-ing at comments left by Bill and Frogster!

ALSO LOLing at the post your wrote for THE SNARK today, which may help to explain your need for additional cash! : )

Julie Pippert said...

I have ads.

I provide my art---words and images---for free and this is a way for you to help support me.

Commerce ethical debates aside, mama's gotta eat.

I've tried a number of different types of advertising and paid stuff.

I get paid enough from BlogHer to make it worth it to keep them up. Also, I like how they work. I can be selective.

Google ad stuff is crap, as is most affiliate stuff that's available for people like me.

I could probably do better if I was more targeted and found specific advertisers for my blog, versus signing up with general, but as others have said, it's not a living.

So I put my effort towards that.

Unknown said...

The only thing I advertise on my blog is my sub-standard sex life. That doesn't seem to pay off in any way shape or form.

If I could make a few hundred of the funny looking L's that Dan was talking about, that would be cool. Then I could afford to buy those tasty beers they sell over on that side of the pond for a small fortune.

yoo hoo said...

I won't do ads, I'm just going to junk up my blog with other sorts of crap. I am the anti commerical person, if we watch TV we mute the commercials.

willowtree said...

I use adblock. And I rarely comment on blogs with Word Verification.

MYM said...

I have an adsense bar between my's been there for 3 months and i've earned 2.25, so your cushion surfing is probably more lucritive. If you want to make money from your blog you have to have a lot of ads and you have to somehow get visitors to visit them. It really depends on what you want your blog to be. I like the ads between my blog because it's a nice divider, LOL

MYM said...

I mean it's a nice divider between posts. cracks me up what they's based on what my posts are about. So it give me a chuckle. One day it was advertising asian brides!