Shortly after starting this blog, GF turned to me and, much like Significant Others the world over, said, "Can you make any money with that thing?" I told her that a lot of people accept ads on their sites, but I'm not sure you can make any money with it unless you've got thousands of readers per day. (Based on it taking 6 months for me to get to my 10,00th hit, I don't really qualify on that count.)(And Shawn, your book will be sent out on Saturday; Michelle, I'll call that theater near you and figure out how to get a gift certificate into your paws.)
So, while I don't think I'd make any real money if I started accepting ads (maybe something like that residuals check I got?), I also don't have any philisophical objection to accepting ads on this site. My first question, though, is who would want to advertise here? And would I be free to make fun of them along the lines of "Look at the loser company that just showed up on the sidebar and thinks you're going to buy their crappy product?"
That could be kind of fun! Hey, just think...if Dominos Pizza decided to advertise here, I could place a text box over their ad and say different nasty things about them every day.
I'd be totally cool if vendors of prosthetic tentacles and accessories wanted to advertise here.
There are some ads that I'd never want. If you click around at the NY Post (especially in the gossip section), there have been ads lately where suddenly the entire page was crawling with Madagascar Hissing Roaches (an exhibit at the Museum of Natural History) and one where chains break through the page and then reach across until you can't see any of the story you're reading. (Naturally, neither of those ads were running when I went over there to get the link, but maybe it will when you go.)
Anyway, what do you guys say? Would seeing ads here annoy you? Or should I take one for the team and be the UCF Guinnea Pig, dutifully reporting my experience as a trollop covered in bumper stickers? (Also, I'm fairly certain I'd be allowed to opt out if I/we hated it.)
Chime right in. And no toaster talk!
16 comments:
My opinion is I don't much care for ads, because they take up valuable space on the sidebar.
But that's just me.
But so you know where I'm coming from, my book blog especially links to Amazon, and purchases made from Amazon after some enters from my website earns me pennies.
So I'm not opposed to web commercialism.
Go for it, guinea pig.
But only if you mock the advertisers.
Only if Sunbeam Appliances is one of your advertisers.
More toaster!
Oh, sorry, that was cowbell.
On the one hand, I'm not really a big fan of ads on blogs. On the other hand, I write articles for eHow for the express purpose of earning small handfuls of pennies. So while I would vote no to you having ads on your blog, you can also safely dismiss me a hypocrite. ;)
I really have no idea whether or not I want to do this, but the ability to mock advertisers would be a prerequisite.
Letterman had the pinheads at GE. I'd have some idiot with the world's fines beer helmet.
I've resisted the temptation. While it's sort of a nice idea to think about, in practice the ads tend to be annoying.
That said, Michelle's deal with Amazon intrigues me. Or, as Homer Simpson once said, "Your ideas intrigue me and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter...."
I set myself up as an Amazon referrer and a Google adsense user for my dead techblog. I didn't like it and didn't really make any money.
If you want to find out more about how-to - Problogger.com. Search his archives. He IS the definitive source on that stuff.
Adsense is particularly hilarious because it does pick up on keywords and would advertise Domino's next to your anti-Domino's rants.
Would I care if you did ads? No. But they're most effective if you click through, and most effective click through position is top left and top right - place of honor for pics & sidebar content. My choice is not to sacrifice content to that degree.
Also, blogging is kind of a preaching to the choir occupation - blogs are mostly read by bloggers, and we tend to filter out ads and we sure don't click on them, so I'm not really sure how much effort ads are worth. But I'm cynical that way. ;)
I'd just filter them out, so it wouldn't annoy me, but you'd not get any click-love from me. But you'd still get the other kind. Your toaster would too.
To add my two cents which is what you'll make the first 2 months.
I have two blogs with ads and I'm averaging $65 a month, although this month it will be about $90.
Are they annoying? Possibly but I think they blend in nicely.
The unofficial rule is if you want to be professional keep 'em out. If you want Metrocard money then go for it.
I too would probably filter them out of my vision, but I'm sure there are others that wouldn't.
Ultimately, it's your site and you can do what you want with it. I would assume that a trial run of ads wouldn't put too many people off, at least not the regulars.
Do it. What's the worst thing that can happen? (Famous last words...)
Eric, I do one (and only one) kind of Amazon thingy on my site. It's a click through.
If you go here (http://klishis.com/reading/) you can see it in practice.
If you hover over a book cover (or image of whatever) more information pops up. If you click on the book cover, it takes you to Amazon. If someone then makes a purchase from Amazon after clicking through, I get my pennies.
I figure about twice a year I get a gift certification for Amazon for about $10.
Since I wanted images of book covers on the site (I think it often makes finding a book easier) the whole deal worked out perfectly for me.
Especially since I use the gift certificates to buy more books.
Do not like.
Hell,
I may just do it to annoy Jim. :D
Stay pure! What, too late?
Might be tough to mock them when the ad changes for each web surfer:
"See that ad? Well, probably not that ad. The ad that was there before. The really funny thing about it, if you could see it ..."
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