If you’ve been around for a while, you’ll remember the wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth over the whole issue of ads on the blog. Not just anybody’s blog, mind you – you want to put ads on your blog, more power to you. Nope, I was just angsting about ads on my blog.
I started toying with the idea of ads back in September of last year. Then I got caught up in one of those blogstorms that swirl through the blogosphere every now and then and changed my mind, and I said all kinds of lofty, idealistic things like I didn’t want to sell our stories.
Apparently, I just hadn’t been offered the right price. Silly me, I should know everything is for sale.
So yes, there are now ads on the blog. The seller approached me out of the blue and simply made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Aside from the money, I liked the offer because it was simple, straightforward, and completely in my control. The ads are text only, I am free to place them wherever I want, and there is no contract to sign. While I won’t tell you what I earn from them, I will tell you that it’s a decent amount, not based on click-throughs or page impressions. In fact, I’m highly impressed with the company and the respect they showed me.
By contrast, and not to slag anyone in particular, but one of the things that I didn’t like about the other offer I was entertaining back in September, from the Blogher ad network, was that they stipulated that the ad must appear ‘above the fold’. Plus, they were honkin’ big ads with pictures, and you never knew exactly what you would be advertising.
The thing that bugged me the most about the whole blog ads thing was not even the advertising itself, but the predatorial (is that a word?) way advertisers were taking advantage of bloggers – bloggers who might be selling themselves or their work short. And here I’ m not talking about the Blogher ad network at all, just the pittance that was being offered to most paid bloggers that really didn’t respect the work and effort and heart that goes into a successful blog.
To me, this deal was a fair wage with no ethical strings. (The words and link will never change, and it leads to a well-respected shopping comparison site called bizrate.com.) But I’ve promised to always be up front, and so I wanted to let you know that there’s been a policy shift and I’m now on the advertising gravy train.
After all, someone’s gotta start saving for Tristan and Simon’s bail college fund.
Dani,
I like peeking inside your head when you share your thought processes like this.
Dani,
I like peeking inside your head when you share your thought processes like this.
Dani,
I like peeking inside your head when you share your thought processes like this.
Dani,
I like peeking inside your head when you share your thought processes like this.
Good for you. I had to scroll way, way, way down to find your department of commerce, so it can’t possibly be intrusive, can it? I actually clicked through because I am in the market for one of the products, so it is effective and useful, too. I’m pleased to hear that you get a respectable amount from the placement.
However, I am ignorant and curious. If they don’t base their rate on click throughs or page impressions (what ever the latter are), is your recompense by some other means associated with the number of folks that come to your blog?
Good for you. I had to scroll way, way, way down to find your department of commerce, so it can’t possibly be intrusive, can it? I actually clicked through because I am in the market for one of the products, so it is effective and useful, too. I’m pleased to hear that you get a respectable amount from the placement.
However, I am ignorant and curious. If they don’t base their rate on click throughs or page impressions (what ever the latter are), is your recompense by some other means associated with the number of folks that come to your blog?
Good for you. I had to scroll way, way, way down to find your department of commerce, so it can’t possibly be intrusive, can it? I actually clicked through because I am in the market for one of the products, so it is effective and useful, too. I’m pleased to hear that you get a respectable amount from the placement.
However, I am ignorant and curious. If they don’t base their rate on click throughs or page impressions (what ever the latter are), is your recompense by some other means associated with the number of folks that come to your blog?
Good for you. I had to scroll way, way, way down to find your department of commerce, so it can’t possibly be intrusive, can it? I actually clicked through because I am in the market for one of the products, so it is effective and useful, too. I’m pleased to hear that you get a respectable amount from the placement.
However, I am ignorant and curious. If they don’t base their rate on click throughs or page impressions (what ever the latter are), is your recompense by some other means associated with the number of folks that come to your blog?
I think we all need to do what makes sense for ourselves…but i can very much relate to your process.
oh, and speaking of relating…the back and forth on who stays home w/ the sick kid? Am so there too.
I think we all need to do what makes sense for ourselves…but i can very much relate to your process.
oh, and speaking of relating…the back and forth on who stays home w/ the sick kid? Am so there too.
I think we all need to do what makes sense for ourselves…but i can very much relate to your process.
oh, and speaking of relating…the back and forth on who stays home w/ the sick kid? Am so there too.
I think we all need to do what makes sense for ourselves…but i can very much relate to your process.
oh, and speaking of relating…the back and forth on who stays home w/ the sick kid? Am so there too.
I’m always afraid you guys will see these reflective posts as indulgent navel-gazing. I’m glad you find them at least remotely interesting!
And Kathleen, they never asked about my traffic patterns or anything, but my sitemeter is open for anyone to view, and I suppose they could use something like my Technorati ranking to evaluate the relative merit of this blog versus any other. I didn’t ask. They offered me a straightforward flat fee, paid up front, for a year. Hard to argue with an offer like that!
I’m always afraid you guys will see these reflective posts as indulgent navel-gazing. I’m glad you find them at least remotely interesting!
And Kathleen, they never asked about my traffic patterns or anything, but my sitemeter is open for anyone to view, and I suppose they could use something like my Technorati ranking to evaluate the relative merit of this blog versus any other. I didn’t ask. They offered me a straightforward flat fee, paid up front, for a year. Hard to argue with an offer like that!
I’m always afraid you guys will see these reflective posts as indulgent navel-gazing. I’m glad you find them at least remotely interesting!
And Kathleen, they never asked about my traffic patterns or anything, but my sitemeter is open for anyone to view, and I suppose they could use something like my Technorati ranking to evaluate the relative merit of this blog versus any other. I didn’t ask. They offered me a straightforward flat fee, paid up front, for a year. Hard to argue with an offer like that!
I’m always afraid you guys will see these reflective posts as indulgent navel-gazing. I’m glad you find them at least remotely interesting!
And Kathleen, they never asked about my traffic patterns or anything, but my sitemeter is open for anyone to view, and I suppose they could use something like my Technorati ranking to evaluate the relative merit of this blog versus any other. I didn’t ask. They offered me a straightforward flat fee, paid up front, for a year. Hard to argue with an offer like that!
Glad you found a solution that doesn’t feel like selling out! Congratulations on finding a good fit!
Glad you found a solution that doesn’t feel like selling out! Congratulations on finding a good fit!
Glad you found a solution that doesn’t feel like selling out! Congratulations on finding a good fit!
Glad you found a solution that doesn’t feel like selling out! Congratulations on finding a good fit!
Kudos to you. I personally don’t mind the ads anymore. There are a couple of blogs that go overboard, but for the most part, it doesn’t bother me. If I was offered, I would take it too!
Kudos to you. I personally don’t mind the ads anymore. There are a couple of blogs that go overboard, but for the most part, it doesn’t bother me. If I was offered, I would take it too!
Kudos to you. I personally don’t mind the ads anymore. There are a couple of blogs that go overboard, but for the most part, it doesn’t bother me. If I was offered, I would take it too!
Kudos to you. I personally don’t mind the ads anymore. There are a couple of blogs that go overboard, but for the most part, it doesn’t bother me. If I was offered, I would take it too!
I am all for people getting paid what they’re worth, and I’m glad to hear there’s an advertiser out there that does it! Especially one that places such low-key ads as that.
I am all for people getting paid what they’re worth, and I’m glad to hear there’s an advertiser out there that does it! Especially one that places such low-key ads as that.
I am all for people getting paid what they’re worth, and I’m glad to hear there’s an advertiser out there that does it! Especially one that places such low-key ads as that.
I am all for people getting paid what they’re worth, and I’m glad to hear there’s an advertiser out there that does it! Especially one that places such low-key ads as that.
I’m so glad that the ad networks are starting to smarten up — and that you held out for a fair offer! The ads are very subtle – none of that “is this a blog or a Vegas slot machine?” thing that you sometimes see out there. Congrats!
I’m so glad that the ad networks are starting to smarten up — and that you held out for a fair offer! The ads are very subtle – none of that “is this a blog or a Vegas slot machine?” thing that you sometimes see out there. Congrats!
I’m so glad that the ad networks are starting to smarten up — and that you held out for a fair offer! The ads are very subtle – none of that “is this a blog or a Vegas slot machine?” thing that you sometimes see out there. Congrats!
I’m so glad that the ad networks are starting to smarten up — and that you held out for a fair offer! The ads are very subtle – none of that “is this a blog or a Vegas slot machine?” thing that you sometimes see out there. Congrats!
Um, I have a complaint! I suffered vertigo scrolling up and down this blog looking for your DoC. Sheesh: talk about stealth marketing! 😉 For my part, I’ll be a click-through demon to keep your ad people happy. Hell, I might even buy a double stroller if only to make Jeremy faint dead away in the driveway. Congrats on yet another indication that your blog rocks.
Um, I have a complaint! I suffered vertigo scrolling up and down this blog looking for your DoC. Sheesh: talk about stealth marketing! 😉 For my part, I’ll be a click-through demon to keep your ad people happy. Hell, I might even buy a double stroller if only to make Jeremy faint dead away in the driveway. Congrats on yet another indication that your blog rocks.
Um, I have a complaint! I suffered vertigo scrolling up and down this blog looking for your DoC. Sheesh: talk about stealth marketing! 😉 For my part, I’ll be a click-through demon to keep your ad people happy. Hell, I might even buy a double stroller if only to make Jeremy faint dead away in the driveway. Congrats on yet another indication that your blog rocks.
Um, I have a complaint! I suffered vertigo scrolling up and down this blog looking for your DoC. Sheesh: talk about stealth marketing! 😉 For my part, I’ll be a click-through demon to keep your ad people happy. Hell, I might even buy a double stroller if only to make Jeremy faint dead away in the driveway. Congrats on yet another indication that your blog rocks.