Ads or No

I think you should add ads for sure. As long as they are relevant to the theme of your blog. I see nothing wrong with it. The only problem I have with commercialization of blogs is when the blogger becomes obsessed with the monetization of their site and totally disregards what made their site so successful in the first place. I know that won’t happen here, but I’ve seen it happen to many blogs that I’ve eventually had to unsubscribe from due to the constant attention and posts geared towards generating hits and income instead of why we went there in the first place.
So, I say go for it! You provide a valuable service to the online community and I know that you feel you get back so much from us but why not get some more compensation for your efforts? We all know that’s not why you do this but that’s even more reason why you deserve it. :)

pai

I think you should add ads for sure. As long as they are relevant to the theme of your blog. I see nothing wrong with it. The only problem I have with commercialization of blogs is when the blogger becomes obsessed with the monetization of their site and totally disregards what made their site so successful in the first place. I know that won’t happen here, but I’ve seen it happen to many blogs that I’ve eventually had to unsubscribe from due to the constant attention and posts geared towards generating hits and income instead of why we went there in the first place.
So, I say go for it! You provide a valuable service to the online community and I know that you feel you get back so much from us but why not get some more compensation for your efforts? We all know that’s not why you do this but that’s even more reason why you deserve it. :)

pai

If the ads will enhance your message and pertain to your community, go for it! I don’t have a problem with ads if they do not detract from me as the reader trying to read your message. However, I am writing to you as a blogger. So, I am not to sure how a non-blogger would react to this situation?

Thanks for sharing as always!

You already have ads on your site.

Utterz.
LinkedIn.
MyBlogLog.
Feedburner.
Feedbutton.
B2B Expo.
Upcoming.org.
BlueSkyFactory.

You’re just not getting PAID for having those ads on your site.

What’s the difference between the ads you have now and paid ones?

You get paid for the latter.

I am in the same boat as you. Sites I visit a lot I all but block out the ads because I am coming there for content not to move on to something else. My question is what is the next version of PPC advertising? And does advertising on your site mean you carry more weight? Who knows it could be argued from both angles. I am not sure ads on blogs is a good idea unless maybe they are tools for other bloggers or for that vertical.

The reason that I think advertising fails on many blogs is because it shifts the communities impression of their value to the writer. Rather than feeling valued as part of a group that engages about interesting ideas, it’s easy to feel that you’re being counted as traffic to determine CPM, or viewed as a potential ‘clicker’.

I’ve seen it happen that when the community feels their primary purpose is to generate revenue for the site, things go sour quickly.

That said, I could potentially see the value in some affiliate ads. If you were recommending a book, site, or some other product and had an affiliate link to get it on your site, that’s going to give you control over what you promote. That could be a reasonable compromise.

I’m not against anyone making money off their blog. I know that lots of hard work goes into them. But, you need to make sure your community understands what you are doing, why you are doing it, and how it will affect them.

If done tastefully I guess we’re all used to seeing the ad thing and have learned to live with it.

No of us can/should complain about trying to monetize content or traffic as long as it doesn’t get in the way of the message.

As one of your admiring crowd, I would say “no”. When I see an ad-laden site, I know that the ads are the “reason for the season”, so to speak. The content is secondary, only put there to attract more clickers.

Doesn’t that change the nature and purpose of your mission? No longer to educate and benefit your readers? Seems un-Broganlike!

The estimable Mr. Penn is, of course, correct.

But… I would argue that you should accept paid advertising only if you accept that your blog is a business (or at least part of one). In your case, I would argue that your personal brand and media “empire” is indeed a business, and it makes sense to treat it as such. Effectively, you are an entrepreneur on the side, even if you don’t necessarily categorize yourself that way at the moment.

What do I mean exactly? Well, if you are going to operate as a business and generate revenue, have a plan. It need not be detailed or etched it stone, but have a revenue goal. Set content objectives. Seek to maximize revenue. Track revenue and expenses clearly so you understand the cost/benefit of what you are doing. Because it your enterprise is focused on personal branding, you will also need to factor in “soft” benefits like reputation.

Consider setting yourself up as a company. It will provide only modest liability protection since your greatest risk is likely slander/libel, but it also isn’t very expensive or difficult and it underscores your seriousness.

I don’t mean to make this sound involved because it need not be. I set up companies all the time. Indeed, I just set the process in motion to create about a half dozen new ones this morning.

Why do I suggest this course of action? Because a half-hearted willingness to accept advertising does a disservice to you, your sponsors, and your audience. Treating it like a business will maximize the value you provide and get.

We all advertise in some way or the other, just by what you use in our daily lives and by what we have on our blogs. I have no problems with advertising, as long as it’s something my members would be interested in.

Plus, the income from advertising helps the blogger more time to focus on his/her blog, at least that’s how it would work for me…………..:)

As long as you’re not running someone else’s campaigns, the onus remains on you, Chris, to keep things relevant and tasteful. If advertising DOES cheapen the relationship, it’s because you made bad choices.

If you can direct-sell advertising, then by all means, I say, do it!

Too many sites however rely on Google AdSense or national campaigns, which of course are often waaaay out of touch with the audience.

I have no problem with ads – you and your content (2 separate things) add to much value to what I do that I’d like you to benefit in some way. Especially with the large amount of quality content across mediums you generate.

Go ahead!

As long as no dancing woman are involved. . .

Congrats on the new career. Do they get a free ad?

1) Don’t trick me with your ads (many AdSense users are guilty of this) and 2) don’t make the ads trashy (again, AdSense).

If you are putting ads on your site that are relavent to the topic and you are sensitive to what you are backing (like you said, you must really believe in the value of the product/service) then go for it! You should get paid for all the content you produce here. Ads definitely don’t cheapen the relationship if they are done right, and it sounds like you know what to do :)

Chris, if you feel the need for extra cash, your blog (with its traffic) could be a really good source.

If you choose to add paid ads here, you might have to change your blog design to house those ads.

In that case I would suggest you use programs like Amazon Associate to sell stuff like media related electronics (mics, cameras, etc) and books about new media and internet and such.

If you do feel the need to have more ads on your site, while there’s no real need for extra money, I would just suggest adding non-profit, charity and/or humanity related ads, which is kinda giving back.

Just my 2 dinarii…

As is often the case, Chris Penn is right. You two should collaborate some time! ;-)

Seriously though, I say go with your gut. What does your gut say?

I’m working out the same thing. I agree with what I think I’m seeing here in the comments — that it’s fine to post relevant ads.

The way I’m looking at it on a new blog I’m creating is to have a few that hopefully don’t get in the way, but also offer something relevant to visitors.

I think sponsorship is the best since you can pick and choose who you link to, next is affiliate since it’s a little more relevant.

I don’t like a lot of ads on a blog, but if they are there to give me as a reader something, then I’m cool with a few.

That’s what I’m seeing anyway.

It is your blog, you are giving a service and, should be compensated ! Your blog is your business !

I think a decsion on
ad or no ads is not a huge deal one
way or the other.

Try it, you may like it. You won’t know
without getting some real world experience.

You occasionally hear content providers refer to advertisements as a value-added proposition for the readers. Usually that is pure bunk.

There is a case where it can be true – if someone (like you, Brogan-San) uses affiliate ads which you carefully and personally curate.

Of course you would need to choose carefully, because you implicitly give your imprimatur and put your reputation on the line with each ad. It’s not like Adsense.

I have no objection to ads, and in fact have ads on a new specialty blog (while choosing NOT to have them on my main blog). My major concern with ads, paid or not (re comment 3), is whether they increase the time required to load the page. If page loading does not deteriorate, and if the ads don’t dominate the page, then go for it.

Chris … great topic as usual. I obviously have ads on my site but they do nothing for me or my audience. While I have signed up for a couple of affiliate deals with relevance to the social media space (Compete.com, etc.) I’m making no money off them yet and don’t feel overly compelled to keep them.

Still, I get excited when I see traffic bumps and swells, holding out hopes there will be a deposit in PayPal and the end of the month and I can afford to download a CD’s worth of music.

So they’re there, but done in what I think is a tasteful and subtle way that doesn’t interfere with the user experience. My hope is that the placeholder ads I have now (affiliates and Google Ads) will one day be replaced by real companies wanting to reach a captive audience. Until that time, I almost forget they are there.

Your content is valuable. You have lots of traffic and could probably afford a CD or two from your payouts. But is it worth a 50-100 or 200 or whatever bucks a month to put a companies brand on your site? I don’t know, but I doubt it.

I’m never going to not read you for that or any other reason. I don’t think anyone else would either. But again, that’s not a good enough reason to use them in my opinion.

(And yes, I work at an advertising agency.)

Heh.

Interesting bunch of thoughts and ideas here. Thank you for them all. I’m grateful for your opinions, and will consider them all when deciding what it is I ultimately do. Nothing will change for a week or two, at the very least, so thanks for weighing in.

As always, the best stuff is in the comments.

Fascinated by the various opinions, not least of all the guy from the ad agency. : )

I think your comfort level is what will determine that. I didn’t ever want ads on my blog, but gave it a try with the BlogHerAds … they’ve been adorable and they’ve all been for really good stuff so far.

I promise I’m not pushing my ads, I’ve just actually been sad once or twice that it was a violation to click on my own stuff. I’m not kidding.

If you can find the kind of quality that makes you want to click on your own stuff, then do it.

You could also let individuals (aka owners of companies that you like and respect) advertize individually on your blog. Kind of a case-by-case company-by-company basis. That way it wouldn’t be random and you could feel comfortable the ads were for things that you really liked and wanted to support.

I definitely support you adding paid ads to the blog, and agree with others that you’re already doing plenty of advertising, just not getting paid for it.

My advice would be to control your own advertising and only accept advertising for services/products that you personally endorse anyway. If I see an ad on your site that looks interesting, I’m a *lot* more likely to make a purchase through it, because I’ve grown to trust your judgment. If it ends up being crap, that’s going to count against you. (I will still like you, though!)

On my 12 blogs, I’ve saved space for advertising my own products and services. It sounds like you’re pretty busy these days, but if you were thinking about offering an ebook or hourly consulting or something along those lines, that would be the ideal thing to advertise.