The ADD of Ads
Occasionally, my RSS subscribers drop me an email asking about the ads that show up in my RSS feed now. I get about 2 a week (which isn’t bad out of 9000 subscribers to the feed). They usually ask whether I know there’s a huge picture ad at the top of my blog post. (Which by the way taught me something about Google ads: they seem to relate to cookies in your browser. My feed ads are almost always for colleges, for Google itself, or for PR Web.)
I’ve been experimenting with ads in the RSS feed, and also inserting ad units in older posts found here on my site. There are three reasons:
1.) I can’t write about my thought on ads and affiliate marketing if I don’t know first-hand about it.
2.) I’m fascinated with the game of ads: who clicks, how many, why?
3.) I’m using ad loot to fund attendance of conferences that don’t have business value to CrossTech. (With as many shows as I attend, this is adding up.)
Sometimes, I shift the ads to the top of the feed. When I do, I get 5X more clicks. When I shift them back down, the number goes down drastically. (By the way, the best day ever on ads netted me $2.56, so we’re not talking retirement money, kids).
In a follow-up post to this, I’ll explain to you my entire thought process and theories on monetizing for bloggers. I had several more paragraphs to this post, but it seems to be more than one tack, and I’d like to separate the two.
So, I have ads in my RSS feed and within posts on weeks-old posts as a means to test out advertising (and to make conference-attending loot). I’m sorry if it bothers some of you. If you raise a whole hoot and fuss, I’ll consider moving them down again. But in the mean time, keep enjoying all the schtuff BELOW the ads. It’s there for you.
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Comments
Would love to hear more about the specifics of this as you are testing it out. How are you getting ads just in RSS? What system do you use? etc. For those of us that know nothing about monetizing… THANKS!
4.) I love money.
Just kidding, of course. You provide a lot of value to people with this site and you deserve compensation for it. I do find it odd that you have Google ads only in the feed, with the ads on your blog coming from other sources. Would you mind explaining your reasons for this decision?
Cool with me, although it does beg a question: any reason why you didn’t create a different blog to test this out? I’m assuming it’s because you actually want to stand a chance of making some money, which would be almost impossible on a new blog.
I’ll be watching to see your thoughts on ads.
Maybe I should just remain keep my mouth shut about this, but on the feed in NetNewswire, I don’t see any ads at all…
I agree with you on needing to experience the ads and such to be able to write about them.
I don’t see any ads in Google Reader, but as long as they aren’t obnoxiously taking over your content, I’d be fine with it.
I do think Andrew has a point though with his street ad scenario.
Very insightful. 5x difference eh?! I’m interested in learning more about online marketing to help my company http://tastynectar.com/blog get off the ground in November, so this was a helpful post. Thanks Chris.
As @Andrew said, is the cost of getting another $100/month worth annoying your subscriber base that’s attention span is so expensive (in terms of gaining their attention vs how easy they can stop reading).
Do people really mind ads that much? I find them incredibly easy to ignore - jut like on TV!
@Andrew - great analogy and it goes both ways, there’s been a bit of ruckus in some ad circles in Australia as certain wholesome big name brands have ended up on some less than wholesome websites through adsense.
Speaking of Ads…. I am looking for a way to contact philanthropic organizations that would like to advertise and reach out to the affluent members of the entertainment industry.
My publication, The Hollywood Reporter, will be doing a special Winter Philanthropy issue on 11/24/08 and a percentage of the proceeds of the ads sold will go to EIF.
Please let me know the best way to reach out to non-profits to generate some attention for this issue and for a good cause!
If anyone is interested please contact Lori Copeland at 323-525-2020.
Thanks, Lori
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Something to consider is what value the ads are adding (or taking away) from your content. Personally I don’t do Adsense type advertising because the ROI isn’t nearly worth it to me. You mention receiving $2.56 on your best day. I wonder if that is enough money for you to feel comfortable that the organization or person you are advertising for is someone you would support unquestionably? I’m assuming you use a service and thus don’t actually know who is popping up in those click through ads.
Personally my investment of time and effort into putting up my ideas at my website (and thus through my RSS feed) is too important to me to have just any ad setting the tone.
I know more people use those ads than don’t so I’m not calling you out for being some sort of bad person, I hope you know that. I just think it is worth considering. If someone came up to you on the street and said, “I’m going to give you $2.56 to put a message on your back - but you won’t be allowed to know what that message is and it will always remain on your jacket.” would you do it?