How Advertising Might Fit In with Your Blog Plan

Putting an ad or two on your blog is an easy way to earn some money doing something you enjoy. Advertising on a blog has benefits. The first thing to do is decide whether your blog is meant for an advertising campaign.

You should think about a few things before diving into advertising on your blog.

• Does your blog have a design that’s ready for ads?

• Does your blog software support the advertising system you’ve chosen?

• Will advertising earn you any money?

• Will your audience put up with ads?

You can use several kinds of advertising methods to turn a blog into a place where you can make a tidy profit. A multitude of advertising companies offer bloggers simple solutions to monetize Web sites. Most of these programs work in similar ways but have unique delivery methods.

Advertising programs range from text-only ads to flashy animations and even full-page advertisements that really get your readers’ attention! As a blogger, choosing an advertising program that works for your audience can make the difference between an increase in readers and turning off your existing traffic.

You can deliver ads to a blog audience in four different ways. Additional methods are available, but most don’t work as well in a blog. The most popular advertisement formats are

• Text-based ads: These ads are text-only and feature a link or links to the advertiser’s Web site or service. Each ad is very plain, and most advertising systems limit your ability to customize their look and feel.

• Graphical banner and button ads: Banner and button ads can be static or animated images. These ads usually have pre-set sizes but can be customized to fit your blog design.

• RSS ads: Ads are a new addition to RSS feeds; as the format has taken off with the public, advertisers have jumped on the bandwagon. Such ads can be text or images and are linked to the advertiser’s Web site straight from your RSS feed.

• Pop-up ads: Pop-ups tend to be everyone’s least favorite type of ad, but oddly enough, pop-up ads that open in a new window are still quite successful at getting people to click an advertiser’s Web site. The readers might be fairly irritated by the time they get to the site, but they do click.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau makes recommendations each year about ad sizes and standards. You might find the recommendations useful in planning for ads.