In an older post, I expressed my dismay about the clutter that has taken over the advertising scene, be it TV, Outdoor Billboards, Magazines, etc … in closing of that post I question whether you are buying, begging, bugging for the attention of your customers, or are you earning it!
This is where I’d like to start off with today’s blog post – earned attention! If I were to just highlight one difference between a blog and a website, I would say that the former is slightly more personal and less corporate than the latter. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you have to come to expect a certain level of transparency, honesty, controversy, and loads of marketing – I would safely say that you and I have established a certain level of trust – that I have earned through my writings.
By now, you’re probably asking yourself, so what is it exactly that I’m trying to say here? How is what I said so far related to the title of this blog post? Ease your curious mind; I won’t leave you hanging much longer.
The reasons why people usually start a blog is for sharing their thoughts, be it in writing, video, photos, etc … to some people, it’s purely for that, others use it to promote their skills and hopefully monetize on them by exposing them to their intended participants. It’s no secret, my blog promotes my passion for marketing and clients seek it out to understand my approach. I wish I could live off comments and RT, but unfortunately I can’t cash that in at the bank. I share this stance with a lot of people who try to monetize their blog.
But …
Monetizing on your blog is different than commercializing it! I read a lot of blog posts on a daily basis, and more and more I’m starting to see ads everywhere, and all sorts of ads … this is where my problem lies! This is where I think the mindset should change!
It’s not wrong to make a little money from ads placed on your blog, but make them relevant, make them personal. It all goes back to issue of trust earned mentioned earlier in this post. If, for example, I advertise for Nokia on my blog, this means I, John Antonios, am telling my readers I trust this brand and I would recommend it to my readers. This is what I’d like to call digital word-of-mouth – the latter is probably the most trusted source when it comes to consumer purchasing behavior. Remember trust is viral (in most cases at least) – so if I trust Nokia, and you trust me, and my judgment, chances have it that you’d probably be more willing to buy into it.
Stop being commercial, be more selective when it comes to choosing the next advertisement you place on your blog. In my humble opinion, I would go so far as to say that your credibility is at stake. Think About It!
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John- I agree – currently – I monetize my blog two ways – I have a clearly marked affiliate page – where I promote primarily blog tools that I beilve in and use for myself and/or clients. It clearly states that I get a fee if you decide that these tools or services meet your needs.
I also monetize my blog as you do – promoting my experience and knowledge – in hope that people turn to me when they have a project. Connecting my blog with my social media activity about the same topics – has gotten me clients.
Many sites do have ads, I might some day – but I personally hate flash adds – or any add that distracts me. but I agree with you – align any ads with your brand – don’t annoy your customers. As in most things online – balance is half the battle
Cathy Larkin
Yes Cathy, that is exactly what i’m talking about – you gave two concrete examples that highlight the difference between monetizing on your blog and commercializing it. Have a look at Cathy’s blog, see for yourself – http://websavvypr.com/affiliate-links/ – notice how subtle yet strategic positioned the links are.
Here’s how she introduces the page:
“It is a small way to help the bottom line of my business, as I receive a fee for those sign-ups. However, I only choose to be an affiliate of companies I have either used myself, have set up for other clients and/or that I believe work well.”
Simply brilliant – thank you Cathy!
I agree that it’s important to be relevant when monetizing your blog, but I think it’s also important to be transparent. If you’re saying you love Nokia, that’s great. But if you’re saying you love Nokia and, oh, by the way, you’re also getting paid for every sale of Nokia phones coming from your site and you’re getting free mobile service/phones for life, then you need to let me (as a reader) know because it could impact my perception of your endorsement.
Monetizing with relevant services/products is good, being transparent when you do it makes it even better.
Sharon Mostyn
Twitter – @sharonmostyn
http://sharonmostyn.com
Absolutely true Sharon – this is why I gave the example from Cathy’s blog – she does exactly that. She is very transparent about she’s got to gain if you sign up for XYZ …
thanks for the great add Sharon (as usual)
I agree with Sharon in that transparency is essential. I also think that if it obviously an ad, then you don’t necessarily have to personally support the product. Many folk use ad networks and so don’t get to cherry pick the advertisers. These ads are obvious and so I doubt the viewer thinks they are a personal vouch of support. The key here is that these ads look tacky and make the blog look less professional and clean. They affect the blogger’s personal brand, and he or she better be ready for that!
Rather than ads, I think the true problem now-a-days is with blogs that shamelessly toot the blogger’s horn. They are like long advertisements themselves with loads of copy and few images. If I want to read a sell page, I’ll look for one. If I’m reading a blog, yes, I may be a potential client, but I’m reading it to understand how the blogger things (like John and Cathy said), not to be sold to.
Great post, John!
Yup! placing ads here and there just cheapen your blog, i keep referring to Cathy’s blog, cause i think she did a great job – she provided a link, and explained the nature of her relation with this affiliate, and she was transparent about the financial gain from signing up. In my opinion, it conveyed a professional and trustworthy character.
As for vanity, I said in my earlier post, humbleness is key to success in Personal Branding – so i agree with you completely, I too noticed that a lot of the blogs out there have been transformed into a cheap tool to boast about oneself. Attention is earned not bought!
thanks for sharing Kate!
So true
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Good advice man. Thanks.