Comments on: Me and my ads http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/01/13/me-and-my-ads/ by Jeff Jarvis Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:55:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: RMX Direct » Why Must It Be So Difficult To Test? http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/01/13/me-and-my-ads/#comment-94367 RMX Direct » Why Must It Be So Difficult To Test? Thu, 20 Jul 2006 21:45:08 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1017#comment-94367 [...] Here’s a problem we’ve got to solve.  While we need to walk before we can run with this project, I think the end goal must remain to solve the basic and core publisher problem of testing and optimizing their ad inventory.  The number of options available is going to grow in the future. Jeff Jarvis is testing a lot of ad options, but it’s almost blind testing in a way because his inventory and audience is going to change over time. He’s probably editing code for each test, unsure of how long they ran, and it’s a pain in the butt to switch back later. [...] [...] Here’s a problem we’ve got to solve.  While we need to walk before we can run with this project, I think the end goal must remain to solve the basic and core publisher problem of testing and optimizing their ad inventory.  The number of options available is going to grow in the future. Jeff Jarvis is testing a lot of ad options, but it’s almost blind testing in a way because his inventory and audience is going to change over time. He’s probably editing code for each test, unsure of how long they ran, and it’s a pain in the butt to switch back later. [...]

]]> By: Pgh Lesbian http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/01/13/me-and-my-ads/#comment-64066 Pgh Lesbian Mon, 05 Jun 2006 15:15:03 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1017#comment-64066 I know this comment is months late ... but what about local advertising? I'm a complete neophyte, but my blog is local content for a niche community (gays) so I'm wondering if I could actually get advertising from local LGBT vendors? Anyone ever try that? Or is it not worth the effort? I know this comment is months late … but what about local advertising? I’m a complete neophyte, but my blog is local content for a niche community (gays) so I’m wondering if I could actually get advertising from local LGBT vendors? Anyone ever try that? Or is it not worth the effort?

]]> By: Armed Liberal http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/01/13/me-and-my-ads/#comment-28963 Armed Liberal Thu, 09 Feb 2006 01:02:48 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1017#comment-28963 We're looking at putting ads onto Winds, and I sent an app in to Fastclick (Doubleclick) and we got turned down...sniff...waiting to hear from Tribal Fusion and Burst. We're running 300K views a month, so I'd assume _someone_ would talk to us... A.L. We’re looking at putting ads onto Winds, and I sent an app in to Fastclick (Doubleclick) and we got turned down…sniff…waiting to hear from Tribal Fusion and Burst.

We’re running 300K views a month, so I’d assume _someone_ would talk to us…

A.L.

]]> By: Chris http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/01/13/me-and-my-ads/#comment-28636 Chris Sun, 05 Feb 2006 18:09:39 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1017#comment-28636 It appears to me that you're more interested in selling ads for a particular rate than you are accepting the rates that are automatically generated for you, which is what Google Adsense does. The only thing that I can say about Google Adsense, is that I prefer their image ads, as the text ads are unusually boring, and I can't blame individuals for not clicking on them. I'm running 2 image ads currently, at different sizes, and will see how those work. I'm also using Clicksor, which offers contextual ads, which is where your posts are scanned and keywords highlighted and turned into hyperlinks automatically. You don't have to think so hard about what to write about, because if you just happen to have written about something that is a hot keyword, that word will be turned into a link for a sponsored ad. The other problem with Adsense is that there are fewer sponsors for the image ads than there are the text, so the image ads tend to have absolutely nothing to do with the context of your posts. On some level I wonder if Google's rates aren't prohibitively expensive, or if it's just that individuals aren't creating ads through Adwords because most know that Google's technology doesn't work as well as it does for search. Google also has link units and a search box, in which a user searches using Google's engine, but is directed to results that advertisers sponsor first, rather than see those results listed on the right hand side of the screen like they usually are. I haven't had any success with that. Google also has referral programs if you're trying to get others signed up with Adsense, and pays good rates, but I haven't had any luck there either. As far as Blogads, you have to be sponsored, or invited into the program, something that may only happen if you're on the level of Daily KOS:State of the Nation or something like that. I would love to be a part of it but it sounds like a country club approach to blogging. It appears to me that you’re more interested in selling ads for a particular rate than you are accepting the rates that are automatically generated for you, which is what Google Adsense does. The only thing that I can say about Google Adsense, is that I prefer their image ads, as the text ads are unusually boring, and I can’t blame individuals for not clicking on them. I’m running 2 image ads currently, at different sizes, and will see how those work. I’m also using Clicksor, which offers contextual ads, which is where your posts are scanned and keywords highlighted and turned into hyperlinks automatically. You don’t have to think so hard about what to write about, because if you just happen to have written about something that is a hot keyword, that word will be turned into a link for a sponsored ad. The other problem with Adsense is that there are fewer sponsors for the image ads than there are the text, so the image ads tend to have absolutely nothing to do with the context of your posts. On some level I wonder if Google’s rates aren’t prohibitively expensive, or if it’s just that individuals aren’t creating ads through Adwords because most know that Google’s technology doesn’t work as well as it does for search.

Google also has link units and a search box, in which a user searches using Google’s engine, but is directed to results that advertisers sponsor first, rather than see those results listed on the right hand side of the screen like they usually are. I haven’t had any success with that. Google also has referral programs if you’re trying to get others signed up with Adsense, and pays good rates, but I haven’t had any luck there either.

As far as Blogads, you have to be sponsored, or invited into the program, something that may only happen if you’re on the level of Daily KOS:State of the Nation or something like that. I would love to be a part of it but it sounds like a country club approach to blogging.

]]> By: Jeff Jarvis http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/01/13/me-and-my-ads/#comment-25162 Jeff Jarvis Sun, 15 Jan 2006 14:10:12 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1017#comment-25162 Ari: I'd argue that if DoubleClick were smart (and it is), it would find ways to enable this new world. Advertisers want to be part of it but it's too damned difficult and, indeed, the distributed world needs help providing that stuff that advertisers want. Who better to help do that than DoubleClick? Or who worse? That's a debate I hope you're having inside. Ari: I’d argue that if DoubleClick were smart (and it is), it would find ways to enable this new world. Advertisers want to be part of it but it’s too damned difficult and, indeed, the distributed world needs help providing that stuff that advertisers want. Who better to help do that than DoubleClick? Or who worse? That’s a debate I hope you’re having inside.

]]> By: Ari Paparo http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/01/13/me-and-my-ads/#comment-25075 Ari Paparo Sat, 14 Jan 2006 23:52:08 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1017#comment-25075 Jeff, I think you ran into the uncomfortable fact that online advertising is a very technically and operationally complex business. Bloggers and small business people often make good money with very simplistic advertising strategies (i.e. AdSense and/or affiliate marketing), and then generalize that the whole industry should be "open" and "transparent". But as you grow in size as a publisher the strategies become an order of magnitude more complex. This is why big media companies have literally hundreds of employees working on "ad ops" and why technology companies like DoubleClick (full disclosure: where I work) exist. Jeff, I think you ran into the uncomfortable fact that online advertising is a very technically and operationally complex business. Bloggers and small business people often make good money with very simplistic advertising strategies (i.e. AdSense and/or affiliate marketing), and then generalize that the whole industry should be “open” and “transparent”. But as you grow in size as a publisher the strategies become an order of magnitude more complex. This is why big media companies have literally hundreds of employees working on “ad ops” and why technology companies like DoubleClick (full disclosure: where I work) exist.

]]> By: Robert Feinman http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/01/13/me-and-my-ads/#comment-25046 Robert Feinman Sat, 14 Jan 2006 18:23:50 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1017#comment-25046 You run ads on your site? Funny I don't see them. Just try viewing the site with Firefox and the adblock extension installed. Sorry, I don't have the business model for web sites figured out, but apparently lots of people think in-your-face ads are not what they wish to see. Adblock is the fourth most popular download for Firefox with over 100,000 installs. When does our society reach the point of diminishing returns from advertising? Personally, I can't remember ever buying something because of an ad or online link in a search result. I guess I'm just in the minority. You run ads on your site? Funny I don’t see them. Just try viewing the site with Firefox and the adblock extension installed.

Sorry, I don’t have the business model for web sites figured out, but apparently lots of people think in-your-face ads are not what they wish to see. Adblock is the fourth most popular download for Firefox with over 100,000 installs.

When does our society reach the point of diminishing returns from advertising? Personally, I can’t remember ever buying something because of an ad or online link in a search result. I guess I’m just in the minority.

]]> By: Publishing 2.0 » Blogs Need to Monetize Influence, Not Audience Size http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/01/13/me-and-my-ads/#comment-24919 Publishing 2.0 » Blogs Need to Monetize Influence, Not Audience Size Sat, 14 Jan 2006 06:13:52 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1017#comment-24919 [...] Witness Bill Burhnam’s sobering (and also hysterically funny) confessional of his blog economics. Bill increased his page views ten-fold, which by traditional media economics should have lead to a ten-fold increase in ad revenue, but instead Bill just managed to double his ad revenue. Even more sobering, in Jeff Jarvis’s own confessional about his blog economics, he admits that Bill does better than him on advertising revenue with a whopping $134.73. I don’t know what Jeff’s traffic numbers are, but his blog is #55 on the Technorati top 100, with links from 2,866 sites. You can guess at the math. [...] [...] Witness Bill Burhnam’s sobering (and also hysterically funny) confessional of his blog economics. Bill increased his page views ten-fold, which by traditional media economics should have lead to a ten-fold increase in ad revenue, but instead Bill just managed to double his ad revenue. Even more sobering, in Jeff Jarvis’s own confessional about his blog economics, he admits that Bill does better than him on advertising revenue with a whopping $134.73. I don’t know what Jeff’s traffic numbers are, but his blog is #55 on the Technorati top 100, with links from 2,866 sites. You can guess at the math. [...]

]]> By: Jake Thompson http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/01/13/me-and-my-ads/#comment-24765 Jake Thompson Sat, 14 Jan 2006 00:29:11 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1017#comment-24765 You should give the Pajamas Media ad network a try. You should give the Pajamas Media ad network a try.

]]> By: nofollow breaks blogs http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/01/13/me-and-my-ads/#comment-24764 nofollow breaks blogs Fri, 13 Jan 2006 23:53:03 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1017#comment-24764 I regret spending $30 on a blogad which received a large number of impressions and very few clicks. It was a very untargeted attempt, but that site was among the small number of blogad advertisers with a CPM that wasn't basically ludicrous. The choice was between a reasonable CPM or what I considered astronomical CPM on a more targeted site. (I wrote a script to find the CPMs of all their advertisers, and many were things like $1 for 100 page views or worse). There's also adbrite. For advertisers, they tend to have a large number of rather dodgy sites, and some that aren't. The regional possibilities are rather limited, and you can only filter by countrywide traffic, not local traffic. For publishers, for some reason, no one has so far wanted to advertise on my blog through them, despite adbrite gradually lowering the rate. Other publishers seem to have a lot of ads, and some of those are a bit dodgy as well. You might also want to try to use adwords to drive traffic to a site or a page. The first would be to get new readers. The second might go to a sales page where you try to encourage someone to click an affiliate link to buy something. I regret spending $30 on a blogad which received a large number of impressions and very few clicks. It was a very untargeted attempt, but that site was among the small number of blogad advertisers with a CPM that wasn’t basically ludicrous. The choice was between a reasonable CPM or what I considered astronomical CPM on a more targeted site. (I wrote a script to find the CPMs of all their advertisers, and many were things like $1 for 100 page views or worse).

There’s also adbrite. For advertisers, they tend to have a large number of rather dodgy sites, and some that aren’t. The regional possibilities are rather limited, and you can only filter by countrywide traffic, not local traffic. For publishers, for some reason, no one has so far wanted to advertise on my blog through them, despite adbrite gradually lowering the rate. Other publishers seem to have a lot of ads, and some of those are a bit dodgy as well.

You might also want to try to use adwords to drive traffic to a site or a page. The first would be to get new readers. The second might go to a sales page where you try to encourage someone to click an affiliate link to buy something.

]]> By: Thomas http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/01/13/me-and-my-ads/#comment-24756 Thomas Fri, 13 Jan 2006 22:38:23 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1017#comment-24756 The topbanner ads were annoyingf and in fact I tended to start minimizing your blog when I clicked on it, because they lagged load time, I'd read something else and ignore their ad once I came back. But it was definately out putting, funny thing about ads, I am so used to "seeing" but ignoring them I couldn't tell you a single topic of one. I mentally filter past them. The topbanner ads were annoyingf and in fact I tended to start minimizing your blog when I clicked on it, because they lagged load time, I’d read something else and ignore their ad once I came back. But it was definately out putting, funny thing about ads, I am so used to “seeing” but ignoring them I couldn’t tell you a single topic of one. I mentally filter past them.

]]> By: Cal http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/01/13/me-and-my-ads/#comment-24754 Cal Fri, 13 Jan 2006 22:02:33 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1017#comment-24754 That's not another option. That's affiliate marketing. Linkshare and CJ are two of the largest affiliate networks. And you can't use Linkshare and CJ per se. You apply to affiliate programs within their network. It should work for general and political websites, too. After all, most of the readers want to help the blogger, so they'll buy products they use through an affiliate link. That’s not another option. That’s affiliate marketing. Linkshare and CJ are two of the largest affiliate networks. And you can’t use Linkshare and CJ per se. You apply to affiliate programs within their network.

It should work for general and political websites, too. After all, most of the readers want to help the blogger, so they’ll buy products they use through an affiliate link.

]]> By: PJ http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/01/13/me-and-my-ads/#comment-24753 PJ Fri, 13 Jan 2006 21:53:33 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1017#comment-24753 Another option: use linkshare or Commission Junction to create your own add using their advanced link feature, pick the items that you think best fit your audience, and collect 4-15% of each sale. It may not work for general or political websites, but for smaller niche topics, it is very successful. Another option: use linkshare or Commission Junction to create your own add using their advanced link feature, pick the items that you think best fit your audience, and collect 4-15% of each sale.

It may not work for general or political websites, but for smaller niche topics, it is very successful.

]]> By: afsvfan http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/01/13/me-and-my-ads/#comment-24752 afsvfan Fri, 13 Jan 2006 21:51:11 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1017#comment-24752 call up your buddies in the mainstream media you know CNN or Fox. howard stern has millions to throw away.....you'll get him new listeners. call up your buddies in the mainstream media you know CNN or Fox. howard stern has millions to throw away…..you’ll get him new listeners.

]]> By: peter http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/01/13/me-and-my-ads/#comment-24746 peter Fri, 13 Jan 2006 21:06:38 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1017#comment-24746 As a loyal reader who ALWAYS clicks on something to pay for your time and brains, i agree with the affiliate concept. You have a very affluent audience - they buy things. Help Amazon, etc. sell stuff. "Compare Refinance Quotes" -- one of your Yahoo! ads just doesn't do it for me. I might otherwise have purchased the book... "Blogging Your Way to Fame and Wealth.' As a loyal reader who ALWAYS clicks on something to pay for your time and brains, i agree with the affiliate concept. You have a very affluent audience – they buy things.

Help Amazon, etc. sell stuff.

“Compare Refinance Quotes” — one of your Yahoo! ads just doesn’t do it for me. I might otherwise have purchased the book… “Blogging Your Way to Fame and Wealth.’

]]> By: Cal http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/01/13/me-and-my-ads/#comment-24744 Cal Fri, 13 Jan 2006 20:33:15 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1017#comment-24744 You don't mention affiliate ads. I'm a broken record on the subject, so forgive me if I plug them again. While I do have a blog, my expertise in affiliate ads comes from the program I run at my forum, The Perfect World. I'm not sure what the best format would be for a blogger. But it would certainly involve a shopping center, and displaying sales and coupons within blog postings. Prominent bloggers like you can make reasonable money from CPM ads, but smaller bloggers are probably better off with affiliate advertising. Put another way, if your primary blog income is your tipjar, then affiliate advertising is probably a good move. You're paid on performance (sales), not clicks. My forum members purchased well over $125K of products last year--and that doesn't count travel reservations and ebay purchases. I'm in the top 20% of Overstock affiliates, yet I don't have a particularly large reader/poster base (perhaps 750/month). I really enjoy knowing that my website is of some significance to online merchants. I get phone calls or emails from certain vendors when they have a big sale--not just the mailing everyone else gets, but a "heads up" because they value the business my site sends along. If there's a problem, I have an inside source to contact, and that source knows that word of mouth at my site is worth more than just the immediate sale. I'm glad to see CPM advertising making a comeback online. But few companies are going to pay for your average tiny website to advertise Dell computers or Overstock sales--yet these are the type of products that people buy. Affiliate advertising allows even small sites to play in that space, provide their users a service, and pick up a piece of the sales. But I think even a major blogger like you could make some meaningful money from affiliate advertising--and in addition, prove that this new media can be a valuable source of sales and product awareness to major online vendors. You don’t mention affiliate ads. I’m a broken record on the subject, so forgive me if I plug them again.

While I do have a blog, my expertise in affiliate ads comes from the program I run at my forum, The Perfect World. I’m not sure what the best format would be for a blogger. But it would certainly involve a shopping center, and displaying sales and coupons within blog postings.

Prominent bloggers like you can make reasonable money from CPM ads, but smaller bloggers are probably better off with affiliate advertising. Put another way, if your primary blog income is your tipjar, then affiliate advertising is probably a good move. You’re paid on performance (sales), not clicks.

My forum members purchased well over $125K of products last year–and that doesn’t count travel reservations and ebay purchases. I’m in the top 20% of Overstock affiliates, yet I don’t have a particularly large reader/poster base (perhaps 750/month).

I really enjoy knowing that my website is of some significance to online merchants. I get phone calls or emails from certain vendors when they have a big sale–not just the mailing everyone else gets, but a “heads up” because they value the business my site sends along. If there’s a problem, I have an inside source to contact, and that source knows that word of mouth at my site is worth more than just the immediate sale.

I’m glad to see CPM advertising making a comeback online. But few companies are going to pay for your average tiny website to advertise Dell computers or Overstock sales–yet these are the type of products that people buy. Affiliate advertising allows even small sites to play in that space, provide their users a service, and pick up a piece of the sales.

But I think even a major blogger like you could make some meaningful money from affiliate advertising–and in addition, prove that this new media can be a valuable source of sales and product awareness to major online vendors.

]]> By: JT Perry http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/01/13/me-and-my-ads/#comment-24743 JT Perry Fri, 13 Jan 2006 20:29:17 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1017#comment-24743 From the article: By the way, please take my survey so advertisers can see how damned smart… and rich… and profligate you all are. Clicking on the survey says the survey is closed. Am I not smart enough? :-) From the article:
By the way, please take my survey so advertisers can see how damned smart… and rich… and profligate you all are.

Clicking on the survey says the survey is closed. Am I not smart enough? :-)

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