In my study of a series of webmaster articles, two common ideas are repeated: my webmaster ads are very bad, they only pay (here to insert a low dollar number).
My Webmaster Ctr is scary and I only get one (insert very low click-through rate Here) To be fair, these comments are not just blogs, but blogs do account for a large Proportion. I think it stems from the misunderstanding of bloggers who have the right to high spending and Click-through Rates. I'd like to take a moment to share my views on this Issue. In the early days, blogs were probably just an online diary or diary, but just like the day of Nehru's jacket, they were all gone. Today's Blogs are structured content management systems in chronological order, rather than the classic web hierarchy Implementations. Let's be clear that you can still use a blog as your online diary or diary, but now it's just as likely to be used as a business blog. yes, I just said the business blog, no earth did not open my feet, swallow my whole said.
Let's take some time to look at your typical blog. You may post about commercial related subjects like your job, what you like to buy, or even your hobbies. However these posts are all about your life, they are no more commercially viable or attractive than say Aunt Millie’s Holiday Newsletter. Yes we all have an Aunt Millie in our family, every year she sends out a finely crafted newsletter in a coordinating envelope she ordered from paperdirect.com telling us all about her family. We learn how hard her husband works, how many activities her kids are in and how good they are at them. We also read the details of how her scrapbooking business hasn’t taken off yet, but she promises to spend more time on it right after New Years. So if you were a business owner would you want to advertise anywhere on Aunt Millie’s Newsletter? Then why would a business want to pay you top dollar to advertise on your blog? What’s that, you say your blog gets (insert a high number here) of readers per day, surely that has to be worth something? Well did you know Aunt Millie sends out over 800 copies of her holiday newsletter to 17 countries, on 4 continents? Now before you get all fired up about it, understand that I don’t have a problem with you having a personal blog or sharing it with the public. However, your expectation that it has value outside of your family/friends/community, is a serious misconception.
My Webmaster Ctr is scary and I only get one (insert very low click-through rate Here) To be fair, these comments are not just blogs, but blogs do account for a large Proportion. I think it stems from the misunderstanding of bloggers who have the right to high spending and Click-through Rates. I'd like to take a moment to share my views on this Issue. In the early days, blogs were probably just an online diary or diary, but just like the day of Nehru's jacket, they were all gone. Today's Blogs are structured content management systems in chronological order, rather than the classic web hierarchy Implementations. Let's be clear that you can still use a blog as your online diary or diary, but now it's just as likely to be used as a business blog. yes, I just said the business blog, no earth did not open my feet, swallow my whole said.
Let's take some time to look at your typical blog. You may post about commercial related subjects like your job, what you like to buy, or even your hobbies. However these posts are all about your life, they are no more commercially viable or attractive than say Aunt Millie’s Holiday Newsletter. Yes we all have an Aunt Millie in our family, every year she sends out a finely crafted newsletter in a coordinating envelope she ordered from paperdirect.com telling us all about her family. We learn how hard her husband works, how many activities her kids are in and how good they are at them. We also read the details of how her scrapbooking business hasn’t taken off yet, but she promises to spend more time on it right after New Years. So if you were a business owner would you want to advertise anywhere on Aunt Millie’s Newsletter? Then why would a business want to pay you top dollar to advertise on your blog? What’s that, you say your blog gets (insert a high number here) of readers per day, surely that has to be worth something? Well did you know Aunt Millie sends out over 800 copies of her holiday newsletter to 17 countries, on 4 continents? Now before you get all fired up about it, understand that I don’t have a problem with you having a personal blog or sharing it with the public. However, your expectation that it has value outside of your family/friends/community, is a serious misconception.
So what exactly is a commercially viable blog? Don’t think of it as publishing a blog, think of it as publishing an online magazine. You need to start out with good content or articles about a small area or niche topic. You will need lots of content, and unless you are well known, don’t expect much to happen until you’ve written at least 100 and more likely over 200 articles. Yes, you will have to devote some time and effort to publicizing and marketing it as well. Once you’ve got a significant focused reader base, that’s the time to slowly ad in the advertising. Now here’s the one that causes lots of people to freak out. BE PREPARED TO GIVE UP SOME PRIME SCREEN REAL ESTATE, IN THE CENTER, ABOVE THE FOLD, TO ADVERTISING. If you’ve worked with print media at all you will know the middle of the right-hand page is the most desirable spot inside of a magazine (excluding the cover pages). I’ve sat through meetings where people have said ” … you know we need more right-hand pages …”. If you want people to click on your ads, you will need to put them where they can see them, above the fold in the center of the screen, in a prominent location. Yes, I can almost hear the keys typing for the flame comments and emails now. Before you hit that send button though, ask yourself this, are you building a space sought after by advertisers, or are you working on Aunt Millie’s Newsletter? No, I don’t think your pages should be filled with ads, in fact, quite the opposite, there should always be more content than advertising, ALWAYS!
Next thing, lose the fancy graphics and eye-candy from your template. Yes I know you may have paid for a fancy template, maybe you had your niece who’s a graphic artist design something for you, or you really like the way that spinning flaming platypus looks in your page header. Here’s the thing, it’s detracting from your content. Graphics should be simple, understated, and support the content, not overpower or compete with it. Now before some art student wearing a beret, corduroy jacket with elbow patches, and smoking a pipe or French cigarette, writes and calls me a Philistine, stop and think. Are you designing a commercially attractive and viable space, or are you designing an intricate macrame border for Aunt Millie’s Newsletter? Remember to keep it simple and to the point.
yes, I know you think I just tore the bandage off and it hurts NOW. I'm sorry, Someone has to do this. I know some of you guys are still out there reading and saying, ' but I can't have this ... I really like it. well, I'm Not your second-grade teacher who will tell you everything is okay, you don't have to change one thing and put a Scooby Doo on your shirt to make you feel better.
If you want a blog that makes you spend more money per Tuesday than you do in Starbucks, you will need to take seriously what you are doing.
But like you, I have relatives who send a holiday newsletter. yes, I know the lowest webmaster payment is $100, so you'll never get a check for $5, but I'm just saying something, okay?
If you want a blog that makes you spend more money per Tuesday than you do in Starbucks, you will need to take seriously what you are doing.
But like you, I have relatives who send a holiday newsletter. yes, I know the lowest webmaster payment is $100, so you'll never get a check for $5, but I'm just saying something, okay?
