Day 19: Monetizing Your Blog – Determining Ad Rates and Positions

9 Jun 2009

Day 19: Monetizing Your Blog – Determining Ad Rates and Positions

Author: Jim | Filed under: 30-Day Blogging

Today, we are going to talk about monetizing your blog with advertisements that work for you. Despite what many might tell you, a blog can actually bring in quite a good amount of revenue straight to your pocket if you do it right. Let’s start working out what we want to accomplish, and tomorrow we will put it into practice.

Determining Your Ad Positions

The first step to take when monetizing your blog is to figure out where you want your ads to go. Usually, if it fits in the template when you sketch it out… you can make it work in real life. Therefore, I want everyone to load up their blog and print out what they see. With the print-out in hand, take a pencil and fill in ad blocks where you think they would be best suited.

Here are some of the top-sellers that I recommend:

Leaderboard (728×90)
Banner (468×60)
Button/Block (125×125)
Skyscraper (120×600)
Small Square (200×200)
Square (250×250)

Naturally, the actual location is just as important as the size. Remember that your ads get more valuable the higher up on the page they appear, with the top ads appearing “above the fold” (meaning they are visible when the site loads).

Finding Out Your Ad Rates

Now that we know where things should appear, let’s price it! A lot of people ask me where I get my rates, and how they should start off. Really, it is totally subjective… and unfortunately for you (sorry!), you are going to have to work at it! However, there are a few things that you should keep in mind when first pricing your ad rates.

Start Low
I believe in cutting your clients a deal from the get go. If you are putting ads up for the first time, you definitely want to low-ball your estimates. Why? I would say that there are two reasons. The first, and perhaps most obvious, is that you will sell more. If you want to have advertising,it is important that you push through volume because your spots are appropriately priced. The second reason is that advertisers will be more willing to come back. If you want to have consistent revenue, it is important to make a good deal so that your advertisers feel like you are the right means to get the word out about their product.

Compare It!
The first time I set ad rates, I looked around the internet at some other blogs (namely those in my same niche), and found their advertising pages. With this, you can see exactly what is working… and what isn’t working. Then, try to charge less than them… and see if you can’t find a few advertisers to fill your ad positions.

Go Find Buyers
Sometimes, the advertisers won’t necessarily come to you. With this, it is important to note that the most successful blogs have actually gone out and searched for advertisers themselves. You can try posting on webmaster forums, or simply commenting and asking on other blogs in your niche. Look at who is buying ads, and contact them! It’s not too hard, and if you shoot someone an email with a decent offer, they might just accept.