If you are still a beginner in internet marketing or someone who is searching for ways to add income streams to your business then you may be thinking of accepting ads for the products of other companies and posting these on your website.
You may think that this process allows you to earn a few bucks with less effort since it only requires you to post ads on your site. However, this assumption is not necessarily true.
You still need to make your website attractive to those who are in search of ad space. You can do that by building a great niche market, having a lot of web traffic, and offering a good ad placement. If you have those elements then attracting direct ads will be easier.
One advantage of having direct ad sales is that it raises your revenue from blogging without negatively affecting your other money-making strategies. To secure direct ad deals to your blog, here are some useful tips:
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1. Determine the kind of ads you will allow on your blog site:
You do not want to end up muddling your website with too many ads, especially if you are also trying to earn income through other means. With that in mind, you have to be clear from the start as to the kind of ads you are willing to accept.
There are two kinds of ads that you can incorporate in your blog without negatively affecting the experience of your reader. These are:
- Website sidebar – You can accept banner ads that are above-the-fold and below-the-fold in your sidebar. Some advertisers buy these slots monthly or for a few months at a discounted price. The ads often run at around 300 x 250. This is the standard size used for a sidebar advertisement.
- Newsletter – You can also accept advertisers by letting them run their ads on top of your weekly or monthly newsletter.
Think of what you wish to offer to advertisers but make sure that you also determine the things that you do not want to do. For instance, you may not want to post ads that are intrusive to your readers, such as pop-up ads.
2. Build a media kit:
Your media kit serves as a one-page guide containing all the information that prospective advertisers need to know about what your blog is all about in just one glance.
The kit should contain links as well as figures related to your social media accounts. These include the number of your followers, likes, and fans, among many others. Make sure that it provides information about your engagement platforms, groups, and tools if there are any.
Your media kit should also provide details about the number of page views and unique visitors you have based on Google analytics.
Other information that your media kit should have are search engine positioning, details about your niche and target audience, and how skillful you are when it comes to driving traffic.
Print all the details that you want to provide in your media kit in one page. The page should also have a logo of your blog. Printing the info on a hard stock is advisable. Alternatively, you can laminate the page.
3. Increase the number of your organic visitors:
You can attract direct advertisements for your blog if you have a huge number of organic visitors. Note that organic growth can positively affect your brand, making your site more attractive to direct advertisers.
One tip in driving more organic visitors to your site is to optimize your Facebook pages. This can improve the visibility of your brand name each time someone searches for it on Facebook.
It is also advisable to incorporate your social media channels into your blog. This can help attract more visitors that you can convert to followers in your social media accounts.
You can also attract organic visitors through word of mouth, which is a powerful method of advertising. What you have to do is to use a short and memorable name for your blog. Posting relevant blogs regularly can also help.
4. Set a price:
You should be able to set a price right from the start. It might be terrifying to charge fees for ads at first but you need to do it, so your prospects will have an idea about how much they should spend.
If you are still unsure, you can begin charging for as low as $1 per month for an ad, which is around 125×125 in size.
Try getting advertisers for that price. This can build your credentials, allowing you to raise your price confidently after some time.
5. Meet advertisers:
Make sure that you keep them engaged, as well. You can meet small business advertisers who have a small budget at first. The secret here is to attract appropriate traffic while pitching. To meet advertisers, in-person engagement is necessary.
You can take part in business events, fairs, conferences, and expos, as these are the places where most advertisers gather. They also tend to engage with bloggers in these venues.
Aside from taking part in the mentioned events, you should also consider being a member of a reputable blogger group. Doing such will give you access to some invitation-only events.
Make sure that you research about the advertisers who will attend the events, though. Study their products and history, so you can emphasize to them the things that make your blog a good fit.
6. Offer attractive packages:
Once you start engaging advertisers, you should be able to present attractive packages to them. If necessary, offer discounts. For instance, you can offer your prospects with a bundle of 5-month ad space for a lower cost per month.
Another attractive offer is a 6-month ad space for a 5-month price. Offer freebies or giveaways with an ad space as a prize. This is a good way to attract advertisers as this will let them taste what they will most likely enjoy when they decide to post ads on your site.
At Last:
Direct advertising is one of the most effective ways to earn money from your blog. It lets you deal with an advertiser directly, meaning there will be no intermediary between the both of you.
Fortunately, it is not that hard to find direct ads. Just make sure that you know how to engage your potential advertisers by pitching attractive offers.
