Location, size, and number of advertisements to start with
This is a part of the “Getting Started with Blog Advertising”
blog series.
The next step once you start moving towards advertising on
your blog is to answer these three questions:
- Where do I advertise on my blog?
- What size advertisement should I use?
- How many advertisements should I have?
These questions are quite natural, so, here we go:
Where to Advertise?
When you start to advertise on your new blog (through Direct Sales) there are two
spots that I suggest that new bloggers start with:
The Sidebar
Static Page
The first is pretty obvious and since most blogs have
sidebars this is a natural fit. Not only that but it’s very typical and socially
acceptable in blogging communities to see advertisements placed on the sidebar.
Learning to manage the appearance of your sidebar is just as
important as the management of the advertisements, so placement is critical and
strategic. This post will not cover the strategy of particular placements on
your sidebar but will cover where you should first start as it relates to the
sizes.
When you first start advertising you should put them below
other critical pieces of information, like options to Follow, Subscribe and your
Social Networks links, such as Twitter and Facebook.
The second place that I recommend new bloggers start
advertising is by creating a static page or landing page for their
advertisements.
For some few new bloggers who want to get into using
advertising on their blog but feel a bit uneasy about suddenly introducing
advertisements this is a good half-step for them. Some Professional Bloggers end up keeping
this model for the life of their blog and they make do just fine!
There are, of course, many other places where you can put
your advertisements long-term but I’d recommend starting out in those two areas
at first.
What Sizes Should You Use?
When you start out you will want to make sure the sizes of
your advertisements fit the areas that I’ve outlined (see above).
For the sidebar, I suggest that you start with a simple 125 x
125 pixel ad, but not too many (Review the call yourself a sidebar if
you need a reminder…)!
If you must have two 125’s at the same time I would start
with one being a real advertisement opportunity and the other one linking to
your advertising page.
Depending on your blogging platform it can be easy or
somewhat difficult to add these 125 x 125px advertisements on your sidebar.
inally, as your blog grows you can begin to experiment by
using other sizes. There is so much to learn, so my advice is to start simple,
learn and then review.
How Many
Advertisements Should You Use?
If you’re new to advertising your blog, I would start with just 1 open
advertising slot to begin with.
Your goal is to fill that ad slot up as quickly as possible so that it doesn’t just sit there
looking pretty. It just makes sense to start with one since it can be challenging
to get that one filled. It is far better to have one open slot instead of 10
and feel over whelmed.
Don’t forget that we’re talking specifically about Direct Advertising Sales at the moment; you
may indeed have other advertising channels on the blog at the same time that
compliments these adverts.
If you decide to opt for the “Static Page” strategy you may have a lot
more advertisements present.
As I’ve mentioned earlier, there is so much to learn about successfully monetizing
your blog and it is better to start simple and grow from there!
Are you excited?
This is a part of the “Getting Started with Blog Advertising” blog series.
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