One of the most secure and reliable source of income from your blog is the one that comes from your direct advertisers. And not the one that comes from AdSense, or TLA, or ReviewMe, or any other publisher program for that matter. Why?
Because..
Firstly, you never know when those programs will stop making money. For example, AdSense used to be a huge money maker before, now it’s a dying breed. Or you might have been making good money with Text-Link-Ads, ReviewMe and PayPerPost before, but no longer after the Google PR penalty.Secondly, they usually take a huge chunk of your income. Most of the time 50% of your income is gone to them (if not more).
Thirdly, they clutter your blog. And if you do not integrate properly, they might make your blog look unprofessional. As a result, it will be difficult for you to get new readers for your blog. Because new readers are very very difficult to convince, and tons of ads won’t do any help.
So, making a living with publisher programs is a risky business. If you rely on them 100% at the moment, you should really start to diversify. Try to, slowly shift from publisher programs to your own advertisements. Because that’s the only secure and sustainable way to make money in the long run. It’s a difficult task to find advertisers for your blog, but it’s not an impossible task.
Provided that:
- your blog content is of good quality
- that your blog gets considerable daily traffic - at least 200 unique visitors
- not to mention it looks professional (it’s not difficult to customize free themes, so there is no excuse for having a bad design.
Keep record of your previous advertisers
When you introduce a new advertising option on your blog (eg. 125×125 buttons), it’s always a good idea to start with your current and former advertisers first. Why go look for new advertisers when you already have the list of potential advertisers for your new ad option?
These people had already advertised on your site, that means, they had already gone through the decision making process, and they chose to advertise on your blog (among many other blogs). So, it’s a lot easier to get them advertise again, rather than getting new advertisers.
Give irresistible offers
When you contact your former advertisers, give them an irresistible offer! Offer that is simply difficult to say “no” to. It can be a free trial or a discounted rate which is far below the normal price.
While free trial will get your ad spots filled in no time, they also have the least conversion rates compared to paid ads. Because, with free stuff there is no commitment, so people take them for granted. Also, anybody would agree for a free advertisement, and that makes it difficult to know if the person is really interested or just taking a free ride.
In contrast, only the interested advertisers would pay. Normally people who pay for it (even if small amount), would follow their ad through (i.e will track the ad performance, click-through rates, sales conversion..etc). And this interest and effort of the advertiser will play a major role when deciding whether to continue advertising on your blog after the first month.
Contact advertisers on other blogs
Advertisers on other blogs that are in similar category as your blog are your potential advertisers too. If they are advertising on your competitors’ blogs, then it’s probable that they would want to advertise on your blog as well.
So, click on those ads and get to know their website. Once you know what they do and who to contact, send them an email. Again, your email should contain a great offer that they cannot resist. Also it’s important to include a link to your stats or provide a brief summary of your blog’s stats. Because these are new advertisers, who probably do not know about your blog.
Be flexible
When dealing with advertisers, be flexible. If they ask for a further discount, give them. If they want to advertise for longer period (3 months or more), give them more discount. If their ad is expiring today and they didn’t contact you, or worse yet they didn’t answer your emails, be patient and give them extra 24-48 hours. Little things like these can go a long way, so pay attention to them. These small details can turn one-time advertiser into a long-term sponsor. Being rigid and strict will only chase your sponsors away.
Tell your readers
Make announcement on your blog about the new advertisement option that you are introducing. Because your blog readers are your potential advertisers too. In fact, they have many advantages than other people who do not read your blog. For example, they know about you and your blog (its niche, traffic, readership..etc). And that alone makes a huge difference. Because to your readers, you don’t have to explain all about your blog and the daily traffic it gets. For them, you just have to make a good offer, that’s all.
P.S. : How do you get your advertisers?
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