Last month in my TFTBQ Column 7 our blog
definitions were "Blogvert" and
"Blogvertising."
"Blogvert" is an ad on a blog. Ads can be
pictures, banners, text, video, etc.
"Blogvertising" is advertising of any shape or
nature that appears on a blog either in the sidebar(s),
masthead, footnote area, or embedded within the articles of the
blog. Blogvertising usually contains a clickable link to the
subject advertisers website or blog.
So, the question this month is "Should You Add
Blogvert and Blogvertising to Your Blog?
There was a time when advertising on blogs was
forbidden and a HUGE
"NO-NO." Blogs were considered personal diaries filled with
nothing but text or
images. They were not considered as business tools.
But, times change and so did the thinking on
blogs and advertising. Paramount in this change was the ability
of anyone including a small business owner to set-up a blog to
support their small business. Blogs became mainstream and
advertising your own business on your business blog was a
no-brainer.
At first small business ads took the form of
button ads in the
sidebars or banner ads at the very top of the blogs. Sometimes
the ads were
embedded within the articles themselves in the form of text
links, etc.
Sometimes they were text links contained within the article bye
lines.
However, with the ease to which blog templates
could be altered and
images added blogverts became larger and larger and placed
anywhere within the confines of the blog.
With the advent of digital images, photo
hosting websites, shopping carts, and E-Products small business
bloggers realized that they could use their blogs to effectively
advertise and sell specific products. And, nothing was more
suited to this than "instant download e-products."
So, small business bloggers advertising their
own businesses and products on their own blogs became
acceptable. Within reason so as not to turn the customers off,
but acceptable.
However, there was a change brewing in the
blogvert and blogvertising debate and the question became
whether or not you should add other advertising to your blog?
Paramount in this change was the onset of Google AdSense ads,
Amazon ads, affiliate advertising and the ability of bloggers to
earn a few dollars on their blogging efforts.
So, should you add other advertising to your
blog?
I think the answer to this depends on what
your blog is being used for. If it is a blog that is being used
to support and promote your small business and/or website then
you need to consider three things before you add other
advertising to it:
1) The reason why you set-up your blog up in
the first place.
2) Who your customer base is and what advertising would do to
your readership?
3) Where you are going to place this advertising.
If you think you can add other advertising
without undermining the reasons for your blog and turning off
your blog readers and customers then you should consider adding
it.
If you think that other advertising will
detract from the purpose of your
blog then do not add it. Also, if you think that advertising for
others on your
own blog undermines your own small business then do not add it.
Of course there are those true bloggers who
still consider advertising in blogs as offensive. I can
understand their rationale. However, as blogs become more and
more mainstream for big business and small business alike they
become a
commonplace advertising vehicle. The answer lies in striking a
fine balance
between blogvertising for your blog and turning off your blog
readers.
"Tips From The Blogging Queen" Column 8
Definition - "Blogstipation" - Being unable to think of
anything to blog about (i.e. writer's block for bloggers).
Be sure to tune in to my TFTBQ Column 9 on
"Are You Blogstipated?
Copyright©2007 - Written By Linda Walsh of
Linda
Walsh Originals,
Linda Walsh Originals E-Patterns, and
Linda's Blog. Linda is a doll maker and doll
pattern designer.
