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Help with Blog Ads

post #1 of 17
1/25/09 at 6:15pm
Thread Starter 
I put ads on my blog last week. But, I have no clue what I am doing. I'm using google adsense and have two, standard google text ads. They seem nearly invisible on my page.

I want nice, colorful picture ads. I have no idea how to get that.

I also would like to have a box that says "your ad here" and hopefully attract a sponser or two.

Again, I'm clueless about all this. I do not know html at all. I think it's time I learned. But, where?

Can anyone point me in the right direction? Possibly to a website that gives very basic step by step instructions on how to do all this stuff. Or, can anyone tell me in a few simple steps how to do this? Or is it too complicated for that?

Oh - if it helps, I use blogger.
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post #2 of 17
1/25/09 at 6:50pm
Oh, I can help you with this!

First off. Are you using the adsense widget or are you C&P your html code from adsense? I have found that I made NOTHING on the adsense widget, even though they had my publisher ID correct.

So when you are in adsense, you need to create ads that are text/image or image only ads. In the setup, you can choose what color scheme you want, so they will fit well in your blog. You get more money for bigger ads - if someone clicks on a small text ad on my blog, for isntance, I get like a quarter. If someone clicks on a small banner, I get almost two dollars. (The price will depend on your page impressions. The more impressions you get, the more your ads will pay.)

If you ever visit my site, you will see where I put my adsense ads. THis has been for me the best placement, money wise. Still, I don't make much at all through adsense. I have made most of my money (which isn't a lot, BTW) through sponsors.

On my page, I do have a YOUR AD HERE!!! banner, and my contact info is all over the place. THis is how I got my big sponsor. Oh also, I use twitter and other sites to market the hell out of my blog, so that the right people are seeing me. The person who bought the adspace on my blog was actually a marketing firm, and they bought the ad for their client.

When i sold the ad, I offered to do a free review of the client's product, if they would send me a sample. (I love free stuff!) And then i said I would do a giveawway if they sent me two of their product - one to sample, one to give away. Not only did they give me free products (which are on their way) but I also got a pretty large gift certificate to their store. And what woman can resist a gift certificate to a huge organic beauty store??? Not this one, that's for sure.

There's a LOT more that I did to promote myself and get ads, too much to write here. But I'd love to chat with anyone interested in this - I'm on Yahoo IM, you can reach me through my profile. I'm nice to talk to, swearz.
post #3 of 17
1/26/09 at 5:54pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you so much! That is very helpful. I did go into my adsense acount and get the code for a banner ad, but I didn't know how to put that on my page. I really need remedial help!

This is what I did:

I went into Customize on my blog.
I clicked on "add a gadget".
I clicked on "Adsense"
I got the pop-up box that enabled to add the text ad, but there was no place to paste the code I had copied from Adsense.

That is where I am stuck now - lol!

3pink - I actually have a lot of questions for you besides this. Maybe I can write them all out and pm them to you? Would you be willing to answer them for me? I completely understand if you don't have time. I barely have the time myself!
post #4 of 17
1/26/09 at 8:36pm
ok yup, that's where you went wrong. You need to go directly to google adsense, C&P their html, and use add a gadget --> html/java Enter your code there, and then you can move it where you want. you'll want to delete that adsense gadget once you've done this. And don't forget, Adsense rules say you can have max 3 text/image adds and 3 link ads.

Feel free to PM me. I love talking blog stuff.
post #5 of 17
1/27/09 at 12:34am
Thread Starter 
Thanks! I now have image ads on my blog. Yay!

About the Adsense rules - do they mean only adsense ads or all of the ads together? So, you can have 3 Adsense ads and 3 other ads? Are the "link" ads non-adsense ads?

I'm going to get all my questions written out and send that pm. Maybe not tonight, but in the next day or two. Thanks again.
post #6 of 17
1/27/09 at 12:28pm
I am lurking! Thank you for starting this thread twocoolboys! And for all the fabulous information Rose! :

I signed up for AdSense a few weeks ago and have done nothing yet. Now I need to take time to get going - you've inspired me to do great things!

I am loving this discussion and will be following along and learning too. Please keep it going on the thread. Pretty please?
post #7 of 17
2/9/09 at 12:32am
Thread Starter 
So sorry that I just left this thread! I don't mind asking my questions in the thread, Annikate, so that everyone can learn from the answers.

I'm slowly working on my blog. I post everyday, but the ad thing is still a puzzle to me. I do have the three google ads still, but they are not really working for me - lol.

So, my next question is - How do I put a box that says "Your ad here. Ask me about advertising." on my blog? And, how do I get that ad to be at the top of the page?

And, my next questions you may not feel comfortable answering publicly or at all, 3pink. If not, I understand perfectly. But, if you are more comfortable pm'ing the answer to me, that's ok, too. How much do you charge for advertising? Do you have a contract with the companies? Do you have a time limit - i.e. one ad for one month is X amount of dollars? I'm so clueless - lol.

Thanks to you and whoever else wants to jump in and answer. I'm learning something new about this everyday!
post #8 of 17
2/9/09 at 11:10am
Well, I just discovered that I'm going to need to switch over to wordpress.org if I want to use ads.

Now I just need to figure out how to do that!
post #9 of 17
2/9/09 at 12:43pm
Thread Starter 
Why? What do you use now?
post #10 of 17
2/9/09 at 2:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Twocoolboys View Post
Why? What do you use now?
wordpress.com
post #11 of 17
2/9/09 at 3:57pm
Thread Starter 
Oh...why can't you put ads on it? I didn't realize there were two different wordpress addresses.
post #12 of 17
2/9/09 at 6:38pm
ok what i did was go in photoshop (you could use paint too though) and made a text box... mine is like 50px high and 400px long. it says your ad here... or something. i don't remember lol.

then i went and created a whole new blog called two under two ad ops or something. i made a whole new one so i could make it look entirely different from my blog.

i use blogger so if you don't, this next stuff will be of no help.

here's how i put it on my blog. i used blogger's picture widget, then uploaded the graphic. in that widget you can link to a page (blogger walks you right through it.) so i linked to the new blog. then, i dragged it to the top of the page. My template allows for that. if yours doesn't say "add a gadget" above your header, when you're at the layout page, you won't be able to do this. in that case, i would make it a 125px by 125px box ad and stick it in a sidebar. if you ever visit me at two under two, you'll see my sponsors on the right. those are 125px by 125px, just to give you an idea. your sponsors will have made the ad and will send you the code. you'll just have to put it in using the html/java gadget on blogger.

if you want your ad to flash, so its one box that says 3 different things, i csn walk you thru that. but its kinda hard to explain,. easy to do, hard to write step by step, kwim?

Sponsors will pay based on page impressions. how many unique visitors you have, etc. page impressions are different than visitors. google adsense will tell you how many impressions you have on a given day. the sponsor will also want to know how many blog followers and feed subscribers, as well as unique visitors and page views. what you charge will depend on those numbers. different size ads and ad placement will matter too, as far as cost. i won't share much but a sidebar ad for me is less than half the price of a banner above the header. i charge more for ads that are higher up on the page, and i offer bulk discounts. mine are currently 6 month contracts but i also do monthly, 3 month, and 12 months.

id be happy to help you decide what to charge. feel free to pm me.

ot: twocoolboys... is your blog "cleaning up the clutter?" or am i thinking of someone else?

now i get an award for typing that all one handed.
post #13 of 17
2/9/09 at 7:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Twocoolboys View Post
Oh...why can't you put ads on it? I didn't realize there were two different wordpress addresses.
Yep. .com and .org The dot com does not allow ads.
post #14 of 17
2/9/09 at 10:42pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks, 3pink! That is very helpful! My blogger template doesn't have 'add a gadget" on the top, so I have to put it on the right. I'll hold off on the flashing ads for now - lol. That's interesting to know what the ad prices are based on. It makes sense, though! I'll probably pm you sometime soon to help me figure it out. I'll try to get a "your ad here" box up first. You are AWESOME!

Yeah, I'm Cleaing Up the Clutter. My plan now is to have this be my "learning" blog. Next year, I'd like to start another blog. I'll probably keep this one going too, for as long as it suits me. But, I've got an idea for another that I think will be cool. I want to use wordpress for my next one. It seems like that is a more flexible system to work in - just based on little bits and pieces I've read, not from any actual knowledge - lol.
post #15 of 17
2/9/09 at 11:32pm
Hi Annikate!

I just made the switch from wordpress .com to .org. Basically the difference is that when you use .org you have to find an independent hosting company, and you then upload the WP format. When you use wp .com they are hosting for you and you have less freedom especially if you want to grow and be independent.

I definitely have been taking a crash course in all of this to figure it out b/c I had no prior skills. Luckily everyone has been super helpful.
post #16 of 17
2/10/09 at 11:46am
flowers!

I think I am going to make the switch. I really do want to put ads on my blog, but, alas, that's just another 'thing' I need to do, so I will be taking notes and learning until I'm ready to make the move.

Thanks knowledgeable mamas!
post #17 of 17
2/11/09 at 4:18am
3pink can you pm me your blog address so I can see what you're talking about?

Does anyone know how to get ads in the feeds? I tried a tutorial that just didn't work;0!

Also, just for fun I added up my page impressions from the last week. It was 3265 is that good? Med? low?

About the small banners---do you have an example I can see what you're talking about? I try to keep the ads from taking over.