Does more advertising equate to more traffic to your blog?
Online advertising methods include pay-per-click programs like AdSense and AdBrite, and direct advertising methods like Text-Link-Ads and paid reviews/links. If there is a middle man, they get a cut of the profits to the webmaster. The split is usually 50-50 (ReviewMe, TLA), or 65-35(Sponsored Reviews) or even unannounced(Google AdSense).
The methodology of advertising is this: a sponsor pays an amount to the webmaster, who in turn places ads as links, banners etc. on his blog. The advertiser profits from the click-through traffic, and more importantly the effect of brand image. For the webmaster, it is revenue earned for the hard work.
All’s rosy and green
All is well with this method for large blogs/networks. Sites like TechCrunch, Mashable etc. spend thousands of dollars in site promotion. Many of them have separate sections for advertising and marketing(eg: TechCrunch consults PronetAdvertising). This gives them a certain amount of bouyancy - it actually gets more buzz than the content itself. However, since it is a positive memory, it lingers on.
However, as we go down the spectrum of bloggers - to the lowest levels, this becomes an increasingly daunting task. Most small blogs have tiny, if any, advertising budgets. This limits their marketing side severely. And less marketing equates to less awareness and traffic.
All this makes me wonder - does more advertising, or in other words, more risk equate to more traffic? From most of the examples around us, the answer would be a ‘conditional’ yes. That is because some blogs with poor content spend a lot and flunk. However, if you have half decent content, adverts do go a long way in exposing it.
Examples are present for all to see - BloggingTips, Sabahan etc. who spent massively on reviews(mostly ReviewMe) and quickly became commonplace in everyone’s mind.
The risk factor
As said above, the risk is a factor that turns off many bloggers from spending serious bucks to promote their sites. They do have it in the back of their minds that a flop would be bigger than what they can tolerate. They prefer to confine to the tiny audience, and earn a glorious $22 from ads(which are irritating and everywhere).
The other group are more willing to take risks. They spend a fortune on promotion, knowing that it will, along with their content, lead them to the path of success. Of course, they do keep it in their minds that many have done it without much success. So, they tend to work hard on their content and “getting it out there”.
Which group do you belong to, or rather would prefer to? Why? I am interested in hearing your reasons.
maneesh said on October 10th, 2007
hey sumesh..
was browsing through your archives when i stumbled on to this post…
I think for bigger cos spending on advertising is buidling up its brand value to further translate into brand association…
small bloggers especially the newer ones don’t have enough content to hold on the traffic nor project a certain brand image.. they are still in the stage of building up a certain brand value and identity..
of course it can also be noted that havign an advertising budget itself would project a certain image of professionalism.. but like you said sometime the cost of the risk is way too much initially…
in my opinion the ideal time for a blogger to promote and spend on advertising is when he has establsihed a community… it then begins the process of giving not just the blog but the blogs visitors and users an identity which will cover the risk to a great extent.. (if it succeeds you will have mor epeople.. if it doesnt’ you will have some lessons to share with your existing ones..)
Post authorSumesh said on October 11th, 2007
@Maneesh:
I disagree with that - if its a regular blogger, “enough content” can be produced within 1-2 months(assuming (s)he knows the trade). Also, blogging is more about being regular and feeding your readers/subscribers with quality posts.
As regards the ideal time you say, most bloggers do it - I agree.
As for sharing lessons with existing readers, lol