Help Me Kill The Google Ads
Recently, I’ve thinking about tweaking this blog’s advertising strategy (see Blogvertising: The Decision to Add Ads to Your Blog) by bringing new advertisers on board at FOREM and deep-sixing the Google Ads I’ve been running lately. Why? I’m starting to doubt AdSense’s supposed contextual relevance as I’m starting to see more and more truly bizarre ads in the rotation.
It irks me that I exercise no creative control over what ads are shown on my site and the designs of some of the ads served up truly make me cringe. Plus I’ve always wanted to have any advertising on FOREM actually be useful to readers as well (…I guess that’s every publisher’s dream) and highlight great products or services that the industry actually can use. Google Ads, frankly, just can’t deliver that.
Unfortunately, I realized that before I could even begin to approach any potential advertisers, I’m going to need to know a little more about you, the FOREM reader.
So you guessed it, here comes another dreaded Reader Survey.
I need to learn a little more about who you are, how you use this site and what you like and dislike so I can more accurately represent just exactly who it is reading this blog. Of course, this survey is not mandatory — though I would definitely appreciate your help with this.
And because I don’t like wasting anyone’s time, there’s the chance to win a $100 gift certificate from Amazon.com if you do (I’ll randomly draw one name from all completed entries). Rest assured, all personal information gathered will never be shared with any third parties and will only be aggregated together in order to create a representative sample of the FOREM readership.
So whether you’re hitting this site through the homepage or the feeds, click on through and complete the FOREM Reader Survey and help me dump Google for good.
On a similar note, there’s a great read on Darren Rowse’s ProBlogger about how you can Run a Reader Survey on Your Blog too.
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HomeInput | Aug 21, 2007 | Reply
Totally understand your frustration……but…..I’ve seen many blogs try both direct ad sales as well as google ads and google always seems to be the bigger revenue generator. Although I’m not sure they have gone through gathering user information like you are doing. Good idea!
Luis Soto | Aug 21, 2007 | Reply
Here is an idea… About a 1,000 dollars worth of advertising in your blog instead of the 100 dollar gift certificate? I bet you would have twice as much surveys… Just a thought!
Joel Burslem | Aug 22, 2007 | Reply
That’s a great idea Luis! Let me think about how to do that…
homes | Aug 22, 2007 | Reply
Great thinking but I don’t really get the thoughts yet. Adsense goes well on my site.
Hawaii Life | Aug 22, 2007 | Reply
Question Joel: I know you are looking for other ways to make money from your blog other than Adwords. Have you considered doing paid for posts?
Mutiny Design | Aug 26, 2007 | Reply
Hawaii Life has a very good idea there. So long as you have a good blog and you don’t ask for too much $ I think you would get some takers because your market isn’t saturated.
Another idea would be Amazon Associtates. I have had good expiriences with this in the past. Just put links to a few related books in your posts and maybe on a side bar. Even if the person who follows the link doesn’t buy that book but goes of and buys a $900 camera you will get a big fat commission.
Mutiny Design | Aug 26, 2007 | Reply
PS I can see what you mean with these ads. On this post I am getting one titled @Jesus Didn’t Exist’.