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The Good, the Bad and the Not So Wonderful: Affiliates and Ads

I have been blogging now for close 18-20 months and I have learned a few tricks along the way. Some are easy to pass on and the results are quick. Like always be true to yourself and your voice. Readers love authenticity. Other lessons are a bit trial and error. Like how do you earn money on a blog? Well there are a few ideas out there and a few revenue streams. Some bloggers run ads and sell privately. For about one year I tried Project Wonderful, but that wasn’t really that lucrative for me so I cut my ties with them earlier this year. It’s not a bad way to start though. You create an ad box with them and then set your price – usually 1 or 2 cents an ad and bid on other sites ad boxes. Ideally you get a back and forth communication and sharing of links that drives traffic to your site. A savvy blogger will bid on sites that fuel their traffic. Like Mommy and Daddy bloggers bidding on a site that sells handmade baby clothing etc. When I got confident enough to create my own ad box and to start selling my own ads – well let’s just say that I earned more in one month that way than I did in one year with Project Wonderful. So Project Wonderful was not so wonderful for me. Selling my own ads and collecting the money through Paypal has worked a lot better for this blogger. Lately I have also thrown into the mix a couple of affiliates.
 
I am trying Escalate Network: Click here to sign up. http://escalatenetwork.net/signup/1273 Easy peasy. Creat an account and then pick and choose your ads. You can use them in a post. Or as a stand alone ad. http://escalatenetwork.net/signup/1273.
 
Also on the advice of Stacy over at http://simplystacie.net/  I am giving RevenueCurve.com a chance.
I like the kooky variety of ads there too. http://affiliates.revenuecurve.com/signup/200
Same deal sign up and sign in and then start placing ads. Most of these affiliates send cheques out once a month and they pay you a conversion rate.  So if your site refers someone to either of these companies or products you get a commission essentially. Some are lucrative and some, not so much. But the art lies in picking ones that suit your blog and your audience. I wouldn’t place an ad for singles dating services or something like that. It wouldn’t make sense to my readers. But Happy Nappers on the side there, well I like the product myself and would buy it. Cute little pillow pets with houses. Who doesn’t like that?
 

    And this one click ‘n read makes sense to me too. Because I blog about school aged children and education and even special needs. So a phonics program could be useful to me, or my readers. Some bloggers are getting creative with the strategies to use these tools. But I am still testing this ground. I will let you know how it goes. So far I have made more money with Escalate, but I have also been with them longer. And I really like the variety of ads with RevenueCurve, so I will have to get better at using them. Happy Blogging! Here’s to finding your wonderful!
 

Mom of two beautiful active girls, traveller, fitness junkie, social media consultant, and keeper of the sanity.

2 Comments

  • mmbear

    Hi got your comment on my blog and am now following you back. Thanks for stopping by. I can always use ideas on how to save money! Hope to talk to you soon. Again, thanks for coming by and I am following you thru GFC.

    Mary@http://mmbearcupoftea.blogspot.com