Blogger is currently linked with Google and offers the option to "monetize" any blog with Google ads. AdSense is a fairly new program for a blogspot veteran like me; the easy option to monetize was not in place in the early incarnations of blogging. As I stare at the little tab that offers me pennies in exchange for ad placement, I must admit, it is tempting. Make money? From writing? What brave new world is this?
But I have concerns, of course. Will it distract readers? Will the program just pick up keywords in my blog and run ads with those words? If that's the case, is there a risk of ads running that are against what this blog is about? (For example: If I write a criticism of a pop-star, like Katy Perry, will the ads be for her new album? That seems fairly ... well, ironic, in the Alanis Morissette sense, for lack of a better word.)
I've received an offer of ads before, from a third-party source, and declined. Since Google is connected through Blogger, I would like to believe it would be more manageable. What say you, my readers? Will you slam the door on me if I come to you with ads? Comments below, or if you so prefer, you can always send an email to flaneurinthecity@gmail.com. Or just send me good thoughts, and know that I won't do anything to make this space uncomfortable. I'm sending you, stranger and friend, good thoughts as well.
*There's not much to see on there. Find the little icon under Followers with my pic on it. Yes, I follow my own blog. But! Not for vanity -- I honestly wanted to know what it looked like on the Blogger dashboard reader before I set up the Follow Box on the sidebar. By the by! You can follow me through Google, AIM, Twitter, Yahoo -- whatever you prefer -- not just by Blogger. Clicking the Follow button will give you all the options. Also-also? You'll make me incredibly happy. Like, Bowie-in-tight-pants happy. Consider it.
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| Bowie Bulge should have gotten its own credit, assistant and trailer for Labyrinth. |
3 comments:
Natalie, I love your blog and I got a question for you. Do you need to eat? If so, you got a duty to yourself to make money. Now, if people find income to feed themselves through so many much less worthy efforts than writing a blog about important issues, I think you also have a right to put some ads on this joint. First of all, the internet is plagued with ads and they don't distract me. Second, as long as it's not those things that suddenly pop in front of your screen that one doesn't know how to make go away, then people have an option whether to click on them or not. Finally, I want blogs like these to stay around. In other words, I want you to keep writing. If that means clicking on an ad every now and then, I'd be more than happy to do it.
Just my two cents. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for the kind words, Lou! When I put up ads, you'll be the first to know so you can click-click-click away, and I can buy food. Win!
I've just spent an entertaining hour paging through your blog. Thank you.
I don't mind ads, but I should point out that your traffic is too low. You'd make, like, $30 per year. And Google doesn't pay until Adsense reaches $100. Sob!
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