Help: To Advertise or not to Advertise!
By danderma | April 3, 2011
Throughout my blogging years i have been contacted several times to place ads on my blog.
I don’t know why i said no back then. Probably because i was afraid i would let these advertisers down with the 200 daily readers of my blog… they would somehow discover that i was unworthy and withdraw their ads o fashla y3ni… besides no one was advertising much back then…
Now you would see new comers with advertisements already placed on their blogs… every one is advertising every where… but i am still hesitant…
- Will blog readers view me differently when i start to put ads up?
- Will they think that i am a greedy writer who blogs for the money only?!
- Would i be forced to provide blog content even when i don’t feel lf like it?! Just to keep the site going?! what if i run out of ideas?
- Is that extra 50 KD per month worth it!?
Someone once told me that another blog had just gave up blogging all together because of the stress of those ads… i don’t know how true is that information… maybe it’s just a rumour… could it be?!
So here i am asking you… what do you think?! Should i go for it? Open up this place for ads? or should i decline?! and why?!
18 Comments
Mark on April 3, 2011 at 12:42.
-Will blog readers view me differently when i start to put ads up?
Yes
-Will they think that i am a greedy writer who blogs for the money only?!
Yes
- Would i be forced to provide blog content even when i don’t feel lf like it?! Just to keep the site going?! what if i run out of ideas?
Yes
danderma on April 3, 2011 at 13:52.
Mark: lool Lovely! Yesses all the way!
Kuweight 64 on April 3, 2011 at 16:26.
You should do what your heart says. We cannot stop people from thinking what they wish to think. However, readers would continue to visit your blog as they are interested in what you post. Since you have not accepted advertisement before, why don’t you give it a try and see how it goes. If you are unhappy with the outcome, you don’t have to accept ads. But atleast you would have given it a try! Bloggers don’t run out of ideas, they stop blogging due to certain other reasons, like a shift in interest or lack of time to commit to blogging. Good luck!
danderma on April 3, 2011 at 20:32.
Kuweight 64: I guess you have a point there… but what if i have a certain hurdle and i can’t post? I cannot control my circumstances right?
but then i could always try one advert for a certain time and see how it goes… if i don’t like it i could always quit!
79ai9 on April 3, 2011 at 16:33.
interesting post! well this is after all ur “world” and it’s ur decision in the end of the day and the ads or money involved is non of our business-u started off with a place where u can be u and we learn from each other bas if they r approaching u i guess why not?..its a matter of give and take o if u feel bad ina money is involved donate
if i were u i would be open to it and since its ur blog im sure u can choose who can advertise and who can’t 
so 7bibti its ur call 
aham shay latitradedeen-go with ur instincts! X
danderma on April 3, 2011 at 20:37.
79ai9: I guess why not… true i can always choose who advertises and who doesn’t…. and i can always pull the plug if i feel it’s too much for me… it’s worth a thought at least… thanx hon
enigma on April 3, 2011 at 19:20.
Not a rumor… That was SomeContrast… They admitted it themselves.
i wouldn’t really view you differently, unless you started posting about the little NBK calendar that is stuck on Alwatan newspaper just for the heck of keeping a number :p (yes, believe it or not, someone blogged about that tiny calendar – khalesat el muwathee3)
danderma on April 3, 2011 at 20:39.
Enigma: They did?
What?! What NBK calendar!? now i have to look for that post and that blog!
Now you got me worried… what if the advertisers force me to write about their services all the time?! What am i supposed to do then?!
enigma on April 4, 2011 at 02:06.
that tacky little calendar that fits in a wallet!! allah yfashla 7a6 post 3ala hal shay! Hatha “top 10 blogs” ya3ny!
btw he also lost a major advertiser because 6ab fehum hehehehe.
SO yeah, if u advertise obviously u can’t criticize them.
wallah lo agolich swalif el bloggers etmooteeen mn el the7ek.
Oooo another top 10 blogger –> gets most of his incoming traffic from q8yat.net by using hyperlinks. Ppl think they’re playing an embedded video on q8yat, but he’s really linking it back to his blog. Pathetic
Ooooo another funny one.. a blogger was upset because other bloggers were stealing his “content” ily ohwa ta3ib 3alaih!!! I look at his old posts, kila youtube videos oo news. Maskeen ti3ab el thahir wohwa ysaawey search. I couldn’t help but leave a comment about the ‘original’ content hahahahahaha.
anyway, you may have to maintain a certain quota, but u should agree with them on that.
Honestly if I were u – I’d give it a shot for a little while (on my terms). If it works great ! If not, at least u won’t have to wonder.
Just DON’T do the following:
1. Do not blog about a little calendar *or any dumb topic* just for the sake of numbers.
2. Do not post Whatsapp/BB/email forwards or broadcasts.
3. Do not post the popular youtube videos (unless you really loved it!)
4. Do not post about each and every home business that sends you an email asking you to spread the word – this is a blog not al wasee6.
5. Do not copy+paste content from q8yat.
6. Do not turn your blog into a news site.
danderma on April 4, 2011 at 22:34.
Enigma: sej!? that calendar! 6afatne 7safa!
I thought q8yat.net was only for women? o they close down the accounts of any males they find?!
Where do you find all these stories on bloggers!!! o ana waini ma adry 3n el awadm! You have to email me links khal at6amash :p
and as for the terms… they are spot on… u translated what i had in mind… i don’t want to become another news/email aggregator! I swear if i ever take up advertising no calendar posts whatsoever
Abdul-Aziz on April 6, 2011 at 11:42.
loooool that’s really a priceless comment
enigma on April 4, 2011 at 02:09.
http://somecontrast.com/2010/10/dear-readers/
there it is
Q80 In Denver on April 4, 2011 at 19:49.
Great post! Well, in my “sensitive” case (Food blog) I’ve learned a lesson .. NEVER accept promotional posts. Moreover, I refused any samples, tryouts, gifts .. etc because of this .. Your blog will never be the same. If you agree to accept doing promotional posts and so on .. the results would be the following:
+ You’ll be enjoying a huge lineup of sponsors wanting to advertise in your blog.
+ $$$$$$ (More money! Yippee!
)
on the negative side:-
-
Stress
-
You lose the full control of your blog .. You feel that someone is somehow controlling you (Sponsor)
-
You lose the element of fun .. (it becomes like a day job) “Not in all cases”
-
The biggest: Many won’t believe your reviews and so on because a lot of people sense that any (invitation, gifts, tryouts .. etc) sounds fishy and lose the element of truth and honesty EVEN if you’re telling the TRUTH!
I’ve accepted having sponsors in our blog BUT in our terms! and that’s why we lost almost plenty of sponsorship opportunity but I regret nothing
danderma on April 5, 2011 at 12:54.
Q80 in Denver:
hmm in terms of gifts or try outs i accept them but i have one rule and one rule only… i will say what i really think and if i don’t like it it won’t be there… i filter a lot of those too hence why i don’t have many on my blog…
But the ads? hmmm i guess the elements of stress and losing control apply there… what are your terms in terms of sponsorship khal in’3esh minik?
Q80 In Denver on April 5, 2011 at 20:46.
LOL!
1- No sponsor promotional posts (New item, they deliver .. blah blah) They have their AD space and they can update it as much as they want (Promotions, new items, offers) and so forth.
2- Will do no reviews for sponsors “restaurant” for example. This is CRUCIAL! All problems comes from this .. Many won’t believe your review since you have them as your blog sponsors.
I know that I’m REALLY strict and sometime harsh on them (Ga3ed an7eshom) especially that my sponsors would be limited obviously to restaurants or food but sorry I can’t be two faced person. I’ve set rules for the blog before the launch and I stand by them until we shut down and that is “HONESTY” and thankfully my sponsor supported that and as a thank you, I gave them an extra month free of charge
oh well I blew my secret
danderma on April 6, 2011 at 08:58.
Q80 In Denver: Good Luck with your sponsors :p
but i understand your point of view… how can you be objective when you are taking their money to promote their service but you think their service or food is bad? may9eer!
Abdul-Aziz on April 6, 2011 at 11:52.
if u wanna go with ads the most important thing is to go through the sponsor conditions of sponsorship & u put ur conditions and what exactly u approve & what’s u don’t.
P.S. 50 kd is the old days prices
danderma on April 6, 2011 at 19:41.
Abdul-Aziz: Old day prices? 3yal shino elnew day prices?!