I have avoided this topic mostly but I am seeing what seems like a trend towards selling ads on websites, especially personal blog websites, especially recipe and craft blogs and I refuse to remain silent. What really sparked my interest is a YouTube tutorial on affiliate digital advertising that I stumbled upon just yesterday while listening to Pistol Annies’ new album Interstate Gospel. As you can probably tell, I do not currently sell ad space on my website(s) and/or client websites. Yes, I do know of several affiliate programs and have thought about signing up to increase revenue for my digital endeavors. I have even signed up for one or two and utilized their ads in the past. So let’s analyze the pros & cons of affiliate marketing.
Pro.
Make $$
Con.
Not much… AND that is ONLY if you have a gazillion followers/readers and/or a HUGE audience which very few blogs have.
Pro.
Extra content and likely a professional looking ad.
Con.
Slows down your website – often greatly plus the advertiser chooses the look of the ad; not you.
Pro.
Small business affiliated with a larger conglomerate – hey, I’m rollin’ with the big guys now!
Con.
Small business affiliated with a larger conglomerate – yikes, what happened to your own style and/or business ethics? (depending on the public opinion of the affiliate company at the time of ad posting)
Con.
Lose some power over your own one-of-a-kind digital vision.
Pro.
Often free to enroll, as long as you have the audience numbers.
Con.
Nothing is truly free.
Pro.
You pay a little bit to appear at the top of search results (in terms of PPC advertising).
Con.
Not really, that is only with organic search. The paid spots are obvious and thus likely your audience will know that you paid for that spot.
Pro.
Pop-up for data collection.
Con.
Audience does not like pop-ups, it slows down your site and can even cause your site to crash completely.
That’s all I’ve got on the topic for now. I will say, for food bloggers in particular, do ANYTHING else for revenue, please. I have found so many AMAZING recipe sites but it takes forever to get to what I need in the moment – my stomach is growling, grrrr and I want to make the dish, now please. I do not wish to scroll through a rant and dodge 50 pop-ups about nothing that helps me cook your dish.
For my own digital endeavors, I have opted for a sort of middle-ground. I ONLY advertise my own endeavors, companies I currently manage digital marketing and advise my clients to advertise local businesses they know and would truly recommend to a friend or colleague, a complementing industry is also helpful. It certainly helps when there is something in it for you too thus asking for a spot on their website is never a bad idea – cross advertising as opposed to affiliate marketing – boom.