Last week I featured 6 blogs about simplicity and minimalism I thought might interest you. One of the criteria in choosing was that the blog was ad-free. This ruffled a few feathers and I got some feedback via comments and email that I thought deserved a response. Not all ruffled feathers deserve a response, but these were smart, thoughtful and provided great feedback.
This is not a defense of my decision not to feature blogs with advertising, or not to feature advertising on my site, but I thought you might be interested in how I really feel about advertising.
On Web Advertising …
Advertising is a disservice to people who write blogs.
People are distracted enough. With every additional widget, text ad, video or flashing box you add to your website, you send people away from your content. You send them away, usually for pennies or less.
Advertising is a disservice to people who read blogs.
When people read blogs, they want to be informed, entertained or inspired. They want helpful information. That is not the purpose of advertising. Give people what they want.
Advertising is a disservice to most businesses that purchase advertising.
When was the last time you clicked on a banner ad? Hubspot reports that The average banner ad has a 0.1% clickthrough rate (CTR), and the standard 468×60 banner has a 0.04% CTR. I’m not that good at math, but do know that those are teeny-tiny numbers. The average person is served over 1,700 banner ads per month. Do you remember any? Your best readers/clients/people come from your best readers/clients/people. I’d rather be connected with one new person because you shared my work than 1000 new people from a banner ad.
Advertising is a conflict of interest for simple living blogs.
If you write about shopping less and then plaster Black Friday ads on your home page, you confuse people and appear confused yourself. If you write about simplicity, practice what you preach. You won’t be losing much in terms of revenue, and will be gaining so much more trust and confidence from people reading your work.
Advertising is not the best way to earn money with a blog.
I understand that blogging takes time and energy and think that people deserve to earn money from those efforts. Blogging is a great way to support or develop a business. That said, why not create better ways to support your work? I write ebooks and courses, and recommend great work from my friends. I work with people to help them launch great ideas, start a microbusiness or be more creative.
Advertising on your site doesn’t make me mad.
If you want to feature advertising on your site, go for it. I still love you. Even though I think it can be a waste of time and energy, and a distraction from what matters most on your site, I can’t be mad about what you think is best for your blog or business. My friend Heidi sells advertising on her blog foodiecrush and I love her and her work.
I recognize that blogging is part of my business and I want to earn money for my work. That said, I know that if I don’t put you first, it will never happen. Every word and function on this site started with you in mind. I’ve made mistakes and changed things as I learn, but I won’t share something with you unless I think it will help. I value your time and attention too much to squander it with things that don’t matter.
The future of advertising is up to us. If more blogs and businesses focused on what they do best and featured less advertising, perhaps we’d pay better attention to what they have to say.
What do you think? Do you like advertising on blogs? Pop-ups? Lots of stuff going on in the sidebar?
Thank you and I agree wholeheartedly. Some blogs have really just become ad sites verses interesting information. So glad I found your and looking forward to checking out your blog recommendations.
Thanks Sue, I appreciate your feedback.
Thank you, I agree with everything you say. There are several blogs I truly enjoy but when they promote a product I wonder if they really like the item or are they just making money. I will never follow a blog that has flashing buttons and banners.
No flashing or pop-ups for me. Too distracting and unnerving.
I think it depends on the type of blog and the advertising. I can see how it would work of the food blog, for example. If I see the food, I may want to go to a restaurant featuring that food. If I see a crafter write a post, then it may help me to know where she got her supplies should I want to replicate what she did. I don’t mind advertising via supply lists.So IMHO, the advertising needs to be in some way relevant to the content. I seriously dislike pop up ads.
Christy, Great point that if you do advertise it should be relevant to your content.
This is such a unique way to look at things. I started reading, preparing to be defensive, and found myself nodding along in agreement. Thanks for the food for thought.
Thanks for being open to my ideas on advertising Julie.
Interesting post! I also follow Young House Love and they are in the middle of a “Blogversary” series this week. Today’s post was about how they avoid sponsored posts and instead only use advertising in the form of sidebar ads. I agree with Christy S. in that advertising has its time and place, but definitely not on a blog about simple living. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Courtney! Great post.
Thanks Stacie. It’s so interesting to hear how other people use ads or promotions and according to Young House Love, they make most of their money from advertising.
I agree with you completely! I have actually stopped following some “frugal living” blogs because of the advertising. I don’t begrudge people making money for their efforts, but I do find it very distracting and counter to what their content is about. I am very disappointed when I am reading a Post and half way thru it i realize it is a sponsorship ad (which wasn’t stated from the beginning of the post). I am disappointed when a favorite blogger starts taking on ads or sponsorship, because it seems to change their content. Thank you for what you do! I do purchase book content etc because it is informative, but also because I like to support bloggers who offer so much to their readers on a daily basis 🙂
Peggy, I also purchase from bloggers and artists who I want to support mostly because they have been so helpful and/or generous with their work. When your main source of revenue becomes advertising it is only natural that you start working and producing content for advertisers and brands instead of the people who are really supporting you.
I’m sure you already know my thoughts from comments on your last post, but I would like to share a few more views on advertising and approaches to selling.
Although I agree that a simple living blog is not the best place for an ad, advertising has a place in the world. If someone has a service or product then we may want to know about it. What bothers me with most advertising is that so many try to “con” or persuade me to buy something that I don’t really need (or want) or are misleading about what the product truly is. This applies to sales letters even more so than straight-up advertising. Long winded copy-writing turns me off immediately. I have recently stopped buying anything from anyone that uses such tactics.
Since I firmly believe in contributing alternatives if you’re going to criticize, I’d like to offer an alternative to traditional advertising. It’s not really my idea, I first learned of it from Seth Godin, but I think it is the future of advertising – provide products and services that are worthy of buzz. Make your products so unique or special that your customers spread the word for you. If it’s not happening then maybe you should focus your time on improving your product, service, or blog and less time pushing it through traditional sales routes.
My two cents.
Dan
Dan, you’ve made so many great points here. I especially resonate with your last paragraph. I know for certain that people who purchase my courses for instance appreciate the work because they’ve taken the time to get to know me through the blog, or they found me from someone who had a good experience working with me. Those are the people I want to work with.
If I bought an ad and sold my courses that way, the level of engagement and satisfaction would go down. My work isn’t for everyone, so by connecting first, my experience has been that I end up working with exactly the right people for me.
When I visit a restaurant, I generally do so on recommendation from a friend and not because of an ad. Create something so unique/awesome/tasty/wonderful that people want to talk about it. That will be much more powerful, and much less annoying than advertising.
couldn’t agree more! when philosophy lines up with content strategy, clarity wins. which makes me (and readers) very happy. thanks for this great post!
love love love. Thank you Jessica.
I ran ads for 3 years and the income was not insignificant. About 18 months ago I had a realization that echoed what you wrote about advertising being counter to values and mission, especially for simple living blogs. If my goal is to help people create space in their lives for hobbies, then sending them in too many different directions (especially some that I wouldn’t otherwise recommend) is a true disservice to myself, my readers, and my brand as a whole. This is also why I am not incredibly active on Pinterest and teach use of it as a tool (vs. a source of entertainment) – as I feel it breeds distraction and less-mindful consumption.
Jennifer, I think the volume has to be incredibly high to generate money via web advertising. It is so cool that you were brave enough to let it go when you realized it didn’t serve you or the people you most want to serve. Love that.
Very high traffic isn’t always a necessity. I directly sold my own ads at a flat rate for the month or quarter to other businesses in my niche. To be honest I couldn’t let it go until I had a replacement income stream in place.
Ad networks are another beast though, and yes, you do have to have really amazing traffic for those to be profitable.
Ah yes, I thought we were talking ad networks, google ads ….
THANK YOU for this post, you read my mind. I can not handle the flashing to the side while I am trying to read something. It is overwhelming! I am so grateful you have such a crisp and clean design. I work in the advertising field, sticking a box of flashing mess on your page does not convey creative, helpful or talented. Writing a two sentence description expressing the product in a smart,concise manner is impressive and the masses are savvy to the ad game, which means we must improve it.
It is time for improvement or reinvention or something. Businesses are wasting their money most of the time with web advertising in the form of banner ads.
In the case of blogs about simplicity, minimalism, or how to buy less stuff, it would not make sense to have a bunch of ads for “stuff”. However, I visit blogs about other things such as scrapbooking, or sculpting/painting, and I welcome small tasteful ads that I know are for places/things that blogger personally recommends. I sometimes go to their blogs to find those resources. (yes, doing creative projects/work contributes to more “stuff” such as supplies. If it weren’t for art/craft supplies, I wouldn’t own that much stuff.) I think it depends on the blog. And I hate ads that go across the top like they are the blog itself, or have flashing images that are annoying. I also detest ads that come from external sources and are “personalized” for me so they seem to be stalking my internet activity (creepy).
Oh yes … that is creepy. And they are stalking you. 😉
Hi Courtney! I think everyone gets to choose what they want for their blog, but personally I do find ads overwhelming to my eyes and brain. When something pops up in my face, my first thought is, Tacky!
I don’t like the thought of someone pimping their product to me. Be honest and upfront about what you offer, and then sit back and let me decide if it’s right for me.
Tammy, as writers/publishers/artists/micropreneurs, we have to offer our best work and trust people to decide if it is right for them.
Even pop up subscription offers turn me off. Why are you asking me to subscribe before I’ve had a chance to read what you have to offer.
The person that subscribes, purchases, reads or shares because they love what they find are engaged, thoughtful and generally open to connecting.
I couldn’t agree more about the ‘subscribe’ windows that pop up first thing. I just click the little x to get rid of the box and move on to another blog. Those boxes drive me crazy. I enjoy your blog and find a lot of value here. Thanks.
I couldn’t agree more. Ads detract value from a blog. I will not read a blog that has advertising. Thank you Courtney for writing about this.
Thanks Ramona!
I totally agree. No ads!
Wow, this is something I’ve struggled with given my site is about helping people transform their relationship with money. I DO NOT have ads on my site for exactly the reasons you cite…it feels a bit disingenuous.
Yet, I have posted a resource list with affiliate links for books/products that I feel support the move from debt to wealth. I have also posted one “favorite products” post where a couple of the products included affiliate links. I believe that if you are going to make a purchase anyway, you should buy something of quality that will last. Why trade your dollars for anything less?
Purchasing through an affiliate link is the reader’s choice and provides support to the site at no mark up to the purchaser. I like that and show support to my favorite blogs by purchasing through their links whenever possible.
I will continue to write similar posts from time-to-time with full disclosure about any affiliate commissions. I don’t feel that contradicts the theme of my site and can be beneficial to readers. For books, I always recommend getting it from the library first and only making a purchase for books you’ve read that you want for future reference.
Thanks for the great post, Courtney!
Ree
Hi Ree,
Of course all of this is personal opinion and who’s to say where you draw the line. It’s a personal decision. I personally don’t feel that recommending a few select products that you have tried and are willing to endorse is the same as blanket advertising. e.g. with adsense you don’t know what you will be promoting. Tastefully mentioning a great book that changed your life, with full disclosure that it is an affiliate link is not a problem to me.
I’m sure there are those who don’t like that and that’s okay too.
Dan
You are a breath of fresh air! I think that ads can be like a form of mind clutter and I resent them being thrust upon me when I am trying to read something in the same visceral way I resent cold callers on the phone or at my front door. Keep up the good work.
Advertising is a prototype distraction. I appreciate a neat and minimalistic design of blogs and websites where I am not bombarded with twinkling ads or best price offers. That’s like visiting an amusement park or a fair, not what I’m looking for when searching for information or reading on the internet. I use programs which are blocking advertising on the screen.
Echo. Thanks for this post!
Courtney, I agree with you, which is a tad ironic for me because I spent several years in advertising before starting a green blog! This is an issue I’ve been struggling mightily with during my first year (and change) of blogging–because I think one of the greenest things people can do is not buy anything at all, and yet, I want to monetize at some point. I’ve been thinking of e-courses in photography and toying with a few other ideas, because every time I visit a green or minimalist blog with ads plastered all over it, I can’t help feeling that the blogger has sold out. There a few exceptions with bloggers who allow a few tasteful, related products, but I still just don’t know. Thanks very much for your thoughts on the matter.
Hmmmm… Well, as a person who makes her living through internet advertising, I have very mixed feelings on this topic. I think a great deal depends on the focus of the site or blog and the way the advertising is done.
I do photography and graphic design and give my work away for free. The only income I receive is from ads on the sites. I try very hard to block any and all ads that are intrusive (flashing stuff, pop ups, pop unders, takeovers etc.) but I have to say that if anyone is offended by ads on those sites, and feels I should somehow just give away my work for free without any compensation whatsoever… well they can just go jump in a lake!
The way I see it, I am contributing to the public good by giving my work away for free, the least people can do is put up with a few ads. The ads on those sites are mostly for related services like stock photos, graphic design software and other related stuff anyway, so I don’t see it as a distraction, and given the click through rate, neither do my users.
I do have a few ads on my blog, but they’re all in unobtrusive places, and I don’t really see my blog as a money making endeavor. But I think bloggers need to understand where their traffic comes from before making these sorts of decisions. In most cases only a small portion of your web traffic is actually coming from folks who are there to read your content. The rest is from people who are there to grab your photos & images, or to leave spamming comments, and I have absolutely no problem generating a bit of income off of those visitors.
I have to be honest and say that what really bothers me is not things like Google ads, it’s the sponsored posts and endorsements. I’m not sure why, but a sidebar full of ads that someone has contracted specifically for that blog bother me much more than a simple Google ad at the bottom of a post. And sponsored posts? Well that’s just plain dishonest in my opinion.
I also just hate the whole guest post thing, the link sharing, audience building, and any attempts to use a blog to market oneself or one’s business. Your blog is one of my few exceptions because I do enjoy your thoughtful posts as well as the fact that you engage your readers in the comments section. But usually, if a blog author promotes their ebooks or is otherwise trying to sell me something, I leave and never come back. I guess it just gives me the feeling that this person isn’t really in it for the sake of connecting with other like-minded folks, they’re trying to build a “customer base” and I have no interest in participating in that sort of thing.
Sorry for the long-winded comment, but I guess you struck a chord! 🙂
Hi Eco,
This reply really struck a chord with me as far as guest posts and links to other blogs. That drives me bonkers! It just seems like readers are being passed along in the middle of a blog (excuse my language here) circle jerk. It makes me feel uncomfortable and devalued as a reader for a blogger to use a blog to share someone else’s house who has “stopped by” for the day. This kind of filler material is disappointing to me. When it is very thought out, like Courtney’s or other simple living bloggers I read, it takes on a whole different tone and I enjoy what Courtney or others share, because they have spent time to prepare that material. In a simple living mindset, what blogs a blogger chooses to share with a reader are valuable and it shows!
So…I guess that struck a chord with me too. 🙂
Maybe it’s all an attitude thing. I mean, I don’t mind it when people share a list of blogs that they follow – I have a list of my blogging buddies on my blog… and I sorta find it useful for finding other people that I might like to connect with. But when I feel like people are participating in a weekly link exchange just for the sake of building up their audience… well, I guess it just feels phony to me.
You’re on to something there Cat….phoniness is phoniness, no matter what shape it takes.
I read blogs with ads and I read blogs without them. Stay true to yourself and be real…that’s what matters most.
Dan
I completely agree with you, Courtney! I follow simple living blogs to be inspired and encouraged, not to make a purchase. It’s really sad to see so much advertising in everything we see. I especially am shocked at how much advertising there is for prescription drugs on tv and in magazines. Thanks for showing people how to enjoy the simple life.
I agree Courtney! When reading a blog, I frequently use a program like ‘Readability’ so that I can see only the text and images of the post (and nothing else – especially not advertisement).
I couldn’t agree more!! Bravo to you for explaining it so eloquently! Advertising completely offends me, and it’s a big reason why we haven’t had TV for years. I don’t need anyone 1) telling me what I need and want, and 2) pulling my brain in yet another direction! Thank you for this post and for your excellent blog 🙂
I agree absolutely. Bravo for your usual hitting the nail on the head (IMHO).
While it may seem like little, the price of CPM(Coste Per Thousand Impressions) vs CPC(Cost Per Click) can often be favorable.. there are actually people that make a living out of placing these ads on different websites and sending traffic to various others.
That said, I completely agree with you for the most part. I don’t think it is in most bloggers who are starting out to have any advertising on their blogs. It’s just a diversion to the reader, god forbid you made an actually interested reader click away from your site for 5 cents.
But if any of us had the opportunity to just place a few ads on our blog and make a healthy living from that, who can honestly say that they wouldn’t? (ignoring that there might be better approaches, like writing your own book or whatever) I can’t. Food for thought.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I could not agree more.
I find peace and peace-of-mind on your blogsite. Don’t you dare change a thing!
Great post! I have found myself turned off by blogs that have add splayed all over their site, even if I love the content of the writing. I use feedly to read blogs, which helps avoid seeing these (sometimes very tempting) ads. I do not mind when blogs review products, even if they are being sponsored by the product, if the author is truly honest in his/her review.
My main blog is a local deal blog and I’ve been wrestling with this issue as I have been heading personally in a more “simple living” direction. Many frugal/deal bloggers earn money by being affiliates (less with banner ads) – like pushing readers to register for random free Alaska or Disney travel guides that the blogger might be paid several dollars for each registrant. I’m not sure that adds much value for the time it takes and clutter it adds to people’s lives. I dislike and avoid sponsored posts because the “all opinions are my own” disclaimer just doesn’t ring true. It’s not unreasonable to be compensated for providing a service, but there are many potential conflict of interest pitfalls when advertising is involved. I do currently use banner advertising because I find that more transparent, at least. I also post affiliate links only for programs that I would write about anyway – like I find a great bargain on tickets to a popular local attraction, I’ll link to attraction’s page with an affiliate link if they have a program. I *try* not to let whether I get paid be the deciding factor whether I write about something, it’s a bonus if I do. My goal is to find the zone where my readers’ interests and mine align.
The bottom line is that bloggers generally get paid by encouraging readers to buy something (directly or indirectly) – ebooks, courses, clicks through banners ads for businesses hoping to attract customers, sponsored posts by companies wanting to get their name out, etc. Someone trusting my judgment enough to read my blog is a responsibility that I want to take seriously when considering WHAT I suggest is worth readers’ money and time.
As I was one of the people who commented about the ads in the original blog post, I feel I should say something here. I’m pretty sure no one in the world wants to see banner ads or pop ups on a blog. But (and this is a big BUT) your original blog post included “no advertising” on the top of a list of criteria for a great blog. I still stand by my comment that this should not be the first criteria. Not all bloggers have time to create their own courses or e-books, as it is often enough work just creating content. Most intelligent readers can overlook the “distraction” and understand that a blogger needs to bring in money somewhere. And Click through is not the only measure of a banner ad’s success, the visibility has impact on its own. So I simply do not think that “no ads” should be anywhere near the top of the list of criteria for a great blog. Content, style of writing, and design are far more important.
And while I understand that the minimalism movement shouldn’t necessarily encourage conspicuous consumption, the suggestion of good products (good meaning functional, useful, ethically produced, etc…) is not necessarily a bad thing. How is that any different when you are making affiliate money from suggesting your friend’s courses?
Anyway, I am guessing that the majority of readers and commenters here, who are in support of this, don’t have blogs that they need to support or don’t work in publishing. Bloggers need to make money somewhere, and sometimes, advertising has to be an option. Readers shouldn’t judge a blog on whether there is an Amazon book list on the side bar, they should judge it first on content, writing, and design. I guess we will just have to agree to disagree on this.
Thanks for weighing back in Alexandra.
Alexandra, I agree with many of your points, as I’m a blogger who at some point is going to need to monetize or else give it up (which would be sad for me). I’m one of those people you mention who does have an Amazon book list on the sidebar, but I use it not as an Amazon store but as my review space for “green books for kids” and “green books for adults.” Amazon affiliation has yet to turn any profit for me (they have minimums until they finally cut you a check–argh!), but the way I see it, if I am organically talking about something that directly relates to my blog and somebody decides to buy it, I think I should get some of the credit from Amazon for the sale.
I guess we all have our threshold of what is visually (or even ethically) acceptable for advertising on a blog. For me, I won’t read sponsored posts because I have yet to read one to the tune of “This product STINKS! Do not buy it!” I just don’t have the time to read a post that amounts to one long commercial.
I think the difference in recommending e-courses is that it’s not manufacturing a product (i.e., causing pollution, wasteful packaging, sometimes mindless consumerism, etc.), but that’s just my green take on it. It still seems like it’s a form of advertising, albeit not an offensive one, to my sensibilities anyway.
All in all, you’ve made some fair points for bloggers. If it’s not a hobby, the money has to come from somewhere. Blogging is still a job for many writers and those bloggers deserve some sort of compensation, in my opinion. For me, there has to be a tasteful line drawn on the advertising so the blog is not screaming at me to buy stuff. But I wouldn’t say “no advertising at all.” Some of my favorite blogs manage it quite nicely and unobtrusively.
Joy, I completely agree with you on “drawing a tasteful line.” And banner ads down the side bar or a sponsored blog post once a month is far less offensive (in my opinion) than massive pop ups and bloggers who are blatantly trying to push affiliate goods in every single post. I’ve stopped subscribing to many blogs because there was too much advertising, but I always appreciate that people need to monetize their blogs, and I won’t judge them if they do it in a fairly tasteful way.
I think you’ve said it very well. I use affiliate links myself on a page where I list blogs (including this one) and books that I recommend, but I state outright that they’re affiliate links, and even encourage people to get books from the library if that’s what works for them. I feel that’s unobtrusive and specific. I don’t mind sidebar ads, but banner ads bother me, anything flashing distracts me from reading the actual content, and when pop-up ads appear while I’m reading then I usually leave the site and never come back. I go to those sites to read the material, and I often feel that the ads stop me from doing that. While I appreciate people’s need for some income, I also acknowledge my own right to move on to a site that doesn’t bombard me with ads. They can do what they want on their site, but I don’t have to read it, right? It’s a controversial area and I think you explained your point of view really well.
When I first read this, I felt a pang of guilt. Of hurt.
I write a lifestyle blog about simplicity, and for the longest time I was against advertising, but I’ve just started to sell ad space. Should I feel ashamed?
I thought about it for a moment, and I stand by my reasoning. I changed my mind about advertising when I saw how some lovely bloggers were using ads to promote independent, like-minded businesses. I actually started to go to blogs just to look at their affiliates to get ideas, like Jennifer said above. My press release states “I say it’s better to own one awesome hat than twelve mediocre ones. Do you sell that hat?”.
What do you think, minimalist blog-readers? Will my ads scare you away?
For starters Xandra, your tag line (less stuff, more sparkle) is adorable and so are you. Please remove the guilt and hurt, and of course there is no shame in doing what you think is best for your blog and business.
My point of view came from the same struggle and line of questioning that you may have gone through when you decided to feature ads. I know that had I tried to monetize my blog through advertising at the beginning, I would never have been able to connect with the awesome community that Be More with Less has grown into.
I think there is some confusion for new bloggers in terms of how advertising will help their business and this post was an effort to help them think about what will happen not just immediately, but long term. To create a sustainable blog/business, we have to consider the impact our actions will have.
I think the comments on this post really speak to the fact that people in search of a simpler life, aren’t down with advertising, but the topic of your blog might support it. Thanks for your thoughtful contribution here and having the courage to ask what people want. A survey for your readers may be helpful too.
Xandra this is off topic but I googled your blog and love it! Now following.
As a new blogger who will support my blog through affiliate links and an online store, I have a question. If you were me, would you get the word out about your writing and store? I don’t plan to sell ads, but I sure want to buy some!
Where do people go for information about multipurpose products that further minimalism? I go to blogs for education on how to be a minimalist. I pay close attention to the items that minimalists choose to purchase because I know they put a lot of thought in to saving time, money and work by getting multipurpose belongings.
So… I have some multipurpose items to recommend. Is guest posting the best way to go? Business is a service, not an intrusion. Unless you intrude, of course.
Readers who don’t like ads on blogs, where do you go to compare products (food, cleaning supplies, baby care, simple gifts, etc.)???
Sara, Get the word out by offering amazingly helpful information that people want to share.
Focus on content. Got it. Thanks!
Or keep it really simple and just focus on helping people. Works every time. You will do great Sara!
I write a blog on living with less and have chosen to have no advertising. I want my blog to be a place that reflects me and who I/we am/are. It’s a restful place full of inspiration and story. If someone were to visit our actual home, or my studio or workspace (if I had such places) I certainly wouldn’t want ads on my walls shouting at them! On the other hand, I have appreciated it when I’ve found bloggers who keep a personally recommended list of books, household items, etc. on a separate page or store (affiliate marketing through Amazon) so I can find items they recommend if I’m interested.
Hi Courtney.
Recently I was helping a client setup future passive income pathways with her great kids entertainment products.
I naively assured her there would be scores of bloggers lining up to onsell her products as affiliates.
No. Instead my enquiries to various mummy and green bloggers were replied by third parties, who said that I might be interested in placing an add on the site instead.
Compared to the amount of value they’d get back from being an affiliate of a great product, I thought this was just lazy. I was also surprised it was the new norm.
On the positive side, websites without advertising are starting to look more normal 🙂
I agree completely. I am so sick of advertising. Everywhere you go (billboards, flashing signs, regular signs, car painted ads, people standing on corners with signs, etc.), everything you do (tv, radio, mobile phone, internet, etc.) it’s there. Even on the back of church bulletins, there is advertising. With so much advertising out there, it has made us greedy, unable to make choices and advertisers even make us feel entitled. Do I even need to mention what it does to our kids? Of course, all this advertising drives up the price of the item, so we have to pay more for the product also. Consumers can’t win.
A note to all of you – Thank you for your amazing feedback, kind words and ability to have a calm, thoughtful conversation about anything. Love you for that!
What I find off putting is when a blogger/writer starts promoting things that have nothing to do with the topic of their blog. I recently unsubscribed from a blog/facebook page because the writer had been given a brand new car to drive around for a week and review on her food blog. I can’t see the connection between a car and food at all, but with 40,000 people following her on facebook I guess the car company saw great potential…
Hi Courtney! I started to not go to blogs with many advertising. I simply dont like of being distracted and I hate flashing advertising through posts or in the screen. I already dont like it in websites, so imagine when I see them in blogs, the content looses interest for me. But I agree about some affiliate program with content that we talk in our blogs, In this case I can promote books/ebooks that I like, I believe.
Great post Courtney and so true.
The pop up and advertising frenzy on most sites is a constant distraction from what really matters, the content. Aggressive marketing tactics just turn me off and more and more bloggers seem to be going this route. There is a much better way and your post and the site in general is a great example of this.
Thank you I agree with you 100%! I enjoy your blog so much and the ones you recommended and it is because of no ads!!!!!
I am a long time blogger who holds the same POV that you have so clearly articulated in your six point the article. None of the defense of marketing arguments I have read over the years nor those I have read here in the discussion changes the fact that I find blog advertising to be intrusive, distracting and off-putting. Like you, I love all bloggers who choose to feature on blog advertising – from a distance.
Whilst I have heard some of your opinions on this topic before, I really appreciate you bringing them all together into one place, and being clear about your view. I had definitely considered the advertising route, but through yours and other positive influences I have taken a similar route to the one you described above. Thanks for sharing thoughtful, honest and insightful words with us. I always appreciate it.
What do you find then is the best way to tell readers about the products that you do offer them?
I have become so sensitive to marketing that I won’t give a blog a second look if it has any adverts. I am so overloaded with information that I have even limited my time listening to my favorite radio station. Thank you so much for your wonderful blog! I am a long time minimalist, but got into a rut the last few years. You and you friends (Joshua, Ryan, Josh) have helped me to see minimalism in a whole different light.
Excellent website you have here but I was curious about
if you knew of any discussion boards that cover the same topics
talked about in this article? I’d really like to be a part of group where I can get
comments from other experienced people that share
the same interest. If you have any recommendations, please
let me know. Appreciate it!
Good day! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could
get a captcha plugin for my comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m
having difficulty finding one? Thanks a lot!