Just a reminder I’m AWOL this week, but I’ve left some breadcrumbs.
Questions for discussion:
If you take on advertisers on your site, where is the line drawn between the advertising and your advocating for the company? Do you see any conflict of interest, ethical or otherwise, with such a practice? Why would a writer or editor take on such affiliations? At what point does said affiliation or deal become seedy? What do you stand to gain? What do you stand to lose?
Let’s discuss….
I don't have advertising on my site. Honestly, when a site has a lot of ads on it, I limit my visits or stop visiting all together. There are a couple of blogs where the writer has a single, skinny column and the rest of the page is all ads. Buh bye.
I simply don't trust the ads on a site because, unless I know the person well enough to know they will only allow a certain level of integrity in the ads on the site, I'm skeptical.
I have yet to ever find an ad on someone's blog or site that was remotely interesting and made me click to know more.
The only ads that don't bother me are links to bookstores if the site owner is a writer or reviewer.
Some acquaintances who take ads on their sites consider is "passive income" — even though they make probably less than $5/month. "Passive income" makes me roll my eyes — I prefer royalties and I prefer to be active.
What would make me accept ads? A LOT of money from the advertiser every month (yes, I'm mercenary) AND a genuine belief in the product hawked.
Otherwise, no thanks.
To me, there’s a difference in advocating for something you believe in and getting paid to advocate for something you believe in. You lose credibility when you’re getting paid to say all the positives of whatever you’re promoting. Who’s going to tell the bad sides to something when you’re getting paid to advocate for it?
On the same token, if you go into it with the idea that you’re going to say good and bad even though you’re paid to advocate for a product, service etc.-I still question what you’re saying. You’re a paid advocate, so when exactly are you going to have a bad experience? An advertiser wants you to say all good things, so why would they allow you to have a bad experience?
If all you do is focus on positives, then it’s almost misleading to me or becomes hype in my eyes. I tend to question everything you say, because I don’t really know if the pluses are true or if you’re just saying that they are to look good in the advertiser’s eyes in order to continue receiving the money for it.
As a new blogger with a new blog, I allowed advertisements on my site. I figured what's the harm in it. It's not like I'm selling porn, most are solicitations for publishing and writing organizations.
Although I'm not expecting to "book the cruise" with my royalties, at this point, most people are sophisticated enough to accept of reject the ads. Also, they are posted at the very bottom of my blog, so I doubt many people will see them.
I have these Google ads on my site (somewhere – don't even know where they are). It's one ad. I may have made a whopping dollar over the last two years in this "passive income" approach. I don't worry about advocating for the advertisers as hey, I don't. But I've seen writers recently taking up the banners of companies who advertise with them.
To me, it feels wrong. Full disclosure is great and I commend people who disclose the entirety of their deals, but I'd not be comfortable with it myself. While it may make some money, it also calls into question your bias in future projects, in my opinion.
I want to preface this post by saying that I don't have a dog in the advertisement fight. I have yet to make any profits from the ads on my blog and I don't expect to. When I set up my site, I was given the option to advertise. I checked yes, thinking there is no harm in it. To date, I still don’t see what the big deal is.
However, I am taken aback by judgmental people. Frankly, it's none of my business what bloggers choose to do on THEIR blogs. If a writer CHOOSES to take up the banner of their advertisers, who am I to judge them. I can't read their mind…how do I know that their intentions aren't sincere? The answer is…I don't.
People, we live in the land of the free, which includes a citizen’s right to advertise. Let's not make this harder than it is. If you don't like what you see, then it's simple, don't follow the blog. By the way, although this post may seem contrary to what I’m about to say, I do enjoy the interactions that your blog brings to the table. Best wishes.
Andrea, in general, I agree. Putting ads on your site from Google or anyone else is fine with me. My issue with any of it begins when you start to advocate for, advertise for, and pander to an advertiser in exchange for money for that ad. Call me old fashioned, but print publications almost always draw the line at advertisers having NO say in editorial. I'm one of the crazy few who think that same rule should apply online. 🙂
For me personally, it feels like potential damage to a writer's reputation to do so. It speaks to my journalistic need to remain unbiased. Nothing more.
Like I said, there is a Google ad on here somewhere. I don't mind it being there and I sure don't encourage people to visit the advertiser-du-jour. I rarely know who that is, in fact. :)) I just take issue, personally, with those who advocate because they're receiving money. It feels wrong. Do they really believe in the company they're touting or do they believe because they're paid to? See the dilemma?
Again, just food for thought. I'm glad to have all opinions here. 🙂
And I have stopped following some blogs with dozens of ads – mostly because it's a pain to read or load! LOL
I love your blog so much, and there are just some differences with others'. Hope there will be more wonderful things in your blog. Happy every day!
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