Blogging Tips

Traffic is the life-blood of your blog. Once your blog’s established, with great content, it’s time to consider advertising so you can extend your visibility online, gaining more casual, and well as regular traffic.

A wit once said that 50 per cent of all advertising was a waste of money – but you never know which 50 per cent. Therefore, set an advertising budget and stick to it. Without a budget, you can easily spend too much on advertising.

Here’s an easy way to set your advertising budget: set it at a percentage of the income your blog’s generating – ten per cent, 50 per cent, or even 100 per cent for a month or three. There’s method in this 100-per cent madness: the more traffic your blog gets, the higher you can set your advertising rates.

Let’s look at five easy inexpensive ways to advertise your blog.

1. Trade ads with complementary blogs

This is one of my favorite forms of advertising. Let’s say a site charges $100 per month for an ad. If the site’s complementary to yours (you sell chocolates, they sell flowers for example), offer to trade ads. If site’s hugely popular, you won’t get a one-for-one swap, but they’ll give you a reduction in their standard rates.

2. Text link ads on blogs

After the latest Google PageRank slap, some sites are nervous of text link ads, but they’re still popular. Don’t overdo the text links, but a few text links on various sites are a good investment.

3. Pay Per Click Advertising (PPC)

Pay Per Click advertising gives you visibility, so it’s worth running a campaign for a month or two. You’ll increase your feed subscribers if you regularly post worthwhile content while you’re running your campaign. Don’t forget to check the progress of your ads daily – those clicks can mount up.

4. Classified ads in trade (print) magazines

A classified ad in a print magazine, even in trade magazines, is relatively expensive for a one-time shot. Therefore, if the publication is read by your target audience, sign up for a six-month package.

5. Buy advertising on popular ezines

Be careful with this one. Buying ads on ezines can either be great, or a total waste of money. I’ve had experience with both. Buy a small ad as a test run, before you sign up for six months’ worth.

So there you have it: ways to boost your blog to the next level with advertising.