| In-Text Ads Pros and Cons | | | | You can read a historic post about The Manhattan |
| If you've been reading my blog, you probably know | | | | Project and the banners will announce the new |
| that I like in-text ads as a website monetization solution | | | | season of Project Runway. It opens up your mind to |
| that doesn't interrupt visitors, and that I even work for | | | | new horizons. As opposed to that, those nasty in text |
| an in text provider. But I do know that some people out | | | | ads insist on being relevant. Since the ad is hooked on |
| there are still against in-text. So to help them out, I | | | | an actual term within the content, it's mostly relevant |
| thought I would come up with the top ten reasons not | | | | and supplements the content. This way, with in-text |
| to use in-text ads. This way, when your in-text-loving | | | | relevancy, how will you get exposed to new topics? |
| friends brag about how good they are, you will be | | | | 7. We're addicted to ad interruptions |
| armed with some reasons why not to use in-text ads. | | | | We breathe ads. From the moment we wake up, on |
| 1. They don't jump around | | | | our way to work or school, in our office or classroom, |
| We all just love flashy animated banners that do | | | | in the afternoon, in front of the TV and PC, all day long |
| anything technology allows them to interrupt our | | | | until we close our eyes to sleep (well, sometimes even |
| reading, especially the banners that expand to cover | | | | in our dreams) - advertisers fight for our attention, |
| half the page, make creepy noises, and hide the | | | | interrupting us in whatever we do. In text ads are |
| shut-down x so you can't find it. So, as a website | | | | different. The double underline links tell us there's an ad |
| publisher, why would you want to use ads that are | | | | behind them and ask for our permission - interested? |
| subtle, non-intrusive, quite, and do not disturb your | | | | Give it a hover. Then, only if we're interested in the ad |
| visitors while they're reading your content. Tell them | | | | within the bubble, we click on it. In-text ads are not |
| you want the jumpy ones, with a video character that | | | | stuck to our faces. But we got used to those ads |
| walks vividly and steps on your precious writing, not | | | | everywhere. If all advertisements will ask for our |
| those cute little double underline links. | | | | permission, like in-text ads do, we might lose all those |
| 2. Too much money is corruptive | | | | precious interruptions. Tell them that you need those |
| Having too much money leads to the illusion of power | | | | interruptions like the air you breathe! |
| and then to corruption. Who needs it? In text ads are | | | | 8. Nobody likes advertisers |
| known for generating extra revenues from a website | | | | People generally don't like advertisers and marketers. |
| without affecting other sources of income. Having all | | | | Sad but true. In text ads get high quality scores from |
| this extra cash is a slippery slope en route to | | | | advertisers. It makes sense. Since the visitor actually |
| corruption. When someone tells you about monetizing | | | | gives permission to get exposed to the ad and |
| your website by placing in-text ads - just say no. No to | | | | actively demonstrates interest (by hovering, and then |
| doubling your revenues. No to too much money. | | | | clicking), there's a good chance he will be genuinely |
| 3. Web programmers are losing jobs | | | | interested in the advertiser's content. From the |
| These are rough times and with the economy | | | | advertiser's point of view, it's the next best thing after |
| downturn, web programmers and developers are | | | | search ads, and way better than banners and |
| losing jobs anyway. Integrating in-text ads into a | | | | contextual ads around the content. When you use |
| website is way too easy. It can take less than a | | | | in-text ads, you make advertisers happy, and why |
| minute to simply paste a line of code into the website | | | | would you want to do that?! |
| and that's it - the in-text ads are there. They require no | | | | 9. You need to analyze eCPM and CTR |
| changes to the website, no new code, no | | | | Do you prefer getting paid without work related |
| programming or developing, no IT, no QA - what will all | | | | incentives? If so, stay away from in-text ads. |
| our colleagues and friends do? Avoiding in-text ads will | | | | Integrating in-text ads into your website is very easy, |
| help keep their jobs. | | | | and money comes in instantly. But then, you can |
| 4. They make affiliate programs look bad | | | | always earn more with simple changes. Consider the |
| Affiliate programs rule. We work hard to cooperate | | | | color, the format of the underline, the number of hooks, |
| with affiliate programs and promote links to their sales | | | | the location in the page, blacklist keywords, whitelist |
| efforts. Good affiliate plans have conversion rates of | | | | keywords... there are improvements that take little |
| about 1%, which means that for every 100 clicks we | | | | work and can add up on your bottom line. But alas, to |
| get on our website, we get 1 affiliation fee payment. | | | | get these higher revenue numbers, you need to look at |
| Those in-text ads are on pay per click basis (PPC) - | | | | your eCPM and CTR and analyze some data... |
| the website publisher gets paid for every click. Every | | | | doubling your money is possible, but if you're afraid of |
| click. This makes our favorite pay-per-acquisition and | | | | some work, you'd better keep your distance. |
| pay-per-lead affiliate programs look bad. | | | | 10. Another reason anyone? |
| 5. You have to create real content | | | | The tenth reason is up to you. When thinking about the |
| When you have nothing new to write about in your | | | | top 10 reasons not to use in text advertising, I came up |
| blog, when you can't find any nice videos or images to | | | | with the fact that they don't jump around like our |
| upload, when your website is left empty of new | | | | favorite banners; they make you too much money, |
| content... Who do you turn to? The advertising banners! | | | | which can be corruptive; they threat web |
| We cover our website with real-estate for ads: big | | | | programmers' jobs by being too easy to integrate; the |
| squares, skyscrapers, leader boards, whatever we | | | | pay per click model makes affiliate programs look bad; |
| can get our hands on to fill all that space. Who needs | | | | you have to create real original content; they are so |
| quality content when you have good ads? But those | | | | relevant, that we don't get exposed to new un-related |
| in-text ads, they don't take any space on the website, | | | | topics; they lower the volume of ad interruptions, which |
| they don't cover real-estate. In-text ads just blend | | | | we're so addicted to; and they might even make |
| smoothly into your content, so they actually force us to | | | | advertisers happy with high quality scores, and nobody |
| come up with original content. It's terrible. | | | | likes advertisers... that's 9 reasons. |
| 6. No new un-related topics | | | | Can you think of another reason not to use in text |
| It's nice that the ads around a website's content throw | | | | ads? |
| in different ideas that are not related to the content. | | | | |