Thursday, February 3, 2011

Advertising – I’m Lost.

I know I typically share with you guys how I did something for the business, like filing the LLC paperwork or running an Etsy shop during vacation.  Today, though, I’m going to chat about one of my goals that I’m really in the dark about accomplishing – advertising, both for my shop and on my blog.


I’ve had advertising on the brain lately.  I’m ready to start advertising my shop, but I just have no idea where to start.  Also, I had decided a while back to start looking into adding ads to this blog once I reached 10,000 page views, which happened last month (completely arbitrary number – it just seemed like a whole lot of people).

I’m pretty sure I want to start advertising my shop on blogs, mostly because it seems reasonably targeted and definitely affordable.  My problem is the blogs I read are not necessarily geared toward my target market.  I love me some crafty blogs, that’s for sure, but I’m not convinced that’s the best place to reach my customers.

2 3 11 facebook ads screenshot

I’m also considering trying out Facebook ads.  These two articles have definitely encouraged me to try it out – Do Facebook Ads Really Work? and Stronger Evidence That Facebook Ads Work.  When setting up a Facebook ad, it’s posssible to define your targeted demographics so narrowly that I feel like I could really reach my market.  Also, you set your budget for the campaign, which makes overspending pretty much impossible.

As for advertising here on the blog, I’ve pretty much decided to add a small AdSense ad somewhere on the sidebar to try it out.  Since all I have to do is enable the ad though Blogger,  I figure this is a good way to try out the whole advertising thing without a huge time investment on my part.


I see a lot of information on running ads on your own blog.  There is a really great interview with Jena Coray of Modish on CraftyPod about running your own ad program on a craft blog.  It’s tempting, that’s for sure, but is my time better spent running an ad program on my little blog or making new products?

I’d love your feedback on advertising ‘cause I’m sure struggling with it!  Have you guys done any kind of advertising, and was it successful or a waste?  How do you feel about blog ads – love ‘em, hate ‘em, hardly notice they’re there?  As a consumer, what kind of ads grab your attention?  Maybe together we can sort this whole advertising thing out!

3 comments:

  1. I tried out a facebook ad and was pretty happy with the results, mostly because I felt like I was in total control of it and it was really easy to set-up. My goal was to get more "fans" on my facebook page, and I think I wound up with 5 new ones for about $10. I guess at $2 each that's not TOO bad, I like to think it will pay off somewhere down the line. Make sure you set it up so you only pay "per click" and not "per impression."

    As for ads on blogs, I barely even notice them anymore! I think it's almost expected these days.

    Good luck!!

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  2. Ok, great questions. I'm no expert at all, but here's what I think. Facebook ads are ok if set up right. From experience, I don't think I made enough return to keep them running all the time. Google Adwords is better (also if set up right). Advertising on other's blogs or sites is pretty good, too. I advertise on 2 sites online (funky finds and unanimous craft) and get a decent drive of traffic from both. I plan to do a few more sites as the year goes on, but I pick my sites based on where I hang out online, not always where my customers for buying are, but hopefully for reading. One thing I think about it business recognition. Even if I don't click on the link , if I got to 5 different blogs and see a business is advertising on all those blogs, too then I am more apt to follow a link to that blog or search them out later. I personally am happy to generate some of that brand recognition for myself if nothing else. If you are just wanting to get people here to read what you write, respond, etc, I think advertising on other blogs is well worth it. If you want to advertise product, I think you are probably better off with Google Adwords.

    If you still aren't ready to pay for advertising, there are plenty of free routes to take like doing giveaways on other blogs, asking for people to guest blog or for you to guest blog, read and comment on other blogs with your URL... Good luck Sam- and congrats on your 10,000 page views!

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  3. An easy way to experiment with ads on your blog is through a referral program. Amazon has one and it's a snap to set up. You put their ads on your site, and if readers click them and then purchase something, you get a small percentage. I'm an Amazon associate and personally don't find their banner ads that effective, but if you do a book review post (for example), you can set up an affiliate link to the book on Amazon so if anyone buys it after reading your review, you'll get a little bit of cash. Returns are mixed, but it's a low investment way to get started and to start figuring out what works for you. Best of luck!

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