Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, I’m going to try to be as objective as possible. Technically,  there aren’t any “wrong” or “right” answers to this question, but there are a lot of grey areas and this is definitely not a decision that should be made based on a whim. Thinking about how ads might affect some of the  components outlined below is a good place to start:

1. Usability

There’s nothing more annoying than a pop-up, splash page or any additional barrier/obstacle in the way when all you want to do is read a blog post. Overly-animated, fancy flash banners may either piss off readers OR cause them to leave your site as a whole.

How to do it right:

Chose ads that aren’t too obtrusive or distracting. Additionally, try to ensure ads somewhat mimic the look and feel of the site…but be careful. There’s a fine line between ads blending into the site/blog and ads deceiving users into thinking it’s actually a natural part of your site. Users won’t be particularly thrilled when they learn they’ve clicked on an ad when thought they were answering a poll about puppies (because who doesn’t love puppies?).

It might be difficult to do a perfect test given the sheer number of variables involved, but try capturing engagement stats before and after putting ads on your site. If you notice a higher bounce rate, decreased time on site, or fewer pages/visit it could be an indicator that the ads are hurting the user experience.

2. Credibility

You have to consider the fact that people visit your blog because they want to see what your brand is up to (usually highly engaged/frequent visitors), they found your blog through an organic search (demonstrates intent and contextual relevancy) or they got referred to your site through another source.

How to do it right:

Hand select ads that complement your blog content and fit your audience. I wouldn’t rely on Google or any other ad network to pick ads based on what they consider to be “contextual relevancy.”  Their methods don’t understand tone (sarcasm) or intent like humans do. The last thing you want is a questionable ad that’s not related to your content or demographic. In other words, opt out of Google’s (or any other) content network if you’re the publisher, especially when automatic placements are involved.

3. History

Some people don’t like change. Similarly, your subscribers might freak out if there’s too much change. If your blog never had advertising on it and suddenly the look and feel has changed to accommodate ads, they may not like it. It’s probably unlikely that you’ll lose them as a whole, but it’s possible that some followers will become slightly disgruntled or disengaged. If you start a brand new corporate blog with advertising, users will feel “less shocked,” but the other two factors above will still need to be considered.

Other Tips if you do decide to advertise:

Be Picky

It’s your blog and your brand/reputation at stake. You have the right to be picky about what ads go on your site. To minimize impacts stated above, consider only accepting “branding” ads, or ads that have the ability to effectively serve their purpose based on impressions—in other words, they don’t require a user to “engage” or click on the ad. This setup also allows you to charge on an impression basis or flat fee.

Hold on to Your Link Juice

This one is especially important for SEO: Make sure you add “nofollows” (rel=”nofollow”) to all advertising links. This rule goes beyond advertising. If there’s anything on your site that you don’t want to “vouch” for, why pass link juice to it at the expense/loss of your own domain strength? Beyond that, if it’s not a “natural” part of your site, it’s the best way to let search engine know.

Get creative!

Try getting your advertisers to come up with a “giveaway” instead of a standard ad. This is really a win-win-win (yes, triple win!):

• If the product complements your brand, users will feel like you’re doing them a favor by giving them a chance to “win” something.

• You get the gratification of making them feel that way

• The advertiser gets a lot of brand recognition (or even traffic depending on the type of ad).

Although the example on the left from I Heart Organizing’s blog, wasn’t an ad, it’s relevant to the users. Also note that her ads are clearly labeled under “my sponsors,” yet the ads match the look and feel of the site. Note the clever Amazon advertisement at the top as well. All the products she mentions can be bought there, making the add relevant and useful to her readers. Such an approach makes the advertising much more “natural,” if there’s even such a thing.

Develop Partnerships

“Upsell” your advertisers with the prospect of more formal relationships if they’re companies that you could potentially form long term partnerships with. Think of this as a PR opportunity. Maybe you can work together on a new charity event? Or exchange product/service giveaways across user bases? With a little imagination, the sky’s the limit!

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Jolante