The best option for Blog Monetization - Adsense, YPN, Text link Ads or...

[zylotron]

Can anyone tell me the best option to get a cash return from their blog?

Adsense, YPN, Text link Ads or some other alternative revenue source.

z.

[Jeremy]

I think it will depend on your content. If you are writing about something with some high paying keywords you may find contextual ads such as adsense do fairly well. On the other hand, if the site is very broad and doesn't focus on any topic specifically you may find a bunch of garbage low paying contextual ads.

Text links can be a fantastic way to make money from a blog but usually only after it gains some reputation and begins to display a pagerank of 4 or higher.

So I don't think there is an overall best and most of the time you will need to experiment with a few different means of advertising to see what works best on your site. I use a blend of adsense, text links and affiliate programs and text links make up the majority of revenue.

[lilmissjenny]

I do sponsored posts, but I have them hidden from public view. Unless I'm told otherwise, it'll stay that way so as not to lose readership.

[pbradish]

I find that affiliate programs work the best when used correctly. My biggest money-maker though is when I'm able to land a new client through the blog!

[ses5909]

My biggest money-maker though is when I'm able to land a new client through the blog!

Yes, that is my experience as well. Indirect monetization is a great thing!

[Oliver]

Kontera in text advertising works for me. It's not the in the readers face and doesn't annoy the reader in anyway. Other than that, Text Link Ads are good as long as they're clearly labelled sponsors.

[ses5909]

Kontera in text advertising works for me. It's not the in the readers face and doesn't annoy the reader in anyway. Other than that, Text Link Ads are good as long as they're clearly labelled sponsors.

I have never considered Kontera. Do you have experiences with other advertisers and kontera outperformed them?

Just considering giving them a try and am interested in hearing more.

[Jeremy]

Kontera in text advertising works for me. It's not the in the readers face and doesn't annoy the reader in anyway.

Are you serious? Those types of ads rank right up there with popups and popunders. Nothing annoys me more than when I'm moving my mouse pointer or scrolling down a page only to have it glance over one of those links that pops up an annoying preview window.

[ses5909]

Isn't the in text advertising different? School me please :)

[Jeremy]

Kontera is like that Snap thing. What it does is it turns some of the keywords in your content into links. That in itself isn't bad, but the moment you move your mouse over the link a big graphic pops up talking about the link or showing a preview of the page. That is the very intrusive and annoying part.

Whether or not you can disable that feature, I don't know. But my time spent on a site that has snap running or other links that do that is very short-lived.

[adalante]

I don't really like Kontera too, but i guess it we're talking about what we like we would end up making less money..haha.

Anyway on a personal note i prefer Adsense and TLA and i agree with pbradish that affiliate link done correctly can be $$$, as seen on my photoblog ( see sig ).

[ses5909]

Yeah that Snap thing annoys me. Alot of people think its really cool though :S

[snookca]

I went with a combination of approaches. TextLinkAds, affiliate link for Dreamhost (with whom I continue to be hosted with) and custom ads that I sell and manage myself. The Dreamhost link has been hit or miss but always a little bit each month. TextLinkAds have been doing well but I think I've come close to hitting my earning threshold with them, at least for the last few months. Finally, the custom ads which have done very well. Never a sell out but consistent and allows me more control over the entire process.

[Oliver]

It's a different way of advertising and I happen to know sombody who makes over $1000 weekly!

[pbradish]

TLA is killing me. Over 500 clicks without a sale. In it's defense, I don't think that I'm selling it properly.

[aquariancore]

I have over ten sites seven of which have name brand ads. Almost all adsense on the seven is gone.

[pbradish]

I've been trying Adsense again but will probably take it right back down. I would like to collect one final check from them though.

[rhyswynne]

So far, I've made less than a $ from adsense this month, but all other revenue streams are up.

I may take it off my blog when I collect my last check (I'm sat at $88, not money to throw away really!)

[dojo]

Adsense is a huge disappointment for me. I use text link ads in some sites with pretty results so far. I work on getting my blog to the needed PR and traffic to be able to place it in the network too

[malique]

oh yes, adsense is not the biggest current money maker.

[Jeremy]

On the contrary to what a lot of people experience, adsense for me be evolving into one of the biggest earners. Of course for 8 months or so it was one of the worst, but I wouldn't get rid of it for anything now.

[goldfries]

IMO whether adsense or whatever is your biggest $$$ earner really depends on your reader location.

for me, my readers are mostly from Malaysia. i get so little from adsense i decide to remove it from my site. and i don't like to splatter my site with ads either.

[smittenbite]

I do sponsored posts, but I have them hidden from public view. Unless I'm told otherwise, it'll stay that way so as not to lose readership.

i'm assuming your sponsors don't know that?

[JohnC]

Nothing annoys me more than when I'm moving my mouse pointer or scrolling down a page only to have it glance over one of those links that pops up an annoying preview window.I actually learned to transfer my Pac-Man maze skills to my mouse movements. Jeremy's right, Snap was the worse when I visited my regular blogs...I already know what the referred link's site looks like. :devilhorns:

[Simon]

Text Link Ads is my biggest earner, I get a handfull of referrals every month as well as selling a few links. it's a nice, constant income stream. Adsense on the other hand is incredibly hit and miss. Some days it seems to be flying, other days zero, literally zero. I'm not sure why, my visitor numbers are fairly steady. I also have a few affiliate schemes that I use, mostly for things like Apple and Amazon. Only a few sales result in quite a bit of money, but you have to make sure it's all relevant to the content or they fall completely flat. I wrote about the five techniques I use here (http://www.oakinnovations.co.uk/blog/2007/08/14/5-ways-to-monetise-your-blog/) and in itself, that post brought quite a few referrals with it. People like the stats I guess.