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How do you all find advertisers?

Started by Account Abandoned, September 18, 2011, 12:37:22 PM

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Account Abandoned

So I am wondering how you all find advertisers to purchase ads on your forums? Do you just post threads and pages on your forums about it? Do you belong to an advertising network? Do you outright ask people to buy ads?

TheListener

So far have advert banners 'Advertise Your Business Here'

Also mention this on the facebook and twitter pages every now and then.

We charge £10 per year.

ArkServer

I signed up with google ads etc so its not really a direct advertiser but my forum is too small for it anyway.

ApplianceJunk

I gave up trying to directly sell ads on our site years ago.
Between google adsense and the two appliance parts affiliates we work with I feel we are doing just fine without trying to sell ads directly.

Every once in awhile I will have a company contact me about placing a ad on our site. I give them a price for ad placement similar to what we would make from the same size google ad. Some companies have even asked if they could view our google analytics and I always let them.

As of today I have yet had a company go with a direct ad placement on our site. I'm sure the price scares them away, but I don't like the looks of a lot of ads on our site, so I figure if their ad is going to replace one of our google ad placements I need to have the same price as it would be foolish to take any less.

How do you find them Shawn?

Account Abandoned

This is an area I always have trouble with. I mainly just attempt revenue earning with ad servers like Google Adsense and what not. However, I have got a few advertisers here and there. I mainly have to directly contact them though to get them interested. I show them my stats and provide screen shots and login information if they want to see for themselves. Then I pitch the price. When I do pitch the price, I give them a price and say I have lowered it for them since I am contacting them. Usually I don't lower it that much but I have a system where I know I will earn a good profit anyways. Its all about planning really, plan first then do it.

ApplianceJunk

I'm sure many have been successful with direct ad placement, but for me I still feel it's a waist of my time.
I belong to 18 different affiliate programs, but only actively use three of them, but we have many options.

Most of the affiliate programs I apply for after reading about them. I love to apply for ones I hear are hard to get accepted into just to see if our site is accepted, lol...

The only one I can think of off hand that we did not get accepted for was the ebay partner network. Funny thing is I applied for the program months before our upgrade from SMF 1.1.14 to 2.0 and was turned down. No big deal I thought as I was not really wanting to use them, but more or less just check them out and I had read a lot online about ebay turning down a lot of very active high ranked sites that had applied.

Then a shortly after upgrading to SMF 2.0 I got a email from ebay saying congrats on being accepted to the ebay partner network, what!? lol...


Account Abandoned

Quote from: ApplianceJunk on September 23, 2011, 11:20:21 AM
I'm sure many have been successful with direct ad placement, but for me I still feel it's a waist of my time.
I belong to 18 different affiliate programs, but only actively use three of them, but we have many options.

Most of the affiliate programs I apply for after reading about them. I love to apply for ones I hear are hard to get accepted into just to see if our site is accepted, lol...

The only one I can think of off hand that we did not get accepted for wash the ebay partner network. Funny thing is I applied for the program months before our upgrade from SMF 1.1.14 to 2.0 and was turned down. No big deal I thought as I was not really wanting to use them, but more or less just check them out and I had read a lot online about ebay turning down a lot of very active high ranked sites that had applied.

Then a shortly after upgrading to SMF 2.0 I got a email from ebay saying congrats on being accepted to the ebay partner network, what!? lol...

With a forum like yours, I would consider targeting advertisers who directly sell appliances you discuss or re-sellers of it, etc. Heck even local ones who want to explore online sales could be a good one to target :)

ApplianceJunk

I live in a small rural area of South Dakota. I know for sure local appliance shops would laugh at my asking price for a ad.

Edited to add: The worst part about selling a direct ad for me is I would have to raise the price every month. After all our affiliate parts sales and google adsense revenue increases every month. :)

Account Abandoned

You sound like me AJ, living in small rural areas haha... us dang'ole hick forum owners :D

ApplianceJunk

lol...

People in my town are clueless about generating income online.

I have confided in a couple close friends and family members the type of income our site generate and they look at me like I'm lying or something. Screw them, they asked and I told. What they think changes nothing, lol..  8)

Account Abandoned

The few businesses and public works in my town use Facebook for their websites haha. What is funny about it, is that most of them don't even use the page option, they make user accounts and have to manually approve friends :p

Topman

If you have lots of content, a good PR and 1000 visitors a week the advertsiers will find you.
I have got all my direct advertisers this way.

Then send them an e mail three times a year with a "special rate for a valued advertiser"  limited for three weeks and get a few more ads.

My Forum revenue is not that good.  I dont know why.


ApplianceJunk

Quote from: topman on September 27, 2011, 09:28:28 AM
If you have lots of content, a good PR and 1000 visitors a week the advertsiers will find you.
I have got all my direct advertisers this way.

Then send them an e mail three times a year with a "special rate for a valued advertiser"  limited for three weeks and get a few more ads.

My Forum revenue is not that good.  I dont know why.



Maybe you need to charge more?

Account Abandoned

I never have luck with advertisers coming to me and I have some sites with great PR, awesome traffic and rank as the largest and most active sites online of their niche. I usually have to go to these people rather than wait for them to come to me.

Topman

You could put a few affiliate ads on your site to "attract" real paying ads.

Also what I meant earlier was that forums dont seem to generate many click thrus.
Ad rates are based on what companies will pay, They negotiate to a level that we are both happy with.
If you charge too much they wont advertise.

MrPhil

Quote from: ApplianceJunk on September 23, 2011, 11:30:26 AM
I live in a small rural area of South Dakota. I know for sure local appliance shops would laugh at my asking price for a ad.
Too high for their budget or too low (implying not worth the bother)? If it's too high for them, for the local market, give them a price break or rebate for small local businesses. Build a relationship with small local businesses -- both of you can benefit!

Topman

It is better to get something rather than nothing.  there is a price where it is not worth the bother of uploading the ad and preparing an invoice though.
Around two hours time in cash or less is not worth it.

AllanD

I go on alot of promotion forums and admin forums.As well as having a link in my sig.
Check out this great sites.
KnD Hosting

Mick.

My Chevrolet forum generates about $100-150 every month from google ads. This last year have been the best of all since 2006 i launched the forum.

I also have an advert program http://www.chevyavalancheclub.com/index.php/page,390.html but i dont make much there. Usually are vendors that are starting out with their business and have no reputation. I dont make business with those types.

I also use Google Affiliate Network. http://www.chevyavalancheclub.com/index.php/page,398.html
Sure i've placed a couple banners here and there but i have not sold a product ever.

I also have a custom shop from http://www.goldencan.com/ but too have not sold a thing.
http://www.chevyavalancheclub.com/customshop.php

Early this year i added in-line links from Vibrant-Media. http://www.vibrantmedia.com/
I generate $50 a month.

Not bad i guess.

jilly

I use Commission Junction. I have an extremely small forum but have been by accepted by about 20 of the 30 advertisers I applied to. There are hundreds to choose from and super easy to apply to.

http://www.cj.com/ [nofollow]

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