Five Myths and Six Facts About Blog Advertising

Let’s face it, blog advertising is a scary prospect for big companies. Mainstream media varies between praising blogs as the second coming and bashing them as lynch mobs. But, dollar for dollar, and click for click, there is no more cost-effective or potent medium than blogs for your ads. In fact, you can often reach an influential and devoted niche audience of thousands for as little as $10 a week. So why are advertisers so wary?

(On the left, are examples from a very successful current campaign I'm doing for American Greetings. See examples here, (scroll down, right side) and here, and here.)

Why aren't more advertisers and bloggers getting together? Three reasons: fear, ignorance and the knowledge that a lot of pioneers get shot.

If you or your agency aren't including blog advertising in your 2007 plans, I'm here to tell you that you're making a big mistake.

Let’s look at some myths and some facts about blog advertising:

Myth: There’s no way to measure blog advertising

Fact: You get real-time traffic and click thru rates from blog ad networks like blogads.com

Myth: Bloggers might make fun of your ads.

Fact: True. But you might need better ads.

Myth: Blogs don’t have enough readers to matter in an ad campaign.

Fact: Many blogs can deliver well over a million impressions a week.

Fact: Even a blog with 5,000 readers a week can be influential beyond measure if one or more of its posts spreads through the blogosphere.

Myth: One half of one percent is a great click thru result.

Fact: Blog advertising that is appropriate, interesting and fun can easily hit .236 - .857% click thrus.

Myth: An ad that will pull on a more traditional website will also pull on blog.

Fact: Skip the hype and flash. Nobody is going to read a self-trumpeting blog or one that's awash in PR-ese. In fact, compelling content is the driving force—and any company that doesn't realize that will have a blog ad that's bound for oblivion.

Even more so to the point, ads on blogs are usually more targeted than ads on the street, on major magazines or websites.

People who come to blogs over and over have something in common.

Great post, BL.

While blogs may not have the reach of traditional off- and online media -- the quality of reach is higher because you can focus your ad messages by targeting niche blogs.
-- Mike
(Self-promo warning: A while ago, I made a similar comment about the blog placement value -- looking at them editorially -- and saying a blog hit is better than a traditional media hit. See my link if curious.)

Terrific campaign. Clever, timely, and grabby. How could you not click on a pup like Fluffy...you only need to read the first line of copy to be hooked in.

The "got stopped in my robe" ad is believable cause a lot of moms could relate. And the holiday letter might have been written by someone most of us know.

Happy Holidays.

Thanks Rickey! You made my day.
That nightgown incident actually did happen to a friend of my sister.

:>)
BL