My Experience Having Ads on My Blog and Using The BlogHer Advertising Network

Earlier this week, I talked briefly about the main way that I have chosen to try to make some money off my blog by using advertising network. (Click here to read more about how I make money with my blog, as well as a peek into about how much I make each month.)

Well, when I first put a couple of ads up on my blog, I mentioned that I wanted to be able to provide more information regarding my experiences using the ad networks, because I get the feeling that inquiring minds wanted to know!

It's now been more than six months that I've been using two ad networks: BlogHer network and ContextWeb, so I feel like I can confidently talk about my experiences using them so that, if you're interested in trying out some blog advertising, you can get some more information.

Right now, I'm going to talk about my experience using BlogHer, and later today, I'll share  how it's been using ContextWeb. I'm happy with both of them, and here's a little bit more about why:

Getting started using BlogHer for your blog
A long time ago, when I first started this blog and was reading all those how-to-make-your-blog-more-successful blogs, I ran across the BlogHer network. It’s a big community supporting women bloggers, including providing an ad network.

You have to apply to join the BlogHer network, and it wasn’t until last summer that I got an email telling me I was accepted. (I think from the time I applied to then was about a year or so, but I've heard they're accepting a lot more applications now anyway, so it might just be timing.)

I didn’t really know what to expect, but decided to at least give it a try and see what it was like; I figured that if I wasn't happy I could always quit. I'm really glad I decided to go ahead with using them; I was pleasantly surprised!

The basics about how BlogHer works
The way BlogHer works, in case any of you fellow bloggers are interested in applying, is that you get paid on a per-view rate, rather than a per-click rate, which I think is great because who clicks on ads anymore? I hardly ever do and don’t expect my readers to, either!

Some of the ads that have been showcased on my blog through this network include ones for CVS, Home Goods, and Gatorade--all professional and tasteful. (If anything ever does pop up that you don't feel comfortable running on your blog, they provide easy ways to remove those ads from your advertising queue.)

Setting BlogHer ads up on your blog
They are very specific about where their ads can go on your page (the ads must be displayed "above the fold," which means near the top of your page). This is why I ended up rearranging the layout of my blog, so that there was room for their ads at the top of my page. That was really the only change I had to make to my blog so that it'd work with their rules.

(However, if you have a blog that does a lot of sponsored posts or giveaways, there are a bunch of rules surrounding those, so that they don't compete with their advertising.)

Once I was accepted, the process was really easy and I had my code up in no time. Since I've joined, I've also had quite a few questions that I've emailed them about and I've always received a personalized response back within a day or two, which I have really appreciated.

Making money & getting exposure with BlogHer ads
I have actually seen some additional exposure to my blog simply by being a part of their blog network. For instance, a couple of times, a few posts of mine have been linked into the BlogHer advertising box that's featured on The Pioneer Woman's blog (!!). How neat is that?! Hundreds of people clicked through her blog to mine. (One kind woman sent me an email telling me that she put off making The Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls to read my blog!)

Plus, I've been pleased to see that BlogHer ads actually pay quite well (in my opinion), considering that I don't get a ton of traffic. It's nothing like an hourly wage considering all the time I put in on here, but it's enough that it'll at least pay for my coffee breaks in celebration for all the hard work I'd be doing for free anyway! 

Here are the links if you’re interested in applying to the BlogHer network or the ContextWeb network, both of which I use and can recommend after using each of them for a few months.

Click here to read my review and experience of working with ContextWeb for blog advertising.

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