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I wasn't going to get into this right now, with Christmas approaching and all. Fa la la, deck the hall, peace on Earth, etc. But I am getting so very sick of advertising on blogs, I just can't stay quiet anymore.
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So many blogs I've enjoyed for years are succumbing to this, and I think it's hurting them. There are examples of blogs with advertising that have come to a nice balance--buttons on the sidebar, an occasional shoutout to the advertiser along with a nice giveaway--but they still offer plenty of content independent of the advertising. Others seem to be latching onto any opportunity with which they're presented, and it is not pretty. To me, these blogs which have morphed into what amounts to affiliate links piled on top of product endorsements lack sincerity. The blogs which made me hit the "subscribe" button are disappearing.
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Am I jealous? Is this sour grapes because my blog isn't generating fabulous offers of free goods and services? No. And you know why? Because I know what I would need to do to get those offers, and I choose not to. I won't even do something simple and unobtrusive like Amazon affiliate links. All the links I provide in my book posts? They're just simple links, provided so you can read more about the book. I don't want to earn money if someone buys the books. I'd rather have you borrow them from the library.
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What do you think about all this? Are there blogs you used to enjoy that have been tempted down that path? Have they suffered because of it? Or are you of the "more power to 'em" school?
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11 comments:
I unsubscribe from blogs as soon as they start becoming one big ad after another; makes me crazy! But, that said, some I love (like Soulemama, of course), earn their living from their blogs, and I think it's pretty cool that they can. I just prefer that it be kept small and unobtrusive, and that that's not what I'm reading about day after day.
I have added Amazon affiliate links to posts and one on my sidebar and a search box, with full disclosure in any post that contains such links.
My blog is small and not widely read. I guess I went ahead and added them because they don't bug me on other people's blogs. Adds everywhere - sidebars, headers, footers, between posts, really annoy me though.
Lisa, Soulemama has a ton of sponsors, but it doesn't bother me because there is still plenty of non-advertising content on her blog. She also doesn't strike me as a shill. Many of the sponsors are companies she's supported from way back.
Karen, your kind of set up doesn't bother me. It's the relentless hawking of other people's wares that make me suspicious and turn me off. I just don't do the Amazon type thing because I'm very pro-library!
I don't mind a few side ads here & there. If half the screen seems to be ads, then I generally stay away from the site. And I definitely don't follow blogs that post about products all of the time. However, it does help to follow rss feeds because I can't see all of the site ads.
I HEAR You!! I look at the ad-touting bloggers as part of the "Me-First" Generation, with the motto "What's In It for ME??" How much Free Stuff can I rake in? Gimmee, Gimmee, GIMMEEEEEEE!!
*gag*
I am occasionally asked to do a book review for a friend of mine who is an independent publisher, and will include a link back to Amazon with the book cover just in case someone reads the review and may want a copy of the book, but that is IT. I don't have any Buy Here links. The books I review? I don't accept a copy of the book in return for my review, either. Nicole just sends me a pdf file containing only the text that I read on the computer.
I love your book posts and have found several new favourites from the library because of them.
In all honesty, I prefer ad-free blogs, but I do read several that have their sponsors very tastefully acknowledged.
Trying to read someone's blog with two full coloums of sponsors and ads isn't something that interests me. I want the content, not ad/sponsor overload.
I do enjoy an ad free blog. That way you can just focus on what the blogger has to share about their lives.
I do enjoy the occasional recommendation of a biz or something, but I've been bombarded lately... tiresome.
I started down the advertising path when I first started my blog. My hosting site made it so easy! But I soon realized that I didn't like anything on my blog that I didn't have control over. So I quickly got rid of those ads and have never been sorry! I like being in control. :)
Sherry @ A Happy Valentine
The ads don't bother me really. What does is once one gets a book deal then the whole blog flavor seems to change. Once someone announces a book deal I am gone.
I agree with you 100%!
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