Monetizing Your Blog with Ad NetworksMonetizing Your Blog

Joining an ad network is an easy way to monetize your blog. There are dozens of blog ad networks with new, niche ones starting every day. Here are a few of the better ones:

• For women and parenting centered blogs: BlogHer Ad Network, MomLogic, Real Girls Media, GlamMedia, JuiceBoxJungle’s Jungle Ad Network
• For foodies: FoodBuzz Featured Publishers, BlogHer Ad Network
• For all types of blogs: BuzzLogic, Six Apart Media Advertising Program for Bloggers, BlogAds, Fatvine Vertical Advertising Network (CustomerForce)

Before signing up with a blog ad network, you should find out:

• Are they signing up new bloggers or is it by invite only?
• What are the network’s requirements – traffic, frequency of posting, profanity, etc.?
• Do they require exclusivity, meaning can you run other ads or ad networks?
• Are you allowed to do sponsored (paid) posting?
• Ad banner placement – must their ad banner be at the top of your blog to count impressions?
• What do they pay? Usually it is $X per CPM (cost per thousand views)
• Who are their clients? Fortune 500 companies or little “mom and pops”?
• Do they run a lot of filler and public service ads?
• Does the ad “disappear” if there isn’t a campaign running?
• Control – can you opt out of a campaign if you do not care for the advertiser?
• What media outlets is the ad network is partnering with?

In my experience, BlogHer Ad Network has been the best paying ad network for my blog, This Mama Cooks! This could be because I’m in a good niche (health and wellness) and a good fit for many of their clients. However, others have told me they didn’t make all that much with BlogHer. Also, BlogHer’s rules on giveaways and reviews are restrictive and have been a turn off for many bloggers, so even if they do pay a better, it may not be worth changing your blog to fit their requirements.

What ad network do you use to monetize your blog?

Anne-Marie Nichols is the Social Media Manager at Mom Central Consulting. You can also find her blogging up some healthy recipes at This Mama Cooks!

Anne-Marie Nichols