September 16, 2009
Library Blog Ad Network
The Library Blog Ad Network is a new mini-network on blogads run by Sabrina Pacifici of LLRX.com and beSpacific, and Chug Roberts of TheCapitol.Net.
The ideal blog in the Library Blog Network will be well-written, free of ad hominem attacks, and be updated regularly.
We are especially interested in blogs that discuss all aspects of libraries, research, and information retieval, and are of broad appeal to other librarians.
We are inviting info-entrepreneurs and librarians with blogs, library-focused blogs, and blogs affiliated with libraries, research, and information retrieval to join this mini-network.
Tell me more
The vast majority of bloggers still write for free. For most, the satisfaction of publishing their thoughts and interacting with readers is reward enough. But an increasing number want at least a small return for their efforts -- the question is how?There are many routes, from affiliate programs like Amazon Associates and Commission Junction to cost-per-click text ads like Google AdSense. If a blogger wants to sell advertising space on their weblog they can use services like AdBrite, which will handle serving, billing and sales.
But what if a blogger wants to actively attract companies who might otherwise not even know their weblog exists? It's easy for established blogs like BoingBoing or Daily Kos, who already have a significant Web presence. But how does Joe Blogger get noticed? The answer appears to be the collective.
Gawker Media, Weblogs, Inc. and B5 Media have proved that there is a market for advertising on blog networks. And the launch of Pajamas Media last month and the increasing success of Blogads appears to herald a new way for individual bloggers to become part of such a collective advertising network while still retaining control of their individual site's content. By joining together in loose or more rigid groups, bloggers are beginning to appear on the radar of big business and advertising companies and present themselves in terms that big firms can finally understand.
"Get it together: Blog collectives seek to draw ads," by Paul Berger, Online Journalism Review, December 8, 2005
If you are a librarian with a blog, or have a blog with a focus on research, information retrieval and library related issues and content, and would like to be considered for membership in this blogads mini-network at blogads, please contact us to discuss joining the Library Blog Ad Network. Tell us about your blog, including: the blog name, URL, your name and best way to contact you, weekly visitor count, particular focus of your blog, if you carry other types of advertising such as Google ads, how often you post, and why you believe your blog is a good fit for the Library Blog Network.
Your blog can carry both Google AdSense and blogads, although blogads usually generate more revenue for blogs that carry both blogads and Google AdSense.
If you already carry blogads or if you already belong to another blogad mini-network, you can still join this network at no cost to you, presuming you meet the criteria and accept the terms outlined here. The Library Blog Network, like all blogads networks, is part of blogads, so any changes you make in your adstrip via the blogads site, including rates, description, etc., are reflected in any network you are part of. You only need to make those changes in one place, where you've been making them all along.
Networks are win-win: good for bloggers, and good for advertisers. They cost a blogger nothing to join, they increase a blog's visibility to advertisers, and they allow for easier ad buys for advertisers.
If you do not want to personally accept the blogads revenue, please note that all revenues from advertising can be used to pay for anything you choose, such as free public wi-fi in your branch, a specific piece of technology for your library or organization, a public subscription to a magazine, donation to your favorite library, etc.
All information sent to us concerning the Library Blog Network will be treated with confidence and not shared with any third party.
Here's an article about the mini-networks on blogads: "Blogads Creates Networks Within Network," by Shankar Gupta, Online Media Daily, June 8, 2005
Full Disclosure and Terms
The financial terms below are established by blogads, not by us. We set the logo / text link requirement in accordance with blogads terms for network administrators. The Library Blog Network logo / text link encourages potential advertisers to look at and buy ads on the entire network, and also facilitates finding the network via Internet searches.
Blogads participation is currently by invitation and sponsorship only.
For blogads that appear on your blog, you receive 70% of the revenue from each ad, less a small per-transaction fee that covers credit card and PayPal transaction costs, and typically amounts to 2%-3%, while blogads keeps 30%. For blogs that we sponsor, the Government Relations Blog Network receives 5% of your ad revenue, but that 5% is paid out of blogads 30% share, not out of your 70% share. Blogs that are already members of blogads continue to receive their 70% share of blogads revenue.
All payments are made directly to you by blogads.
Blogs that become members of the Library Blog Network are required to carry this text ("Advertise on the Library Blog Network") next to their blogad ad space (above or below), along with a link to the Library Blog Network order page on blogads.
http://www.blogads.com/advertise/library_blog_network/order
You can also carry the Library Blog Network logo (150 x 75 pixels) next to your blogad ad space; carrying the logo may result in increased ad buys on the network.
Advertise on the Library Blog Network
Once you accept the invitation we send to you to join blogads and you are signed up with blogads, you alone decide what price to charge for blogads that run on your blog and you alone decide which ads to accept.
Please note that it takes a few days after you sign up with blogads for your blog to show up in blogads' system. When it shows up, we will add it to the blogads order page for the Library Blog Network.
Please note that blogads run in a column format. The column is approximately 155 pixels wide. The code to insert blogads into your sidebar only takes 2. One line is the javascript to display blogads, and the other line is the link to your stylesheet on blogads. A 3rd line is required to link to the Library Blog Network.
To attract advertisers, you want to run blogads in the top 400 pixels of the screen.
(Most blogs load from left to right, so if you want your blog content to load first, your sidebar should be on the right side of your blog.)
FAQs from blogads
You can see most, but not all, of the blogs that carry blogads, here. To see lower traffic blogs that carry blogads, on the "Select blog(s)" page, choose "Advanced Sorting", then, on the "Advanced sorting options" window, in the "Impressions/week" window, choose "1000".
Some blogs that carry blogads:
Logos
300 pixels wide x 128 pixels tall
200 pixels wide x 86 pixels tall
150 pixels wide x 75 pixels tall
600 pixels wide x 330 pixels tall
Posted at 10:12 PM