Introducing advertising on My Ballard

Posted by Geeky Swedes on September 25th, 2008

It’s been nine months since we started My Ballard, and a week doesn’t go by without someone asking if we’ll bring advertising to the site. We’ve been a little hesitant, because we don’t relish filling the site with display ads that nobody clicks. So today, we’re taking a different approach and introducing something we’re calling “business announcements.” It’s a dedicated place in the middle of the blog where local businesses can post a sale, event, coupon, new hours, new products — anything they’d like to announce to the neighborhood.

Our first announcement is from the Ballard Food Bank, which did not pay for the ad. (We’ll be including public service announcements from time to time along with the paying advertisers.) Our goal, besides generating a little revenue, is to give local businesses a prominent avenue to communicate with the neighborhood in a cost-effective way. And we hope you’ll support them. For more information on placing an ad, click here.

Tags: Ballard Facebook

LP

I love what you're doing with these community sites. Please do what you need to do to make a little money.

gooner

not only am i fine with it, but if a ballard business gets to tell me about a special, event, coupon, or anything going on, i actually view this as content to be honest.

relevancy in advertising is actually valuable.

if you want to buy a computer and get an add for 20% off your next computer. GREAT.

anyway, you guys deserve to get what little money you will from this.

keep it up

Pioggia

echoing much of the above: if it's static (no annoying flashing lights or pop-ups) and locally relevant I'm totally fine with some ads as the price for all the great info this site provides.

azbat5

I don't know about you guys, but whenever I see ads for fake or sketchy businesses, especially like the annoying "Low Mortgages" ads with the stupid dancing aliens, I just want to bash in my monitor with a tire iron. If the ones on myballard are going to be unobtrusive and will advertise Ballard businesses like Sonic Boom or Kitchen N' Things, bring them on baby. That way I can know what's happening and I can support them.

Sman

I normally do not like sites with ads, but realize I can't avoid them altogether. Otherwise, I agree with NAG's two comments.

NAG

I don't know how you guys do all this with your "day jobs" and the baby. Kudos.

Geeky Swedes

The Google ads are just placeholders to fill out the page, really. They generate a whopping dollar a day or so, and Ballard businesses are unable to target advertising into them. (Not to mention, nobody clicks them.)

The new business announcements are our first foray into ad sales, and we've spent a lot of time crafting an approach that we believe will deliver results for advertisers.

LEH

You mean you're selling ad space on the main blog? Hasn't MyBallard always run Google ads down the right side of the page?

I'm not really opposed, as long as the new ads are relevant and not too obtrusive.