Friday 31 July 2015

Why Nellie and Co. Doesn't Use Advertisments


I've never considered what blogging would be like if I earned a little money on the side while doing it. Sure, many other bloggers have, and good on them, blogging can be costly, especially if you're not like me who doesn't spend anything on blogging, and is content with blogging on Blogger, alas, I've never looked at blogging and thought about money.

The idea of creating revenue through Nellie and Co. has not been something I've considered lightly during recent events, and while I do offer sponsored posts depending on the topic, actually going as far as having advertisements is something I've never wanted, nor considered. The subject itself - of advertising through Nellie and Co. - was brought up recently at an Interview Techniques Workshop I attended through a company I'm working with in order to find full-time employment, as a result of mentioning how proud I was to have been blogging for as long as I have, proud of actually being a blogger, and how I like to bring it up at interviews. Eventually, the topic found it's way to my statistics and followers I have that make use of Nellie and Co. and it's resources, haven't I considered advertising on it. The truth is, I don't want to.

"What about your reward? For all your hard work?"


The billion dollar question it would seem. Why am I so content with making what could be referred to as a loss with Nellie and Co.? Why am I not interested in during my hobby into a business? Why do I waste skills and talent on something that doesn't have a reward at the end?

Teaching others how to be their best self is my reward


Nellie and Co. has never been just a blogging and self-help resource; I'm still an avid reader which shows through my book reviews, and I'm a hobbiest blog designer which is evident through my design and blog tutorials, but my true love, the thing I love most to do is teach others. Even as a young girl, I had a dream to teach, and yet, now, as an adult, I can see and appreciate that teaching doesn't have to take place in a school environment. I know that my advice, my tips and help and guidance have helped other bloggers achieve great things. I know that my joy of teaching and sharing skills with others has benefited so many other people.

I share my skills and experience not for profit, but for the joy it brings me. I could start advertising on Nellie and Co. and many of you probably wouldn't mind, nor care all that much, but I would. I care about Nellie and co.'s style and aesthetics, I care about how you view Nellie and what you expect from me in terms of quality content, being truthful, and never letting the pound signs make decisions for me. Maybe I am making a mistake not advertising. Maybe I should be thinking with my empty wallet and not on how every comment, every visitor,, every piece of support and guidance I get makes my day just that little brighter, reminding me that my reward is in the people I've helped, the people I've taught, the people who have achieved thanks to me.

Going to that Interview Techniques Meeting made me see that the reasons I blog and still love it today just as much as I did last month, or last is because I make a difference, no matter small that difference is, and I could not be prouder and happier to do so. I blog for free and provide my content for free, without the use of advertisements, because I love to do so, and I wouldn't change that for the world. it's truly as simple as that.

Do you, or would you, use advertisements on your blog?

20 comments:

  1. I agree with a lot of what you said and they're similar reasons why I don't put advertisements on my blog. I care way too much about:

    * Simplicity (ads take up space)
    * Site speed (ad network codes are notorious for being slow to load)
    * Aesthetic (I like everything on my site to be mine and match nicely)

    Plus, I don't like ads. There's a reason I have an ad block on my browser. It would be massively hypocritical of me to then turn around and put ads on my site.

    In most cases, putting ads on your site won't earn you enough money anyway. They MIGHT earn you 50 bucks a month if you get decent traffic, and that's certainly not enough to pay the bills!

    Big money in the blogging world comes from:

    * Promo posts
    * Using your blog as a marketing tool for a different business where you sell products/services

    These days, ads don't make much money unless you get millions of page views per month.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. All of the above reasons you mentioned are also reasons I don't too. I can't bare slow loading, and I know Nellie and Co. isn't super speed, but it loads pretty well, ads would ruin that. I use adblock myself and only unblock certain sites or blogs, there's just no need to have ads cluttering everything. I think a lot of bloggers think that ads will make them good money, but they don't, and it's a harsh truth. Thanks for checking it out Ashley!

      Delete
  2. I think I would do advertising, if I thought it'd make money. But as is? Like I can't see people clicking on random ads! And I don't want ugly ones or ones that don't match my blog. But I think the real reason I haven't looked into it is because I HAVE NO IDEA HOW. But, yus. That is just me. x)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know I personally wouldn't, they'd annoy me more than anything, no matter who had them. I just don't it makes enough in the long run and ruins your brand and your aesthetics for nothing. Hey, I'd still avidly read Paper Fury though should you ever, I wouldn't hate you ;)

      Delete
  3. I tried Google Ads for a time but I thought they looked ugly so I turned them off. The only ad revenue I get from my site is through Amazon Associates (it's enough to buy me a few books per year) and the other affiliate places I belong to. Still it's not a lot of money and it's just a few things in my sidebar. But I'm an author not a blogger, really. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think as an author, you can use ads related to you and your books and it's fine, because it's promotions, not always seen as making money, as a blogger, you're squeezing pockets, you know? I like being ad-free, it makes me feel as though people enjoy being on Nellie and Co. I hope!

      Delete
  4. Since blogging is just a hobby for me, I dont use advertisements on my blog. I am not blogging full time so I do not see a point in it, putting advertisements on my blog and maybe earning penny here or there. Same as you, sharing my opinions and talking to other people is my reward :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't think it'd ever help you much blogging full-time anyway Lucia, there's not a lot in the way of making money from ads, especially for book bloggers, and that can sometimes suck. Just being able to make people happy is reward enough for us both, that's good for me :)

      Delete
  5. I tried Google Ads once, because I just wanted to see how it worked. I thought the ads were ugly and, even when you messed with settings and the kind of ads you wanted, they never showed relevant ads like they say they will. Plus it would probably make you enough to maybe get a cup of coffee a month if you were lucky.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think that's why I'd never use them myself - they just don't seem worth the stress!

      Delete
  6. I don't want to turn on the ads. I think it'll be annoying because I love the way my site looks and I hate ads ruining that. On other blogs, I don't really care about ads unless it changes the blog's look or it makes it hard to access the site. i don't think i've ever clicked on an ad, though, tbh. even the ones on youtube - i just skip them and pretend they aren't there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I feel the same, the look and feel of a blog can change SO MUCH with the use of ads, and I don't want that, my look is that way for a reason, and no matter what people say, I don't want it. I skip ads all the time too Nova, I just don't bother with them anymore..

      Delete
  7. Yup, I do put advertisements on my blog and they barely bring in $2 a month so it's hardly about making a profit. But, I was very particularly about ads - they needed to be about books and to fit the audience. I wouldn't dream of putting google ads or anything else that doesn't fit in with my blog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can understand that, I think if it works for you, go for it, and $2 isn't terrible, but it wouldn't be worth it for changing how my blog looks, not to me anyway. $2 better in your pocket Jeann!

      Delete
  8. I do, but it isn't really worth it honestly. I do the Amazon affiliate ads only because it's insanely easy to throw into a post, and there's actually a story behind why I have Google ads: I had a "mom" blog years ago, and a friend of mine said I just "HAD" to have an ad. So, I didn't care, because I wasn't really into it anyway, so I threw the stupid ad on the blog. Fast forward many years later, and I didn't really even care if they were on my book blog at all- except I had never reached the payout minimum (because, like you said, it would take forever- about 4 years to reach $100!) and basically I was NOT letting Google keep the money at that point ;) So yeah, that's why it's there, in a little corner- because I am fighting a battle that I will basically never win haha. I totally understand why you don't though!

    All that said, I WOULD do it if the right thing came along. But I certainly wouldn't put ads for something I didn't agree with front and center! Very interesting topic, I have loved reading everyone's opinions!
    Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I used to use them affiliate links myself, but I think I just got fed up and never getting anything back from it, you know? I don't blame you though for that small add, you should deserve that money, so I hope you get it Shannon! I've loved the varied opinions too, so interesting! :)

      Delete
  9. I never started my blog with the idea that I could earn money by it and I still believe it wouldn't feel good to me. It's a hobby - and to be honest, I have no idea how to set it up in the first place. I'm just not interested in all of that :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I feel the same Mel, it's a hobby and I don't want to treat it any differently :)

      Delete
  10. It's nice that you describe it.

    ReplyDelete
  11. A very excellent blog post. I am thankful for your blog post.

    ReplyDelete