ad free zone
I started this blog as an experiment. I wanted a way to keep track of the little things that caught my eye either online or in the real world. And I also wanted a separate space to write about things that weren't about food and recipes. When I started my food blog I decided to forgo advertising altogether but then I started this blog and decided I'd give it a try. It was out of curiosity at first but then I simply forgot about them and grew a severe case of ad blindness. Sure, I had dreams of quitting my day job and just living off the riches that Google advertising would ply me with, but of course, that didn't happen. This morning when I saw an ad for hutches on the side of my blog, it totally put me off. It's funny because I used to work as a web designer for Adbusters magazine and have always been pretty critical of the way advertising and media shapes our world, so when I clued back in to those ubiquitous Google text ads, it totally put me off. I always try to live responsibly and make a conscious effort to choose the better option, so having ads on my blog was something I felt was a wrong choice for me. I immediately deleted that AdSense code from my sidebar and I felt a whole lot better.
Getting money from advertising is something that I just didn't feel good about. I guess it's the same reason why I'm always turning down free product from companies wanting me to blog about their products. I want to choose what I'm writing about and being obligated to write about a product I could care less about doesn't interest me in the least. I want the people who read my blog to know that anything I write about is endorsed by me and me alone. But of course, if someone wants to pay me to write about something that I want to write about — say local events or my own personal stories, well, that's just perfect! And so I've just started to write for the Food Network Canada blog, Food for Thought and my first post about my trip to the local farmer's market was published this morning. Stop by and say hi if you like as it would be nice to know your thoughts about what I wrote there.
I'm also curious about your own ideas/experiences about advertising on blogs. How do you feel about placing ads on blogs or bloggers accepting products?
Labels: advertising, blogging
posted by kickpleat at 9:39 AM
5 Comments:
I am thinking about putting (approved only) ads on Coconut & Lime just because I put a tremendous amount of work and money into developing all those recipes and it would be nice to offset the cost a little. I've resisted for 3 years but I really could use the $$.
and congrats on the Food TV Canada gig!
Google ads, etc. are too complicated for me to even understand how it works and why it's good or bad...anyway, glad to see that you are sticking to yor beliefs - I admire that.
If a candy company offered me candy or chocolate to taste and to write about it on a blog, I certainly wouldn't say "no"...any food for that matter...oink!
I follow you on this one. Although, one of my favourite food blogs has been to numerous restaurants, courtesy of them, to review them. It put me off a bit at first, but his reviews weren't necessarily rosy, so I figured as long as he was truthful about his dining experiences, it was ok that they were gratis. Now, I only wish someone would pay me to eat at their restaurants!
But I definitely find the google-type ads irritating, and can't imagine that they actually pay well enough to be worth the eye-sore.
I pretty much feel the way that you do. I've never even considered including ads on my blog, and am not interested in reviewing products except for those of my own choosing. For me, blogging isn't a business venture, although I can see why for others it would be - so, to each their own :)
rachel, i can understand the need to make a little cash from work. blogging is harder work thank it seems!
thanks joanne.
wow, jennie, i never would have figured a restaurant would comp a meal or whatever to have someone reveiw them!
chez shoes, to each their own...totally! couldn't have said it better myself.
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