Would you advertise on blogs? Why?

Selling via advertisements attached to blogs is on the cutting edge of online advertising and in relatively uncharted territory.Blog administrators are scratching their heads trying to figure out how to attract advertising dollars while advertisers are testing the waters looking for high-traffic sites and a predictable return on their investment. So far; bringing the two together has been a challenge.If you’re going to advertise in the exploding realm of blogs, there are a couple things you need to consider. Throwing advertising money into an unknown medium with no basis of knowing how well it will attract business tends to make managers nervous, and rightfully so.The first thing you should consider when exploring where to invest your money is that it’s wise to stick to the high-traffic blogs, or at least ones that are heading in that direction. Second, make sure the blog effectively targets your potential customers or clients.High traffic is due to a number of factors and include the ease with which interested viewers can find the blog, how well-networked and linked to popular sites the blog may be, the quality and content of it’s material, and whether the blog is filling a niche. Blogs that are doing these things well are probably good bets for successful advertising.Some blogs have cornered a very specific niche and enjoy thousands of viewers every day. These are rare, of course, and usually zero in on a specific interest or need. Successful blogs may appear to offer general information at times but if the truth be known, they’re limited in their coverage and know how to hit the bullseye. Bloggers that try to widen their audience too far often distance their visitors and become irrelevant.As an advertiser; you need to understand how a blogger is doing business. Is the blog focused? Is it professional? Does it take viewers a step higher in their knowledge of the subject? The blog’s success depends on creating high traffic and focusing on a specific group of visitors, and its success should determine whether or not you’re willing to risk your precious advertising dollars to support it.If the blogger is shotgunning for readers the site will probably be unfocused, shallow, and nonprofessional. A blog with high traffic, a solid network and possible link system to similar sites, contains accurate, interesting, and professional material, and targets a specific audience, is one you should take a second look at.This is a site that viewers will have bookmarked and return to again and again. Your advertising dollars will get a lot of bang for the buck.If you’re not sure if advertising on a blog is going to be profitable for you, consider starting your own blog as a test site. Contracting it out or administering the site in-house will give you a safe place to experiment with advertising strategies. Focus on your present and potential customer base.Talk about your products and the latest developments in your field. Install an online counter to find out how often your site is visited. If your advertising dollars produce sales, try small advertising campaigns on similar blogs. If it doesn’t work, it didn’t cost you much to try.Choose your blog carefully if you have advertising money to invest. Some are far better than others.