The topic of paid advertising versus the traditional affiliate business model comes up quite often in many affiliate and online marketing forums. I don’t think I need to spend any time explaining the difference between the two models, as most likely if you’re reading this blog you already know the difference.

The one thing I do want to accomplish in this post however is to give some practical advice on a few of the most important factors in selling paid advertising . First and foremost many affiliate marketers try to transition from an affiliate model to a paid advertising model for the wrong reason. Many attempt to do this because they’re unable to make money with affiliate offers, banners, or promotions in these same spots on their sites.

If this is the case, then your site is in no way ready to transition to a paid advertising model. It’s your site, and if you cannot figure out how to get conversions, there is surely no way you will provide any ROI to your potential advertisers. So with that, keep in mind that media buyers buy advertising to get ROI and conversions, not “just because”.

I have personally operated both the affiliate model and the paid advertising model quite successfully in the past. Here are 4 suggestions that are critical to operating in the paid advertising space.

1. Add Value To Your Advertisers, and then add more value - To have a successful paid advertising campaign, you have to be able to show value in multiple respects. You have an entire website, use all of it. Instead of just selling a banner spot, or a text link, you should have multiple offerings. For example you can offer geo-targeting, a review page, a blog post specifically about their product, multiple ad spots, a press release, etc. Surely every site is different and there are various other things you can offer, but offering multiple features and benefits is critical in showing overall value to potential advertisers. If you have an authority site, why not sell on the fact of exposure as well as SEO benefits.

2. Have A Professional Media Kit Made - Presentation is everything when it comes to selling advertising. You will get much better reception and interest by having a professional media kit made in a .pdf format. This media kit should provide a comprehensive overview of exactly what you are offering. This should be a sales piece that people get excited about after reading. In your media kit you will need highlight and sell each feature and benefit . So if you are going to include a few different things such as mentioned in #1, use this professional piece to highlight each. You will immediately turn off any potential buyers if your presentation only consists of a simple email with a .jpg of your Awstats.

3. Know Your Stats And Expected Rate Of Return – Although it is impossible to guarantee the exact ROI to advertisers, you should have a pretty good idea of how many impressions and click throughs the various spots of real estate on your site are able to produce. Be honest about your stats and expectations as well. Nothing is worse than overpromising and under delivering to a new advertiser. If anything, estimate on the low side and you will look like a hero when you exceed their expectations.

4. Offer Options – Negotiate – And Provide Third Party Testimonials – One important aspect of selling advertising is to provide a few different options. An easy example would be to offer a gold, silver, and bronze package. Make each package unique in what you are offering. Also like any sales presentation, be willing to negotiate. Everything is negotiable, however at the same time, don’t be afraid to say No and walk away from someone who does not see the value in what you are offering. Finally and most importantly, offer third party testimonials from previous or current advertisers. Often times this can be what ultimately will give the media buyer confidence that they are making a good buy.

Anyhow these are three important things to consider when selling advertising on your website versus monetizing the site through affiliate offers. There is actually way more that I could write about in respect to selling media, however my blog posts always go on too long as it is. J

As mentioned though, I have successfully sold advertising on several different sites throughout the years. Feel free to ask any specific questions you may have in the comments section. I will be sure to answer them.

Happy Selling!

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