3 ms·

I'd say about 1.5 to 4 times the CPM for each ad unit of whatever you are getting from google ads would be an average starting point. Higher end for smaller and

by dejb 19y ago

I'd say about 1.5 to 4 times the CPM for each ad unit of whatever you are getting from google ads would be an average starting point. Higher end for smaller and/or targetted ad runs and lower end for large run-of-site ads. If there are a reasonable number of relevant advertisers on google then it servers as a decent market sample. Page views are the way to go because some of the ads you get from customer won't be good. I wouldn't look at committing to a significant campaign based on clicks unless you actually had the creative of the ads and had tested to see the click through rate. You are liable to get customers providing you with 'branding' ads that will achieve a very low clickthrough rates and return low CPM. You have to consider a number of issues - Commission and/or wages paid to the salesperson. - Cost of chasing the ads, fixing their mistakes, and putting the ads up. - Cost of billing + financial transactions - Reporting costs - Cost of collection the money. Some customers just don't pay.

petercooper 19y ago
I'm not sure comparing with Google Adsense is a good idea, otherwise following your advice I'd need to charge somewhere in the $70 - $160 CPM range on one of my blogs, which ain't ever gunna happen ;-) Anyway, just to be contrary, and because I've had success with it.. if you have a site that's visible in a particular niche, consider selling fixed rate "sponsorships" instead of advertising. I've had very good luck with this on a particular blog that totally FAILED with Adsense (as in < 1% CTRs - a few dollars a month) and it now makes about a grand a month. The trick to doing sponsorships, I've found, is to both be prominent in a niche, and to have some sponsors already. This sounds like a Catch 22, but you can do freebie deals with friendly people in the industry until you get real sponsors. I didn't do this myself as I wasn't that smart when I started doing this.. and got the first two sponsors over the first 2 years and then all the rest came within a month after those two!
- dejb 19y ago
  Wow. You are doing about over $45CPM per ad unit. That sounds really good. I wish I was in that area. But I think the principle still holds - if you are going to be replacing ad views that are automatically and reliably earning $45 CPM then you need a reason to do it. The 2 good reasons I can think of are 1. More money. 50% more to make up for your extra costs 2. You want to diversify your income so if adsense ever went bad you would be in a better position. Maybe if you had an automated ordering system where people payed you upfront you could go lower but otherwise I just don't see how it is worth it. I agree with the sponsorships idea though. Let me know if you are keen to sell me some of that ad space for less than google returns :)

by dejb 19y ago

petercooper 19y ago

I'm not sure comparing with Google Adsense is a good idea, otherwise following your advice I'd need to charge somewhere in the $70 - $160 CPM range on one of my blogs, which ain't ever gunna happen ;-) Anyway, just to be contrary, and because I've had success with it.. if you have a site that's visible in a particular niche, consider selling fixed rate "sponsorships" instead of advertising. I've had very good luck with this on a particular blog that totally FAILED with Adsense (as in < 1% CTRs - a few dollars a month) and it now makes about a grand a month. The trick to doing sponsorships, I've found, is to both be prominent in a niche, and to have some sponsors already. This sounds like a Catch 22, but you can do freebie deals with friendly people in the industry until you get real sponsors. I didn't do this myself as I wasn't that smart when I started doing this.. and got the first two sponsors over the first 2 years and then all the rest came within a month after those two!

dejb 19y ago
Wow. You are doing about over $45CPM per ad unit. That sounds really good. I wish I was in that area. But I think the principle still holds - if you are going to be replacing ad views that are automatically and reliably earning $45 CPM then you need a reason to do it. The 2 good reasons I can think of are 1. More money. 50% more to make up for your extra costs 2. You want to diversify your income so if adsense ever went bad you would be in a better position. Maybe if you had an automated ordering system where people payed you upfront you could go lower but otherwise I just don't see how it is worth it. I agree with the sponsorships idea though. Let me know if you are keen to sell me some of that ad space for less than google returns :)