Is paying for advertising stupid?

Is paying even $4 a month for a text link being stupid?  I don't think so.  Especially if it's on a website/forum with a good targeting audience.

I don't think it is stupid. 4$ is a really good price for a link especcially if it brings some traffic/pagerank.

For me stupid is giving money to get listed in directories and especcially in unkonwn ones, or to get linked by 'reciprocal link services'.

The point in any form of advertising is to get access to relevant traffic.

Relevant and Targeted.

Do you beleive there should be a double standard separating websites that don't sell a product (or service), to those that do? [relative to advertising tic tacs.  I mean tactics]

I think it's stupid to pay for advertising and it's stupid to do reciperocal linking.

~Crystal

If you can spend some money on advertising and make more from it, then it is not stupid. It is brilliant :)

I now believe you are being mischevious in your posts, Crystal.  Good one!

No, I'm not being mischevious. I honestly think it's stupid. I don't want to bulk up my site (like this site ior the topsites, no offense) on google ads and crap just to make a few extra bucks.

~Crystal

We are not talking about monetizing a site, but about promoting it.

As for the ads, I am not offended really, but you should also understand that the maintenance and the development of a website/server costs money. So it is almost impossible not to try make some money from it.

OMG, did you think I was talking about SELLING ad space?

No, I was talking about BUYING an ad space, whether text or graphical... to get the word out about YOUR(anyones) board or website. 

On the other hand, now that you bring it up... selling ad space isn't all that bad if its done tactfully.  Look at adminfusion.  They got one web banner up top, and only 5 text links on the side bar.  Not very intrusive.

Oh no I get it.

And Red, I meant both. Buying for space on someone's page is useless, and selling space (unless you are honestly running a business, not like, just being here) is wasteful. When you pay for your own server, I can understand, or if you're hosting or selling items, but if it's a personal or non-profit site, there's no point.

~Crystal

I strongly agree with that. It is like selling tapers to your friends. LoL :)

I dont' understand why you say it's useless.

Nikolas, i KNOW you spent 3 or 4 dollars for that text link on AF.  I know I clicked it and registered.  I think I have added to the board without spamming.  Do you think having me as a member as a result of your link useless or stupid?

I suppose this is a retorical question....

It is your first day here, you've made a lot of quallity posts, so I can say that your membership here is very valuable :)

You pay for advertising. If you're already paying for a host (and even if you're not) and it's just a personal site, why spend more money? If it's just a personal site, you should stick with free ways to expand, like directories and topsites. That's how Mercury jumped from 0 to 4 PR relatively quickly, and yes it's non-profit and I've never paid a cent. I paid enough in effort.

But if you're OUT THERE TO MAKE MONEY, then why not sell/buy ads? Ads bring people in, like you said, and they're all potential customers. I wouldn't spend a lot on it though, and I doubt I'd ever put any ads on my site.

~Crystal

I like this post.

It shows thought and allows the reader to understand your logic.  Good effort.  And I'm happy for your PR, that's awesome!

Why couldn't you have said this in the first place? ;-)

I think that if you really love your activity in your sites then you should propably want in some time to live from that. Let me give you a real life example.

I am a web developer. I work all day long to make sites and web applications for people/companies that don't even know what they want to do, my business have many costs, I owe money to banks, etc.......

I really like my job. BUT I don't like developing sites or extranets or whatever for anyone else. I love the idea of having my own sites (that I like to develop) and live from that. I also love the idea that I can communicate with people from all around the world throught this activity, and my dream is one to day to live from that.

So having this goal in my mind monetizing a site is one way road, and I don't think that the users feel bad for a site that has ads, because after all nothing is free in this world. I prefer to see ads in a forum than have to pay to join :)

PS: Excuse my stupid post, but I really like to share things with my webdigity friends :)

It's definitly worth it. I would recommend buying text links on forums that are related to your site.

 lol the only way to promote a business is through directed or targeted ads. i have spent over a thousand dollars last year on advertising, and it brought me about.. say.. 500,000 unique visits, and i sold about 20 sites in the process. so in the end i profited about double what i paid for advertising, it was definately worth the investment.

well I havent bought Advertising yet -- but what I hear from Sketchi, he bought some at AdminFusion and i think he was happy with it. So i dont think its stupid.

See this is when it's worth it. His goal is to sell websites. But like this:

http://www.mercury.theicy.net (my site)

I would NEVER sell or buy adspace to promote it. I pay nothing for it, and I'm not out to make money.

So are you paying for it or out to make money or is it a personal site?

~Crystal

I believe that the most people that have web sites, are into this for money.

You sure? Most of the people I know who have websites are actually in it because it's fun.

~Crystal

I suppose this is true mostly for teens/teenagers, and to be honest when I was 16 I didn't have any ads in my sites.
But now that I am almost 26 I see this activity in a more commercial view. I mean that anyone could use an additional 10, 100 or 1000$ income every month :)

Well sure but you're providing a service. I know adults who pay for their hosting and don't have ads because they enjoy the work, not because they have any ulterior motive like making money. Not that it's not a bad thing.

~Crystal

I would love to work this way myself too. Too bad that the bank wouldn't allow me to..... :(

How old are you Crystal?  $4 says you're a teen.

Does it matter how old I am?

I know how to make money. I'm a business-minded person. I always have been. You can ask anyone who knows me. I don't see where my age plays into this at all. What it sounds like is you want to start a fight and pull out the "I'm older so I'm smarter" card. Don't make me prove how poorly that card does for most people.

~Crystal

lol... "older but smarter" card, i have proved that wrong myself plenty of times.. i am only 19, with a succesful business allowing me to work my way through college without a real part time job.. all on the internet, i owe this to being YOUNGER and smarter.

Meth0d can you share any result from your campaigns?

I mean what type of paid advertising worked best for you?

the best paid advertising i have found was search feed, although quite expensive in the long run (like 300-400 USD a month), they send lots of relevant visits to your site

I think the searchfeed inventory is part of the Miva network too.

Yeah, that's right.