The cast from Mad Men
As I type this, I am sitting in a wonderful cafe in Toronto’s east end called Dark Horse Espresso Bar. It’s in a dingy part of an up-and-coming neighbourhood that has been undergoing gentrification for the past 12 years. I have lived in this area for about 11 years and am amazed by how it’s changed from drug dealers, bikers and general ruffians, to artists, documentarians and digital media types like me. Once mostly antique shops and bohemian cafes, the neighbourhood is starting to see cocktail lounges, wine bars, cheese shops and even a Starbucks. But when I come into a place like Dark Horse, I’m reminded about what I love best about Toronto – its cosmopolitan eclecticism.
I’m also sitting here reminded about that scene in Best-in-Show:
Anyway, onto Advertising Ah-Ha moments…
Here is where are we at:
- Google isn’t going to make me rich.
- Advertising networks aren’t going to do much for me.
- Affiliate networks are worth exploring.
- Direct paid advertising should be the cornerstone of my business.
I’ve come to the conclusion that I will do all options. For a business like mine, which is just starting out and doesn’t quite have the credibility (yet) or access to big advertisers (again, yet 
), then this is the best way to go. I am going to create as many monetization opportunites as possible without being too annoying to the site’s visitors. The stroller site is going to have Google Ads, OpenX marketplace ads (mostly as remnant ads), as well as paid opportunities for banner ads and directory listings.
But even after all of that, the fact remains that the most important thing for me to do as a burgeoning media mogul is to drive traffic traffic traffic to the site.
Check out these other great money-making blog strategies on Problogger. Love the idea of the Featured Advertiser.
Have a great weekend everyone!
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