I use Typepad as my blogging platform. I've been using it for four years now. For the most part, I've been pleased with the improvements they have made to the service over the time I've been a customer. And I think they try to add value beyond the blogging platform itself by activities such as hosting free webinars and starting an ad program for Typepad bloggers.
It's their push on advertising that caught my attention. I saw this little graphic on my dashboard the other day.
[If you have your graphics turned off, it reads "Are you a serious blogger? Prove it. Put ads on your blog to get paid for your hard work and give it a more professional look."]
Are ads on a blog the hallmark of a "professional look"?
We run ads on OneDegree.ca - because that is a for-profit venture. I also run ads on funchico.com - some Google AdSense and some affiliate banners. I also have some on our Gay Wedding site (to try to recoup some of our wedding costs ;) .
There was a time I had ads on here on MNIK. Mainly for a lark. I never thought they would earn serious money (funchico and the wedding site combined have earned 77 cents this year through Google AdSense). And I had no real control over them (or possibly just no idea on how to place them well). So I took them off.
But the idea that they (or any ads) would make my site look more professional never occurred to me.
Rob recently added AdSense ads to his blog - in order to experiment with them. And Darren added AdSense ads a while ago, to his sub-pages and his "project sites". Neither of them used the argument that they wanted their sites to appear "more professional".
Are ads the hallmark of blogger professionalism? Do ads a "serious blogger" make?
After I started this post, I saw this new graphic also touting their advertising program ...
It's kinda funny. But also seems to go against the principles of The Generous Web and Whuffie that are the backbone of so much of what is good that happens in the blogosphere. Now, I certainly think that bloggers should make money from their blogs. I guess I just find this particular ad so ... icky. Just me?
Regardless, I am still very interested by the assumption raised by the first Typepad tout - do ads on your blog make you look more professional?
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