Monetizing (via selling ads)

[Mr Lucky]

Up to now I have been subsdising my hosting expanses with Adsense, but I now want to get more seriously into monetizing the forum by selling ad banners directly.

I have decided to charge CPM as opposed to CPC.

I was interested in what others here think is better, and what you have found to be reasonable charges for either in your niche.

I wondered if there is a useful way to work out what is the best price so that I'm not undercharging or overcharging. Is there some formula based on what i was getting with Adsense? Obviously I should be earaning more via selling banners direct or it is not worth doing.

For example if Google were paying me £28 p.m for 60,000 views, that is 50p per 1000. Si I'm thinking £1 per 1000 so at least I double my earnings.

What do you think?

 

[Sadik B]

Ask a potential advertiser whether he likes CPC or CPM. And Ask him how much is he willing to pay per click and per 1000 impressions. Your goods are only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

 

[Mr Lucky]

Ask a potential advertiser whether he likes CPC or CPM. And Ask him how much is he willing to pay per click and per 1000 impressions. Your goods are only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

I've spoken to a couple of potential advertisers and they are not very experienced. I'm wary of CPC because of this, so far their banners don't seem to be as "call-to-actiony" as I think they could be.

 

[Sadik B]

If your advertisers aren't savvy, do what is better for them, if you want to succeed in the long run. If you were selling the product / service your advertiser is selling, what would get you better results? CPC or CPM? So recommend to your advertiser what is better.

Upsell them a "Banner / Call to Action" design service along with the ad space. Point out that it would be better for them as they will get better results. If they take it, great. Now run numbers by them. Your ad gets seen by 50K people who are interested in X niche from X, Y, Z locations. What can be your budget for this monthly? Per click?

If you are certain the ads they run on your site will give them positive results, go for the kill, ask for as high a price as you can.

 

[motowebmaster]

I offer fixed/monthly pricing to some advertisers, and leave the activity-based stuff to the ad networks, managed with an ad server.

The fixed-pricing advertisers generally have a goal, and I just solution whatever satisfies them.