One of the questions I always get is how you monetize your WordPress blog with plugins. This is probably the most efficient and easy-to-use method of getting advertisements up on your website. The best part is that most of these services automatically allow you to take payments and disperse ads! Cutting out the middleman is an excellent option for any blogger. You can take 100% of the earnings if you manage your ads instead of paying commission fees.
There are many ways to utilize ad space on your website. Some of the more popular methods are 125×125 banners, 468×60 banners, and text links. As the internet develops, websites become slicker and slicker with Flash, AJAX, Mootools, and other ways to become Web 2.0. With this, advertising has branched off into “peel away” as snug in the upper corners of websites, bar ads across the top of the page, and even video ad units. I think that a lot of this is overkill to focus on traditional banners and text. Look at the top WordPress plugins for placing ads on your blog.
1. OIOPublisher
This brand new WordPress monetization tool is by far the best in class; luckily for us, it is also the most cost-effective D. With a solid amount of options (review posts, text links, banners, inline text, etc.), OIOPublisher is what I use here at theNetFool.com! Installing the plugin opens up a whole new section of your WordPress administrator backend, a “business” tab that offers extensive options and tracks all of your clients. Everything is straightforward to use and understand; I had mine up and running in 30 minutes! This is the only plugin I have ever paid for, and at just a $37 one-time cost, this thing pays for itself, and almost anyone can afford it.
One thing I especially like about OIOPublisher is the built-in widgets to encourage readers to buy ads. All unused banner spaces can be automatically filled with advertisements of your choice and redirected to your purchase page. There is even a widget with the plugin to show how many ad spaces are available on your site at all times. I think that $37 is reasonable for this awesome WordPress plugin. Not only do you get an easy-to-use administrative section, but you also have everything automated for you, and your one-time fee covers the plugin on multiple websites! If you are looking for an easy way to link directly with WordPress and get your blog monetized, look for OIOPublisher.
2. WP Text Ads
READ MORE :
- Making Money With Blogger
- The Best WordPress Plugins
- Boost Your Income With Trade Journals
- How to Identify a Blogger
- How to Keep Your Computer Cool
This was the popular monetization solution before OIOPublisher went public, and it is undoubtedly a perfect product. My problems with WP Text Ads are: The product is overpriced at $127, and there is no support for banner ads, which are text-only. Considering these factors, I am not too bullish on the WordPress plugin. However, taking the service as is, I think it is perfect if you are interested in providing mostly text link spots to your advertisers. The ads are straightforward to style, and you can even set the rates at which they run differently to ensure maximum payback efficiency. Again, the one-time $127 is expensive… but if you are selling a steady stream of ads, it should not be too much of an issue since it is a one-and-done deal.
3. WP Bankroll
This blog monetization service only applies to selling blog posts, paid reviews, and plugs on your blogging website. It is not as professional as OIOPublisher or WP Text Ads, but it gets the job done and can be used completely free if you are willing to provide a backlink to their website (else $20-$50). There are some interesting features to point out. You can determine how many links can be active in each post, the minimum word count, and the cost.
Another clever feature allows you to randomly allow your guest poster links to appear in your sidebar. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend WP Bankroll unless you are solely looking for sponsored/guest posting on your website and do not have any money to spare on a plugin. If this is you, then, by all means, use Bankroll, but I’d rather see you with OIOPublisher or WP Text Ads.
4. Text Link Ads
I figured it is only fair to include this opportunity, although they are not what we are looking for by “cutting out the middleman.” Text Link Ads is a service that offers 50% commission for text ads, where they essentially handle all of the work for you. This is a nice option if you don’t want to go out and look for people to advertise on your blog, but I still figure that you would be better off with a downpayment and 100% of the gains.
This program is more like buying into an AdSense or BidVertiser-type advertising program than the previous options. The plus is that they install the ads for you and pay a commission based on views and clicks. The downside is that the minimum payout is $25, and you only get half of your potential income. Still, it is a popular option many choose as an alternative to Google Adsense.
