FAQs for Advertisers

Blogs are ideal for promoting books, gigs, candidates, software, EBay auctions, legal services -- goods and services that require a strong intellectual or emotional engagement with an audience. Most of all, Blogads are good for new products and services that require word of mouth to really catch fire.

Word of mouth? What do blogads have to do with "word of mouth?"

Most purchases are made in a social context. Only 1 in 10,000 people buy something really new; most of us wait until two or three or ten friends or peers try something. (Were you the first person in the Western Hemisphere to get a tattoo?) So marketers are obsessed with "word of mouth." But you can't rely on demographic slicing to get good word of mouth... unless you've got thermonuclear ad budget. You've got to think in a new dimension, and advertise to groups of influential people who know each other, respect each other, talk to each other. Blogs make the networks of peers reachable. Now you don't have to hit 500,000 eyeballs to stir up some word of mouth... it's far better to talk to 500 people who know and respect each other, right?

So is this peer to peer?

Yep. For a while at least. While software, books, music and magazines are sold by big companies, obviously they are usually created by individuals or small groups. Blogads pricing and scale should mesh well with the individual creators' needs and wallets.

Where else can I look for information about blogads?

Visit archives full of quips and quotes about Internet advertising trends.

Sales Questions

We are an ad agency. We would like to brainstorm and talk about our campaign. Can you help?

Please contact our sales experts at (919) 636-4551 or get in touch with us via http://web.blogads.com/ba_contact_us

I work for an ad agency. What are your net prices?

The prices you see displayed on the blogs or on the blogads Order a la carte page are net.

Why do blogads run continuously for a set period?

You get more branding and the reader gets the ability to come back tomorrow and click the ad... rather than waiting 'til the ad gets regurgitated again from some mammoth database queue of ads.

What kind of clickthru can I expect?

Some advertisers get 5% clickthrus, some get 0.01% on the same blog. The key thing is to keep your ad fresh. You've got a great chance to really dig into the minds of a key network of decision makers, to drive word of mouth. Tweaking your ad every couple of days or completely revamping it is a great way to get into a dialogue with these people.

Can my ad appear at the top of a blogger's adstrip?

Bloggers get to designate where ads appear. On some blogs, you can order a premium or patron slot to ensure your position.

How can I ensure that my ad is prominently displayed on a page?

While click thrus on even the biggest adstrips are competitive with industry averages, advertisers who want prominent placements can order "premium" ads on some bigger blogs.These ads are generally priced at 2 to 4 times ads in standard slots and can be backlogged.

I'd like to buy an ad on multiple blogs. Will I be able to view statistics separately for each?

Yes. Once your ad is running, you will need to go to the 'Active Ads' page within your blogads account. There is a colum called 'Clicks-Views-CTR', here you will be able to choose what stats you would like to see for each ad.

What are the limits when paying for ads with Worldpay (credit card) and PayPal?

The limits for Worldpay (credit card) transactions are a minimum of $75 and a maximum of $20,000 or up to the individual card holders personal card limit. The limits for PayPal transactions are a minimum of $10 to your individual PayPal limit. If your order is higher than this, please contact us at sales@blogads.com or (919)-636-4551. A Blogads staffer will then contact you to help you get this transaction done.

Ad formatting, specifications, ad submissions

I don't have a userid, how do I get one?

You do not need to get a userid in advance. Once you have selected the blogs you are interested in and uploaded the ad, the system will prompt you to either log in or create a new account. Your user id will need to be an e-mail address you have access to.

How do I change my password once I have created a blogads account?

Once you have logged into your account click on the 'Logins' link on the left nav bar of the page. Click on your user email address that you use to login to your account with. Now you will be able to add in your new password. Please remember to save the changes.

What are the technical specifications for ads?

For a standard ad your image can be up to 150 pixels wide by 200 pixels tall (jpeg/gif, max 16K or flash (swf), max 32K) plus an optional 30 character title and 300 visible characters of text, which can include simple HTML tags like b, i, link and u. We discourage fast or infinitely looping animation, since these annoy readers and decrease your clickthrus. You will be able to edit your creative at any time during the campaign. Please refer to the technical specifications below for the other ad formats or click here to see examples of the various ad formats:

"Standard Ad" 150x200 pixels, 16kb jpeg/gif file size or 32kb flash file size plus 300 characters of text
"Hi-Rise Ad" 150x600 pixels, 35kb jpeg/gif file size or 70kb flash file size plus 300 characters of text
"Mini Ad" 150x100 pixels, 5kb jpeg/gif file size or 10kb flash file size plus 100 characters of text
"Classie Ad" 500 characters of text and NO edits after the ad has been submitted

Why can't I choose the "Classified Ad" format from the order a la carte page? Could you please give me directions on how to buy a "Classified Ad?"

Classified ads are cheaper than the other ad types, and are intended for the readers of each blog rather than for network advertisers. To submit an ad, you need to go to the individual blog and use the "Advertise Here..." link at the bottom of the Blogads adstrip to buy a classie ad.

Can I put links inside my ad text?

Yes - you can add HTML links into your ad text. Use the full HTML codes for http or mailto. This format is perfect for magazines who want to posted links to different articles as well as to their subscription form. Likewise, a company pushing multiple services can link to each individual service. An added benefit: this format makes the ad look like an ad. Not for nothing these things are called blogads.

The hyperlinks in my ad are not showing correctly. The keywords are invisible. Why?

The URL should include quotation marks around the URL to look like this: <a href="http://www.yoururlhere.com">Words to Hyperlink here</a> For more information on basic HTML tags, please see http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_primary.asp.

I am buying on a bunch of blogs. Can I add a separate tracking URL for each?

Yes. When you are on the Create Ad page, click on the "Advanced Details" button at the bottom. You will see a column called "Clickthru URL," this is where you are able to add in your individual adstrip tracking urls. You will need to do this for all the URLs of the adstrips. If you can track traffic separately to each of these destination URLs, you will be able to see on your end how many clicks each blog generates.

Can my ad be animated?

Yes, although some bloggers reject ads that loop infinitely. Best to stop your ad after three or four rotations. Also remember that although you may design your ad as a joke (a + b = c!?) the reader may see the punch line first and never see the set-up line.

I am unable to upload my image. What gives?

Please refer to these technical specification for each of the ad formats. If you are having problems it is more than likely you have exceeded one of the requirements for a certain ad format.

"Standard Ad" 150x200 pixels, 16kb jpeg/gif file size or 32kb flash file size plus 300 characters of text
"Hi-Rise Ad" 150x600 pixels, 35kb jpeg/gif file size or 70kb flash file size plus 300 characters of text
"Mini Ad" 150x100 pixels, 5kb jpeg/gif file size or 10kb flash file size plus 100 characters of text
"Classie Ad" 500 characters of text and NO edits after the ad has been submitted

Also, please note that images must be either jpeg or gif. If your ad fits all these requirements and you still have trouble uploading it, please drop us a note via http://web.blogads.com/ba_contact_us and attach the image to your message.

Can I put line breaks and/or empty lines in my ad?

You're able to add up to 3 empty lines into an ad's text. You don't need to use the html tag, you only need to leave an empty line - which serves as a line break.

Can I add Flash to my ad?

Yes it's possible to ad flash to ads. Please click here to see the technical specification for the various ad formats. Here is a brief guide for preparing a flash ad.

Can flash ads contain sound?

Yes flash ads can contain sound, but please be aware that ads with sound are likely to anger readers and be rejected.

I need technical help with creating a flash ad.

Please refer to the following help guide for more information concerning flash ads.

Can I add HTML to my ad?

You can add bold and italics, but centering and text color won't work. You're also able to place direct links within the text of the ad.
Bold= your text

Italics= your text

How can I insert RSS feed headlines in my ad?

To auto-feed headlines into your ad text, place your RSS url after the letters @RSS:http:// and your text will update every 30 minutes. You can add additional ad text after the RSS feed, but not in front of it.

Can I use special characters, symbols in my ad?

Yes you can. In order to include characters such as &,@,© etc. please use the HTML code of the character rather than entering the character directly as a combination of keys from your keyboard.

Why can't I see exactly what my ad will look like on the "preview" page?

Since ads could run on different adstrips with different formatting and widths (depending on the taste of the individual bloggers), we can't give you a true preview, unfortunately.

How many days does a "one month" ad run?

Can I add tracer pixel url's into my ad campaign?

Yes, this can be done via a popup box on the Advanced Details page during the ad creation process. Tracer pixel url's can be entered for the global campaign as well as for the individual adstrip in the campaign.

When will my ad appear?

First, payment needs to clear for the ad. If the ad is in the Shopping cart, you have not paid for it. If it is on the Active ads page, but there is a "payment pending" message, we have not yet received your payment. (See our FAQ item on pending payments.) If it says "waiting for approval," the ad has been pushed through the blogger. Bloggers get to approve ads after payment has cleared. In most cases, bloggers approve ads very quickly. After one day, however, the system auto approves all ads that have not been rejected by the bloggers. Normally ads will go up around 2am. If that is too late and your ad hasn't appeared after 24 hours following submission, please drop us a note via http://web.blogads.com/ba_contact_us.

It says that my ad text is over the limit. What am I doing wrong?

When creating the text for the ad please remember that spaces and punctuation marks are counted as text characters and add to the total of the character count for the ad's text. If your text fits these criteria but you are still getting an error message, please drop us a note via http://web.blogads.com/ba_contact_us and include your ad text in the message

I am a friend of the blogger and received a code for him to submit an ad for free. Where can I enter this code?

At the bottom of the page where you upload the ad, you will see a button called "Advanced details". Click on it and you will be able to enter the offer code on the following page. When proceeding to checkout, you will see that the price is $0.

On the Checkout page I only see PayPal. How can I pay by credit card?

We offer credit card payment for purchases above $75. If your order does not exceed this amount, you will not see the WorldPay credit card button displayed on the payment page. You can still use your credit card via PayPal. However, if you pay via PayPal but do not have funds in your PayPal account, payment will take 3-4 business days to clear. We will be able to run your ad only once payment has arrived.

I paid with PayPal two days ago but my ad isn't running and still says "payment pending." What's up?

It sounds like you paid with a PayPal eCheck. This happens when you do not have enough cash in your PayPal account to pay for the ad. EChecks take 3-4 work days to clear. For more information, please consult the Paypal FAQ items: What is an eCheck?, Why does it take so long for my recipient's account balance to reflect my eCheck payment?

I know my ad was just approved but I cannot see it on the blog. What's up?

This could be due to your browsers cache. To refresh your browsers cache in Internet Explorer hold down your 'Ctrl' key and click the 'refresh' button with your mouse. In Firefox hold down the 'Shift' key and click the refresh button with your mouse. You should now be able to see your ad on the blog once the page reloads.

Questions about submitted ads

Can I revise an ad?

Yes, please do. This will improve your clickthru. Please keep your new ad in the spirit of the original, so the blogger gets what s/he bargained for.

How do I revise my ad?

When logged in and on the Active Ads page, click on the "version" link in the row of your ad in the "Edit" column. Now click on the "Edit live" button and now you'll be able to edit the ad. After making edits to the ad, click the "Preview" button at the bottom of the page to view your changes. If you agree with your changes, click the "Publish" button. You'll now see a list of your different ad versions. If you choose to go back to a previous version, select it in the "Live" column and click the "Make selected ad live" button.

I've revised my ad but the new text isn't showing up yet on the blogs.

Sometimes it takes a few minutes before your revision appears on the blogs. If you think you have been waiting for too long now please get in touch via http://web.blogads.com/ba_contact_us and we'll investigate.

Where in the adstrip will my ad appear once accepted?

By default, the ads are reshuffled each time a viewer downloads the blog: each ad appears each time, but their order is randomly determined. Bloggers, however, can override this random order and specify positions for each ad within the adstrip.

What is the Shopping Cart?

The Shopping Cart is a place to put all the ads that you've not yet made a payment for, or want to save for later. To place an ad in the Shopping Cart, click the "Save and buy with other blogs" button on the "Preview" page of the ad creation process. Once the ad is in the Shopping Cart, you'll be able to either select "Buy now," "Save for later," or "Delete." You're also able to edit the ad in the Shopping Cart by clicking the "Edit" link in the row of the ad. It is also possible remove blogs from your ad buy when saved in the shopping cart by using the edit function. You will see a button called 'Remove blogs' that will allow you to do this. Use the "Proceed" button to confirm you selection.

It says "Deferred" next to my ad on the Active Ads page. What does this mean and what should I do?

This means that the blogger has put the ad on hold for some reason. This stops the clock from ticking, so your ad will still appear as long as it was purchased for. Feel free to send a polite note to the blogger to find out the specifics of the deferral or drop us a note via http://web.blogads.com/ba_contact_us and we will try to help.

The blogger has rejected my ad. When do I get a refund?

The money has been credited to your account for use in a future purchase. If you want to request a full or partial refund, please log into your account, click on the Accounting link in your navigation bar and specify at the bottom of the page how much you would like to withdraw. We will credit the money to your Paypal or credit card within 10 business days.

I've bought an ad on multiple blogs. Can I see click counts for each?

Yes, all you need to do is go to the "Active Ads" page and click on column labeled "Clicks-Views-CTR."

What type of statistics does blogads offer?

You can track the impressions and clicks for your ads during and after the campaign. Besides the total, we provide statistics broken out per blog, per day as well as per creative execution for each ad. Click on the statistics link in the row of the ad to see these numbers.

How often do the ad statistics get updated?

The ad statistics are updated on the hour from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. (Eastern time).

If I'm not satisfied with the performance of my ad, can I pull my ad and receive a refund for the time not used?

Blogads are fixed period sponsorship ads, and as such cannot be terminated early. We recommend that you revise your ad, which will improve your click thrus. See http://www.blogads.com/examples for examples of great blogads.

My ad looks different on different blogs. Is there anything you can do about this?

Most site designers try to serve 97% of the people 99% of the time. Bloggers want their sites to look nice, so if your ad looks bad, please drop them and us an e-mail.

What is the "replicate" link on the Expired ads page at the end of the ads row?

It is now possible to replicate expired ads. Click on the replicate link on the expired ads page. You will be asked to select the version of the ad you would like to replicate and on the next page confirm the original list of blogs or choose to select different blogs. Click here for a explanation of the differences between renewing and replicating an ad.

What is the "renew" link on the Active ads page at the end of the ads row? Does clicking it mean my ad will continue running seamlessly after the original one expires?

Yes, if your ad is running in a nonexclusive adstrip. (In finite adstrips, which can hold a fixed number of ads, someone may have jumped the queue ahead of you.) You can only renew an ad that is currently running. When renewing an ad you cannot specify a run after date: it will begin running immediately after its current term expires. Click here for a explanation of the differences between renewing and replicating an ad.

What's the difference between renew and replicate?

The renew ad feature is used when you want to continue running one of your current ads that is about to expire. This allows the ad to continue running without interruption. The replicate ad feature is used when you want to run one of your past ads (expired ads) again. This saves you time with the ad creation process as you do not need to add in the image and text again.

I want to renew an ad campaign that contains tracer pixel url's, will my old tracer pixel url's be saved or not when I renew the campaign?

If the tracer pixel tag was global for all the adstrips in the campaign, then it will be saved. If there were different tracer pixel url's for each adstrip in the campaign, they will not be saved and will need to be inputted again during the renew ad process.

My results are unbelievable. How can I renew my ad?

You can renew active ads by clicking on the renew link in the row of the ad. You'll be able to specify whether you want to renew on all blogs in the original run, or only a few of them. When renewing an ad you cannot specify a "run after" date: it will begin running immediately after its current term expires. If you'd like to renew an expired ad, click on the "Expired ads" link in the left navigation bar, then click the "replicate ad" link that corresponds with the ad you'd like to replicate. Select which version of the ad you prefer, and click "Replicate selected ad."

Where can I see the stats for ads that have already run?

Please click on the "Expired ads" link in the left navigation bar. Here you'll be able to see all expired ads, check their statistics, or choose to renew them via the "Replicate ad" link.

I cannot see the URL or Versions link on the Active Ads page. What is wrong?

If you are running Norton Security, or other similar software, make sure you either have Adblocking turned off or whitelist Blogads pages. Once you've done this, you will likely see the Edit link.

I have an ad that expired on one blog. Now I want to display it on a different blog. How do I do that?

You need to create a new ad, by first picking the blog(s) on http://web.blogads.com/adspotsfolder/choose_blogs and then uploading the creative again. The "renew" functionality is for running the ad again on the same blog only.

Blog advertising makes opinions

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FAQs for Advertisers

Jump to main FAQ categories

Contents

Why advertising on blogs

Sales Questions

Ad formatting, specifications, ad submissions

Questions about submitted ads

Why advertising on blogs

Sales Questions

Ad formatting, specifications, ad submissions

Questions about submitted ads