Advertising Programs (CPC/CPM)

There are many popular blogs on the Web today, but many of them are not taking advantage of the many opportunities available for monetization. As such, I would like to provide a series over the next couple weeks where I’ll go into the details of each of the more popular options used in today’s top blogs.

Before jumping in, here is a breakdown of the different money-makers I intend to cover.

Advertising Programs (CPC/CPM)

Google AdSense is a contextual advertising service. It offers advertisers the opportunity to receive inexpensive traffic, (which is done through Google’s AdWords service), and publishers the chance to make money by displaying on-site advertisements created by the advertisers.

Yahoo! Publisher Network, or YPN, is a contextual advertising method that mimics AdSense. It offers advertisers the opportunity to receive inexpensive traffic, (which is done through Yahoo’s Search Marketing service), and publishers the chance to make money by displaying these advertisements on-site.

Kontera ContentLink is another contextual advertising service. Unlike AdSense and YPN, ContentLink highlights various keywords on your page to make it appear like a link. When the reader hovers over one of these link, an in-page pop-up will appear containing the advertisement.

Text Link Ads provides advertisers the opportunity to purchase links directly on publisher’s websites at a flat monthly fee. The cost for a link depends on site popularity, link position, and number of links being sold.

Affiliate Programs (CPA)

Amazon Associates provides publishers the opportunity to display affiliate links and details for Amazon.com products in a variety of formats, including product images, text links, and banners.

AuctionAds is an affiliate opportunity whereby eBay auctions are displayed in an advertisement-like format on your website. AuctionAds appear as banners and are available in several formats similar to those of AdSense and YPN ads.

ClickBank is a popular affiliate marketing program for publishers and affiliates alike. Almost all of the products found on ClickBank are electronic, with a large majority of the products being e-books.

Commission Junction, or CJ, is one of the largest affiliate marketing networks online. CJ serves over 1,500 customers, including eBay, Buy.com, and Yahoo! Unlike ClickBank, the majority of products offered through CJ are tangible.

Sponsored Post Programs

PayPerPost is the first popular program to offer compensation for posting specific blog content. Advertisers list available opportunities at a flat price with specific posting requirements, which publishers can then accept. PayPerPost Direct allows advertisers to find bloggers directly as well.

ReviewMe, like PayPerPost, offers the opportunity to earn money through sponsored blog posts. ReviewMe is mostly known for allowing advertisers to find bloggers, but there is a marketplace for publishers to find flat-rate blogging opportunities as well.

Sponsored Reviews (not yet reviewed) allows advertisers to list opportunities within a price range that publishers can bid within. Advertisers can counter-offer, allowing for haggling between both parties. Like PayPerPost and ReviewMe, advertisers can contact publishers directly as well.

BloggerWave (not yet reviewed) is one of the most recent sponsored post programs. While offering the same type of service as the above programs, the opportunities available on the site may differ depending on the user base.