Why YouthWorkHacks doesn’t use Ads

I was asked a few days ago how to generate revenue from a blog. My answer (which was ‘I don’t’) really surprised them.

Back in the days when I freelanced as a ghost-writer and a digital publicist, I had a shopfront blog that marketed my skills as a personal brand and then click-funnelled people into my commission work pages alongside adware packages. This was always separate to ministry blogging, and when I stopped that part of my life to focus on ministry, I didn’t bring those aspects over.

I do share my own services (consultancy, training, book), and will happily share others’ high-quality resources in posts for free, but I don’t use any algorithm-generated advert software, have a Patreon account, or accept payment for advertising something.

I have at several times seriously considered Ad programs and a Patreon account but decided against both. Quick Caveat: This is absolutely not a dig at anyone who does use those things (and I know on free hosting adverts are impossible to avoid anyway), but I just wanted to give a personal explanation why I don’t use them for this blog.

I can’t monitor them as closely as I like

Even when you specify clearly the type of ads you want; the audience parameter will always overrule you. This means that, for my age group, video games and TV shows I don’t approve of, certain medications, and even indiscriminate dating sites somehow find their way through the filters. I enjoy football and formula 1, so no matter how many filters I add, websites I frequent will continue to advertise a wacky mix of gambling sites, cheap beer, expensive watches, and luxury yachts!

There are some very large ministry sites that take great cares over their ad-revenue programs, but still try to sell me Viagra. Some of the worlds biggest Christian blogs come with very uncomfortable software generated adverts. I just don’t want people to associate those things with my writing.

They might change my focus to increase traffic

Ad revenue is based on clicks, and clicks come from hits, and hits are generated by click-bait. If you want people to click on an advert, then you need to convince them to visit first. The more visitors, the more money.

I’ve worked hard over the last fifteen years of blogging to cultivate a very specific audience. I believe that these are people who visit because they want to consume the content that I’m providing. It’s a small group, but I’d rather keep them!

It’s an easy temptation for me personally to want to be liked by everyone, and I think I’d soften my posts, or lower the quality of my content to produce the quantity and catchy titles that would draw more clickers, rather than readers. I could do without that temptation.

If I sell something, I want to be 100% behind it

If I can’t put my weight behind something, and allow my reputation to be attached to it, then I don’t want to sell it. I want to be generous with my platform for sure, but I don’t want to be generous with my values.

Point 1. showed that I can’t easily monitor what is being advertised, so I can’t guarantee I’ll be behind the products. If I wouldn’t sell something from my yard sale, I won’t sell it from my blog.

Adverts can dilute some readers trust in the platform

As human animals, I think we’re wired to make unconscious associations and fallacious equivalents. What I mean by that is we mash things together mentally that would otherwise remain separate. Perhaps the easiest one to relate to is having a bad day at work, then snapping at someone at home.

If my blog appears alongside adverts and constant prods for donations, then I think it can soften the openness in which readers use to engage with posts.

I don’t want any of my readers to think twice about my words because they’re expecting me to try and sell them something.

I really want my blog to be a gift

I want my blog to be generous, a real service to people who struggle or want more reflective content. I don’t want the temptation of it serving my pocket to factor in.

I pay for the template, hosting, and domain main, and I’m about to start paying for a piece of automated backup software. My wife and I factor this into our ministry expenses and see it as part of our service; for interest it costs about the same as a Netflix account.

The blog, for me, is not and has never been a source of revenue, it’s a source of ministry. I have a full-time job, so I don’t need the extra money. If revenue generation stopped anyone from engaging, then it just wouldn’t be worth it to me.

So, each to their own for their own reasons, but that’s what Youth Work Hacks doesn’t have adverts or a Patreon account. If you genuinely want to support my online ministry, comment, share, and maybe buy a book! 😛

Thanks 🙂