I want people to blog. Publishing and putting yourself out there can be a life-altering event. It can lead to new connections, skills and career options. It is very important. So I dislike saying anything that would discourage people from blogging.
But if you are a person who is using ad-supported blogging solutions, I am about to do that.
Let me tell you a story. you have an idea for a blog and are ready to take the plunge. You head over to WordPress.com and sign up for their free option. It has everything you need as as a blogger.
Suddenly you are connecting with people over your shared passion and are feeling secure in your niche. Before you know it, traffic is climbing and the right people are discussing your work.
Everything is great, but then one of those people sees your post on Twitter, clicks through, and right in the body of your well-thought-out post, they see…
It is an ad served up by WordPress.com that has zero perceived relevance.
You are shocked and hope no one else saw it, but unless they run an ad blocker, they are seeing it. Again and again. What seemed like a bargain, now makes your material look questionable.
WordPress.com
On our free plan, we sometimes display advertisements on your blog to help pay the bills. This keeps free features free!
People are wondering, are you running these ads?
You really only have one option at this point. Pay them. And you should. For just a few bucks a month, you can have an ad free experience that will remove this embarrassing possibility from your reader’s experience.
I love things that are free, but as the old chestnut goes, “you get what you pay for.” So before you get comfortable with a “free” blogging experience, make sure you understand exactly what your readers are getting. If you weigh the cost vs. the reward, I think you will agree, it is worth the investment.