Should You Buy Long Term Advertising?

Some of the blog advertising networks are offering longer terms for advertising.   Weekly and monthly advertising is the norm but now yearly advertising is being offered at a slightly discounted rate.  Over all if you buy the yearly package you may end up saving $12 to $24 over buying the advertising monthly.  Should you buy the monthly package?

In my opinion, no!  A $12 or more savings is nice but you have to pay out more up front, as in almost $150.  In doing so you are taking the gamble that the advertising network will remain in business for the next year and they will continue to perform as expected.  The problem is anything blog related really can't be guaranteed.  If I as a blogger stopped blogging the blogs would still be there unless I deleted them.  If a blog advertising network decides shut up shop that's what they do and quite often without any warning or reimbursing you the balance of advertising cost you paid but wasn't used.  A couple of years back BlogRush just simply posted a message they were closed.  There was no warning and no consideration for bloggers who found themselves with a huge blank space on their blogs because the widget no longer worked.  Right around about that time Entrecard was having problems so those requesting a cash payout were out of luck.  That network was sold shortly thereafter.  I haven't heard whether they are paying out or not.  Many of the paid to click sites lure you into buying referrals or buying in somehow and then go bust as I recently found out.  I only lost $5 but I still lost it.  Any online advertising network is risky at some point but more so when dealing with small advertising networks.  When it comes to blog advertising, take the least risk possible which means pay a slightly higher weekly or monthly advertising rate and avoiding the yearly rate. 

Garden Gnome
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