In July 2021, I made the Momentous Decision to display Google Ads on selected posts on this site (see The 100 Billionth Person Sells Out). This was meant to capitalize on the fact that my various posts on hanging picture frames get a thousand-plus views a month. Well, that experiment is coming to an end.
Google says that my ads “earned” a total of $39.42 in the 20-month span they appeared. But Google won’t send me one cent of it until the total reaches $100, which in my case will take another two-and-a-half years, or somewhere around President Biden’s 83rd birthday. Put that way, it’s clearly time for me to break up with Google and wash them right out of my website’s hair, I mean, code.
To replace the ads on my picture framing posts, I now display a “Buy Me a Coffee” appeal. You have probably seen these on other sites — they are essentially micro-donations of coffee-cup size. I will give the proceeds to charity, as I planned to do with my ad income, but I don’t have to wait for the total to reach x dollars. One generous reader, an artist from the Midwest I believe, already tipped $10. (I mention this not to go all Jerry Lewis on you, but to point out the effectiveness of this approach vs. the ads.)
You might ask, why bother with this at all? I guess it’s mainly a way for people to express (and for me to receive) a tangible sign of appreciation that goes beyond a thanks. It says that some people see enough value in what I wrote to actually pay something for it, which is affirming.
Now I can look forward to each and every one of President Biden’s birthdays this decade without thinking about Google, worrying about selling out, or being reminded of my poor entrepreneurial skills. May Joe live 100 years.
You put countless hours into the framing post and then hours more tweaking and adding more helpful information. I make you coffee every morning and appreciate you everyday. XO
Oh sigh… do you wonder how much the companies that advertised on your site earned over that period of time? (Grumpy face here)
I (and I’m sure all your readers) appreciate the time, care, thought and effort you put into curating your blog posts, Craig, which are, like so many things in this world, worth more than the monetary value attached to them. Thank you for what you do!
Your Hanging Picture Frames posts clearly addressed many folks’ questions and also drove a lot of traffic to our Google overlords. Good onya, I say, for going the cup of coffee route!
Shame on google!