[AzzidReign]

Originally Posted by cajunboy2208

Are you guys using Ad Units or Link Units? Or both, and how many of each?

I currently am using 1 Ad Unit for my header, image only. 2 Ad units, text only, inside the threads, and 1 Link Unit at the footer...

If I were you, I would do text and image ads. It gives you a larger database of advertisers...when you have more advertisers, there will be higher biddings...only the highest bids will be placed on your site...meaning you make more money.

I have 1 banner ad below the navbar and 2 inpost ads (first and last post). Right now, my inpost ads are rockin'. Yesterday they made $20+ while my banner only made $8.

Originally Posted by wrestlepower

out of interest, to all of those who offer paid subscriptions to their members, what added features or incentives do you give them to donate? I imagine that this will depend on what market you're in, but surely there must be some generic options that can be offered?

I'm nowhere near a big board and have had Adsense for about a year and have yet to hit the $100 limit to release payment. I have two people subscribing at $10 per year, and that was only beacuse they were my mates who didnt mind throwing me a few $$. Recently i've been thinking of trying to pursue donations as opposed to adverts, but i need to be able to sell the idea to my members. So far the only things i can think of are offering e-mail addresses, viewing the forums ad-free and a monthly raffle to win back their subscription for the month once i ahve enough subscribers for that to be viable).

Any help on that would be greatly appreciated.

Paid subscriptions is sort of like peer pressure...if you aren't getting any subscriptions...it's going to remain that way. You want to make your paid subscribers REALLY STAND OUT. For my site, I have a dark skin and have the premium usergroup color green and for their rank symbol, it's a really cool glowing green symbol I made that says PREMIUM (everyone loves em). What you need to do is give away free premium to good friends of yours to make it look like you are getting a lot of premium subscriptions...once you do that, people almost feel "pressured" into buying premium (just like peer pressure...you're not cool if you don't have premium).

What I offer in my premium is emails, "secret" tutorials that not too many people know how to do, EXTRA help (this is a big plus, whenever a premium member asks for help, THEY GET HELP), and a bunch of more junk and goodies (I have a projects forum telling those premium members what we have "in store" for the site and they can offer suggestions as to what they would like to see us do with the site...so it's more like they feel they have a say on what direction the site goes).

I hope that helps.

Originally Posted by no mods

I use the donation method, $20 for life, for premium, then they get all types of special stuff. You just have to keep asking everyone, and sooner or later someone will say sure, why not. I would like to do ads, but I have no idea were to start when it comes to ads.

I don't like this technique...but if it works for you, good. I don't ask anyone to subscribe and I'm getting $300+ each month...the more premium members I get 1 month...the more I get the next month...like I stated earlier...it's like peer pressure...when a lot of people on the site are "green" with a "cool symbol" by their name, others feel the need to have that too so they don't feel left out. I find that much better than "asking" every person that registers to the site...that's rude IMHO.