You’ve cultivated a compelling content mix on your website, and an engaged audience has developed around it. In the absence of a direct revenue model to sustain the site’s further growth, ad revenue remains a popular option for most publishers. Here are some tips for finding advertisers.

As a publisher you are keenly aware of the need for sustainable ad revenue sources, along with the importance of the right mix of advertisers.

Online advertising has been through a challenging few years as both publishers and advertisers were forced to come to terms with consumers’ aversion to irrelevant and poorly designed advertising.

The industry’s journey has highlighted the value of good user experiences and, more importantly, relevant ads that convey offers that consumers are actually interested in.

They key is finding the right advertisers for your website

More relevant ads tend to be more engaging. The key to achieving this has much to do with ensuring that the advertisers who advertise on your site are a good fit given your audience demographics.

So, how do you find advertisers for your website? Here are a few tips.

#1. Research your competitors’ advertisers

One of the best ways to identify advertisers that would be a good fit for your site is to research which brands are advertising on your competitors’ sites. Like you, your competitors are focused on delivering highly relevant and engaging ads to their audiences.

If you’re appealing to a similar audience then it’s worth your time researching the advertisers on your competitors’ sites. Odds are, those advertisers are relevant to your audience too.

In addition, familiarizing yourself with ads on competing sites could give you insight into the kinds of ads that may appeal to your audience, specifically, and enhance their user experience on your site.

#2. Google it

Another great way to identify potential advertisers for your website is to search for their digital breadcrumbs.

Google relevant keywords on your site and look out for sponsored ads from brands targeting those keywords. In this way, you can identify groups of brands that may be interested in advertising on your site, and that would be able to engage with your audience more effectively.

Similarly, searching for products and services that feature on your site could reveal potential advertisers who have something to offer site visitors who are interested in those products and services.

#3. Take a closer look at Facebook and Twitter ads

You’ve probably noticed how well ads on Facebook and Twitter seem to align with your interests. There is a reason that these social networks (and Facebook, in particular) are so successful.

Their algorithms are finely tuned to deliver highly relevant ads at just the right time. Why not put their targeting technology to work for you?

Just as you researched relevant brands with Google searches, you can similarly explore the brands whose ads Facebook and Twitter suggest based on specific search terms, brand profiles or pages, and even individual posts or tweets.

#4. Mine your networks

Don’t underestimate the importance of relationships. Once you have your list of potential advertisers to approach, the next step is to contact the most appropriate person in order to discuss advertising opportunities on your site.

Take some time reviewing your industry connections. You may find that you are connected to key insiders at these companies who you can reach out to. If you’re not, you may know someone who is, and who may be willing to introduce you.

This is one area where services like LinkedIn can really come in handy. They are optimized to help you identify those connections and facilitate the introductions you need to make tangible progress.

#5. Advertise to advertisers

What better marketing channel for your ad inventory than your website itself? You’ve invested in a great site design, and faster page loads. Now it’s time to take advantage of visiting advertisers’ attention.

One powerful way to convince advertisers to invest in your ad inventory is to create ads of your own that appeal to them, using unfilled ad inventory.

Another option is to add messages to the footers of content and in content feeds inviting potential advertisers to contact you to discuss advertising opportunities. Advertisers who are impressed with what they see when they visit your site will likely be receptive to invitations to take advantage of the opportunities your site offers.

Bonus tip: create a media kit that showcases your website’s value to advertisers, and make it available on your site.

Conclusion

Simply having ads on a website is no longer a guaranteed path to profitability. Audiences demand high-quality content, superior user experiences, and relevant advertising. A variety of ad revenue models and ad media offer publishers numerous options to choose from.

At the same time, partnering with the right advertisers remains a high priority. Fortunately, there are more ways to find the right advertisers for websites than ever before. All you need to do is seize the opportunities as they present themselves.