Can't Make This HipHop Blog Profitable?

[ThePresident]

Hey guys,
I run a Hip-Hop blog that I have been running on the side for about a year now. It gets about 4,000 views a day and about 1,700 uniques. Also 35% of all views are from international traffic. I just run it on the side because I like the music, but I definitely would like to make it more profitable. When ringtones were big, it was doing good, but now it is really dragging a long.

I have been starting to using Linkbucks for the links which helps. And still looking for a good banner ad for the right side, Chedda isn't holding it down too well lol. Also I am in search of ringtone offer that converts good. Any ideas or feedback the site is..

showtimehiphop.c0m

Thanks

[JamesFrancisIM]

How about Google AdSense?

More info about each artist?

Links to create your own Hip-Hop tracks with an affiliate link to the record producers (if possible)?

Just a few ideas.

- James.

[ripsnorta2]

Where does most of your traffic come from, is it organic search oriented, is it social traffic, or does it come from repeat visitors?

Each of those may require a different advertising strategy.

Search oriented people are looking for something, so Adsense or other contextual ads might work better there.

Social Traffic, well, not sure here. I've heard, and my experience is, it doesn't convert so well. And I've found that repeat visitors don't tend to click on ads much either. Perhaps getting some CPM ads might work here. Or perhaps you could sell some advertising space, you know the 125x125 blocks?

Another idea, and something I'm toying with, is to use a service like Cafepress to offer your visitors a bunch of physical products like t-shirts, mugs, and mouse pads. The hip-hop crowd are pretty fashion conscous aren't they? Why not create a line of t-shirts and offer them from your blog?

[Glenn72]

I think your biggest problem is that the links don't work. I clicked on two links and the link bucks banner appeared which looked a bit spammy. Then the rest of those 2 pages never loaded.

I then clicked another two links, ringtones I think. One opened a page with the link bucks banner and a GoDaddy landing page and the other opened a page with a big iq test ad. You don't want people being redirected to sites like that or you'll lose visitors fast.

I'm not a fan of the theme either. I think you need something with links along the top. If you decide to use Adsense, be sure to include a privacy policy, disclaimer etc. Maybe set it to image ads only? They sometimes get more clicks.

You could also use CB Pro Ads if you're signed up with Clickbank. Use the contextual ads with hip hop as your key word and ads for hip hop products on Clickbank will appear on your page. They have a few decent products as far as I can tell.

[Adaptive]

Hi Mr. President,

You've got good design, good content, good traffic, and a list sign-up. Way to go!

Could the site be more user friendly? I think so, with a few simple changes.

How about adding something to the banner to introduce yourself - This is DJ Exclusive and let me tell ya what we got here..

How about turning off the "add a comment" feature, since it seems that comments are disabled anyway? Or did I miss them?

How about using the Categories and Archive features of the blog? And you could put Mixtapes on a separate page, linked from the home page - still leave the hot or fresh 5 new mixtapes on the home page. And take out the blogroll since you don't seem to have any links there.

I signed up - or I think I did - and didn't get any kind of confirmation page. Hmm, nothing in my email. Is that broken? I think a solid autoresponder could be the key to the goldmine for you. Give a news nugget, three "secret" tracks you "can't put on the site," and an offer, in a short email each day.

Then the question is what to offer. Affiliate marketing seems like a natural for you.

A few ideas you could sell as an affiliate:

* discount iPod
* e-book about how to produce your own hip-hop tracks
* guide to how to become an in-demand DJ
* dating & romance guidebook & workshops
* clothes
* discount travel package, tied into the biggest concerts of the year

For each offer, just have a line or two about how this helps you fulfill the hip-hop lifestyle, include your affiliate link and away folks go to buy.

As for your own product: how about compilation CD's? You need to pay royalties per copy sold, but in the U.S. you have the right to make your own compilation as long as you do pay up.

Advertising? How about the record company, artist, or producer of the week... each day they get to have the only ad on your site, and put up any 5 tracks they like each day along with their blurb. Perfect chance for them to get a new audience, and for your site visitors to keep coming back... maybe they'll discover the next new thing before anyone else!

Seems to me that hip-hop, guerrilla marketing and Internet Marketing fit together perfectly. Make up your own rulebook and get paid for it!

Regards,
Allen

[BigBenForCanton]

Hook up an NBA link and some sports-related content there. You have a natural crossover audience there at your disposal. Some of the NBA's biggest and brightest stars are hardcore hip-hop fans.

If King James jumps ship and ends up in NYC in will be due in large part to one Mr. Sean "Jay Z" Carter.

I'm 31 and I'm a huge sports fan and I'm also a huge rap and hip-hop fan, as are many in the Gen X/Gen Y demographic.

[Jeremy Kelsall]

Set up a forum on the back end that your visitors can call "home" appoint a couple of the ones that come frequently as moderators...allow them to use cool avatars and ugly signature files lol... In the forum have sections where they can "text battle" or "beef" with each other..People will come back day after day just to see the new drama unfold...

Monetize the site with CPA offers for ringtones and free phones

[ripsnorta2]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Kelsall

Set up a forum on the back end that your visitors can call "home" appoint a couple of the ones that come frequently as moderators...allow them to use cool avatars and ugly signature files lol...

Monetize the site with CPA offers for ringtones and free phones

That's a good idea. Some gaming sites provide basic forums with adverts, and allow their members to upgrade to a premium experience with custom avatars and all sorts of forum goodies, as well as enjoying an ad-free experience.

You could also build a newsletter and a list that offers all sorts of news about the hip-hop scene like Gig guides. Then sell some advertising space on your newsletter to various clubs.

[Glenn Grundberg]

Hmmmm.

Looks like a spammy piece of crap full of illegal file sharing links to copywritten music to me.

Hard to imagine you attracting any high-quality advertising revenue from that, dude.

Of course, I've been wrong before, but I don't think I am in this case.

Correct me if I'm mistaken?

[Sleaklight]

You have to ask yourself, why do they visit your website in the first place. Yes it is a hip hop forum, but hip hop is not the reason they visit. It could be that they are interested in X artist and are looking for info on X artist. You could sell posters of said artist. Figure out why they are visiting your site and then other than giving them the content they are looking for, tie in what physical/nonphysical product they need but don't know they need it until they see it in front of them.