How to Inquire About Website Advertising Opportunities
Reading Time: 5 minutes 
Being visible online means you probably get more emails and inquiries from the masses. And not all emails are from those you care about or want to encourage ongoing communications with.
In particular, folks trying to sell you something. I experience marketers wanting to place advertisements, articles, and links on my websites daily.
Or service providers that add my email to their auto-generated list and automatically send me a series of inquiries, whether I show interest or respond — or not.
Don’t Blow that First Look
I have to unsubscribe to make them stop. If I have to unsubscribe to something I didn’t ask for in the first place, that makes you a spammer. One I do not want to do business with.
Here’s what happens. My websites get found and receive a lot of traffic. People probably searched for targeted keyphrases that apply to their business and found one of my websites.
The theory goes that if your website is not getting found, try getting promotional materials on the websites that do. Then, the links or ads on that website will send folks your way. That makes sense, right?
Or, at the very least, that one-way link to your site from a site ranked better than yours will boost your rankings. These are the websites that you want your promotions on. The sites that get traffic.
The more targeted traffic, the better the chance of clicking that link or ad. Even with that thought, I increasingly wonder how many of us now actually phase out ads and ignore them. I know I do. Ad blindness syndrome?
Example of an Ineffective Business Inquiry
Here is a recent example of such a request. This one was through my NetManners.com website, which is about everyday Email Etiquette.
“hi,
i was interested in placing a text ad on your site for the site that i am working on. i would like to put it on page for business email and exchange hosting. my budget is pretty limited right now so i could offer you about $25. let me know if your interested when you get this. thanks!
Does that instill confidence? Is there anything in that email that exudes professionalism or trust?
For the record, I understand why folks send inquiries of this nature. It’s challenging and expensive to get found. That’s why I have Google Ads on my email etiquette websites. It helps defray the hosting and operational costs. (Believe me, there’s no money in email etiquette.)
But why would I trust linking to, and therefore tacitly endorse, a website whose owner cannot communicate like a professional? I, and most other website operators, won’t.
The above request is to facilitate a one-way backlink from my site to theirs for SEO reasons. Regardless of the reason for the request, it did not impress.
No sentence is capitalized, and the grammar leaves a bit to be desired. This person is “working on a site” for business email and hosting but cannot communicate as if they understand the most basic email etiquette guidelines.
They did not even try to read the About page to see that I also have this website about Business Email Etiquette, which is much more targeted at business services.
Investigate and Extrapolate
They just wanted the link. See a form, fill it out, and see what sticks.
NetManners does get more traffic and exposure than this site. However, traffic isn’t just about the numbers. If you can gain exposure to an audience that is more in line with what you offer, even those lower numbers have a higher chance of converting.
Needless to say, if you send requests like this, they will not be taken seriously. And to make me an offer based on what you can afford? Is the $25 for perpetuity, a month, a week? Until you gain the rankings you desire?
That’s not how this works.
Website Advertising Outreach Tips
What would I do differently?
Example Advertising Outreach Email
Feel free to customize this template to better fit your specific needs and the recipient.
Subject: Inquiry About Advertising Opportunities on [Website Name]
Dear [Recipient’s Name],
I hope this message finds you well. My name is [Your Name], and I am reaching out on behalf of [Your Company/Organization], where I serve as [Your Position]. I am writing to explore potential advertising opportunities on [Website Name].
We have been impressed with the content and the community that [Website Name] has cultivated. Given the alignment between your audience and our target demographic, we believe that advertising on your platform could be mutually beneficial.
We are particularly interested in the following:
- Ad formats: Display ads, sponsored content, or any other available formats.
- Pricing: Details on your pricing structure, including any packages or discounts for long-term commitments.
- Audience metrics: Information about your audience demographics, website traffic, and engagement metrics.
- Success stories: Any case studies or examples of previous successful advertising campaigns on your platform.
We are open to discussing custom advertising solutions that would best suit both of our needs. Would it be possible to schedule a call to discuss this further at your earliest convenience?
Thank you for considering our request. We look forward to the possibility of working together and to contributing positively to your community.
Best regards,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Company/Organization]
[Your Email Address]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your Company Website]
It’s All About Perception
When you link to or accept advertising for other sites, you are, in essence, making a recommendation. At least, that’s how I see it.
If you are not advertising through a service like Google AdSense that juries ads in advance, you have to prove yourself. Why should the website operator partner with you? Tell them why it would benefit them as well.
When you need those coveted one-way links to your website from credible traffic-intensive websites, be prepared to pay for the opportunity. Know your numbers and make it worth their while.
When contacting other site owners on business-related topics, it behooves you to apply Business Email Standards. This includes, at the very least, using the shift key and having a well-thought-out and professional offering.
