Google Adsense in Nigeria has become the most discussed topic among internet marketers especially among Nigerian bloggers.
From online forums to Facebook groups. It’s either a newbie blogger asking about how to apply for a Google Adsense account or another wailing over a ban. The noise sometimes becomes really annoying.
Getting an Adsense to account it’s like some sort of “blood money” Where you litter your blog with ads, sit back and watch the dollars rolling.
I am going to be brutal and blunt with you on this – Nigerian bloggers are sick. If there’s no immediate attention given, there will be a serious online epidemic. Perhaps, it has started already and we need to call 911.
Undoubtedly, a huge amount of bloggers in Nigeria and the world over, solely depend on Google Adsense to monetize their blog. While many will swear by their father’s grave that they are doing it for the passion, deep down, they don’t mind earning a few dollars from their supposed “passion”.
Of course, who wouldn’t want to?
The first and only way of monetizing a blog that many newbie bloggers ever think of is Google Adsense.
Of course, you won’t blame these gullible guys when the so-called gurus are flashing their earning screenshots on social media here and there. In the hope to “motivate” the upcoming bloggers, they end up giving the wrong impression about making money online and raising high hopes.
Some time ago, a guy contacted me asking how he can monetize a 4 days old blog. I was in utter dismay. Are you kidding me? Four days old blog?
Let’s face it, Adsense makes a lot of bloggers in Nigeria actively lazy.
It gives them a false sense of security. They will proudly tell people how much money they are making from their blog. But what happens if Google decides to kick you out for no just reason.
Phew! That’s the end. Some run to Facebook to look for a bunch of pity parties to sympathize with them.
Those who just got their account approved will go online thanking and praising God.
Seriously?
Don’t get me wrong, Adsense could be a great way to monetize a blog. In fact, the whole process appears easy. You sign up for an account, get approved, slap on some Adsense code on your blog in Nigeria, sit back and watch your bank account grow fat.
Isn’t that alluring? The feeling of seeing $100 in your account is overwhelming, you could just cry for joy.
But wait!
Is it what blogging all about? Having an Adsense account?
I don’t think so.
There has to be something else. Enough with the lies and deceit. This is a wake-up call to all the bloggers in Nigeria to go back to their true calling.
Copying other people’s articles, using deceiving headlines with unrelated stories is not the way to go.
Big brands like Forbes, Mashable, and Huffington Post were not built with such a “blood money” mindset. They started with giving out immense value FIRST until people couldn’t help but pay them for their hard work.
You have a brain, use it. Where is your creativity? Where’s your voice?
Oh, dear! Adsense has silenced it! You feel worthless and disappointed because Google rejected your application? I think you’re more than that. You deserve better. Don’t wait for Adsense to validate your blogging career.
You’ve got the words to change a nation. You’ve got a story to tell the world. Don’t let your voice be tamed because you’re a lion. Close your ears to the noise about Adsense earning.
Most of the screenshots you see from the so-called gurus are photoshopped or hijacked from other blogs to deceive you into thinking that they are living the dot-com lifestyle. Adsense has not only made Nigerian bloggers sick but insane.
The fear of getting banned (“Adsophobia”) enslaves most of them. They are scared of trying out new things on their blog because they fear the dreaded ban email from GrandPa Google. Any email you get from Google makes your heart skip a bit.
How long shall you continue in this slavery?
Why allow your youthful days to be wasted on looking at clicks and impressions? While you’re busy worrying about clicks, impressions, ban, and disapproval, some guy is out there creating a million-dollar company, creating products and services that give immense value to society.
I know a lot of you reading this will hate me for saying these things. It’s not your usual Adsense tips.
This is contrary to everything you’ve ever been told about earning from Adsense. It’s ok to disagree with me. It’s normal for humans to disagree. Right?
I’ve heard people ask, “show me popular bloggers who are not using Adsense on their blogs”. Maybe there are many or few. But this set of “popular bloggers” are what I call the “early comers”.
What do you think happens to people who are the first to go to the stream in the morning? They get the freshest of water. When these bloggers started, their only drive was helping people.
Thereafter, they realized that money could be made from their passion.
When your greatest desire is to help people, make them happy, inspire them and inform them then making money just becomes natural. You care more about the process than the result – money.
I’m not saying that starting a blog to make money is a bad idea.
But the thought of looking for money before working or giving immense value to your audience is crazy. You’ll surely make some quick bucks but your audience will quickly notice your desperation to make money and run away without looking back.
Nobody will naively hand over his hard-earned money into your hand without giving them value first. Things don’t work that way. Everything boils down to what you have to offer in exchange for the money.
Will you pay me if you came to my shop to buy an apple but I gave you a tomato?
I hear lots of bloggers with Adsense complaining about few or no clicks on their ads. Let’s be honest, 99% of Nigerians don’t click those ads. Abeg, na who clicks epp?
For those of you sitting in front of their computers praying hard that Adsense approves their account, there’s life outside Google Adsense. You have a very risky plan if Adsense is the only way you think of monetizing your blog.
There are several ways to make money from your blogs like affiliate marketing, CPA, selling your product or service. You’ve got a brain, use it. You don’t need to re-invent the wheel. There’s something you know that many people do not.
Package it and sell. You can as well pitch to businesses and brands to partner with you.
Let them know what they stand to benefit if you become their brand ambassador. You can as well contact busy and influential bloggers and propose to turn any of their popular posts into a podcast, video, eBook, or Slideshare.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with using Adsense to monetize your blog.
But the way it’s driving many bloggers mad is pathetic. It has made many shrewd and greedy. Adsense tricks bloggers into thinking that making money online is easy when it is actually not.
Blogging should be treated like a real business that only rewards hard work, perseverance, and patience. There’s no shortcut to success. No magic formula.
Take responsibility for the growth of your blog every day. It’s ok to look for money but remember to give immense value first before expecting money in return.
Value – the only thing that will stand the test of time.
I’d like to hear your thought on this very matter as I know that a lot of you are waiting just at the comment box to stone me (to death, if possible). However, I still want to hear from you.
Don’t you think that Nigerian bloggers are taking this Adsense thing too far?