You’ve designed an eye-catching graphic, written the perfect copy, and are all set to boost your online business with your first ad spot. How can you get your ad to stand out in the crowd of blinking sidebar buttons on a popular blog?

Without the right strategy, you might find your message getting lost in the shuffle. The techniques below will help your advertisement stand get the clicks it deserves.

1. Go where people are ready to buy.

Where does your ideal customer go when they are in the mood to buy? For example, a decor vendor is smart to concentrate on design blogs, where the readership is already in the mood to find products to beautify their homes.

2. Choose a well-trafficked site that still has some free space.

Click-through rates greatly increase on sites with over 100,000 pageviews per month. Confirm traffic stats, but be choosy — if the sidebar is already full, look elsewhere.

3. Be first in line.

Few blogs have a procedure for picking which ad gets placed first, but there is a huge advantage for the ads placed at the top of the sidebar. Sometimes all it takes is a simple request to be featured at the top of the list.

4. Offer a special deal.

People love sales. Tease a special promotion in your ad, and people are much more likely to click to see what they can get from you for free. Getting them to your page is half the battle!

How do you ensure your ad stands out? Sound off below