How to add banners and ads
Being a dedicated writer on your website could get you into monetizing your content. That’s why we offer multiple ways through which you can include ads or advertise your products on your website.
Recommended sizes for your ads
There are multiple areas where you could add your banner ads, images, or source code. What we recommend is that they are placed in widget areas of your WordPress theme. Considering that almost half of the internet traffic comes from mobile phones, you can also consider inserting ads at the bottom of your blog articles so that more people can see them.
When it comes to Hive, the recommended size for your ads is 300px width. This is the default size for your Sidebar widget area where you can easily place your ads. Keep reading to learn how.
Placing ads using Google AdSense
Google AdSense is a powerful tool that allows you to earn money by showing text, images, videos, and other interactive advertisements on your website.
Its main advantage is that Google takes care of everything from dealing with advertisers, collecting payments from them, and matching their ads with your visitors’ interests. You will get paid once a visitor clicks on one of the ads you have on the website.
Here are the steps you need to go through to display an ad from Google AdSense:
- If you don’t have a Google AdSense account, you can easily create one with your Gmail account. If you don’t have an account yet, make sure you follow these steps. They will take a look at your website and approve or deny your application within a day.
- When you’re all set up, create a new ad unit on your Google AdSense account in My ads → New ad unit.
- Now all you have to do is select the size of your ad and customize it as you wish.
- When you’re done, hit Save and get the code. Google AdSense will generate a code, the ad code.
- Now go to Appearance → Customize → Widgets and click on the Text widget. In the dropdown that shows up, select the widget area where you want that text widget to show up.
- Insert the ad code into the Text widget. Now your ad should show up on your website.
If you want to learn more about Google AdSense and how to add it to your WordPress website, below is a tutorial we recommend.
TIP: if you want to display ads at the bottom of each blog post, install the Add Widget After Content plugin by going to Plugins → Add New → Search for “Add Widget After Content” → Click on Install and then activate it. Now, navigate to Appearance → Widgets → and add the Text widget in the newly created After Content widget area.
Here’s a helpful video below:
Placing ads using custom banners
If you don’t feel like the ads generated by Google or any other service don’t fit your website’s design, you can always create your own ads that promote your products or services.
While creating banners, keep in mind the sizes we have presented earlier in the article. You can use whatever editing tool you feel comfortable with, like Photoshop, Illustrator, or online ones like Canva.
At the same time, if you partner with a brand that has its own banner ads (like images, gifs, or videos), the instructions below can also help.
Here’s how to add your banner ads to the website:
- Upload your banner in the Media Library (Dashboard → Media) by dragging-and-dropping the file from your computer.
- Go to Appearance → Customize → Widgets and click on the Image widget. In the dropdown that shows up, select the widget area where you want that text widget to show up. Depending on the theme you are using, there might be one or more widget areas available.
- In the Image widget, click on Add Image and select the one you uploaded earlier. You can also add an image from an external URL.
- Add the website URL where you want your visitors to be redirected when they click your ad.
- Click the Save button, and you’re done.
Here’s a demo video that walks you through the steps above using one of our WordPress themes:
Looking for a WordPress theme with native ads support?
Browse our portfolio and choose the one that fits your needs.👇