Dropping cards for traffic sounds like it is too good to be true doesn’t it? In fact, it is a little too good to be true, there’s more to EntreCard than just dropping yours where ever you feel like. This past week, I’ve taken the opportunity to visit a lot of the sites that Entrecard plays host to (and I’m no where near done yet) and its been amazing at the differences between sites that I’ve seen. I’ve come across some Really bad ones, some that are common wall flowers and others like The Gospel and Cigar Jack that have some cool stuff and good writing to offer that I’ll visit more often.

It astonishes me that the number of websites lacking proper design, writing and taste on entrecard is so high, but then, with the number of blogs that has sprung up lately, should I really be that surprised? It seems that everyone and their sister has a blog dedicated to making money on line that they fill with the “latest and greatest” money making tips that any monkey with a keyboard should be able to figure out. The number of personal diaries online has seemed to skyrocket as well. These two areas can probably be attributed to the rise in the number of paid blogging systems (yes, I do belong to several of them) that have popped up over the past year as well. One of the benefits of Entrecard is enabling more people to learn about your site through various means like advertising on other blogs.

Is it really worth it though when your “card” is going to be displayed at the bottom of a mile long page of mindless blabber about the weather and the fact that the site owner had to write about ladies undies you could at least do it in a better form than “well, a sponsor wants me to write about ladies undies but I’m a man!”. No its not. However, you shouldn’t let the bad sites ruin your chances to increase traffic.

As with any advertising media, there is a right way to choose whats best on Entrecard. You have every right to be picky about which sites you advertise on and which sites advertise on you. For instance, if I ran a blog about dogs, I would most likely not advertise on a blog about cats (or Vietnamese food) and I would not have a cat site advertise on mine. Do not be afraid to reject ads if they do not fit in with your topics. You don’t see want ads for window washers under the used car salesmen section do you?

Secondly, do not, I repeat, DO NOT, advertise on sites where the entrecard box is below the fold (the fold is an old newspaper term referring to the bottom half of the page which is usually not seen when the paper is folded. Here we’re talking about the bottom of a page where someone has to scroll to see it). If its not one of the first thing a person sees once the page is loaded, its a waste. Want proof? Ask around. I’ve found that in advertising on Entrecards, the ad’s I’ve placed that are above the fold perform better than those below the fold. You can drop your cards as much as you want on those sites, but DO NOT advertise on them no matter what kind of traffic they claim to provide.

Don’t be afraid to drop your card and even write recommendations for the site owner through entrecard. I’ve found that by dropping cards on sites I get more visits back in return. It does two things. One it lets people know about your site (and if you do it in your own category, you might gain new links elsewhere) and it encourages them to visit your site and drop cards. Dropping cards on other sites benefits everyone.

Lastly, and this is probably the most important, leave a comment on a post or two on the blogs you visit through entrecard. Not only is it free advertising to you, but many blog owners have the scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours mentality. If you comment there, they’ll come and comment on yours. Its an excellent way to gain friends, readers and comments which all helps in the traffic game.

If you want to see who all is on entrecard… Check HERE