# How to monetize a Discourse instance?

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-monetize-a-discourse-instance/24316>\
**Category:** Community Building\
**Created:** [Janeiro 22, 2015, 4:27pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-monetize-a-discourse-instance/24316 "2015-01-22T16:27:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 11

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**Author:** ![BCHK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/bchk/32/3268_2.png) [@BCHK](https://meta.discourse.org/u/BCHK)\
**Post date:** [Janeiro 27, 2015, 12:01am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-monetize-a-discourse-instance/24316/11 "2015-01-27T00:01:19Z")

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> [@CharlesWil](#):
>
> I like this idea for discourse advertising network. It’s basically the idea of a discourse wordpress plugin for posting from wordpress on to discourse. Instead it’s an ad platform for posting to different discourse sites.
> 
> Instead of the normal adsense banner ad, it’s a piece of java script you place in like a adsense ad to your Discourse site  
> It shows discussion topics in the discourse style format.

This is interesting - but a little complex. One of the issues is that there are basically two ways that people buy ads right now - via word choices (e.g. ad words) and banners. If you are something new - then none of the regular ad rep companies will be able to work with you.

The issue becomes - sure - it sounds compelling from a new idea standpoint - but nobody will be able to “buy” the ads - because its a non-standard way to implement ads. Fundamentally - I don’t think Discourse is going to be the one to redefine a new ad format for the world.

> [@CharlesWil](#):
>
> We need a new form of advertising!

This may be true - but we’re not going to be the ones that define it. I get a few hundred thousand views on my forums and here is my priority as a way to monetize it:

[https://meta.discourse.org/t/advertising-specifications-list-plugin-request/11673](https://meta.discourse.org/t/advertising-specifications-list-plugin-request/11673)

> [@CharlesWil](#):
>
> Instead of the normal adsense banner ad, it’s a piece of java script you place in like an adsense ad to your Discourse site;  
> It shows discussion topics in the Discourse style format.

The idea I do think is most interesting here is the idea of what I would call “sponsored posts” - similar to what they do in Twitter or Facebook. I haven’t really investigated this - so don’t know the full set of pros and cons - but it seems like it could be interesting - if adword ads could be put into the forums in a format that tends to look similar to the regular forum posts.

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