BlogHer Rolls Out New “Tune-In Bar” Advertising Units

The BlogHer Publishing Network recently offered users a new kind of advertising unit in the form of the BlogHer Tune-In Bar.

The bar is a slimline horizontal ad unit that fits at the top of the page, directly above a blog’s masthead. As seen in the screenshot below, the right side of the Tune-In Bar (red outline added for emphasis) features Facebook and Twitter buttons readers can use to promote a blog’s content. The left side is reserved for sponsored ads and related text, or – if no ads are available – links to unpaid BlogHer content.

Blogger Liz Jostes from A Belle, a Bean, and a Chicago Dog has been advertising with the BlogHer Publishing Network since August 2010. Of the BlogHer Tune-In Bar, she says:

I chose to add it because i felt it was pretty unobtrusive and also simple in look. I really dislike floating ads or other toolbars that have lots of icons, words and other notification on them. I think BlogHer did a good job designing this ad bar.

This seems to be exactly what BlogHer was hoping for in offering this unit to publishers. In an email announcing the Tune-In Bar, BlogHer wrote:

“So, you may wonder, why this style of ad unit? The BlogHer Tune-in Bar placement is considered high-impact – without disrupting the design of your site…. it does not impact your content or your sidebar or masthead space.”

It also appears from the email that the Tune-In Bar will ultimately be used to promote “’tune-in announcements’” for television and other entertainment programming.”

Expect to see more of the BlogHer Tune-In Bar as publishers continue to install the slim, relatively discreet units on network sites.