Sweet image, lots of links!

Exclusive links to author's podcasting dish, prime chow for dish-junkies.

Sometimes not using the whole 150X200 image can be very effective, particularly when the smaller image resonates with the theme of the ad.

Great photo, text that speaks from the heart, font types mixed.

Though the image could be sharper, great allusive links to blog commentaries.

The first ad I know of to quote a critic! Great both for legitimacy and because, often, in the battle of ideas having good enemies is often more important than having good friends. (I don't love book cover ads, but the readable text on the book cover and red-background make the image work too.)

Strong image and language.

Great image, concept, execution = lots of happy readers.

Fun topical images get lots of clicks!

One of a series of eye-catching images from Grist magazine.

Timely, eye-grabbing magazine cover with links to specific articles and commentary.

Cool use of supporting documentation -- in this case a Karl Rove secret report -- to engage reader interest.

Learning from Knopf's blogad for Kafka on the shore, Crown Books serves up a strong image, a link, and (a first for a book ad) an MP3 of the prologue... complete with the bait "explicit lyrics."

From the creative folks at Knopf, this is the first real blogad as blog ad! Shrewdly sacrificing direct clicks for bigger blogosphere buzz, the ad text quotes/links what some leading blogs have written about the Knopf author's site. In effect, the ad is itself a mini-blog post.

Advertising guru Steve Hall posts: "Quite ingeniously, Knopf has bought their way into the word of mouth space and is, smartly, using the words of others, rather than its own, to promote the book. This approach works well on weblogs as linking to other sources is common practice."

More thinking about books, advertising and online word of mouth.

Blog readers are current events junkies who love to click on links, so smart content sellers give 'em actual content to chew on (like the clickable headlines over there), rather than babbling about "we're great and cheap!"