Re: Effective ad model

From: Sue Mosher <sue_at_slipstick.com>
Date: Fri 7 Jul 2000 11:44:17 +0400

PATRICK PYETTE <ppyette_at_kgrove.com> WROTE:
> I am a web site publisher with a relatively small, but
> extremely focused, professional world-wide audience.
> Can you tell me what would be the best model to explore
> to start generating advertising revenue from the site.
> I want the advertising to be as focused as my audience.
> Should I go directly to the appropriate company's PR
> departments, through an agency, to simply forget it and
> sign up with a generic affiliate program?

I also have a site that is very tightly focused on a
professional audience. It started out as a promotional
vehicle for my consulting business, but after four
years, it has become a business unit in its own right.
I never planned to serve ads, but the sponsors came to
me asking for placements and have kept coming and
renewing their campaigns. With one exception, the
sponsors have always dealt with us directly, rather
than going through an agency. In general, I'm either
talking to the president/managing director of a small
company or the marketing VP/director of a larger
company.

What worked for me was:

-- Building the site's reputation within the target
audience. I am very active on usenet and several
mailing lists, speak at conferences and write books and
articles. My signature always tells people who I am and
what they can find at my site.

-- Making the site attractive to advertisers, and
letting them know ad placements are available by
running ads on every page on the site. I redesigned the
site last year to make it more ad-friendly. Sponsors
get to tell their story, one ad per page, at the top of
the page. On pages that aren't sold, I run house
banners promoting my books. This keeps the content
focused (and maybe sells a few more books).

-- Learning about the potential advertisers. I show a
keen interest in their products and how they serve the
needs of my target audience. At trade shows, I visit
with them and participate in all the demos I can. Based
on my knowledge of the market, I make observations on
what features in their products are unique and
outstanding and what might be added to make their
products even better. We're partners in our mutual
success.

One thing I didn't try, but that might work for you is
to seek out other sites serving the same audience and
offer a banner exchange. You benefit in two ways --
your site is advertised elsewhere and the pages on your
site show a banner relevant to your audience.
_______________________
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
mailto:sue_at_slipstick.com
Author of
  Teach Yourself Microsoft Outlook 2000 Programming in 24 Hours
  Microsoft Outlook 2000 E-mail and Fax Guide
Outlook and Exchange solutions at http://www.slipstick.com





Received on Fri Jul 07 2000 - 02:44:17 CDT