Re: Banner ads vs. sponsorships...one more time

From: Richard Kies <rkies_at_aginfonet.com>
Date: Tue 09 Jan 2001 15:39:10 -0500

WARNING: Shameless plug to follow. Reader discretion
advised.

Our site has operated on the sponsorship model since
1996. As we enter our fifth year of business,
sponsorships are still the base of revenue that we
operate from.

I've been fortunate enough to be interviewed about this
subject. Rather than ranting on about this again in
this forum, I'll point you to where you can read up
those interviews:

*ibizInterviews by Mark Brownlow (July 2000):
 http://www.ibizinterviews.com/richard1.htm

*Digitrends magazine by Kevin Jeys (Nov 2000):
 http://www.digitrends.net/marketing/11537_12966.html

Question: Why aren't there more sites doing
sponsorship successfully? (stepping on soapbox)

My thoughts, in no particular order:

*It's really, REALLY hard work
*It won't make you rich, it's not sexy, and it won't
 make the VC guys drool
*It requires that your site has quality content, which
 draws a quality audience
*It require the site owner to learn about that quality
 audience, and then figure out how to "package" access
 to that audience and then SELL it to sponsors

(putting soapbox away).

To be fair, the industry we serve (agriculture) is
conducive to sponsorship...because ag. companies are
used to working with that model. This is not the case
in every industry or with every website. However, I
think more sites, especially smaller, niche sites,
would do well to pursue the sponsorship model as a way
to enhance their prospects for long-term viability.

Thanks for indulging me.

Best regards,

Richard Kies

Manager, Communications & Public Relations
Aginfonet.com

Email: rkies_at_aginfonet.com
www.aginfonet.com

Where Agriculture Means Business.





Received on Tue Jan 09 2001 - 14:39:10 CST