? Launching "Media Mix" program for the first time

From: <DTGNews_at_aol.com>
Date: Tue 27 Feb 2001 22:22:28 -0600

Greetings

I'm working to get a site up and running on an advertising
program with some unusual twists. This is not my "day job"
but a sideline I've been involved in. My daily biz is an
'ezine', the longest standing design & publishing zine in
the industry and it's support site established in 1994.

1) Are there ad reps who will make calls and sell advertising
   on a commission basis?

The site has been nonprofit since 1994 -- no ads, no sponsors
whatsoever. It's been built and grown by volunteer help.
Obviously there's zero capital to buy banners or advertising
elsewhere.

2) How does one sell a "mix" without getting too
    complicated in the rate structure

It's our plan to piggyback line advertising in three discussion
lists, and one monthly mailing list along with button advertising.

The discussion lists together only have about 3,000 readers,
but our monthly newsletter list subscriber base is 17,000.

There are two sizes of "buttons", and each page has three
large ones (120 x 100) and five small ones (36 x 100)

The site has a loyal base (some of which have been readers
since opening in 1994) and a good monthly influx of new ones.
Our monthly page views are between 35,000 and 65,000.

It's currently undergoing some renovation since it has
accumulated more than 3,000 pages of content, most of which
is now out of date but still getting lots of readership.

A unique feature is we have fairly thorough demographics.
The members gladly fill out a survey when they join, so
we have proven, validated stats that many sites don't have.

Another unique feature is that some 1,500 newsletter editors
around the country re-publish our content in their local
newsletters. These are newsletter editors for local computer
clubs around the country whose memberships range from 150
to 20,000. Total membership reach is between 250,000 and
300,000 readers.

I would think this would be attractive to many computer
and software companies, we just don't know how to go about
attracting them to sponsor the site.

Fred Showker

User Group Network
   http://www.user-groups.net
User Group Academy
   http://www.UGAcademy.org/












Received on Tue Feb 27 2001 - 22:22:28 CST