NONE: ONLINE-ADS>> Review of LinkMedia Jackpot
ONLINE-ADS>> Review of LinkMedia Jackpot
Paul Needham (gpn1000_at_cus.cam.ac.uk)
Mon, 14 Apr 1997 17:24:03 +0100
About the LinkMedia Jackpot, Mark J. Welch writes:
(see http://www.ca-probate.com/comm_net.htm)
<snip>
>167.LinkMedia Jackpot Add their HTML code to your page, enter the
>contest, and maybe you'll win a chance to receive 10,000 exposures in
>this network for idiots. If you don't win, you're giving away banner ads
>for nothing.
</snip>
Hi Mark,
I was naturally disappointed to read your review of the new LinkMedia
Jackpot concept. It is unfortunate that you do not see the value in the
new service, as so many other webmasters clearly have. Perhaps your
conviction that people who take advantage of this service are "idiots"
arises from an inadequate segmentation of the market.
As you know, there are many different sizes and types of web sites. It
is a mistake to think that every webmaster has the same goals and
expectations for her web site. It is fair to say that the LinkMedia
Jackpot service will _not_ appeal to large or medium sized web sites.
For them, there is very little value in cluttering up their pages with
banner ads which offer only a chance at a prize of free advertising. In
fact, our service is targeted at very small web sites, which may get
only 50 - 1000 visitors per month. Some of these may be personal home
pages, small commercial sites in the very early stages of development,
fan club pages, or hobbyists. Many of these webmasters have responded
very favourably to our new service. The reasons are plenty:
1) For small web sites, traditional link-exchange systems have proved
disappointing.
2) The value resides in the _chance_ at the prize. It is fun to play
games of chance - actually, all of us do in many different ways. As more
entrants join, the jackpot grows, and the attraction builds.
3) The "cost" of entering is very low for small web site owners, who
often do not mind displaying banner ads. Typically, our entrants display
banners for several different types of organisations, including link
exchanges, reseller programs, internet awards, etc. That is, our target
audience is not overly concerned about the appearance of banner ads on
their pages.
The one-hundred or so webmasters who have joined this network in the
past few days are certainly not "idiots" as you uncharitably described
them.
In fact, this segment of the market is a very exciting and dynamic
group. Many are young entrepreneurs or creative types who are
enthusiastic about the new publishing possibilities on the internet.
These often possess a vitality that is notably absent in the large
mega-sites which have already become complacent and conservative. It is
not an exaggeration to say that the "spirit" of the internet - its
transformative potential - rests with this group of small web sites.
We are committed to providing a good value to participating web sites.
By pooling the collective resources of all entrants, we are able to give
away large amounts of free advertising to one lucky webmaster. Our first
draw is on May 15th, but we expect to soon be able to have weekly draws,
with much larger jackpots and several subsidiary prizes.
The service costs money to operate, and we naturally need to have some
commercial content to meet our costs. We have other objectives for the
LinkMedia Jackpot as well, which include the promotion of the LinkMedia
Network, and the various charities which that program supports.
Finally, allow me to express my personal surprise at your comments. As a
regular contributor to the On-line Ads Discussion list, your input has
been typically intelligent and well-reasoned. As a reader, you will have
undoubtedly learned much about marketing and the importance of market
segmentation. As one of the key internet players and observers, you will
have a good understanding of the different types of web sites in
existence today, and the fact that there is a large class of webmasters
who would be quite interested in a chance at a large amount of free
advertising. It is surprising that you felt the need to adopt a
condescending tone towards such an important group, who indeed probably
represent the majority of internet webmasters.
Sincerely,
Paul Needham
--
* Paul Needham
* * Director of Member Relations
* *
* * LinkMedia Network
* Free Banner Advertising
http://www.linkmedia.com
