NONE: Re: ONLINE-ADS>> Do ad buys depend on track records?
Re: ONLINE-ADS>> Do ad buys depend on track records?
Kim M. Bayne/wolfBayne Communications (kimmik_at_wolfBayne.com)
Fri, 28 Feb 1997 12:35:29 -0700 (MST)
In answer to the question, "Do ad buys depend on track records?"
The answer: not exactly.
O.K., that's a weasley-worded reply. (Ahem!) If some big gun came up to you
and said, "Hey, we're launching this new unproven site." you'd jump at the
chance to be in on the ground floor because the company, if not the Web
site, has a track record. Never mind that this is a totally new area for
them and they haven't a clue. Full speed ahead, when the big names are
behind the effort. By and large, people are faster to put money into a
mediocre product by a well-known company than put money into a exceptional
product by a no-name start-up. Eventually, smart people catch on and start
shifting loyalties, but until then... If Hayseed Harry offers the same deal
as Mr. Big, even with the same innovative and promising ideas, we normally
put him through the ringer. Human nature or are we unwitting victims of
effective image management campaigns? (throws hands up in air, shrugs shoulders)
At 01:12 PM 2/26/97 -0500, Brian Pomeroy <lunar_at_voicenet.com> wrote:
> With so many new sites going up these days, a new Web presence really needs
> to have either some branding behind it or a usage track record before it can
> attract serious advertisers.
Branding is an issue that small companies struggle with all the time. How DO
you position yourself against the big guys, especially on the crowded
Internet? How can the small company, without the budget and staff, compete
against the Microsofts and NetScapes of the world?
Small sites ARE attracting advertisers. They're doing it by FINDING THEIR
NICHE. Sure, the big ad revenue generating sites are attracting LOTS of
visitors...but advertisers are also looking for something more targeted. Get
their attention by speaking directly to their market and somehow prove these
exact people are coming to your site. That makes the value per lead
INFINITELY more valuable. Marketers don't have a lot of time to sift through
unqualified leads. Now, notice that I have a business-to-business marketing
orientation. Consumer goods on the Internet are another story altogether. If
you're a consumer marketer, you can stop reading this message now. I bow to
your experience in that area.
I'd say that branding or name recognition can come in second when you're
talking about an information-rich medium such as the Internet. In this case,
branding is an offshoot, a side benefit, a result of providing something so
unique, so well-crafted, so useful on the Internet, that people begin to
associate with you immediately. Branding doesn't always have to come as the
result of big bucks and lots of visibility...although this certainly helps.
Those of us who don't have big pockets have to be smarter.
> One factor that might sway advertisers in your
> favor, though, is evidence of an aggressive marketing plan for the site.
Perhaps, but the best plans don't mean a hill of beans if the product isn't
worth anything. You might get initial interest, but LONGEVITY is a factor
for continued revenue. Longevity on the Internet means putting your plan
into action. Aggressively market something with little value, like a pet
rock, and soon the novelty wears off. Your Internet concept MUST have longevity.
> Do you plan to buttress the site with broadcast and print ads, as well as ads
> on other sites?
By all means, go out of your way to marry traditional media with Internet
marketing. I can't emphasize this enough. It's amazing how many people STILL
think that they can get away with advertising on the Internet without taking
other, more traditional forms of communication, seriously. It doesn't matter
how many books authors write about integrated marketing
communications...most Internet marketers just don't get it!
> Is the site unique enough to be newsworthy (thereby
> justifying PR attention)?
A word of warning: don't call editors up and ask them if they go your news
release on your new Web site, ESPECIALLY if your site is very basic and not
very sexy.
Fold the Web site discussion into the other REAL reason you called.
"I understand you're writing a story on new digital signal processors for
the March issue. I'm calling to bring you up-to-date on our new product line
in that area. We'll be announcing at the WhizBang Show in March, which is
the same time we will launch our new Web site."
Just stepping off my soap box...
Warm regards,
Kim
wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
Kim M. Bayne, president "Measurable results in high-tech
wolfBayne Communications marketing communications"
http://www.bayne.com/wolfBayne/ - consultant, author, speaker
kimmik_at_wolfBayne.com - Internet marketing seminars
(719) 593-8032 - business/trade media relations
author, "The Internet Marketing Plan: A Practical Handbook for
Creating, Implementing and Assessing Your Online Presence," 1997.
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