RE: Advertising assistance: Chicken or Egg?

From: Ramon Ray <ramon_at_smallbiztechnology.com>
Date: Mon, 28 Jun 1999 00:23:02 -0500 (CDT)

LISA HODGKIN WROTE:
>I respond only when the post-du-jour goes down the wrong
>way, as did this Chicken or the Egg posting (11 June 1999)

1. I thank you for your valuable input and comments.
2. Althought a bit harsh - I appreciated them all the more
and will take careful note of your advice
3. I just wanted to address a few of your issues, about my
site in particular "for the record" - you are still of
course entitled to your opinion, however, your comments
warrant some clarification:

>searching for the point in your web site

Clearly, right up front I state what the "point is of my
site"...in addition, I have a "what's in it for you" link at
the top to the right of my site - the point is there for
those who wish to find it.

I have received, many, many positive comments on the content
of my sites, but have been told the navigation and interface
of the site could be improved.

>, seeking content that was your own. And while
>I found nothing more than pleas for sponsorships and
>donations, I had to laugh at myself for feeding your web
>counter, which is ultimately the objective you are seeking.

1. There's no objective to "feed feed my WEB counter"

2. There's no please for sponsorships or donations - if a
link saying "Donations?" is a plea - then yes. But there's
nothing wrong at all with experimenting with was to generate
revenue, see how people respond and etc - this is part of a
learning experience - no?

3. CONTENT THAT WAS MY OWN - 99% of the content on my site
is written only be me! In the case of a press release such
as IBM/Whistle - it's clearly stated...what content is not
my own on my site? (this comment hurt me the worst as
stealing content from others is bad!!!!!!)

>If you wish for your site to succeed, you cannot beg, steal
>or borrow the content or services of others. You must offer
>professionally written content, less spelling and grammar
>mistakes, and bursting with incentive to revisit.

On the spelling and grammar (you are 101% correct and I
thank you - haste makes waste :)) however, I again ask you
for the begging, stealing and borrowing evidence please?

>Only bottom-feeding might you find Advertiser X who is
>"salavating" for a target audience. Advertiser X most
>likely already has a target audience, and "albeit small"
>won't cut it. Again, build your web site, build your
>numbers, then build your revenue.

I beg to differ - it's easy for a vendor to pay millions for
an ad in the WSJ, Inc. Mag or any other media venue, howeer,
I would think (correct me if I'm wrong) that advertising to
a very well defined audience, in a medium that would
maximize marketing dollars would be best. What I mean is
that many repeat visitors to my site, subscribers to my
newsletter and etc - come for the information I provide them
- how to use technology in their business. An advertiser
connected to not just my message but to me and my audience
would probably increase the value of it's marketing dollar.

Just as if Walter Mossberg/WSJ had a newsletter, or with
this very ezine here, etc.

>no more so than you will be lucky enough to receive one of
>the "donations" you beg for on your web site. If you do
>find someone with advertising dollars burning a whole in
>their pockets, won't you please be kind enough to share
>their name with the rest of us?

Again the "donation" issue I addressed earlier. And, Lisa,
finding an advertiser with a hole to burn I may not
find...however...I know for a fact that PC companies are
looking for new ways to reach the small business
market...sometime after PC Expo I WILL INDEED SHARE SUCH AN
ADVERTISER WITH YOU...something akin to the last laugh
maybe?

>Please understand Mr. Ray, that my response is in no way
>meant to flame you, it is to help you understand that the
>while the web is a wonderful thing, like in the real world,
>it is the survival of the fittest.

I didn't take your comments as a flame and did appreciate
them as every negative comment received builds oneself,
makes one do better, and etc. I only felt to respond to your
email this way since you made some very specific direct
comments such as stealing content, begging and etc.

Would you like to buy any advertising on my site? :)

Ramon Ray, ramon_at_smallbiztechnology.com
http://www.smallbiztechnology.com
Fax: 815-371-1052
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Editor, Small Business Technology Report
smallbiztechreport-subscribe_at_onelist.com
Editor, Technology and Your Business
technologyandyourbiz-subscribe_at_onelist.com

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Received on Mon Jun 28 1999 - 07:02:13 CDT