and you can compare the results to GFY's poll:
http://www.gofuckyourself.com/showthread.p...397#post1261397

Serge how does that work exactly- charging sponsors to post topics? Does this mean they have to post messages in the main forum?

I think that's a good idea but will everyone else keep their sigs and ads?

Dianna,
I gotta give it some thought...the banner ad market being stagnant for years, we need something new and pulling it off and thinking of all angles does require an effort, we don't wanna have the fate of TGP II "movement"
;-))

the honest answer to your question is:
I dunno
;-)

but here is the thing...
BigCash sent traditional Oprano webmasters mailer and got lukewarm response

I suggested him to post his offer on the board and response was MUCH better

somebody else started the similar thread without my suggestion and got ZERO responces because....Oprano wasn't behind them to promote the thread.

who is behind you does matter
;-))

I bought this script that will include text or whatever on a time event. It simply included wherever you added the code.

I think that it would be worth it for Oprano to hire someone to write effective copy, which IS an art, to help promote sponsors. Each sponsor submits monthly a selection of news copy then your copy writer/creative makes it more clickable. You have a monthly deadline and add all the text, you already have the code in place & let it roll!

The things that interest me are special promotions and let's face it; it's a very competitive market. When I see something related to my need I’ll check it out. To be honest with you I’m more likely to click people’s sig’s more then anything else, especially if I think that poster is interesting.

If you have staff that posted more often, interesting topics and included sponsor tag lines in your messages, that would also work. That’s sorta what I see you doing and I have clicked the links in your messages before.

My two cents.

so far...40% of GFY and 40% of Oprano NEVER clicks on new banners

interesting

i would think that although clicks percentages are low on the Net, there is still huge brand building and awareness new advertisers are getting regardless of the clicks. It takes time and getting in front of your community of serious industry webmasters is just as good a metric to use as clicks to evaluate ROI IMHO.

I bet you one can make better awarness in 10 posts all over the net than just a stale button/banner

That is very true about brand, however isn't this why a lot of webmasters post on boards often? Getting your name out there is the key.

Lady Law gave me this advice a while ago. I was on the web in the very beginning but didn't spend time on any boards or networking. Once I started getting my name out there business picked up quite a bit.

That is very true about brand, however isn't this why a lot of webmasters post on boards often? Getting your name out there is the key.

Lady Law gave me this advice a while ago. I was on the web in the very beginning but didn't spend time on any boards or networking. Once I started getting my name out there business picked up quite a bit.[/b][/quote]
DV,
Serges's Cash NEVER bought a banner on any board, NEVER, which didn't prevent us from getting more revenues in 1999 than..IGallery
(they are public company, they had to disclose their numbers)
;-))

but POSTING on the boards was VERY effective than and still effective now

A few comments on how this stuff works on me (not sure about others).

I received the Big Cash email. I am not in the traffic business anymore but that made impression one. After I read his post I became aware at a second level. "OK, John is making a strong starting move". Then I noticed him posting intelligently on topic and then made another impression on me.

Now, if Nick and Anthony or Slavik or some other big traffic people were to say "Hey, Colin. This guy's stuff is really converting well" that would add a new factor into the equation. I might be talking to someone later and say "Hey, have you tried Big Cash" yet? So and so is converting his stuff really well."

All these things summed to an awareness of Big Cash. Now I know his program is there.
I didn't before. It takes a summation of events rather than just one by itself.

Anyway - I perceive Big Cash in a strong breakout and emailed him demo's for our feeds. Never waste a good opportunity to get in on a growing program that could get big fast.





Last edited by Colin at Jan 17 2003, 10:14 AM

That is very true about brand, however isn't this why a lot of webmasters post on boards often? Getting your name out there is the key.

Lady Law gave me this advice a while ago. I was on the web in the very beginning but didn't spend time on any boards or networking. Once I started getting my name out there business picked up quite a bit.[/b][/quote]
Yes, in addition to everything mentioned, in general repetition of your message/ad is important and I think there is an old saw ad people use that you need to have your ad viewed on average 6 times before it even sinks in to the viewer. On the boards from my experience, posting and having people remember you and what you do from your sig. is the most strategic thing I have ever seen in any kind of marketing in any medium. I have been blown away by it and wish I was able to have more to say on the boards to get my name out there more.

I can honestly say that I never click on a "new" banner. I look at them, I enjoy them, I laugh, I cry, but they don't provoke me to click.

HOWEVER, when I need to GET to a company that I know has a banner here, I come HERE to click on the banner to get to their site. :)

I never click on board banners, except on WegCash's banner. That one I clicked on and signed up.

Colin, nice avatar :awinky:


i click very often on banners and rarely on signatures.

Branding?

Definitely. Still the BEST form of marketing IMHO. Any idiot can throw up a banner but it takes some intelligence to make a good, honest impression on the boards.

How many companies have come out, plastered the biz with their banners and been out of business in a few months?
How many make intelligent posts and have not had to advertise on any boards?

Branding is still important - I can't won't argue that - but it's all about the way that you do it. :okthumb:

Definitely. Still the BEST form of marketing IMHO. Any idiot can throw up a banner but it takes some intelligence to make a good, honest impression on the boards.

How many companies have come out, plastered the biz with their banners and been out of business in a few months?
How many make intelligent posts and have not had to advertise on any boards?

Branding is still important - I can't won't argue that - but it's all about the way that you do it. :okthumb:[/b][/quote]
B I N G O !

B I N G O ![/b][/quote]
It's like 0 to 65 in 2 seconds. A smile, great sense of humor, knowing how to walk your talk & rubbing elbows is the key to any successful business.

Everything in life is about relationships.

A couple of comments...

First off, the mailing may not have the results you'd normally expect due to spam. When registering for boards or anything where an email address may be public, a lot of people will not give what is their true "primary" address that they actually pay attention to. And it's easy for a mailing to get lost in an avalanche of spam in those public mailboxes.

Aside from that, everyone is dead on accurate...an announcement by itself to a group of established webmasters wont do much. I have all of the sponsors, hosting, processing, etc that I need. I'm not looking for that when I login.

However, if someone has a new angle, and they can talk it up and convince me that it might make me money or save me money, now I'm interested and paying attention. Or likewise if everyone on the board is clamoring about some new program, innovation by a processor or whatever, that'll get my attention.

And even if there's nothing new going on with a sponsor. If it does come time that i need a new host or something, I'm very likely to go with one that I know has been around for a while and is stable....the buttons on top of Oprano are likely to get one of those occasional clicks from me at that point.

"Board reputation" still carries a lot of weight when it comes time to write checks or send traffic.

Definitely. Still the BEST form of marketing IMHO. Any idiot can throw up a banner but it takes some intelligence to make a good, honest impression on the boards.

How many companies have come out, plastered the biz with their banners and been out of business in a few months?
How many make intelligent posts and have not had to advertise on any boards?

Branding is still important - I can't won't argue that - but it's all about the way that you do it. :okthumb:[/b][/quote]
When I posted on twenty two message boards for six months, as per Kath and Lady Law's advice, I got more branding than any of the thousands of dollars I spent on advertising.

It's important for people to get to know you and the best way for that to happen is to post...and go to conferences.

Invaluable advice from two great ladies. :)

I must agree that WegCash's banners kick ass, only b/c seeing Gabe in them makes me laugh!

I rarely click on banners, I click on sigs more often than banners. Banners for branding is good, but for results? I usually read the emails more than anything else, but it depends on how full my inbox is and if the offer is good for my program, and if not, i often forward them.

What gets the best results! I post a lot more than i ever did (Serge doesn't scare me as much anymore since PHBII lol) on this board and many other boards, but I find most of my business comes from referrals.

What ??
i'm the only one that clicks on new banners ?


" I click a NEW board banner everytime to see what it's about 1 [2.56%] "

Slav, and this is why you are one of the richest Opranaughts
;-)))

Folks, take it from Slav,
clicking on new banners is the way to the riches!!!! :rokk:

i click on banners only slightly more often than i click on television commercials, newspaper ads or freeway billboards. i dont think that makes them less important or less valuable.

everyone has a target audience and the point of marketing and advertising is to CONSISTENTLY maintain a presence where those people can be found. thats the primary benefit of banners. webmasters are not tgp traffic that should be expected to click and convert. those days are over and were over long long ago.

maybe i am wrong?

Colin, you just gave away the formula for good marketing

:(



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