Advertising "2.0"

(originally published 08/10)

Advertising on the Web is no easy task. Customers are familiar with banner ads and have learned to ignore them for the most part - an issue addressed in Wired Magazine's latest issue. So is the Web really “dead” for advertising, as Wired proclaims? I beg to differ! Of course banner ads may not be totally effective - because they are intended to be only a slice of the overall pie.

But what if the ad is the content itself? Aye, now you are beginning to see the rest of the Web advertising strategy! Successful advertising can be found in many a blog “disguised” as content. For example, on the Web blog Apartment Therapy, a flashing banner promoting you business "me me me!" may easily get passed by, but a featured article on one or two of your chairs (written by the site's author) could can easily capture the reader's attention. If you need proof of how effective this can be - well, did you click the link to see what Apartment Therapy was about? Whether you did or not, that Brand has just been successfully introduced to you! This technique (speaking less about how great your company is, and instead demonstrate how you add value) is also emphasized by top Branding experts.

Another place that “content as advertising” can pay off is on social networking sites such as Facebook. However, it takes a certain finesse to find the right balance between positioning your company as a valuable “friend”, instead of mistakenly looking like a spammer. If you've ever done email newsletters then you are familiar with this concept. Send too much sales lingo, too frequently, and your customers will unsubscribe.

By the way, Wired (the people who declared the Web is dead for advertising) has actually seen increasing revenues from their website. Could their article just be advertising disguised as content? Money talks!