[Dead Inside] Advertising (split)

[Certified]

I would like to return to this post. Now that it's been several months have you noticed an any increase in overall website traffic since the S*P ad ran? Also, have you done any other web spots since then?

[chadu]

I would like to return to this post. Now that it's been several months have you noticed an any increase in overall website traffic since the S*P ad ran? Also, have you done any other web spots since then?

Whenever I run an ad on S*P, I get a traffic spike of a couple hundred to a couple thousand hits. A handful of those convert to sales.

As for other web spots, I've gotten traffic due to a few banner placements (Ninja Burger, Sasha's Den of Inequity), but the longest consistent productive traffic comes from online reviews.


CU

[Certified]

After the spike, do you have a continued increase in web traffic or does it eventually return to old traffic levels? Also, how often do you update content on your site?

[chadu]

After the spike, do you have a continued increase in web traffic or does it eventually return to old traffic levels? Also, how often do you update content on your site?

After the spike, web traffic slows and eventually dwindles back to the dribble. If a new review (anywhere) or thread on RPGnet about a game comes out, another spike, then dribble.

(Interesting bit: self-started threads usually have no effect. That is, if I started a thread on TRUTH & JUSTICE at RPGnet, few hits would result. If someone else starts a thread, more hits result. I need to track this next bit better, but there is apparently an optimum point for me to start participating in a thread started by another player: if I respond too early, or too late, hits dwindle; if I respond "at the right time" hits continue the spike.)

(Of course, this is really only for RPGnet, since few people here talk about TRUTH & JUSTICE. Maybe self-started threads at the Forge would do better than those at RPGnet; I'm not sure.)

I generally update content very slowly -- adding new review links, freebies, errata pages, and so forth. I doubt folks visit the ASMP website repeatedly to check for new stuff. However, I usually post an announcement which draws folks in to look.


CU

[Ron Edwards]

All of the above were split from [Dead Inside] Good use of advertising.

Guys, yourselves with the rules for the site and abide by them.

"Certified," it takes some time to find your feet here, so it's no big deal for ya. No blood no foul.

Everyone else, give yourselves a swift kick in the ass for responding and aggravating the issue.

Best,
Ron

[chadu]

Everyone else, give yourselves a swift kick in the ass for responding and aggravating the issue.

Ron, just to be clear, am I getting tagged for:
A. Line-by-line replies?
B. Thread "resurrection" (well, an assist if not a full goal)?
C. A and B?
D. Thread divergence (ad spike vs. thread spike)?
E. Something Else?

I don't post much here, so I'm rusty.


CU
Thanks for any clarifications.

[Ron Edwards]

Just B. Thing to do is, PM me or the new guy (if you can sure you're being nice), and chime in when the new thread gets going.

And Chad? Good to see you here. Let's get back to the discussion at hand and discuss. This is definitely a great topic.

Best,
Ron

P.S. Huh. I erased a verb in my post at some point, so it's incomprehensible. Familiarize yourselves with the rules, is what I typed.

[Certified]

Let's get back to the discussion at hand and discuss. This is definitely a great topic.

Since you're reading, can you share some of your experiences with advertising online? Also, do you have any thoughts on the value of traffic for your games site? That is to say do you see traffic spikes paralleled with an increase in sales?

[chadu]

Let's get back to the discussion at hand and discuss. This is definitely a great topic.

Okey-doke.

An important issue for Dead Inside advertising -- and, really, all Atomic Sock Monkey Press product advertising -- is that I don't really do much at all.

As noted, I do pay for ads on Something Positive: it's a proven generator of hits for me, across all my products. I've worked out a couple ad exchanges with other groups -- Dork Storm Press and the websites mentioned upthread. In terms of pure advertising, these have paid off substantially enough to justify cash outlay or space trade.

However, some advertising I've tried hasn't panned out at all. Back in the early days of DI, I tried TextAds and banner purchases with measly results. And paying the money for an ad in Game Trade or other game-shop periodicals is pointless for me, since ASMP products are not in the distribution channel.

I've found one site that works for me. This isn't to say that it'll work for others. . . but I'll bet dollars to dodecahedrons that there's at least one site out there, somewhere, that's just perfect for any particular product.

I think the key aspects to look for when seeking this killer ap ad site are:
* Bigtime Traffic -- lots of visitors, especially repeat visitors.
* Thematic Connection -- the closer your product is to the content of the site, the better.
* Your Personal Feelings About the Site -- it's optimum to be a fan of the site and the site runner to be a fan of yours. Mutual respect is worth its weight in gold.
* Cost -- the financial aspect has to make sense for you. I'd seriously question paying more than $30 per ad-day, unless you can be assured that you will sell enough product to cover that expense.

And, to reiterate, while SP has been berry berry good to me, it may not be for you. Also, my traffic from SP ends up being roughly equal to the traffic by the three highest-profile reviews done on my profiles combined.

Pick where -- and when! -- your ads run with extreme care. Advertising is a huge expense for a nanopress, and it's easy to waste a lot of money for little return.

CU

[Ron Edwards]

Hello,

Chad is right on the money.

1. If you know of a venue that works for you, and if you know it works, whether it's a website or newsletter or guy with a sandwich board, then use it.

2. Mutualism is excellent. Put ads for other games in yours, and others will do the same for you. It works best when there are no fees involved and no formal trading of ads. Just do it on your own. Same goes for mutual blog links and similar stuff.

3. Do not pay for advertising space unless it's an example of #1 and it's cheap. Don't buy hobby magazine ads, banner ads, or any sort of blanket "get it out there" ads at all. These are all money down the drain.

Remember: most advertising is a scam on the manufacturer. Ads do not automatically mean reader/viewer attention, and reader/viewer attention does not automatically mean sales. There must be something else that prompts the sale. That is usually a sense of shared cultural commitment, a sense of belonging or insider-ness, which #2 above is all about. It also helps if your actual product is any good (counter to everything they teach in corporate marketing).

Best,
Ron