Spaces on the Wall

5 Good Sites vs 1,000 Bad Ones

Hoping to reach a large swatch of eyeballs really doesn't apply to web advertising anymore. It's the attention that really matters. Attention to subject matter and paying special attention to the sites you target your messages on are make or break factors.

I knew of 5 really good sites I wanted to target for a client. I thought I would avoid the risk since the volume reported wasn't that impressive, the brokering would be cumbersome and the pricing seemed too high. It sounded like a safer investment to target 1,000 vs 5. I mean, what if the 5 crash and burn? If I target 1,000 sites, I'm bound to get 100 good ones right?

So I went the easy route and put my faith in Adbrite. Bad move.

Using a service like Adbrite makes it easier for advertisers and publishers to transact. Works in theory, but the problem with Adbrite, and sites like Adbrite is that the whole experience sacrifices quality for efficiency. Advertisers don't have to put much thought into the sites in which they target since the major focus is the impression rate. Publishers could care less about what sorts of advertisers take up space on their pages, so long as they gain the highest CPMs. Its all transactional, and not very effective - for me or for my client. Damn.

You Can Do It Better

If you know what you want to say and know precisely how to say it - why would you need a professional production house to delay the transmission? The boys at NIN captured a live rehearsal, made a few edits and posted the video straight to the fans in a matter days - not months. We're getting craftier with our technologies.

It's Like Going To The Dentist

Two days before my dentist appointment, I feel the urge to all of a sudden take a greater interest in my orthodontic habits - flossing incessantly, brushing more often than usual doesn't really seem to matter. When I go in there on the big day, she already knows. 

No amount of short term care is going to do trick. Same is true for refining a skill-set, cultivating search engine exposure or completing a big project. You have to put the time in. The daily drip-drip-drip  of putting action into practice will never replace the authenticity of a long-term gain.

I say this in the most respectful of tones: If you expect results overnight, don't bother hiring us.

Grey Box Modeling

It's a fantastic idea, and one that deserves more encouragement and adoption. I've been wire-framing for years on paper, but as our creative teams continue to grow, it's best to get everyone on the visual tip by creating clear, comprehensive grey box wireframes. Although I despise FireWorks with a passion, I'm finding that it really is an efficient solution to getting the creative website design process underway.

Using Viral To Win

You win when you know how to use the medium properly. Period.

Phantom Ghost

Here's a neat idea. The other night, an unexpected gift was dropped off my front porch. A care package filled with Halloween goodies for the kiddies - and a special note from the "Phantom_Ghost". My kids went ape-shit.

The idea is to pass on the goodness to two other families in the neighborhood - eventually allowing all families to accept and participate in a pretty cool experience. Although low-tech in messaging and execution, it's highly effective and serves its primary objective - to get families involved in the neighborhood and excited about Halloween.

I ruined the original hard copy instructions. Bummer. So as my punishment, I took the liberty of re-creating the original Phantom Ghost instruction letter. If you're like me and need an electronic version for everything, feel free to download the PDF, and keep the Phantom Ghost phenomenon alive.