I don’t have any research to back this up (too lazy to find it), just experience watching others and with my own experiments. I can’t think of a single time that an ad in traditional media led to sales that covered or exceeded the cost of the ad campaign. Taking out an ad in a newsletter doesn’t seem as effective as writing an article for them or a blog post. Or, better yet building up your own community through your blog.

I’d rather have affiliates selling my product for a commission than paying for an ad. I’d rather work with someone who has a strong following online.

I hear the success of working with bloggers and it’s usually where I start when I trying to think of ways to market a business. I started a Facebook Page for Utah bloggers precisely so local businesses could pitch us, like this local chiropractor (but I hope they’ll get people who want to try the service and write about it with a keyword rather than an ad):

Hello! We are looking for Utah bloggers to advertise with. If you are looking for advertising please send us a message and we would love to check out your blog.

Best Wishes,
Alisyn Shepro
Marketing Director
Hansen Chiropractic
www.thebackdoctors.com

Smart!

Seth Godin said:

“Visa…spent a million or more dollars on a very expensive, complex and largely ineffective online promotion last month–not because it was likely to work, but because it was well sold by persistent and effective salespeople. They should have sponsored your blog and 400 others instead.“

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