by Brad Smith
We’ve been tracking the response rates for a client’s banner ads – electronic ads – placed on trade publication Web sites and e-newsletters. Simply put, we’re keeping track of the number of times readers “click-thru” to the client’s Web site directly from these ads.
Curiously, we have two publications in the same space that have delivered dramatically different results. One is what I call a “shopper” – a tabloid-size product-oriented magazine with minimal editorial – mostly ads and news releases. The other is the more traditional trade publication, with in-depth articles covering a broad variety of industry topics. Guess which pub has pulled the most click-thrus?
The traditional magazine’s Web site is outperforming the shopper 3:1. Their e-newsletter is out performing the shopper Web site 15:1.
Why? Good question. Both are viable, valuable assets to the media mix. However, I think the readers, who a good percentage of the time are the same people, approach these two types of trade publications with very different expectations.
The shopper is approached with an “I can find out about new products to make my job easier” mentality. That’s a quick read. Readers approach the more traditional publication with an “I can find out how to use new products and learn new ideas about my profession.” That’s a more in-depth read.
I conclude that the perceived image of the magazine is naturally extended to the electronic versions from the same source. When you’re online you are looking for information – for content – and the more in-depth, the better.
That’s my thinking as to why electronic banner advertising through the traditional magazine’s newsletter outperformed the product-oriented tabloid’s Web site. Does this conclusion stand up in your opinion?
We’ve been tracking the response rates for a client’s banner ads – electronic ads – placed on trade publication Web sites and e-newsletters. Simply put, we’re keeping track of the number of times readers “click-thru” to the client’s Web site directly from these ads.
Curiously, we have two publications in the same space that have delivered dramatically different results. One is what I call a “shopper” – a tabloid-size product-oriented magazine with minimal editorial – mostly ads and news releases. The other is the more traditional trade publication, with in-depth articles covering a broad variety of industry topics. Guess which pub has pulled the most click-thrus?
The traditional magazine’s Web site is outperforming the shopper 3:1. Their e-newsletter is out performing the shopper Web site 15:1.
Why? Good question. Both are viable, valuable assets to the media mix. However, I think the readers, who a good percentage of the time are the same people, approach these two types of trade publications with very different expectations.
The shopper is approached with an “I can find out about new products to make my job easier” mentality. That’s a quick read. Readers approach the more traditional publication with an “I can find out how to use new products and learn new ideas about my profession.” That’s a more in-depth read.
I conclude that the perceived image of the magazine is naturally extended to the electronic versions from the same source. When you’re online you are looking for information – for content – and the more in-depth, the better.
That’s my thinking as to why electronic banner advertising through the traditional magazine’s newsletter outperformed the product-oriented tabloid’s Web site. Does this conclusion stand up in your opinion?
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