Advertising on ATS... your opinions please

Internet advertising.

In some circles, the very mention can solicit spits of hate and dread.

Well, it's time to consider how it might work on ATS.

I've been working with Simon to help him consider improvements to the basic infrastructure that runs ATS. Improvements that ultimately cost money.

So here's the question. It's a given that ATS is growing, and needs a better infrastructure to do so. We will grow, and I and Bob88, and other moderators will help make that new infrastructure happen.

So, if advertising is required to keep ATS running and growing, how will it work? Fortunately, I've been working in internet advertising for seven years, so I've seen what works, what doesn't, and I have a few ideas of my own (I've quite literally created, or managed the creation of over 4,000 online ads). We have a chance to do it right, start from scratch, and involve our community members in how the advertising works on ATS.

So to get the ball rolling, what types of Internet ads do you feel are the least hateful?

first of all donations!!! i know i would donate, even though i don't much cash seeing as i aint got a job yet, but that's going to change soon. i'm pretty sure a lot of people will donate. and i don't mean taxes either. if we got every active member, to donate five members... let's say out of the nearly 2000 members, about half of them are active. if a thousand people donated five bucks that's 5,000 dollars. hell if a hundred people donated five bucks it'd be 500 dollars that'd go to site improvements.

secondly, advetisments. i don't know much about advertisements, other than you need something people will look at. first of all, here are some tips, no pop ups, and no annoying flashy effects. that will keep us not annoyed. secondly, convey a signal of relaxation, something that will get our attention but nothin too good to be true. for dudes, anything with boobs usually works. for chicks, i dunno, i'm not a chick. if it is a website that has intrests familiar to all us would probably work too. or books or somthin. i don't know. i know donations are a good way to go. and to encourage donations, just like the monthly member of distinction award, there could be a donater award or something. i am just throwin out ideas.

Well, you can be assured I would never put pop-up ads on ATS.

Donations are already possible through Simon's paypal account advertised on his home page.

Also, I'm able to negotiate nearly the same level of advertising you'd seen on major sites like MSN, Yahoo, etc. So the quality of the ads would not be a concern.

If you knew that clicking on at least one every day helped Simon build, host, and improve ATS, would you do it?

as long as they arent annoying #ing pop up ads *cringes*

I for one would be for a form of advertising to support ATS. I don't think pop-ups or annoying flashing ads are the answer, though. A few small banners would be fine...as an aside, I'm going to send a donation to Simon shortly to "tide him over"....

Let me make one thing clear...

No pop-ups
No pop-unders
No pop-sideways
No interstitials
No eyeblasters
No Shoshkelees
No Flash
No Sound
No spam
No Ham

Absolutely, I dont think it's much to ask to click on an ad to help support the site. I dont know too much about the different types of advertising, maybe you could elaborate some and make some suggestions and/or options. I dont think advertisers would hesitate to advertise here considering the large amount of members and the number of posts here. I hope others will welcome this idea so that you have the proper funding to run this site properly and accomodate the high volume. I recently made my first donation, which I would previously be opposed to, just because I really enjoy coming to ATS and debating current events and whatever else. So what kind of advertising is being proposed, you're obviously not going for the filthy porn ads, at least I hope not. Does the ad that comes up when you first log on to ATS help at all?

get an active donation campiign going! hell i'll head it for ya if you want. i think it'd be an easy way to get funds, not to mention it'd make the ats community feel as if they were giving something back in the form of a lincoln or washington. i'll be seeing what i can do to donate shortly, but since i can only deal in cash i have to check out the thing to see what all i can do. here is what i propose to do to for a donations campaign.

step one. first i'll have to find a few good men (and women) who want to help spread the word. not to mention have a thread in chit chat or in the xmb forum. err that is where this topic is too! heh, anyway, persuade people to give a little, thank people for giving a lot! it's a donation anyway.

step two. set up a way to record the income through donaions, by who they were made, and keep stuff like that goin.

i think also, some people here have found out important info on thier own, how about an ats internet mag or something. i'd like not to use the term tabloid because most ppl think bs when they see that, but it won't get the truth out. maybe like give freelance stuff to larger news resources not let them edit it or ventually create our own. i am just throwin around ideas, let's ya know how much crap i got on the table. well this is a desk so either way.

i need a credit card, i don't have a credit card. this sucks. now i'm pissed. stupid gov't banking agencies. now i don't know what to do!

May I say that I don't like ads for that kind of websites :

- Pro-abortion websites.
- Porn websites.
- Pro-drugs websites.
- Hatefull websites.

But if some ads can help ATS, no problem.

For a donation, that's ok. But I don't use my CC's on Internet. I'm too much paranoid. But if I had an ATS official address to send some money.....

Either one big sponsor for ATS.

ATS BROUGHT TO YOU BY BLOGS COLA.

Or how about Sponsor a Member.Company Logo under Avatar?

ultra_phoenix sponsored by Blogs Cola
or Thomas Crowne sponsored by Elf Oil (hee hee)

Among the best aspects of ATS is the relative level "playing field" where all members are equal. I'd hate to see a situation where some members ending up feeling they are superior because they have donated to Simon under a more structured membership or donation program.

Ads are the great equalizer. Everyone participates in helping Simon, simply by coming here and using his site.

Funny boy.

well, after someone starts a new thread, or is finished posting, during the forwarding period, you could perhaps extend that, and throw some ads up there. That way everyone who posts would have to see them.

I say go for it.. servers aren't cheap and prices go up. I'd bet that the people that run this board aren't doing this as a living. Also there is no cost to join this board. Personally I donated 35 bucks this month (even tho I lost my job and am still unemployed w/ a wife and daughter, 2 dogs, a cat and 7 shrimp in an ecosphere).

So, those who don't contribute (and there's no reason not too) have no right to complain.

One favor... please don't use pop-ups. That one friggin pop-up at the message board log in that says "1,000,000 visitor!!" is driving me nuts.

Hang in there and give me a star for my donation

i wudn't mind ONE say again ONE pop-up ad but it only comes up once per visit to ATS

No pop-ups.

Except, perhaps... premium ads for items the forum staff pre-approve.

For example, let's say ATS members get $5 off a cool new Xbox game... you'd want a pop-up for that wouldn't you?

I think that advertising on ATS is a good idea. Since many of us spend many hours here and has become somewhat like a home for us online. If everybody clicked on ads at least every time they log on it would go a long way in helping the site.

xbox is ok but ps2 is king

anyway, i have no problem clicking ads for about ten minutes straight i'm that much crazy. anyway, until i get credit, which i don't want to do because of being monitored and knowledge of who i am by the powers that be. cough illuminati cough. but i probably will anyway, so it doesn't matter. ads are funny, get the ones where you have to hit a monkey!

Advertising can be done unobtrusively and tastefully. The best example that comes to mind is Drudge. The ad is ALWAYS in the same spot, is ALWAYS the same size, and there's ALWAYS only one. I click on the ad with each and every visit, because I appreciate their restraint.