Feb 13, 2012

Online Advertising is More Than Just Clicks!

Yelp is NOT a Rip Off to Advertisers!

I noticed a VentureBeat article that makes me shake my head in amazement at the apparent lack of understanding of online advertising. The sensationalistic headline, "Yelp advertising is a rip-off for small advertisers" reveals a simplistic viewpoint on the value of targeted online advertising. Yelp is not ripping off small business advertisers, but in fact is providing a platform that businesses are benefiting from whether they are paying Yelp for prominent placement or not.

However, my article is not really as much about Yelp as it is about defending online advertising, which the article in question attacks with a vengeance. In essence, the article paints a picture of online advertising where all ads should be sold for 60 cent CPMs regardless of whether they are geo and industry targeted or provide branding with prominent placement. Don't charge too much or you might be accused of being a "rip off"!

Additionally, the article attacks the very core of online advertising by stating, ""For online advertising, I strongly recommend against commitments and impression-based advertising." In short, the article advocates that all advertising be priced like Google Adwords and Facebook ads or similar. As marketers know, online advertising is more than just clicks. It's about reaching your potential customers and pay per click (PPC) advertising isn't the only way to go about that.

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