Recently I had a discussion with a few website owners I've done business with, regarding content integration and sponsorships on their sites.
What I've come to notice, is that running a website with 100k UV's isn't always as fun as it seems. I mean, you've got all kinds of stakeholders: you might have partners in on the site w/you, potential or current advertisers, not to mention your 100k readers.
And I mean, get serious w/yourself here - this isn't the chicken or the egg...it's pretty clear: publishers need to realize that their readers are their main stakeholders.
Cuz let's face it:
No readers means no pageviews
Means no advertisers
Means no cash.
No cash means no income,
Means you're making a living some other way to sustain a website (and a lifestyle)
that nobody's chosing to read about
(insert price is wrong sound here)
I'm writing this, cuz as an advertisier - I have a hard time putting clients' ads on a site that's full of over-sold really cheap integrations. Like the girl eating the coffee crisp in the ad - who the hell eats a coffee crisp with the label out? You know, those integrations that make you feel all used and abused. Or as i like to call it...bad PR.
From the advertiser perspective, it gets harder to place just regular ads on sites with cheapo integrations.
Seriously. I dont care how big the site is, I've got a hard time believing you're able to convince an audience that's already used to seeing a competitor's product integrated everywhere, to now consume another product. It might be funny to see the brands competing for attention, but it's not going to get a lift in appreciation or consideration for either company.
What's worse - I'd have a hard believing a publisher if they told me that they havent ostricized much of their consumer base through too many integrations. I don't know about you, but i certainly don't read things for sponsored supplements and overly obvious PR stunts of the 9th level cheese.
I mean, take fashion/beauty mags - they've become places for some HORRIBLE integrations, and yet because subscribed readership is dropping off in mags, they need to take advertising handouts and compromise on editorial. Whatever happened to buying a magazine for actual editorial?
I mean, here's this great publication - a beacon of what's hot and what's not....that's now innondated with advertorial and grossly underhanded PR integrations. Guess who just sold out. What's worse - most publishers are blaming the "economy" for their decreasing readership.
How about if publishers didn't fill their content pages with tons of sponsored supplement and advertorial - maybe people would be willing to read/visit/subscribe to your publication if it were actual editorial instead of ads.
So a note to consumer publications - but mainly websites world wide.
When it comes down to integration and sponsorship, it comes down to your voice.
Don't get me wrong; reach is AMAZING - but in the wild wild web, planners can catch reach like whores catch the clap - at a bunch of other places, and usually for cheaper.
So keep your voice, tell advertisers like us "no" once in a while and turn down our integrations with smart reasoning behind them - it's okay not to put out all the time. You're not a whore.
And above all, remember that reach is like sex;
it's great when you're getting it,
but it's always better when it's with someone you actually like.
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