Beyond Banners

The Internet has changed the way sellers reach buyers. Internet-based advertising is increasingly the choice of information technology providers to reach clients because they know most of the work day is spent at a computer with Web access. Directions Media has helped our clients grow and now we are offering new ways to go "beyond banners" to reach a Web-savvy audience of potential users of geospatial technology.

The "Beyond Banners" program offers a choice of Web-based advertising solutions that will help advance business goals using additional media options including podcasts, webinars and market research. Banner advertising through Directions still reaches nearly 500,000 visitors each month and will continue to support your sales objectives. Nevertheless, we want to help clients leverage a broader spectrum of Web-based marketing alternatives. We encourage you to consider the follow opportunities to launch or enhance your current campaigns:

• Podcasts. Directions Media will produce an "advertorial" podcast on your behalf during which we will interview your selected staff member(s) on topics of your choice. We will work with you to decide on appropriate topics and themes. This podcast, which will be clearly identified as advertorial in nature, will be highlighted with your logo or other graphic in our "Sponsor Area" on our website. At completion you own the podcast. We encourage you to use internal means to get the word out about the podcast, which can be used as part of your marketing material or Web-based promotions. Production of the podcast includes staging the audio, introductory music, editing, advertising in our Sponsor Area, working with your team on the broadcast, and archiving the podcast in our Sponsor Area where it can be downloaded during the following six month period. After that time, you are welcome to host the audio wherever might be appropriate. Price: $4,995


• Webinar Production and Promotion. Directions Media will promote a webinar to our readership. We will publicize your webinar via banners on all of our websites and newsletters, and will distribute two dedicated e-mails to our entire subscriber list inviting them to the event. To avoid list fatigue, this opportunity is limited to one webinar promotion per month. Upon completion, you own the webinar recording and we encourage you to promote the replay of the webinar through your own resources. Directions will participate as the host of the "live" webinar, if so desired, and the webinar will reside in our archives for six months for rebroadcast to visitors to our Sponsor Area on the Directions Magazine website. Information about the visitors who watch the archived broadcast will be sent to the client. The cost of the webinar production includes message development, interfacing with the hosting service, critique of any graphics or PowerPoint slides used in the webinar, advertising and promotion, and a Directions' editor to act as the moderator of the webinar. This offer does not include webinar hosting services, like those offered by Webex. Archived for six months. Contact Directions Media for details and pricing options - ads@directionsmag.com.


• White Paper or PowerPoint Distribution. The high visitor traffic that Directions Media publications draw each month will help you share your knowledge of specific topics of interest to the geospatial industry by hosting your product or solution materials on our website to be downloaded by our readers. You will receive instant notification of those who download the material for your use as sales leads! The white papers or PowerPoints will be located in a special Sponsors Area linked directly from our home page, and each Monday and Friday our daily newsletter will provide links from a rotating list of only five white papers. Pricing: If you would like a Directions' editor to write and edit the white paper, the fee is $2500 (minimum), dependent upon length. If you would like Directions to host your internally-written white paper or PowerPoint presentation, the fee is $250 per month (six month minimum) for a 5 Mb document or less (contact us for a fee if your document is larger).


• Speakers Bureau. Directions Media's editors are the most experienced in the industry. With a total of nearly 80 years of combined experience as GIS practitioners and consultants, we can provide interesting and unique perspectives on our industry. We can speak at your user group meetings, marketing events and educational seminars. We can present information about emerging technology or help to educate your staff on the various applications for which GIS can be used within an organization. We can also host more lengthy seminars to go deeper into the subject matter. Our access to industry leaders and our own research provide us with current information on our growing industry. Pricing: negotiated, dependent upon assignment


• Market Research/Analysis/Survey Services. Consider the Directions Media staff as an extension of your marketing team. We can offer customized research, industry analysis, and survey services to help you better understand the market and the role your products or services play within the market. We can assist you with everything from SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Treats) analysis to messaging, branding, positioning and product research. Pricing: negotiated, dependent upon assignment


• Custom newsletters and e-blasts. We can help you get the word out about your company's offerings via custom newsletters and e-blasts to our mailing list. This is a limited opportunity, as we will only send out one additional mailing of this nature per month to our list. We will work with you to generate custom content, or simply pass along content which you have created directly to our readers (must be approved by Directions Media). Pricing: negotiated, dependent upon assignment

Please let show you how we can help you reach more clients by going "beyond banners" and maximizing your reach on the Internet. Call Jane Elliott, Publisher (847-242-0412) or Joe Francica, Editor-in-Chief (256-650-0205) today.