Blake Schwendiman's Blog and Blook

Crazy Gadget Developer seeks Entrepreneurial Advertising Partner...

I'm the CGD. I find it somewhat ironic that I haven't been able to find what I need in the vastness of cyberspace yet. With all of the advertising happening, with all of the discussing of creative marketing, with the rapid pace of technology ... you'd think I could find it, but I can't, so I'm asking for a little help.

I'm a gadget developer. I am currently supporting two gadgets for the Google homepage/desktop. They've been very well received. Currently my traffic gadget generates about 180,000 views per day from about 10,000 unique users. It's killing my dedicated server. That's a good thing. That means that I have a useful gadget. It also means that I'm outgrowing my server, though, so I need to figure out how to grow.

I've been placing text ads on my traffic widget for a long time now. They generate click-throughs at a rate consistent with the industry averages, but right now I'm not monetizing these ads directly. The main reason is that I don't have time to build the infrastructure. So I've been looking around for an online advertising agency to help me. So far ... nothing.

Most places are not responding to my queries because I don't have a web site on which the advertising will live. Gadgets are new, they're not web sites, they're not AdWare, they're something new. I would think that with the explosion of gadgets on the Internet -- they're becoming more prolific every day -- that I'd be able to find an advertising partner that can meet my specific needs:

1. The ads must be text. I don't have a lot of real estate and I don't want the ads to overwhelm the gadget.
2. The advertising agency/service must be able to describe the gadget idea to advertisers.
3. The ads cannot be generated by JavaScript because the gadgets are JS and there are too many conflicts. I need basic HTML -- text, a link and maybe a tracking image.
4. There should be a lot of fresh content in the ads. I have a core of users that isn't changing quickly and they're very consistent users. They check the traffic every day, many times each day. If they've seen an ad, they've seen it.
5. Preferably these would be CPM or CPT (time) ads, but CPC could work if the ads are very well targeted.

I can't use AdSense. Those ads must be placed on a web page. I can't use many of the other programs because they're based on JavaScript or there's no way to sign up without a web page.

My gadget provides a lot of interesting value to an advertiser. First, it's only useful in the US because it's a US traffic map. Second, I have precise geographical targeting because I know where the user is looking for traffic data. Third, I know the industry that's most relevant to the users: automotive, travel and similar. Forth, the users are consistent. They check the gadget for updates several times throughout the day.

Seems like a good opportunity for an entrepreneurial advertising partner to me. I just can't seem to make the right connection. They say it's not what you know, but who you know. I think it's more like It's not what you know, but what who you know knows. I need someone who knows what I'm talking about to get this thing heading in the right direction.

You know?