Advertising is a tricky beast for bloggers and the companies trying to reach an ever widening consumer base coming to the web in increasing numbers. For bloggers wanting to at least make enough money to pay their ways as they move their brand forward it is almost impossible to attract quality advertising as the large percentage of companies looking to advertise on blogs are more interested; and willing, to pay the high cost of the top tier blogs or they go the advertising network route; who in turn target the the leading blogs.

This makes it very hard for the smaller; but equally serious and dedicated, bloggers to grab a piece of the advertising dollars. Generally they are left to follow the AdSense crumbs or look for other methods to pay the bills and not always does the reality meets the expectations or promises.

Then today I read this line in a post today by Hugh MacLeod:

i.e. Everybody is sponsoring the big mega-events. Instead we’re going for the opposite extreme. Micromarketing. Micromarketing on Micromedia.

This was the last line of a larger post (well worth reading) where he was taking about Stormhoek was going to be basically bucking the common practice of sponsoring the large mega events in favor of sponsoring smaller dinner get together type of events. This in turn got me to thinking how this attitude could equally apply to companies advertising on the smaller blogs.

Yes it would take a little more work on the part of their advertising department. It would take them actually getting involved on a one on one basis with the blogs rather than going through large networks, affiliate networks or new media advertising departments. But isn’t that just another part of the conversation that is an important part of this so-called new social media.

After all the majority of the smaller - yet still popular blogs don’t charge the enormous rates like their top tier brethren. Not mention that the money they currently spend through the networks or big media blogs would be spread over a larger number of blogs. Heaven knows I would gladly trade that 125 x 125 AdSense banner over on the right side for a 160 x 160 Stormhoek ad - especially if it was a Hugh MacLeod drawn ad and I bet there are hundreds of other up and coming blogs who would do the same.

So while Hugh looks to extend the Stormhoek brand via Twitter and small events; or to use his phrase Micromarketing on Micromedia maybe it is time for companies to stop looking for the biggest bang for their buck and instead go for a shitload of pops across a bigger landscape of the blogosphere.

Just a thought.

Listening to: David Arkenstone - Atlantis - The Gardens Of The Citadel

Conversation Tags: blogs, advertising, microadvertsing, micromarketing