As Top Ad Networks Bulk Up, Can Niche Players Compete?

[potentialgeek]

Niche and vertical ad networks are more plentiful than ever. Advertisers looking to reach Hispanics, affluent gay men in major cities, ecologically concerned women or even Ironman tri-athletes can now do so through targeted buys on specialized networks. Can these firms challenge ever larger ad networks run by the likes of Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and AOL...

"Niche doesn't mean small, where as it did five years ago . . . Niche means millions."

[clickz.com...]

Very good and very timely article. Asks exactly the right questions.

But some "expert" comments are questionable.

"If you are a relatively small Web site, as are virtual[ly] all Web sites really, you're not going to make a lot of money on Google [A]dWord[s]," said Barry Parr, media analyst with Jupiter Research.

Really?

Parr, who supposedly represents a research firm, oddly noted the data wasn't verified.

"these [niche] networks may be offering us a path to that destination [of more money]."

Unfortunately the article doesn't answer the big questions; it merely raises them. There's no data; it's all speculation and mostly general comments.

The Adsense rep said what I was saying in the other thread wrt scale and precision in ad campaigns.

I like the idea of policing and how Google can't really police Adsense sites. That's true. But when the niches aren't small, how well can niche networks actually police?

Since AdWords is continuing to add more control to its users, moreover, it takes away the potential of niche networks, including its claims of policing control. Advertisers get the data to police their own campaigns.

p/g

[Quadrille]

Like the Wild, Wild West, the Internet will not be tamed overnight, and there'll long be room for niche players in all sectors.

The trick is to know your niche, stick to it, and attract custom by skill and 'service' and personal recommendation as well as by technology and 'normal' marketing.

As these forums regularly illustrate, there's plenty of people who hate Google, Y! etc., almost on principle, but also because they are large, impersonal and want a large share of the profits. And because where there's head to head competition, they win.

Whether you consider Google to be a friendly dolphin, beached whale or simply a shark ... that still leaves plenty of room for minnows.