How Can I Get to be the Featured Site on MSN?

Does anyone have experience with this?

[beren]

Has anyone ever paid MSN to become a "featured site" at the top of the search listings? One of my clients spends big on PPC and wants to be at the top of every listing. We're already first on Overture, but on MSN there is this Featured Site that comes above us.

I have explored the MSN and Microsoft website and found no mention of how to become a featured site, although they say that some of their featured sites are MSN advertisers. I e-mailed their advertising people with the question of how to be a featured site, but got no response. I was just wondering if anyone has done it.

[DrCool]

Welcome to WebmasterWorld beren.

I have also written their advertising department about the "featured listings" but never heard anything back. From what I have heard from others these listings can be a great way to go. If you are really serious about them and you send enough emails to them I am sure you will hear back eventually.

[seth_wilde]

It's done on a fixed cpc basis with a 50k minimum buy. The listing are shown in the order of total advertising spent across the MSN network (so you still might not end up at the top).

[coconutz]

Hi beren, Welcome to WebmasterWorld. Have you tried using the advertising contact form at MSN?

advertising.msn.com/contactus/contactus.asp

[webman]

The Featured Listings are sold by MSN sales reps on a CPM basis. But, as Seth said, the minimum spend is quite significant.

[Shakil]

webman,

Featured listings are sold on a CPM and a CPC basis, depending on how much the keyword is attracting at places such as Overture.

Shak

[webman]

I'll buy that Shak. I know when they first started they only sold CPM, but I guess I've lost touch. I just looked around and they have sold a ton more listings than last time I looked. Most popular keywords now have four or five featured listings.

[sem4u]

MSN can then take all the revenue for these featured listings rather than handing a fistful of dollars over to Overture.

[4crests]

ok, so the minimum spend is 50k. But, does anyone know what kind of CPC or CPM they offer? I realize it depends on overture and all that, and I assume it's negotiable, but does anyone have any examples of what they've been offered?

[Shakil]

as always minimum spend is a LOT lower for MSNuk.

as for CPC and CPM, its all over the place.

the ROI isnt as Good as what it was when we were running CPM, as MSN obviously have been monitoring Overture CPC for the keywords.

Shak

[seth_wilde]

"but does anyone have any examples of what they've been offered?"

They analyize standard CPC costs for your various phrases and then come up with an average which will be the fixed CPC. The costs are similar to those of overture.

[tosspot17]

Just had a phone call from someone selling featured listings. Cost per click was similar to Overture, but i dismissed it striaght away as another cold caller cr*appy offer. Not so sure now, as i wouldn't have to have a minimum buy.

hmmm.

[snoopy]

Although MSN does offer paid listings that can be negotiated on either a cpc or cpm basis the minimum is much less than $50K. I've personally landed these types of listings in the area of $10k.

However, if you don't want to deal with MSN or feel their pricing is a bit high you can surprisingly trump them and go right to LookSmart. LS offers "top pick" (butterfly) listings that miraculously are listed higher than MSNs paid featured listings and you can often get them for a fraction of the cost.

More or less whenever an ad rep tells you there's a huge minimum he/she is playing hard ball. If you can make a compelling pricing argument based on what works for your roi you can normally get an ad reps ear. Do the reasearch and be persistent and it can pay off HUGE.

[arc_light]

LS offers "top pick" (butterfly) listings that miraculously are listed higher than MSNs paid featured listings

do you guys know if Zeal (free Looksmart) listings will appear in these positions too?

thx...