Specialty Online Marketing and Alternative PPC Advertising

What is:
Contextual. Advertising – the targeting of relevant websites based on the page's content, keywords. • Fully transparent: know exactly where your ads will run on a specific site.
Ad Network – a method of purchasing ads across a select group of sites. Ad networks can be specialized based on demographics and by interest (contextual)

Google is the leader in search. Within Google you can target search results or the content network. A content network allows your ads to run across relevant “partner sites” content vs. Google search you are targeting search engine keyword results.

Placing ads on sites that reach your niche may cost less and deliver qualified traffic to your site. You can get a campaign running for as little as $100 on some specialty websites. Most offer pricing on Pay per Click, Cost Per Thousand or provide retailers with Coupon, Online Sponsorship, and Email Marketing to their database in that coveted niche.

As a former PPC Ad Sales Consultant at Citysearch I can attest to the power of local niche marketing for specific interests. Restaurants, Bars, Nightlife did extremely well on Citysearch which is primarily used by consumers to obtain user reviews, coupons, video, directions and trusted content. Advertisers paid on a CPC to have their enhanced business profiles displayed on Citysearch for keyword and neighborhood searches.

If you are looking for alternatives to search engine traffic or want to be more “engaged” with your prospective customer here's a idea list of sites that offer alternative PPC, banner, email marketing programs and some with local targeting by city:

Local Spa & Beauty Merchants

Spafinder, Spa Week , Pretty City, Citysearch / Spa, SPA-NYC.COM

Travel Business

Travel Zoo, SmarterTravel, AOL Travel , Luxury Link

Medical

Web MD, Health Grades, Good Health Network

Business & Finance Verticals

Marchex PPC Contextual, Business.com, NY Times PPC

Local Living

Yelp, Citysearch ,Superpages, Openlist ( Marchex)

Green Marketing

Sustain Lane Green Ad network, Goodsense

There are plenty of sites to choose from, such as individual sites or ad networks that target diffferent consumer interests.

You know your customer best – what specialty sites and newsletter do they opt-in or use? For a restaurant does your customers use Zagats.com, Menupages or Citysearch to decide on a place to eat? Take their pulse. Then fish in that pond. Sometimes a smaller pond may yield interesting results.