Chapter 3: What is a "Virtual Billboard"?

[Founder (Greg Unruh)]

Have you ever been cruising down the Interstate and seen one of those massive signs set off from the road that reads, "Advertise Here" -- it usually has a phone number at the bottom for you to call? Think of a "virtual billboard" as one of those gigantic signs you pass by while surfing on the "Information Super Highway". It's really the same thing with a few unique twists.

The signs you see on the Interstate are very expensive, and usually reserved for just a single ad or message. Contrary to the roadside signs, you can own a virtual billboard absolutely FREE! As a supporter, you can spend as little as $1 to place an ad or post a personal announcement on a virtual billboard. Unlike the signs you see on the Interstate, a standard sized virtual billboard will host hundreds of ads or personal announcements. Additionally; you have the opportunity to attach a short message describing the purpose of your ad or personal announcement, as well as link to an external web site you would like to direct visitors to!

From a marketing perspective, the best thing about a virtual billboard is that inherently it has a targeted audience -- the host web site from which it is linked to. For example, a school might have a virtual billboard that is linked to their school web site. Obviously, those that visit the school web site share a common interest in the school and its programs; hence, the ads or personal announcements on the virtual billboard can be targeted to that very specific audience! If I own a car dealership, I may want to advertise on the school's virtual billboard to target high school students looking for a used car before heading off to college. What a great place for a "Go Army" ad with a link to the US Army recruiting web site! That is advertising maximizing the full potential of a targeted audience! Alternatively, I may be a parent that wants to post a picture of my son or daughter on the virtual billboard, and attach a message stating how proud I am of his or her accomplishments. I could even add a link to a the local newspaper that may have acknowledged my son or daughter's achievement.

Don't lose sight of the fact that advertising may not be the motivation behind the supporter. It could be that the supporter simply wants to sponsor the cause; hence, the advertising component is just a bi-product or secondary benefit for his or her support. Either case, it's a win-win solution for the supporter and the owner of the virtual billboard!