Impossible is Nothing

Often the biggest challenge in penning a weekly column is meeting the length demand – in keeping it short enough. I’m always cutting wherever possible, so that each new version is generally shorter than the next. My next piece, on Feedster, slimmed from over 1,000 words to about 650, and you won’t miss most of what’s gone. However, there was an excerpt I would have liked to find a way to include. This follows a discussion of Feedster’s advertising model, where he mentioned how Feedster is probably turning away as many campaigns as it runs. Here’s an out-take:

I asked [Feedster President Chris] Redlitz when he foresaw inventory meeting advertiser demand. He returned bluntly, “I don’t think it will.” That being said, Redlitz said Feedster will keep its rates in check so as to best enable advertisers to build a strong return on investment. He compared this to rising keyword prices that make it “impossible” for advertisers to achieve a positive ROI. (I’d counter, however, that any advertiser can run a campaign yielding a high ROI through search engine marketing; those who don’t are likely viewing SEM with blinders on and falling short in strategic planning.)

Advertisers who are priced out of search engine marketing are falling short in measurement, creativity, strategy, or all of the above. Yes, some keywords are obscenely competitive, but for every "mesothelioma" and "mortgage rates," there are thousands of lucrative possibilities.