• by Tom Hespos , February 1, 2005

Don't misunderstand me. I love blogs. There are several I visit everyday, and I've kept one at my personal Web site for quite some time.

Please do understand that I'm watching blog mania continue to unfold with the skeptical eye of a media planner who has seen many Internet fads come and go, with many of them influencing advertisers to the point of making bad decisions.

That skepticism is healthy, especially if you've ever heard a client ask something like, "Why is there no 'push' technology on this media plan? I've heard that's hot." or "Why don't we buy keyword 'Pamela Anderson?' That's what all the young males are searching for."

The recent revelation that over a quarter of Internet users consume blogs, added to the fact that a media guy can't read a trade magazine without the word "blog" jumping out at him six or seven times, might make one think that it's something worth doing because of its "cool factor."

Cool Factor should never be the sole determinant of what gets on a media plan, but with all the hype it doesn't hurt to remind folks of that. Remember that while one quarter of the Internet reads blogs, a good chunk of the remaining three quarters has no idea what a blog is.

That's not to say that there's no ad opportunity here. Quite the contrary.

The first thing to remember is that the blogs best suited for advertising and sponsorships are topical. That is, their audience visits the blog regularly for information on a certain topic. Screenhead covers cool Flash games and funny video clips. Gizmodo covers the latest in gadgetry. Blogs that wander off-topic or cover what the blogger had for breakfast that day are not likely to deliver a tremendous number of unique users.

Moreover, the users they do attract are not likely to be focused in a particular niche, which is a big part of what makes blog advertising attractive. My colleague Jim Meskauskas likes to speak of the Internet as "an embarrassment of niches." Blogs play a big role in that nichification of content and audiences.

Another thing to remember is that many blogs don't exactly have a huge audience just yet. A blog's potential audience universe may be only a small group of enthusiasts to begin with. Add to that the understanding that blogging is a fairly recent phenomenon, and that many blogs haven't had the benefit of 10 years online to attract and engage a huge audience.

Your best bet is to examine the audience niches you're trying to attract and test several blogs within that content category. Whatever you do, don't simply cast your ad blindly across a network of blogs in the hopes that some of the coolness of the fad will rub off on your brand. Think audience, just like you would when putting together any other media plan.

I've found that a successful tactic in blog campaigns is to tap into the enthusiasm and dedication of the audience by becoming a sponsor - underwrite the blog and make it clear to the audience that your brand supports what's going on there.

Many bloggers are coming to a point at which their blogs are becoming more than part-time hobbies, but might fall short of being something the blogger can do full-time for a living. A sponsorship could be the thing that helps the blogger ramp up with the community they've created for fellow enthusiasts. A persistent presence also helps to ensure that you're reaching all or most of the people that visit the blog, which can be a big help in extending reach.

There is a big opportunity in advertising with blogs. Just don't get so wrapped up in the hype that you lose sight of that opportunity.