Hi everyone – I thought I would take a moment to let you know about some promotions we’re doing to drive traffic to the site during the holiday rush. I know you all are working hard on your own respective efforts. And we really appreciate the effort and creativity you’re showing.
First off, as you might have noticed, we sent a special Cyber Monday email to our list of subscribers on Monday. This email was full of great holiday gift ideas from popular categories and also included gift guides and coupons. Stay tuned for another email next week when we launch the December edition of the Bonanza Bargaineer.
Second, as you likely saw on the homepage, we’re now promoting your coupons across the site. We’ll continue to promote deals, gift guides, and Rushes throughout the year of course.
Lastly, we’re diving into our holiday advertising campaign. We will be working with a few different advertising networks (Microsoft, Facebook, etc) to target the deal-hungry and Bonanza-curious. While it’s not quite a Super Bowl commercial, we believe these will be effective to drive awareness and traffic to our sellers during the busy holiday season. You can see someof our sample ads below. Note that these are not all of the ads, we are advertising in different categories as well.
Nice looking ads for Rush sales. I hope we’re doing some that advertise the whole site, for some name recognition. The movie ad doesn’t even say bonanza on it??? Will we get to see a list of where the ads are going to be/when so we can try to find them?
Anxious to see more!! Noting that the above shows 2 ads re: bags, and a third ad that also shows bags in it.(Clothing, shoes and accessories). Just want to make sure that peeps don’t start to think that we sell primarily “bags”.
Looking good, guyz, THANKS!!
Would like to know where the ads will be going specifically. May I suggest that for next year that this be done way before Dec. 1st. Most online Christmas sales will be dying out in the next couple of weeks…remember we have to deal w/ shipping deadlines. The Bargaineer was good but again sent way too late to be effective..I got mine at 8pm est and like most people are done by then if you are aiming at employees still at work. Making the name Bonanza still has to be made known outside the confines of a computer.
it’s getting a bit late for starting a Christmas campaign being December already.. but, better late than never.. we can get those last minute shoppers… with lots of time to still ship, I’m sure
First and Second are promoting to people who already know about Bonanza
and like sofy I would like to know more details about Lastly.. what, who and where… will this make it to buyers that do not live reading the “insider to online shopping” places??
@sofyblue & pugs – many of the ads started well before Dec 1. The ads have appeared on a number of sites through the Microsoft network (there are too many too list here), on Facebook, and on Wetpaint – a TV / entertainment network for women.
How far before Dec 1st??? I am not of facebook that much, have not seen any thing and no one I know has seen one there, I guess I will start asking around. Guess I’m behind the time or too busy for entertainment ROFL… have not heard of Wetpaint… will check it out. thanks
@Pugs – probably a couple of weeks before for some ads. I would be surprised if one of your friends remembers seeing them for two reasons. First, Facebook has more traffic than any nearly every other website on earth (if not the most) so the odds of someone you know seeing our ads are low. There are just TONS of ads there to be seen. Second, the ads aren’t heavily branded visually speaking. This is a Facebook requirement. They don’t do the more graphic banners that you see on other sites. So their at-a-glance recognition is lower IMO.
So since alot is being geared towards the bonanza bags and towards the rush and since you have stated “many of the ads started well before Dec 1” and " The ads have appeared on a number of sites through the Microsoft network" then has traffic picked up, sales picked up?
All I see is bags bonanza What about the rest of the selers are they chopped liver. I smell a rat a big bonanza rat. A lot of sellers are gonna be in for a big let down with this site.
then it seems like a small % of people will actually see them on FB
>>>the ads aren’t heavily branded visually speaking. This is a Facebook requirement. They don’t do the more graphic banners that you see on other sites. So their at-a-glance recognition is lower<<<
guess that will miss the mark on helping make Bonanza a household name…. maybe we should have tried one with the banners and recognition
is there any way for the site to know how many people came here through those ads, were they clickable and would the site know they came from there
“So their at-a-glance recognition is lower IMO.” what do you mean by that Alex, are you saying that yall did an advertising campaign that is basically worthless lol
@ MamawsButtonsAndMore – the ads shown above are for Rushes, the Bags site, and for various categories on Bonanza.com. Though, as I stated above in the post, not all of the ads are shown here. If you are looking for the ads in rotation on the websites I listed you won’t see them all as most ad networks have ‘frequency caps’ that ensure your ads aren’t shown again and again to the same person. This is fairly standard. So, if you happened to get the first one or two from the bags site, that’s likely all you will see. Other users will see other ads.
@CritterCreekRanch – In that quote you pulled I was talking only about the Facebook ads (the two samples at the bottom of my post). Facebook is best suited for targeting people based on their specific interests. For example, if we have a Rush on Movie Memorabilia you target people who have an interest in films, movies, etc. This is what they specialize in. They are not best suited for big branded or awareness-driving ad campaigns. Mostly as they don’t allow you to do the more visual banners you see above.
Other networks (like Wetpaint and MSFT) are better for more visual ads as they target differently and allow you to have what are known as ‘display ads’.
Why try such different approaches? To experiment and learn for the future.
@Sheltie19 – I’m not following you. I’m trying to explain our approach with these ads and why they differ. Some people are very familiar with the ins and outs of online advertising, others are not. If I appear condescending my apologies.
all you guys ever do is lie to us… or not inform us of changes til after they happen… I am just tired of it…I have had one sale here in a month…. I can’t see how you think I am so dumb to realize… that I am not good enough for your advertising…… I am not made of money.. well I have to just say…. I put my pants on one leg at a time just like anyone else.
I agree pugs it’s hit or miss. If I see a bonz add and it is for the rush or bags and I see it all the time that tells me there is more advertising being done on those two items than any thing else. And yes advertising should of started a while ago not on dec first. bonanza forgets it’s the little people who have helped them from the begning and again as with most sites the little people have been s**t on again. Huray for the bags and rushes down with the rest Hummmm
Thanks for the input everyone. I’m going to close commenting now as I think we’re veering into a less than constructive zone. For more on Bonanza’s approach to advertising you can read Bill’s post here.
31 responses to Holiday advertising
Looks great guys! Made 4 sales yesterday so I’m smiling!
Awesome! Thank you!!
Yay! Ads! And awesome looking ones too.
Nice looking ads for Rush sales. I hope we’re doing some that advertise the whole site, for some name recognition. The movie ad doesn’t even say bonanza on it??? Will we get to see a list of where the ads are going to be/when so we can try to find them?
Anxious to see more!! Noting that the above shows 2 ads re: bags, and a third ad that also shows bags in it.(Clothing, shoes and accessories). Just want to make sure that peeps don’t start to think that we sell primarily “bags”.
Looking good, guyz, THANKS!!
Wow! Great job!
Nice. well done.
Would like to know where the ads will be going specifically. May I suggest that for next year that this be done way before Dec. 1st. Most online Christmas sales will be dying out in the next couple of weeks…remember we have to deal w/ shipping deadlines. The Bargaineer was good but again sent way too late to be effective..I got mine at 8pm est and like most people are done by then if you are aiming at employees still at work. Making the name Bonanza still has to be made known outside the confines of a computer.
it’s getting a bit late for starting a Christmas campaign being December already.. but, better late than never.. we can get those last minute shoppers… with lots of time to still ship, I’m sure
First and Second are promoting to people who already know about Bonanza
and like sofy I would like to know more details about Lastly.. what, who and where… will this make it to buyers that do not live reading the “insider to online shopping” places??
19 days left to ship via Priority mail
are my feet dragging guys?
@sofyblue & pugs – many of the ads started well before Dec 1. The ads have appeared on a number of sites through the Microsoft network (there are too many too list here), on Facebook, and on Wetpaint – a TV / entertainment network for women.
yup see bags bonanza on wetpaint
How far before Dec 1st??? I am not of facebook that much, have not seen any thing and no one I know has seen one there, I guess I will start asking around. Guess I’m behind the time or too busy for entertainment ROFL… have not heard of Wetpaint… will check it out. thanks
when you go to Wetpaint look under site we like
@Pugs – probably a couple of weeks before for some ads. I would be surprised if one of your friends remembers seeing them for two reasons. First, Facebook has more traffic than any nearly every other website on earth (if not the most) so the odds of someone you know seeing our ads are low. There are just TONS of ads there to be seen. Second, the ads aren’t heavily branded visually speaking. This is a Facebook requirement. They don’t do the more graphic banners that you see on other sites. So their at-a-glance recognition is lower IMO.
So since alot is being geared towards the bonanza bags and towards the rush and since you have stated “many of the ads started well before Dec 1” and " The ads have appeared on a number of sites through the Microsoft network" then has traffic picked up, sales picked up?
I think this whole advertising you have come up with sucks
All I see is bags bonanza What about the rest of the selers are they chopped liver. I smell a rat a big bonanza rat. A lot of sellers are gonna be in for a big let down with this site.
most Christmas ad campaigns start by Oct
then it seems like a small % of people will actually see them on FB
>>>the ads aren’t heavily branded visually speaking. This is a Facebook requirement. They don’t do the more graphic banners that you see on other sites. So their at-a-glance recognition is lower<<<
guess that will miss the mark on helping make Bonanza a household name…. maybe we should have tried one with the banners and recognition
is there any way for the site to know how many people came here through those ads, were they clickable and would the site know they came from there
“So their at-a-glance recognition is lower IMO.” what do you mean by that Alex, are you saying that yall did an advertising campaign that is basically worthless lol
@ MamawsButtonsAndMore – the ads shown above are for Rushes, the Bags site, and for various categories on Bonanza.com. Though, as I stated above in the post, not all of the ads are shown here. If you are looking for the ads in rotation on the websites I listed you won’t see them all as most ad networks have ‘frequency caps’ that ensure your ads aren’t shown again and again to the same person. This is fairly standard. So, if you happened to get the first one or two from the bags site, that’s likely all you will see. Other users will see other ads.
gosh Alex… do you think we just fell off the turnip truck or what?
soooo… it’s hit & miss ????
@CritterCreekRanch – In that quote you pulled I was talking only about the Facebook ads (the two samples at the bottom of my post). Facebook is best suited for targeting people based on their specific interests. For example, if we have a Rush on Movie Memorabilia you target people who have an interest in films, movies, etc. This is what they specialize in. They are not best suited for big branded or awareness-driving ad campaigns. Mostly as they don’t allow you to do the more visual banners you see above.
Other networks (like Wetpaint and MSFT) are better for more visual ads as they target differently and allow you to have what are known as ‘display ads’.
Why try such different approaches? To experiment and learn for the future.
@Sheltie19 – I’m not following you. I’m trying to explain our approach with these ads and why they differ. Some people are very familiar with the ins and outs of online advertising, others are not. If I appear condescending my apologies.
all you guys ever do is lie to us… or not inform us of changes til after they happen… I am just tired of it…I have had one sale here in a month…. I can’t see how you think I am so dumb to realize… that I am not good enough for your advertising…… I am not made of money.. well I have to just say…. I put my pants on one leg at a time just like anyone else.
I agree pugs it’s hit or miss. If I see a bonz add and it is for the rush or bags and I see it all the time that tells me there is more advertising being done on those two items than any thing else. And yes advertising should of started a while ago not on dec first. bonanza forgets it’s the little people who have helped them from the begning and again as with most sites the little people have been s**t on again. Huray for the bags and rushes down with the rest Hummmm
@sheltie19 – sorry you feel that way. We endeavor to communicate frequently and certainly truthfully.
Thanks for the info, Alex
Sheltie and Mamaws, who peed in your Cheerios?
Thanks for the input everyone. I’m going to close commenting now as I think we’re veering into a less than constructive zone. For more on Bonanza’s approach to advertising you can read Bill’s post here.
http://www.bonanza.com/site_help/general/advertising?layout=&title=the+ins+and+outs+of+advertising+an+ecommerce+site
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