Not long ago, my life literally passed before my eyes during a neighborhood non-profit board meeting.
The discussion turned to effective ways of communicating the group’s message, and one of the more self-assured members took center stage.
“There’s not much point in advertising in print publications anymore,” the board member solemnly intoned. “They’re all pretty much dying now, what with everyone interested in the internet.”
Around the table, heads sagely nodded and the topic was, quite literally, closed.
Here at Advocate Publishing, we’ve always taken the view that information is more enduring than format. But just to hedge our bets, we haven’t put all of our eggs in one printed and stapled basket. Instead, we launched a website more than a year ago to test the waters with media buyers interested in advertising rates and demographic information about our 200,000-plus readers in Lakewood, Lake Highlands, the Park Cities and – beginning next month – Preston Hollow.
Today we’re proud to let you know that we’re jumping into the internet world with both feet. Check out our website today at www.advocatemag.com and you’ll see what I mean.
We’ve built this website around neighborhood content – both stories and information. We’ve added features you won’t find in our printed magazines, including regular tips with our favorite websites, touts of books and products produced by our neighbors, and an interactive neighborhood calendar that can be updated from your home with neighborhood events.
We’ve also added a monthly “poll” asking for opinions about neighborhood issues, as well as a “talk back” section designed to promote discussion among our readers.
And what website is complete without an advertising component: We offer links to neighborhood and national advertisers’ websites, an on-line guide to our Home Services advertisers and restaurants, and listings designed to help us locate neighborhood businesses.
I hope you’ll stop by the website regularly during the upcoming year and let me know what you think. We have more plans for the website, and I’m really interested in your thoughts about where we should be going.
During the past year, without really trying, we recorded more than 225,000 hits (or visits) to our website. I don’t suppose America Online is shaking in its boots yet, but hey: That’s not too bad for an obsolete publication.
