Trim posts, please; and advertising

[Seth Sicroff]

I'd like your thoughts on advertising.

First, I should specify here that part of the "terms of engagement" by which I roped KP into mentoring MM is that all MM advertising will be cloned for Himalayan Journal of Studies (HJS), and revenue will be split down the middle. The rationale is that HJS is an essential Mountain Legacy partner, but that HJS lacks the broad commercial appeal that MM may develop.We can help keep HJS alive and preserve their knowledgebase by injecting a little money into what otherwise turns into a costly philanthropic exercise on the part of a few volunteer staff members.

As for MM and the sportdevelopmentpeace.org Web site, I don't think we're going to get much in the way of paid ads for the Web site or for the journal until the Web site has a lot more traffic and/or the journal has already published a first issue. However, I propose that we offer free advertising on the Web site, starting now, to prospective advertisors in the journal. What I'd suggest is we ask for a commitment to CONSIDER advertising in our first and second issues at rock-bottom rates (which we could set now), with the understanding that we will probably raise those rates (for other advertisers) once we begin to attract subscribers and Web visitors.

The advantages are of offering :
1) We have an excuse to start contacting potential advertisers, establishing personal relationships, and preparing the ground for a bigger sales push down the road.
2) We establish a presence of advertising on the Web site that will provoke visitors into considering MM as adworthy.
3) We get to practice our fundraising skills.

Incidentally, an ulterior motive for this proposal is that I would like to advertise Sunrise Pashmina (www.sunrise-pashmina.com). Empar and I have been handling Internet distribution for a KTM family enterprise since 1999; we undertook this as a Bridges-PRTD project designed to foster economic opportunity in what we regard as a key gateway for independent trekkers in Nepal -- the Freak Street area. Now both the business and the area have evolved past that rationale, and we are eager to advertise in MM and HJS. On the other hand, we don't want to start paying for advertising in a Web site that draws 40 hits/day or a journal that won't be published until next fall.

And I'd like to encourage any of you who have businesses to consider this venue as well.

So, what do you think?

By the way, if you write to the group by responding to someone's prior email, please trim off unnecessary verbiage. The intro email is getting a bit lengthy.

Seth