How to advertise your product or service in TheList --------------------------------------------------- Copyright (C) 1991, James E. Toro BBS Concepts Due to the cost of creating TheList every two weeks we are now seeking advertising from any interested parties to help defray expenses. TheList began in the Fall of 1988 and since then has grown so quickly that we have begun to distribute our IBM National BBS listing every two weeks (on the 1st and 15th of the month). Costs are high in maintaining this list and we are now ready to offer advertising space in TheList at a very reasonable rate. If you have seen TheList before you know that it is carried on HUNDREDS of bbs systems around the country. Some of the biggest systems get 200 or 300 downloads of TheList EACH month and most smaller systems get at least 20 or more downloads per bi-weekly issue. Over the last year we attempted to determine how many people were reading TheList and we found that an incredible amount of bbs systems were carrying it (low estimate of 900) and that was translating to well over 25,000 people downloading it from all of these different systems from around the country. We even had reports of international computer clubs using TheList for contact points around the United States. The last estimates we made, by contacting over 100 sysops, were that the numbers were greatly increasing after every release. With all this in mind, we believe that anyone with a computer related product or service, especially telecommunication interests, could greatly benefit from having an ad in one or more issues of TheList. It is also important to remember that old issues of TheList tend to stay on bbs's for many months past their issue date. We have many users dialing into our system for the latest issue because they may have downloaded issues from several months past. So, your advertisement will generally live a much longer life than the duration in which it is set for release. What will the ad look like ?- In the main header of TheList there is space for up to 12 lines of text that can be used as a teaser for advertising your product or service. This "teaser" space can be used to briefly explain the product/service and then point the user to an enclosed text file which will offer more info, hopefully enough to get the reader interested in your product/service. The teaser can contain any kind of info (we reserve the right to reject any or all advertisements) about your product and then the file can carry a much more in depth explanation of your product/service, including ordering or contact information. The text file can be UP TO BUT NOT OVER 10,000 BYTES IN SIZE. You can put any kind of formatted data, raw text or ANSI, BUT we do not suggest creating a file that requires special programs or hardware to view. All files must be in text format only, no compiled programs, self-extracting data files or other unusual formats can be accepted. If you cannot TYPE the file to the screen or COPY it to a printer, we will not accept it. When a user downloads a copy of TheList, the first thing they do is read the TheList file from the top. In the first section of TheList they will see the brief teaser of your product, this teaser will also contain the filename which has the detailed information for whatever it is that you are interested in selling. Next they will look at your included file and read it to get an overall view of what you have to offer. The most difficult aspect of advertising is to get someone to ACTUALLY READ your ad, this new advertising method virtually guarantees that all interested parties will at least view your ad and perhaps even follow up on any offers for additional info or whatever you may offer. We like to stress to you that readers of Thelist are NOT your average computer users who buy a PC for one task and use it infrequently. TheList readers tend to be highly computer literate, most are often very interested in the latest products and service offered by companies dealing with computers, online networks, telecommunication hardware and software and all the latest general use software as well as new and unusual computer gadgets and gizmos. When you advertise in TheList you are not sending out an ad to the general public, you are getting the attention of the "computer elite", people who are already familiar with computers and other similiar interests who are usually in better than average financial situations and with more interest in expanding their computer systems than regular "home computer" owners. Advertising in TheList really gets your ads to the right people. What and how to submit: Your ad should be a comprised of TWO PARTS. The first part should be a 1 to 12 line by 80 character wide teaser. This teaser should briefly highlight your product/service and should mention the name of the file that is included in TheList that gives the full advertisement information. The teaser text will be inserted into each issue of TheList header that you pay for. The actual advertisement file should be no larger than 10,000 bytes with a maximum of 80 characters wide per line. NO word processing format or non-ascii text. ALL text should be readable by simply TYPEing the file or copying it to a printer. The file will be ZIPped up into the issues of TheList that you pay for. NO OTHER ADVERTISEMENTS WILL BE INCLUDED WITH THE ISSUES YOU PAY FOR. ONLY ONE ADVERTISER IS PERMITTED PER ISSUE. ALL advertisements MUST be sent via U.S Mail or FAX. No ads will be accepted via voice phone or bbs. Payment must accompany order if sent via mail. Ads placed via FAX must have full payment sent within 5 business days of receipt of fax or ads will be rejected. Cost per issue: Effective 08/31/91 (supersedes all other rates) 1 issue display - $125.00 2 issue (one month) display - $225.00 4 issue (two month) display - $400.00 Mailing Instructions: Insertion orders and copy should be send to James E. Toro, One Hollins Road, Hicksville, NY 11801. Telephone contacts are Voice:516-938-1729, Fax:516-938-0675, BBS:516-938-6722 Terms: Payment MUST acommpany avertisements, no ads will be accepted without full payment. All ads are subject to approval before being accepted for display. All ads material becomes property of James E. Toro. Positively no refunds for any ad fees. Multi-issue discounts accepted only with full payment in advance with initial insertion order. FAXed ads are NOT considered accepted until full payment is received. More info ?- Call our voice service line at 516-938-1729 and leave a message with your name, number and brief message regarding your questions or concerns. We will get back to you within the same day, 7 days a week!.