Forbes is the latest big-brand content player to try to compete with ad networks by getting in the game itself. The risk in this move is it may erode the Forbes' brand.
We've noted that the problem with big brands online is their advertising results -- you know, the number of people who actually click through the banner ads, the thing that marketers pay for -- tend to pale compared to ad networks. Online ad networks are groups of hundreds of web sites that provide incredible targeting, by tracking your behavior across each site and then tailoring ads based on what you've been reading. If you make $150k per year and just perused a series of car reviews, an ad network will begin serving up Jaguar banners. Because you're in the market for a car, you may bite.
Big sites can't watch this online behavior at other web sites, so when you walk into their world, they have difficulty personalizing ads. This in turn hampers ad results, and advertisers suddenly don't find a big brand site very attractive. Now, Forbes has launched Business and Finance Blog Network, a group of 400+ blogs that extends its tracking reach online.
The irony of all this is it may erode the Forbes brand. If users get comfortable obtaining expert financial advice and news from hundreds of blogs, traffic at Forbes.com may start to spiral downward.
As Forbes follows the dynamic that makes online advertising work -- users surfing around sites -- it may point readers away. Good luck chasing that tail.
