Advertising on the web is becoming more simplified and less costly, much to the delight of small business owners. As described in the New York Times article, An Ad Engine to Put ‘Mad Men’ Out of Business, the driving force behind this trend is new software such as PlaceLocal (developed by advertising company PaperG), which automatically and quickly builds display ads for businesses using just a company name and address. The program works by gathering basic company information off the web such as telephone numbers and hours of operation. This information is then combined with photographs, reviews and other text to create a customized online ad for the business. Samples of the ads may be viewed at PaperG’s website www.paperg.com.
As of today the program is being used by 32 local media sites. These sites are typically charged a flat monthly fee for access to the software. In return the software allows these sites to quickly create ads for local small business that are interested in advertising on the local media sites. The advantages are numerous. Providing a small business with an example ad, instead of a rate card is a more appealing offer. Additionally, the program saves the media sites and advertisers time and money by quickly creating ads that meet the sites desired specifications. In the near future, the ultimate purpose of the software will be realized when small business will be able to go to PaperG’s website to create ads directly.
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