Promotion & Advertising Weblinks

This site, which provides website rankings and traffic information, is often referred to as a leading provider of website metrics. However, their methods for tracking visitors are probably not as robust, and thus not as accurate, as higher quality commercial services especially for those sites listed outside the top 500 or so. Accessing top 500 sites by country is free as is listing of top sites by category.

Offer services as an Internet third-party auditor to insure accuracy of online activity. Site provides background information on audits, including examples of audit reports.

Listing of hundreds of affiliate programs broken down into over 75 categories.

Magazine site focusing mostly on issues related to Internet promotional decisions.

Online information site that has several sections offering frequently updated collections of articles for getting the most out of online marketing.

Provider of Internet traffic measurements though it only offers a few free reports.

U.S. Census Bureau reports on the state of e-Business within U.S. companies. Includes quarterly retail e-commerce retail sales report, though the reports are generally released long after the actual period they cover.

Free service from Google allowing website operators to easily measure site traffic by entering simple coding on each page of a site. Data is accessed via web interface and the number and scope of reports are impressive.

The Internet Society offers a site that provides numerous links to articles and sites that give their account of how the Internet has evolved.

Nice description of the progress of the Internet, presented in the form of a timeline beginning in the 1950s and extending to present day.

This site is part of the how-to site HowStuffWorks.com and features discussions related to operating and managing affiliate programs.

The site of the organization that controls domain name registrations process though does not actually do registration nor does it contain a search function for domain name. But it could still offer good information for anyone involved in Internet marketing.

Monitors Internet traffic flow around the world and presents results in graphical and numeric form.

A well-regarded site that offers FREE access to extensively researched studies on the effectiveness of various Internet marketing and advertising techniques. They also offer a useful monthly newsletter that summarizes results of these studies.

This trade group site includes information that helps define techniques and measurement methods for online advertising.

Among this site's features is a marketing-oriented newsletter, search terms information and other SE marketing strategies.

Blog-style site that offers a wide-range of articles and postings from leading search engine marketing experts.

Good to-the-point definitions for search engine marketing terms.

An informative and highly detailed site on the workings of SEs. Good stuff on the free part of the site but better material can be found in the subscriber area.

A leading for-fee site for learning about search engine marketing.

While the site's name may suggest that this is a techie site, in reality, this group discussion site has more to do with Internet marketing. In particular, the sub-categories of Search Engine World and Marketing World are great places to get tips and to learn how others are being successful marketing on the web.

Non-profit organization whose mission is to use "the power of advertising to stimulate action against the problems confronting Americans." Numerous Public Service Announcements (PSAs) messages have included Smokey the Bear, Crash Dummies Vince and Larry, and McGruff the Crime Dog.

While on the surface this sites seems like a blog that covers the ad industry, it actually contains many other good features with the best being the access it provides (for a fee) to television commercial.

Several good, detailed articles discussing all areas of creating and managing advertising. Also, on this site, but for some reason not part of the advertising area, find a nice article on How To Establish a Promotional Mix.

Offers reports and rankings of leading international advertising agencies, top media companies and top magazines. Some areas may require registration (free) to access.

Non-profit organization designed to help explain how advertising works. Message is primarily aimed at the college student.

"The ASA was set up in 1962 to make sure that non-broadcast advertisements appearing in the UK are legal, decent, honest and truthful."

Good daily Internet advertising news site that posts frequent updates generally in the form of comments and link to news posted on other online new organizations.

This well-rounded media portal provides an excellent daily news reporting service covering traditional media as well as online media. But access does require registration (free).

Weekly online interview and news show sponsored by AdvertisingAge magazine. Covers mostly advertising but also offers insight into other marketing topics. While the audio feed is live on Saturdays, previous programs can be listened to at anytime.

Information at this site covers television, radio, Internet and other media issues of interest to advertisers.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission offers a large number of how-to and information articles focusing on many advertising and promotion issues covering all forms of media, many industries and advertising techniques. Information covers advertising, promotions, salespeople and selling methods, telephone solicitation and other forms of advertising and promotion.

Among the services this UK site offers to paying customers is access to an extensive database of television and print ads from around the world that will primarily be of interest to those in the advertising community.

On this site watch US presidential television ads from 1952 to the present. The site is well designed and makes it easy to select and view the spots.

Contains numerous excellent collections and images dealing with advertising and marketing history including: Fifty Years of Coca-Cola television advertising; several view-able 1920s-era film advertisements (to locate do search using Advertising as keyword); and examples of print ads dating back to the 1850s..

Annual best-of-the-web awards for over 30 categories. While technically these awards are not strictly for advertising it can offer some insight into marketing, advertising and promotional activity that may be working on the web.

Not-for-profit, self-regulatory auditing organization, formerly called the Audit Bureau of Circulation, it verifies circulation and other information for the advertising community.

This magazine site offers links to a large number of media sources including magazines, newspapers and broadcast media.

Formerly called the Mailing and Fulfillment Service Association, this national trade association for the mailing services industry.

Not-for-profit global provider of circulation verification and interactive marketing intelligence. The site offers an extensive array of resources including media buying information and circulation reports, though access requires registration (free).

For UK advertising this site offers access to rates for over 13,500 media outlets. Also provides data on activities of advertising agencies and leading advertisers.

Offers high-end and generally expensive services for aiding in media placement including Bacon's Media Directories that lists information on thousands of reporters and media outlets. But for colleges and universities they do offer packages for use by students that may be considerably more affordable.

Provides information, web statistics and articles for online advertising and marketing including articles on Internet advertising basics, email advertising, media buying and more.

Offers an extensive listing and links to international newspapers. Also, has a nice feature that provides a map showing location of the city a newspaper covers.

Definitions for the field of direct marketing and direct mail.

Provides links to over 24,000, mostly US, media outlets including local TV stations, magazines, radio stations, and newspapers. Fee required.

Good detailed article on product placement that includes excellent examples.

A number of interesting resources at this consulting company site including a good sponsorship guide, news section, forum and even job information. Some areas though require registration (Free).

Major online advertising trade group site has many resources including industry reports, ad design standards (including examples), glossary, and voluntary guidelines for those involved in online advertising.

This site offers several marketing guides including those focusing on direct marketing and especially direct mail.

Offers extensive listing of outlets but must be a member (free) to gain access to directories.

This page describing the types of ad products Microsoft accepts on their ad network including providing details of different types on online ad formats.

While the name may conjure up images of advertisements on the sides of cars or trucks, in reality this association focuses on marketing via cell phone and other mobile and wireless devices. Site has access to articles, glossary, industry statistics and more for this emerging marketing channel.

Good listing for finding newspaper, magazines, radio and television sites.

Strong all-around site that offers information and statistics related to newspaper advertising, readership and other newspaper related marketing issues. NAA also operates a separate search site called NewsVoyager that contains links to a wide-range of US.and international newspapers. In some cases links can be found for specific sections of a newspaper.

Well-known provider of rating service including TV and radio (after their purchase of Arbitron) also offers several other reports including product placement and media tracking.

Search engine for locating radio stations throughout the world. Can search by geographic location, format, call letters and even by radio stations that offer Internet streaming.

This publisher offers access to dozens of media kits for its extensive magazine and trade journal holdings. Most are business-to-business publications.

While this is a major for-fee provider of media rates and data for the advertising industry, this site contains a number of useful FREE resources with the best being a selection of Media Planning and Buying Calculators for determining CMP for various media and calculators for evaluating television ratings.

Has several features that are of interest to direct mailers including some basic how-to articles and also a zip code look-up feature that returns zips based on city, state, and even company name entries.