Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Gasta Tech Newsletter : AdMob Latest
Omar Hamoui - "It's a Cross Platform World Again"
When I started AdMob in January 2006 I was trying to solve a problem I had as a developer: reaching consumers who were interested in my mobile website and finding a way to monetize my traffic. After realizing that no simple mobile advertising service existed to help me, I decided to focus on building the mobile ad platform that would become AdMob. I figured there were probably plenty of small mobile developers out there with great ideas who just needed a way to spread the word about their products, and to make some money once they gained usage. Turns out there were. Visit our blog to continue reading Omar’s post.
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New SDKs for Android, iPhone and Flash Lite
Developers are increasingly building their applications for multiple platforms and we want to support easy monetization solutions across as many of those platforms as possible. So today we are happy to announce the release of important updates to our existing Android and iPhone SDKs and a new SDK for Flash Lite. Visit our blog to read more about each SDK release.
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New Publisher Tools for Managing Your Mobile Business
Today we launched a number of great tools designed to enable publishers to more efficiently manage their AdMob account. The release includes a new Publisher Dashboard, an Enhanced Reporting UI, a new Reporting API (beta) and new Server Side Controls. Visit our blog to learn more about each tool.
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Introducing: Adaptive Mobile Ad Unit
Today launched a new Adaptive Mobile Ad Unit that allows content providers with a desktop website to serve mobile targeted ads to users accessing the page from a mobile device. Currently only available on the iPhone, the Adaptive Mobile Ad Unit automatically scales itself, regardless of zoom level, to render at the native resolution of the device. Visit our blog to view a video demo of this innovative new ad unit.
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Developer Day This Thursday
Please join us for AdMob’s first Developer Day, this Thursday March 25th at 1pm in Astaria Restaurant in San Mateo. See demos of our new launches and chat with members of AdMob's engineering and product teams. We’ll also be sharing results from our recent Publisher Survey as well as hosting a panel of industry experts. To view a detailed agenda for the event, please visit our blog.
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Transfer Bonus Increased to 30% Until March 31st
In addition to showing ads and earning revenue, many AdMob publishers also advertise throughout our network of sites and apps to help promote their mobile properties. Normally we grant a 20% bonus on publisher funds transferred to an advertiser account, but we are offering a 30% bonus ending on March 31st. Learn more and transfer funds by logging in, clicking on the Account tab and then clicking on Transfer Funds.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Gasta SearchMatch model proving a winner in Downturn
Search engine optimization is the practice of targeting the search engines with keyword-rich content so that your blog posts, web pages, and other online content has a chance to rank well for the keywords and concepts that are important for your business. But how do you do it? Gasta.com has developed a simple anti click abuse systems that goes back to the traditional web value. Pay for a first place listing.
Modern Day SEO is not easy, even if you know how to write search engine friendly content, you have to compete against other businesses in your niche targeting the same keywords. You could try to find the gaps in the market and target those keywords that no one else is going after. But are those keywords valuable? That’s a decision you have to make.
The key to optimizing your web pages simply,are to find the Gasta keywords that are just right for your business. They may or may not be the most valuable keywords for your niche, but they are the perfect fit for your business and the customers you want to target. Then, once you identify the perfect keywords, you build pages that are designed to rank well and deliver targeted traffic to those pages consistently.
With Gasta.com there is no PPC so therefore no click spam, every click is already paid for in your time slot, time slots run for 3 months, 6 months, or one year.
The time slots allow marketers to have a summer campaign or a winter campaign, for intsance you could target the music festival season, or christmas. This model was developed by gasta.com in the late nineties to better organise and manage ad revenues.The model has won great recognition and developed Gasta.com as a great brand. Now with an online shopping channel and a great video search all of which have there own advertising platform in SearchMatch the sky is the limit.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Gasta News: Digital Industry awaits the Carter Report
The digital industry is buzzing ahead of Stephen Carter's much-anticipated Digital Britain report, but let's not forget the compelling vision at the centre of Carter's report: the aim to make the UK a world-leading digital creative capital.
Speaking last week, Carter hinted at a need to create greater opportunities and protection for the creative industries, in order to help the UK become a location of choice for the content industries. The plan is to create the regulatory framework and structures to help shape a Britain that is fit for purpose in the digital future.
Reports today suggest Carter will push for BBC Worldwide to be freed from its regulatory shackles to allow the commercial organisation to become a "British rights company on the global stage".
It's part of Carter's vision to ensure British content continues to be exported around the world in order to reap the economic and cultural benefits. With the UK largely viewed as a leader in digital advertising, it's time the content and technology industries were awarded the same kudos.
Carter's vision is imperative as the global content market accelerates. The UK market needs to create infrastructures that support the nurturing and growth of home grown talent and businesses.
Channel 4 CEO Andy Duncan has said the report could be one of the most important elements in deciding how the UK competes in the global economy. He believes it could determine how Britain contributes culturally, creatively and economically through the turbulent times ahead and has urged the UK media industry to work together to support the UK's cultural and economic future. Duncan's not wrong on this point. The potential to create an established vision is both necessary and inspiring - if it works.
Interestingly this comes ahead of the Competition Commission's decision on Project Kangaroo due early next month. While local rivals and the CC itself have major concerns about the potential lessening of competition in the UK market, the shareholders - ITV, Channel 4 and BBC Worldwide - have always argued that Kangaroo is crucial to the UK's ability to compete on a global stage as the likes of Hulu and iTunes continue to grow internationally.
With Carter's vision likely to stir up much debate in this area, is it possible that the controversial video-on demand service may still manage to limp across the line?
Monday, July 14, 2008
Gasta ® Trademark process completes
Gasta ® international trademark application complete. Murgatroyd and Partners international Law Firm has completed the successful application of the word ‘Gasta’
As the world trademark of Applied Multimedia Innovations. Gasta ® will now be appearing as the legal protection of all Gasta owned domains and websites.
Francis Higgins CEO of AMI says “that he is delighted that this long process is now complete and that Gasta ® is now protected from cyber squatters and trade infringements” AMI has a number of proposals for Gasta music and licensing rights for the new trademark including a fashion label and branding company.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Microsoft Strategy & Gasta European Search Network
The company said it aims to "disrupt the search and advertising marketplace" by using the STC to make Live Search more targeted and relevant for European users.
Kevin Johnson, president of the platforms and services division at Microsoft, said, "Success in search in Europe is paramount, and we see the investment in this new Search Technology Center as an important step in doubling down on our long-term investments."
Satya Nadella, senior vice president of the search, portal and advertising Group at Microsoft, said, "Searchers have different expectations and experiences in every geography in the world, so we believe it's critical to make deep investments in physical locations in multiple markets to ensure that we're applying the best local expertise to our research and development efforts."
The STC is scheduled to open next year, but Microsoft said it had yet to decide on a location.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Gasta SearchMatch hits the Spot for SBO's
Gasta Views: SearchMatch hits the Spot for SBO's
Enabling small business owners to launch campaigns on large publishers' sites could be the next million dollar idea.
From automotive and restaurants to carpet cleaning and hotels, a large percentage of us are involved in a business where the local owner/operator is vital to our success. But stepping out from the argument of corporate-knows-all vs. all-business-is-done-locally for a moment, we can all agree that there would be a tremendous benefit to getting these local operators online in a local, customizable fashion that drives real ROI. Sadly, the largest and most advanced portals and networks have neglected this market -- and millions of dollars have been lost as a result.
Currently as small business owners (SBOs) get out their wallets and try to "finally launch an ad campaign online," they find that getting someone to take their money can actually be a challenge. For an SBO who turns to a major portal with his entire quarter's ad budget, $5,000, the money is turned away because of minimums. The result is no different when soliciting the help of most major ad networks. My goodness! We have someone here willing to spend $5,000 and no one will take it. Are times that good?
Microsoft buying Yahoo shows that times aren't that great for everyone. It could be said, "Jay, it takes us the same amount of effort to write an order for $2,500 as it does $25,000, and we just can't be profitable running hundreds of small campaigns." But think about it: Google has built its business on $2,500 campaigns, and they're eating competitors' lunches so badly that Yahoo has to be bought to compete, and you "can't afford" to take that business? Large publishers need to look now for profitable ways to take SBO campaigns. Here are a few steps that could push large publishers in the right direction.
Partner with a flash ad generator
Search any form of "flash ad creation" and you'll find dozens of folks who have created software that takes flash templates and allows laymen to instantly create customized variations. Some portals already offer this, but they should leave pride and effort-spent-to-date behind if better solutions exist. Most SBOs are used to stepping out of their comfort zone and doing things themselves. Building an ad from a template builder will be easy for them, and can be done in a controlled environment for you.
Open up your API, or build one
Buying, placing and loading campaigns can all be automated, and this is the key to profitability on the publisher end. Sure there will need to be some manual oversight for delivery purposes, but one person should easily be able to handle hundreds of campaigns. From there, educate the SBO on campaign optimization and put it on them; but, provide an 800 number in large print at all times. This is one mistake Google has made, and I believe it is a key source of the frustration users feel toward the company.
Be fully transparent with targeting and placement disclosure
The No. 1 targeting desire for most SBOs is geographic; usually involving one or multiple specific ZIP codes. Anyone who has done the research knows this is simply not possible by IP and must be done with registration data or user input. SBOs are surprisingly understanding when it comes to limitations like these -- if those limitations are clearly explained to them up front. It's when expectations aren't properly set to begin with that frustrations brew and animosity sets in.
Because the user would be responsible for placement and creative optimization, an aggregate data library of best practices for vertical and placement would go a long way toward ensuring repeat business by giving SBOs useful data and information to improve their own results.
Work with resellers
The eBay model works. Embrace those that will be power users and help them make you more money. We work with dozens of companies in multiple verticals whose franchisees are 100 percent ready to make the leap into online as long as someone is able to liaison between them and the publisher. In fact, we could have easily brought over 1,000 campaigns of between $2,500 and $5,000 to a publisher by now -- and that is just our company! When $2,500 turns into $2,500,000, might publishers think and act differently?
The reality is there are hundreds of agencies, consultants, and leading speakers who are well-known and trusted within their verticals. Providing a higher, private level of support to these influencers and connectors creates value at the reseller level, minimizes time spent re-explaining the same thing to 100 different SBOs and motivates everyone in the same direction. Of course, accepting SBO credit cards for campaign pre-payment and paying the resellers immediately would seal the deal toward partnership and profitability.
Let this be an open call to agencies and corporate marketers with a horse in the local retail race. This is an initiative you can't afford to ignore. The first major portal or ad network to create a cleanly-branded content solution with the acceptance of third-party ad serving from its resellers will have trouble finding bags big enough to cart away the money. Our network of franchisees and dealers in multiple verticals alone would make this effort worthwhile, and I would imagine there are another 50-100 companies just like us. At a time when two goliaths are having to join forces to stay competitive, is there anyone who can afford to ignore one thousand payments of $2,500?
Jay Friedman president of Goodway 2.0