Internet Marketing Tycoon

**Learning Newbie** · 03-15-2007, 04:59 PM

Surely most of you have heard of television, and I'm guessing 100 % of the people who read this forum have even seen one a couple of times. Or more. I'm going to assume a working knowledge of TV.

Which would you rather watch:

The Office. My Name is Earl. South Park. The Daily Show and Colbert Report. Faux News. Jerry Springer. Some good movie on HBO?
The pledge drive on PBS?

I was going to make this a poll, but don't really know how. So let's see your answers here, in this thread. Pick your favorite show from the list in #1, or #2 - tell us which one you would prefer to watch. And why.

Some amazing new research shows that the people who watch TV are mostly the same people who surf the web. Incredible, but true. We can learn something from this. If you want to build a site with a lot of traffic, that people like, maybe "a vibrant community" if it's a forum or a blog, then I think the results of this poll will help you.

There's no telling which one people will vote for, but there is a pattern. All the shows in 1 are either funny, or controversial, or informative, or basically entertaining in one way or another. But 2 is not entertaining, informative, or any of that, it's a guilt trip, and people begging for your money.

Now we'll have to wait for the poll results to come back, but once we learn whether people prefer entertaining or boring and begging for money, that will be a big hint in how to build a site people will like to visit.

**vangogh** · 03-15-2007, 05:10 PM

John look up and to the right. In the drop down for the thread tools there's an item to create a poll.

Now I'm not sure I know this thing called television you're referring to. Am I to understand it has something to do with vision? Does it enable me to see my computer monitor better?

Ok I'm a tv junkie. I'm of the generation that was raised on it before computers were around.

I watch a wide varitey of programs though. I'm an Earl fan and an Office fan. You got to love Cartman too. I forget to watch the Daily Show though I like it and I sadly don't have HBO.

I do watch PBS a lot. Long ago I earned a history degree and I like documentaries. I also watch the history channel a lot and other channels like it.

I'm also a sucker for repeats of shows I've seen 1000 times and so watch tvland and nick at nite.

But the big channel is ESPN. I can watch the same hour of sportscenter three times in a row at night and then watch it again in the morning. And now that baseball is getting ready to start up again I probably will have ESPN on about 75% of the time.

**yellow1912** · 03-18-2007, 09:46 PM

Do not laugh! But I DON'T have TV in my house ^^. Oh ok, you can laugh.

I spent most of my time studying, working, watching movie on my PC and laptop. So I don't really know any of the program you mention except SouthPark and Colbert, I sometimes watch them on youtube.

**sandbox** · 03-19-2007, 12:05 AM

I don't have a TV either, honest. I've only heard of shouthpark and jerry springer from your list. looks like a flaw in your poll, some people do computers but not TV.Am I missing anything?

**ADAM Web Design** · 03-19-2007, 01:24 AM

Raw, SmackDown, House and either baseball or football.

Those are the shows I watch on TV. Those are the only shows I watch on TV. Anything else is just background noise.

**Learning Newbie** · 03-23-2007, 05:41 PM

This is totally shocking and unexpected, but so far no one has said how much they love watching the PBS pledge drive? Or commercials in general. Come on, if they had a channel with nothing but commercials 24 hours a day, you know you'd want to watch, right?

**WebSavvy** · 03-23-2007, 06:19 PM

I don't watch any of the shows from your list, and most of them -- I've never even heard of.

Shows I like to watch are 24, Fraiser, Becker, Friends, Will & Grace, and old Cheers re-runs.

Out of all of them though, I'd have to say 24 is my favorite. It's also my son's favorite show and we watch it together when it comes on (we even tape it LOL)

**ADAM Web Design** · 03-23-2007, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Learning Newbie

This is totally shocking and unexpected, but so far no one has said how much they love watching the PBS pledge drive? Or commercials in general. Come on, if they had a channel with nothing but commercials 24 hours a day, you know you'd want to watch, right?

You mean The Shopping Channel? Hmmm...let me think about that long and hard...ummmm...errr...*CLICK AWAY*

**vangogh** · 03-24-2007, 12:35 AM

C'mon we're marketers in this thread so we have to watch commercials. I tivo out the shows and only watch the commercials. And I pray that every week PBS is running a pledge drive so I can watch that too.

The only thing better is a good infomercial.

**ADAM Web Design** · 03-24-2007, 04:14 AM

Steve, you're a sick, twisted man.

**ForrestCroce** · 03-24-2007, 04:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADAM Web Design

Steve, you're a sick, twisted man.

With all due respect, I have to second this.

**vangogh** · 03-24-2007, 05:23 PM

I guess my sarcasm went unnoticed.

**ForrestCroce** · 03-24-2007, 05:26 PM

Actually I thought the sarcasm was pretty clever, but I thought Adam's response was funny, too.

I get the idea John is telling us we should fill out our sites with lots of attractive content and minimal advertising, seeing as how that's what everyone likes watching. But then I wouldn't know, personally; I haven't had a TV for 11 years.

**vangogh** · 03-24-2007, 05:32 PM

I thought it was funny too.

I also agree with you about John's point that having the quality content is the way to go. I actually don't mind advertising on sites as long as it's not overdone. People do need to make a living and creating all that content is hard work and does takes time.

There's a point where it becomes too much though.

I can even deal with commercials on tv. Gives me a chance to go to the bathroom or grab a snack.

**pickadev** · 03-24-2007, 05:37 PM

24 is the best. The power of Bauer.

**ForrestCroce** · 03-24-2007, 05:40 PM

If advertising has to exist, I'd rather the money go to people like you, than people like Ted Turner. On the one hand it's more fair and "democratic" that everyone can get in on the action, and on the other, the more people creating content, the more good stuff is going to be out there. Not everyone can create good content, but a lot of people who can never try.

**vangogh** · 03-24-2007, 05:49 PM

I'd be happy if all Ted Turner's money somehow ended up in my bank account. I'll even share if it happens.

I think we're still early on the development of ads for the web and it's all still evolving. I like the basic idea of contextual advertising even if it's not exactly perfect at the moment. But it makes sense if I'm on your site and showing an interest in photography then ads about camera related products might interest me at that moment.

I'm sure we've all seen some entertaining commercials on tv or even some useful ones. Same thing online. I've seen some ads I thought were clever or offered me something beyond the ad to hook me in.

Some go way to far though. I don't need to see something flashing on and off all the time to get me to look at it. That will never make me buy. It'll just get me to leave.

**webspace** · 03-24-2007, 08:43 PM

What was the point of this conversation? I think I missed it.

**astrojith** · 03-25-2007, 01:19 AM

Well, since you asked, I watch Simpsons, Raw, Smackdown, Teen Titans, Pokemon etc. What ?! I'm just a teenager. duh !!

**WebSavvy** · 03-25-2007, 06:01 AM

OK, what exactly are "RAW" and "Smackdown" because I haven't the faintest clue?