Sponsors are what makes our websites continue to run from a year-to-year basis. It is our priority to provide our sponsors with the best information on how to make their advertising dollars really pay off. We want you to succeed, and believe that the information here will help you have success with your advertising on our websites. Of course, we can't guarantee a sale or even a click, but we can do our best to help you get exactly what you want - a return on your advertising investment.

The reason our advertising agreements are set for a mininum of three months is because from our research in and outside of our websites, any advertising campaign should be given at least three months of exposure to make an impression. You have to remember, most web surfers have become immune to banner ads. They don't see them the way they used to when the internet wasn't flooded with advertising.

Section 1 - Official Sponsor Status at the Parenting Message Boards
Benefits for the following Advertising Options:
Towle Creations Advertising Package
Topic & Category Advertising at The Parent Station
The Parent Station - 234x60 Banner Advertising - Navigation Menu

*** PLEASE NOTE - this option is currently unavailable for NEW sponsors because of the amount of spam that has invaded our Parenting Message Boards. Please allow for our site to upgrade the forum before you try to sign-up for an account. This upgrade will be complete before the end of April 2008.

The first thing you will want to do is sign up for an account at our Parenting Message Boards. As a paying advertiser, you are allowed to put your business information into your profile. Once you sign up for an account, you will receive an email asking for you to respond in order to be activated. At that time, not only will be activate your account, we will set your status to "Sponsor" which then allows you to do the following (and we suggest you make every effort to do so):

• Put all of your business information into your profile signature. ALL of your business information. Even if you only advertise one business with us, you are allowed to list any and all family-friendly businesses in your signature with outbound links.
• Add your banner to your signature. As long as your banner or other advertising follows our guidelines for graphics, it is acceptable.
• Introduce yourself to our community through the Welcome Wagon forum. There's nothing like a proper introduction! However, we don't suggest using this time to advertise (other than what is in your signature). Talk about yourself so that our members have time to warm up to you as a fellow member, not only a sponsor.
• Advertise your site and/or product in the TPS Sponsor Ads, Sales & Special Savings. For resources on writing an ad for the forum, be sure to check out our Ad Writing Resources below.
• Be an active participant at the forums! If you like to chat with other parents, then get out there and start chatting! The more people warm up to you, the more likely they are to help you out by purchasing a product from you! The sponsors that become active in our Parenting Message Boards makes sales. Then the word spreads about the product and their friends will make purchases. When you create a relationship with the customer, it goes a long way!
• PLEASE NOTE there are guidelines for what you can and can't do at the forums, and they are as follows:
  • You may respond to posts with information on your product only if they are relative to the subject at hand.
  • You may not post information on you products and services outside of the TPS Sponsor Ads, Sales & Special Saving forum (unless it is in response to a specific topic where your ad is an appropriate response). This will make our other community members feel bombarded with advertising, and that is not the intent of the administrator.
  • Please do not send private messages to members that contain advertising unless they've contacted you directly

Section 2 - Banner Rotation Stats
Benefits for the following Advertising Options:
Towle Creations Advertising Package

Also for those who subscribe to the Towle Creations Advertising Package, ask for updates! I now have the ability to tell you how many impressions your banner has made and how many clicks you've gotten from all locations where your banner is in rotation in the header of a site or channel within a site. It doesn't count the impressions made at our Parenting Message Boards, but at least you will see where clicks are coming from. Simply ask for the updates, and I will send them out to you when stats are collected. This normally happens once every 30-45 days.

Section 3 - Sponsor Discount Submissions
Benefits for the following Advertising Options:
ALL Advertisers

All advertisers should find a way to offer discounts to our site visitors and submit those discounts through the Sponsor Discounts Submissions form. Your ad will then be placed on our Sponsors Discounts page at The Parent Station's TPS Discounts shopping portal.

Section 4 - Banner Changes
Benefits for the following Advertising Options:
All advertisers with banners

For those with banners, you may want to consider changing your banner every 3 months. It can take a little while before your banner is noticed by traffic, and to our regulars, it can then easily blend out of view. Think of it like this: When you write a note to yourself and you stick it on your refrigerator, you see it there for how long? A few days, maybe? After that, it becomes a part of the scenery. If you re-write the note on a different colored piece of paper, or even use a different colored pen, the note stands out again. Banners work the same way, especially in our forum where members stick around and see many banners in rotation. When a new banner appears, the eye catches it and the member will more likely to click it in the first couple of weeks rather than months down the road. This isn't to say that old banners never get clicked. I know for a fact that they do! However, when you change your banners, your campaign is renewed and so is its interest!

Section 5 - Ad Writing Resource
Benefits for the following Advertising Options:
Towle Creations Advertising Package
Topic & Category Advertising at The Parent Station
The Parent Station - 234x60 Banner Advertising - Navigation Menu
Any subscribers to our WAHStation Yahoo Ads Group

Make sure your ads stand out! Here are some tips to writing ads that get noticed:

• Make the subject line (of the email or forum message post) specific with as little words as possible. Of course you want to give as much information as possible to get the message noticed, but give just enough information to interest the reader into clicking on your ad.
• Be original with the subject line. You may be having a big sale, but don't write "Big Sale," write something more along the lines of "Fantastic Savings!"
• The message body should be short and to the point. If you write a long ad with too much information, people will see just how long it is and will pass it by. Write as few sentences as possible and appeal to the reader so they will click your link and then they can read the nitty-gritty-details. For example, when we advertise our advertising services, we tell the reader they can "get advertising for as low as..." instead of listing all the prices and options available for purchase. Hook them in and lead them to where you want them to go.
• Read before you submit and make sure you include your links! Although this is the most common sense part of writing an ad, sometimes it can be the hardest thing to remember to do! If you have a misspelling or misprint in your ad, it can cost you readers and money! It can even cost you your reputation.

Section 6 - Ask for Help When Needed
Benefits for the following Advertising Options:
All advertisers - current and potential.

Last but not least, never hesitate to ask for help if you need it. We are here to not only advertise your business, but help you find customers! You can contact us through the email used on our PayPal transaction with you, or you can get in touch with us through our Contact Form.