The first traffic generation method we’ll explore is the TGP (Thumbnail Gallery Post) and MGP (Movie Gallery Post). This article, along with those of the next few weeks, are designed as a mini-series within our main topic, and are meant to be read together.
Thumbnail Gallery Posts (TGPs) and Movie Gallery Posts (MGPs)
A TGP is essentially a small to medium-sized page (compared to, for instance, link directories) with a number of thumbnails, possibly grouped by category. When a surfer clicks on a thumbnail, they are brought to a gallery of additional thumbnails, usually with a series of images relating to the original. Many TGPs are populated by submissions from outside sources, and other TGPs are filled in entirely by the webmaster him or herself.
An MGP takes the concept into the broadband era, basically providing the same services as a TGP does for pictures, but applying the concept to movies. MGPs are much more expensive to run, due to their high bandwidth consumptions.
The old paradigms no longer apply to today’s webmaster environment. Even some of the tried and true markets, like AVS, are beginning to dwindle. Today’s savvy porn surfer knows they can gobble up all the content they can handle, absolutely free, courtesy of the TGP and MGP. Most of the traffic from these sources is made up of bandwidth hogs who will never turn over a red cent to your sites or sponsors, but are more than happy to contribute to your bill.
This means TGPs and MGPs aren’t worthwhile, right? Well, yes and no. If you can’t stomach the idea of paying for large bandwidth bills in the hopes that a few surfers might sign up for your offerings (or your site isn’t well designed, and doesn’t convert efficiently), then yes, TGPs are wrong for you. If, however, your site has been tested and converts at decent rates, there is a method to the TGP madness. Experienced webmasters have learned through years of testing that a long-term stream of traffic from TGPs will result in a handful of new buyers with credit cards in hand for every truckload of bandwidth hogs. Over time, the new buyers tend to offset the freeloaders, turning a profit for the webmaster willing to take a shot.
MGPs are an extreme form of masochism for the webmaster with high bandwidth costs. Serving up movies from your own network can (and, in most cases, will) result in huge bills at the end of the month. The rewards tend to be higher, though, with movies converting more efficiently than pictures.
Many webmaster who have been in the game for more than a few years can remember the days when TGPs began to rise in popularity. For those brave enough to give them a shot in the early days, it was like printing money.
Other Forms of Traffic Generation
In our next installment, we’ll continue to explore the wide world of traffic, showcasing yet more forms of getting users to your sites.
Stay Tuned!
