New York City-based VentureDirect
Worldwide said it is
relaunching the Free Forum, its network of free offer
sites on the Internet, with a new look, an increased staff and a million-
dollar advertising campaign.
The ad campaign includes buys on The Globe, Planet Direct, Netscape,
Smartage.com, Excite and Starting Point, among others. The Free Forum
currently has 5,000 affiliate sites and attracts 750,000 unique visitors a
month.
The Free Forum’s new, user friendlier format is easier to navigate, the
company said, designed to increase response from qualified prospects. Within
each of numerous categories, offers are separated into the “Top 3 Picks,”
limited time only free offers, risk-free trial offers, and free
software/information.
VentureDirect said it is making a significant investment to expand this
service because of the increased demand for low cost, high quality leads
online.
“Most people realize the enormous potential of the Internet, but it can be
cost prohibitive to set up and maintain a site, and then invest in online and
offline advertising to drive traffic to it,” said Richard Baumer, president of
VentureDirect Worldwide. “Free Forum offers a cost effective Internet
solution. We maintain the sites and advertise to
drive the traffic, so our clients don’t have to.”
Every month the Free Forum has up to 250 offers and generates up to 100,000
leads. Each offer links to its own page, where advertisers can explain their
offer in detail.