Can you recommend a tool for online publishers that helps to organize and automate the ad sales process?
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$6 Answers
Google Ad Manager will do exactly what you need. It works particularly well if you use Adsense and Google Analytics, but it certainly isn't a requirement.
https://www.google.com/admanager/
2)
Acquisio has an accurate, slick user interface. Schedule a demo with these folks to get a tailored walk through to figure out if it fits your needs:
http://www.acquisio.com/
3)
Salesforce is the current leader in web based Customer Relationship Management. It can also be used as a powerful ad management platform. Salesforce is more than happy to walk you though their software over the phone if you'd like a live demo. There's also a free trial.
http://www.salesforce.com/products/marketing-automation/campaigns/campaign-management.jsp
4)
Ebridge doesn't have a fancy U.I. or even complicated statistics but the information it can provide on campaigns is really quite good.
http://www.ebridgemarketingsolutions.com/ourservices_publishers.html
5)
Since you're only managing 10 campaigns at a time, I wouldn't classify you as a "large shop". A lot of large shops have ad management, analytic and conversion tools that are custom made for their exact goals. Having your own software created has a ton of features but is also usually the most expensive option in the long run.
I might recommend however that you look closely into developing your own software. If your ad revenues are growing then the system could easily pay for itself in a matter of months and your company would gain a tangible asset.
I have been professionally invovled in online advertising.
I have envisioned, developed, and implemented custom ad management software to solve the exact problems you're facing.
I have also utilized the services of many online ad management software systems in a variety of scenarios.
I hope that my experience helps you Gochrisgo.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
It is "Action Plan" driven sales productivity management software. You get a FREE Ready-To-Go "Sales Action Plan" with your industry's best practices Marketing, Sales and CRM tactics included. Out of the box, you are ready to start assigning contacts to campaigns.
Then there is a whole range of products from http://www.mediainternet.com/
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$quicken.intuit.com
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
GoSquared
http://www.gosquared.com
Google Adsense
http://www.adsense.com
Others:
Merchant's Mirror
http://www.merchantsmirror.com/features.html
Watch the video on this link about Merchant's Mirror.
http://www.accmanpro.com/2008/10/22/merchants-mirror-another-saas-accounting-product/
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
If you're looking for a system that will organize ad campaigns, track conversions, ROI and importantly performance as well as create invoices in Quickbooks, it's all possible but will have to be custom coded.
There are a lot of advantages to having a custom program designed that incorporates your existing processes. Importantly these custom systems can help you analyze data to let you know what you should buy again and what you shouldn't.
This is possible with Google Admanager or Salesforce but as mentioned, the highest level of customization and features will come from a custom system.
It would be possible to create a greasmonkey script to trigger the creation of an IO / Invoice from the Google Ad Manager.
Does the creation of Invoices / IO's have to pass through an accounting process though? I'd suspect that even if an Invoice / IO could be auto generated, it would still have to be manually entered into an accounting system.
The major advantage to salesforce is it's comprehensive API. If you're successfully using Highrise, it might prove beneficial to have a salesforce app built to do exactly what you want. Rather than programming a whole system from scratch this might not be a bad option.
Yes, we also use Quickbooks for accounting. We need to track orders and then bill them based on the actual media that runs each month.
Rob, thanks for your reply. We use Google Ad Manager and we love it. But to my knowledge, Google AdManager doesn't create IOs and turn them into invoices. It also doesn't seem to have trigger emails or other tools to help us remember when to ask clients for creative.
Thanks so much for your tips. I'm going through the links you sent now.
We also looked at Salesforce, but so far Highrise has provided us most of the same tools, at a lower cost and without commitments or a need to train staff on it.