Let’s talk advertising. Guys Like me came up through the 1960’s when long hair was first fashionable but not always well-liked. We rail against the establishment and thought our parents world was full of Hypocrisy highlighted by the capitalist lackeys working on Madison Ave. Okay, we are older and sort of in the drivers seat. Not that much has changed.
One small thing that has changed is the idea of subject matter specific advertising. I first noticed the trend back in the 70’s when Small Boat Journal and Woodenboat arrived on the scene. Those magazines had stated policy of keeping all advertising on their pages relevant to the content. Those publications were started up partly by members of my very own age and demographic group.
At the time I thought it a very laudable approach to advertising, still do. I became a dyed in the cash flow capitalist during that same era when I had a woodcarving business that mainly sold through arts and crafts shows. When I started blogging, which was a kind of re-entry into the small business world I knew that advertising would be a primary source of revenue. So here I am sailing the fast running waters of the internet on a revenue stream lined with banner ads. I am trying to approach the matter in an ethical manner. I believe this is the right approach for both me and my audience.
I am trying within the selections available to choose products that are relevant to boating and offer good quality and service. I am pleased to be able to offer Sea Eagle inflatable kayaks as I used one for about eight years as an auxiliary to my Seaward23. Space is it a premium on a pocket cruiser. A hard dinghy was out of the question. I spent several seasons using an inexpensive inflatable dinghy of the roughly ovalish sort. It had the rowing qualities of a soggy bagel. It was soon dubbed “the Rubber Doughnut of Death.”
The kayak may not seem like a sterling upgrade but it was. It tracked reasonably well, was stable enough during entry and exit alongside the Seaward. The sea Eagle afforded me a lot of pleasurable moments exploring the backwaters of the Chesapeake Bay. And it got me ashore in St. Michaels, Maryland so I could enjoy the maritime museum and Justine’s (best chocolate milk shake on the Eastern Shore).
On the other hand I can’t claim direct experience of the H2O Audio products but I thought they were such a splendid idea that I had to spread the word. As a dedicated podcast listener this product is eminently suitable. There are some nifty little cases that remind me of the sort of watertight cases that are used for underwater cameras. I spend some time with my iPod everyday. I can see a lot of value in an iPod and earplug setup that are.entirely waterproof. These look like professional gear that would be great for sea kayaking or canoeing. The rhythm of the paddles and some good rock and roll. That’s my idea of a workout.
Some ads may be a little more generally related to outdoors activities such as hiking. I want the monetizing features of this blog to be a resource rather than an intrusion. Be certain that the products advertised on this blog will always be something that I would use to enrich my enjoyment of time on the water.
