New online options for newspaper advertisers

www.gvnews.com

Flyerboard, an innovative way to create and post ads on everything from garage sales and help-wanted notices to open houses, is helping newspapers provide short-term, affordable online solutions.

The idea behind the virtual bulletin board is simple: Help people build their own ads, expose them to thousands of readers, and make it affordable without an extensive commitment.

The Green Valley News, The Sahuarita Sun and the Santa Cruz Valley Sun launched Flyerboard on their Web sites this week (www.gvnews.com, www.sahuaritasun.com, www.scvsun.com).

Flyerboard, developed by the PaperG company, takes you through five steps to build your ad or upload an existing ad. Cost depends on how long the flyer is posted on a bulletin board at the top of the newspapers’ home page, and on how many newspaper Web sites it appears. Costs start at $20 to $30 per week, and the ads, which blow up to full screen when clicked on, can be e-mailed to friends, posted on blogs or shared on MySpace and Facebook.

“Flyerboard is a virtual local bulletin board created with community in mind,” said Pam Mox, publisher of the papers. “We are excited to be offering this innovative option.”

PaperG is the brainchild of Victor Wong, a Yale University student whose employees now work with more than 50 companies, including Hearst Newspapers, the Houston Chronicle and the Boston Globe. Many sites are already seeing increases in revenue as local companies dip their toe into the online advertising waters for the first time.