Has the information age faded into a new economy? According to Wikipedia.org it has. Wikepedia claims1 the information age ended around the ripely ancient year of 1992 and made way for the Knowledge Economy which lasted until about 2002 and then scooted down the bench for the current superstar: the Intangible Economy.

The obvious question: What is the Intangible Economy?

To understand the Intangible Economy it's important to recognize that the Knowledge Economy is the economy of "knowledge in use". The Knowledge Economy was the natural offspring of the Information Age which was an age of information gathering and collection. The Intangible Economy now boasts more knowledge assets + additional assets among which are included, "collaboration assets (whom people interact with to create value), engagement assets (the level of energy and commitment of people), and time quality (how quickly value is created)".2 In this article however, the subject of knowledge assets continues as the question is posed, "How do our knowledge assets affect the online advertising industry?"

Online Advertising with Brains: Using Knowledge to Sell the Smart Way

The new knowledgeable advertising isn't pushy. It doesn't even come across as "salesy." It simply present information about products, people but mostly about information that is focused on the current or potential client. Some examples of the knowledgeable online advertising includes:


Newsletters
Articles
RSS Feeds
Blogs
Forums


It's not likely that you will end up selling your newsletters or your forums but it's often worth investing in these forms of online advertising anyways. That's because in the Intagible Economy is about being helpful to the consumer and creating relationships and associations that may not have been created otherwise.

Online Advertising with Newsletters

Newsletters are a great form of online advertisement because they help you inform your existing clients (and perhaps interested potential clients) not only about products but about information that is relevant to them. If you have a website that is devoted to massage therapy services for instance you could distribute article or tips on nutrition, exercise, infant massage, injury prevention, stretching, etc. The possibilities are numerous and depending on how your newsletter content is written, your newsletter is bound to interest those who take the time and effort to invest in massage therapy.

Online Advertising with Articles

Articles are also information-based and are not pushy in regards to sales. Compare this to a pushy car salesman. Would you rather have a salesman that calmly present you with information about the vehicles you find intriguing or would you rather have an annoying, biting salesman who backs you into a corner and demands you sign the bottom line? The answer is obvious. Your clients want information but they also want their right to take a step back, weigh the information and choose. Give them the truth and let them choose. You might lose some "potentials" but you will probably also gain additional customers with the simply tactic of using honest and "disinterested" information.

Online Advertising with RSS Feeds

Establish an RSS feed on your site. When your website visitors click on the RSS link and sign up to receive information, your site can send articles, newsletter tips or additional content to those who are interested in receiving it via their PCs of electronic mobile devices.

Online Advertising with Blogs

Online advertising with blogs can be one of the most forthright methods of advertising. To earn revenue with your blog, join an online affiliate network and choose the products that meld with your content. Your online visitors will be more likely to click on an affiliate product link that has relevant connections to the context of your blog entries.

Online Advertising with Forums

An online forum will allow your customers or visitors to ask questions, receive responses and basicly become an interactive part of your website. They will be more likely to remember your name and what you stand for if they can become a part of your business process.


1 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Age#Early_Information_Age
2 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Age#Early_Information_Age