Adelaide (AU), June 2013 - Ian Godfrey wants to see just how high the wave of social media and viral buzz can take him. His new site, www.onehundredmillionhits.com, is the centerpiece of an ambitious, one-of-a-kind Internet experiment. The goal is for the site to tally 100 million hits in a mere 100 days. A counter on the site will record each unique visit.
Godfrey's Internet Marathon project is no stunt. He has a clear purpose in mind: namely, to generate revenue through banner advertisements and the generous contributions of visitors. All money raised will go into a Creative Projects Stipend, which will fund the design and development of web and mobile applications.
Limiting the Internet Marathon to 100 days was a deliberate choice. By enacting a time limit, Ian puts a great deal of pressure on his marketing muscles. However, the time factor also works in his favor by creating a sense of scarcity — in other words, advertising space will not be there forever.
"Some folks have written my project off as a meaningless stunt. This couldn't be further from the truth. Sure, there is an intellectual-stimulation factor at work, but beyond this I believe the Internet Marathon will have tangible benefits for the Internet marketing community. I hope to demonstrate like never before the potency of the 'viral' effect. For a modest, one-time investment, a business owner can place a banner ad on www.onehundredmillionhits.com. I'm confident the return on investment will be significant," explains Godfrey.
"Even if the website doesn't garner 100 million hits, I will still have proven my fundamental point—that we are still only seeing the tip of the iceberg in terms of Internet traffic volumes. Businesses that advertise on the site and see a healthy return will be more likely to investigate alternative marketing channels in the future. Given the precarious state of the global economy, this kind of outside-the-box thinking has become more important than ever."
After some deliberation, Ian chose this fundraising route rather than one of the established crowdfunding entities such as Kickstarter or Indiegogo. He believes that operating an independent site gives him more control and intellectual freedom. More importantly, he maintains that a website potentially represents a greater return on investment than a crowdfunding campaign, especially for this particular kind of project.
Ian plans to use a portion of the advertising revenue generated by the Internet Marathon project to complete his university studies, while also laying the groundwork for his web and mobile development company. In the near future, he hopes to develop Internet-based tools that improve people's lives in a meaningful way. Among his concepts is an innovative new social media platform that complements existing services rather than competing with them.
Acceptable advertising encompasses everything suitable for a general, family audience. Pornography, hate speech, and extremism will be rejected. Godfrey will personally review all advertisements for appropriateness.
About Ian Godfrey
Ian Godfrey is an Australian university student and budding Internet entrepreneur. The idea for the Internet Marathon had been percolating for a year. While exploring other projects, Godfrey nearly lost possession of the domain name, but fortunately no one had purchased it at auction.
