So I’m never impressed by Superbowl ads. I think the whole idea of spending millions of dollars for 30 seconds is dumb.

But if you were ever given the chance to air a Superbowl ad, I’d suggest you create one like the Dockers ad in Superbowl . No not because there were a bunch of guys running around without pants.

The brilliance of the Dockers ad was the call to action at the end. They asked you to visit a website where you could get free pants. People flocked there in droves immediately to claim their free pants.

Problem was… the server crashed under the heavy traffic with millions of people unable to get into the site.

What Dockers did wrong

They had poor planning and their servers crashed. Their website team should have known that millions of people would visit the site all at the same time.

What Dockers did right

They created a clear and compelling “call to action” and drove people to their website. When the servers were finally fixed here’s what you saw.

It is basically a contest that you enter to win a free pair of Dockers pants. In the process Dockers captures the email and contact information from everyone who enters.

So this is an ad with measurable conversion goals. They can track how many people visited the site and how many people register for the contest. Once people register, their names and emails can be mailed to again and again.

It flies in the face of every Madison Avenue agency, but having a call to action is critical for your business to survive in the traditional adverting world. You don’t  have the bankroll to spend on general branding. But you can spend money on measurable conversion goals.

Watch the ad here

What do you think? Do you think Dockers did the right thing in having a clear call to action with a process that captured viewers email addresses? Leave a comment below.

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Joel Mark Witt is the Publisher of Folk Media and author of 21 Days To Twitter Leadership and How To Use Social Media To Find A Better Job. He is a producer, author, and speaker who consults with businesses and nonprofits on how to use social media in marketing and communications. Get more from Joel on Twitter.

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I’m just suggesting that you think beyond the 30 second ad.

Of course TV isn’t going anywhere and newspapers will always be around in spite of those who would argue this point.

Treating the web as a distribution or broadcast platform is one of the biggest mistakes people make online with blogs, podcasts, and other tools. We are all used to television, radio, and the newspaper as a one-way broadcast medium.

Communications online work more like a telephone than a TV receiver. The web is a conversation medium not a broadcast medium.

As you plan your business blog think about using it to start conversations.

So let me give you a tip on content and what to write about.

What is it about my product or service that people want to talk about?

This is the big question. Ask yourself this and center your blog content around the answer.

Your product or service should have some really great benefits and features. What are the benefits that people would share with their neighbors? Begin to write and talk about these to stir the conversation. The guys over at Will It Blend do this on video in a very funny way.

I would recommend that you put at least 80% of your time into talking about the features that people find amazing about your product or service.

Blogging about your best product and service benefits and inviting discussion can really pull in your business readers and help you create compelling content.

So thinking past the 30 sec ad mentality means thinking as a conservationist not a broadcaster. Does it require hard work?

You bet.

But it is worth it because of the leverage your business will gain from customer feedback, insight, and participation.

Stay tuned for future articles as we help break down ways to use online media to market your business.

Joel Mark Witt is a producer, speaker, and new media leader who writes about social media and its impact in the business world. He is also the Founding Director of Folk Media. Send him an email: joelmarkwitt (at) folkmedia.org or follow him on Twitter.

*Photo by -Mandie-