GreasyGuide.com Says Bye-Bye to Niche Ad Networks. BET Ad Network Wins Our Favor!

by GreasyGuide on February 9, 2009

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You might have noticed that I’ve done some house keeping around these parts. In 2008 I decided to do an experiment. I decided to sign up with 3 different Urban/Hip-Hop based: Essence Mag/RealNetworks, Global Grind Ad Network, and BET.com Ad Network. So during this test we decided to see which Ad Network was really worth its weight. We tested for the following:

1. Fairness of contract – How binding the legal contract was and have many loops did they want us to jump through in order to be apart of the Ad Network.

2. Payments and Payout – What was the CPM and how often did you get paid

3. Quality of the ads – Where the ads targeted to my readership and did they speak a descent message to my readers.

4. Tracking – Was there a panel to login into and to track your money earned.

Now during the experiment I can honestly say that we have only been paid once from BET’s ad network. We havn’t seen any money from Global Grind or from the Essence ad network.

The Essence ad network overall has the best customer service and anyone I’ve ever chatted with there have always been super nice.

BET.com wins hands down to us because their ads really spoke to our target audience and overall had the best look and feel.


The Global Grind network served some of the worst ads I’ve ever seen. Shaking boxes and a ton of ads that just never even had anything to do with the type of content that I post here on the site.

Overall BET.com’s Ad Network would be the only one that I recommend for an urban blogger to participate in. Otherwise focus your energy and time into writing good original content, increasing your traffic, and the money will come to you. Real advertisers will come to you directly and you can skip the middle man who will take up space on your site and serve ads that just suck! So if I where you I’d break out that unreadable contract that you signed to join the Ad Network, read the fine print around the exit clause, and get out of it now. Reclaim your adspace and then focus on making the best content that you can. Make Google adsense your friend.

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  • huh?
    maybe the problem is that you don't have any traffic on your site. This article makes no sense. You've only been paid once but BET is the best hands down.??? How long have you been in each network. Does one offer other value besides the ads? if your going to right a review give clear info
  • If i had no traffic to my site you wouldn't be reading my blog or posting a comment here. I make at least $500-1000 a month on this site via other means and the Ad Networks just don't pay out. I've sold my own ads here and made more via Google Adsense in one day then a full month of being on the ad network. Plus this blog has given me lots of access to other items like free clothing, consulting, and much more. So HUH or is this NW? I'm just giving my readers the facts as I see them. The Ad Network don't pay out. Plus places like Global Grind where locked into the Glam Network which fell on hard times and couldn't send out any payments into late into 2009. My blog by no means supports my living. It's for fun and a learning experience and I pass on to you all what I've learned.

    So focus on good content, link building, and adding real value to your site and your following will continue to grow. You can read all of this and more in my book coming soon.

    1LUV!
  • Oh and BET.com Ad Network was the best because:

    A. They actually sent out a check.
    B. Their ads actually spoke to the readers here. African-Americans
    C. They did not damage the reading the experience which ads that shake, floating flash, or full take overs of the page.

    That's why I voted them the best. Cause they actually provided an experience that was beneficial to the site and not disruptive.
  • "focus your energy and time into writing good original content, increasing your traffic, and the money will come to you"

    As you demonstrated with the WorldStarHipHop article! They are now in a great position to demand cpm levels and get quality ads.

    This is a great GreasyGuide week! Thank you!
  • me
    correction - global Grind isn't an ad network
  • I wouldn't have written about this if they didn't have an add network attached to their business. You can see the details of their ad network here http://globalgrind.com/network/
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