Exciting News About Ning + Glam Media

[Jason Rosenthal]

Today, I’m excited to announce some great news for Ning and our customers. We’ve signed an agreement to be acquired by Glam Media. You can also read my post on the Ning Blog.



Glam Media pioneered connecting the world’s top brand advertisers with targeted vertical audiences online. Glam has a reach of 84 million unique monthly visitors in the U.S. and 200 million visitors globally. They have more than 2,500 publishers organized across multiple vertical categories including: Glam.com for women, Glam Entertainment for adults, Brash.com for men and Bliss.com for health and wellness seekers.



We will continue to provide you with the most powerful platform to create, grow, and manage passionate online communities. Ning will continue as a separate division within Glam Media. No immediate changes to the team, the product, or the business are planned as a result of this, and we’ll continue on our path of releasing new innovative features to make your Ning sites more successful.



Some of our Ning communities are already part of the Glam Media network, and we’ll share updates to the roadmap and information on how to apply to join the Glam Network in the coming weeks.

 

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Want to know more about Glam Media and details about this acquisition?

Glam CEO Samir Arora: No Plans To Force Ning Advertising Rev Share

Glam Media acquires site builder Ning

Marc Andreesen's blog

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[Eric Velouria]

This will make me extremely nervous. My network has been experiencing many NING side bugs and I hope this doesn't slow down the already slow process of getting these fixed....

[Baller]

We pay for ads and all things ning removed. Glam buying Ning does what? They going to force ads on the site? I don't get it.

[Eric Suesz]

You can continue to run your own ads, Baller. As we've tried to make clear: You will have new opportunities to monetize your site -- if you wish. Or, you can always continue to use other advertising services. Didn't you already say that you are using Glam Media now? I have to assume that you already approve of them on some level. 

[conner]

Thanks Eric... i'm uneasy since reading all of this too, but hoping this is all good.  Guess we all sit tight and wait for further announcements.  I know one thing... I do NOT want to go through moving and setting up another network some place else.  So I'm gonna hang in here and hope it's all for the best!!  I'll be on watch for updates, etc.

[Garnor Morantes]

And we don't want you to go anywhere either ceecee! We'll keep working to deliver a great product and service for you and other NCs.

[Brian K]

Hey Eric

Sometimes I really dont envy you lol.

At least you got IPO dreams in your future now.

 

[Amit]

I am a bit nervous about the deal. Glam media positions itself as someone who uses, users content in  profit sharing  kind of arrangement. They says their users don't own the content, though they share the revenue with the publishers.In addition to it, my concern is mine is a professional network not related to themes based on men, women or fashion, so would I be left out in the corner to be shoved away  later on (as my network doesn't fits their bill) ... Please elaborate what does this change means for international customers (outside USA) and for  career oriented professional networks.

PS: This is important as i have done annual commitments to my advertisers :(

[Eric Suesz]

Well, I think the answer to your question is that this will provide you with the opportunity -- the choice -- to participate in an ad network that could be more profitable for you. Or, you can just continue to do what you're doing. Whichever works best, I would think. Also, they do have an international focus, so check out their site and feel it out. But, as I say, it's a choice, not a requirement. You will continue to have full access to the services that are currently available.

[Amit]

Thanks Eric ! I will prefer to continue with what i am doing right now as it is helping me earn good money out of it  :) The least that i want out of this deal is - any kind of logjam i.e. either glammedia's way or the highway, kind of situation... Hope you understand the fear...

Till the time, it remains a "opt in" thing, i am fine with it ... Thank again

 

[soaringeagle]

ok i did lil reading cause ive never heard of this glam crap cause im about the farthest thing there is from glam

so reading up a bit when glam started out  many blogers using the ad network were making about 10 thousand a month! at the time glam put "house ads" on when advertisers ads were not availiable but they stopped that reducing the revenues paitd out alot

but reducing the 10 grand a month to about 2

the cpm being abou t 4 times what adsense pays..it was like 10-15 ..even up to 30 times what adsense averages uin the beginig as they established the business

 

 

 

so we are in the middle of a economic collapse with record unemployment  debt thats crippling the world and everyones worried that a chance to make drasticly more income from your sites a bad thing?

 

you can always give it away if you dont like making that much

 

i personaly wouldnt complain about making more $

but i have a feelin that since most of my members arent into all the makeup and "glam" stuff we wont benifit that much from this

 

[SweetPotato]

My main concern is over ownership of member data. Ning has in the past been prone to changing T&Cs, admittedly since going premium to our advantage, but if ownership of data was ever removed I'm outta here. I'll be archiving regularly just in case.
That is my only real concern. If all remains the same but with the option to opt in to their ad network then that's a good thing. Ultimately, Glam don't want people leaving the Ning platform, they want more networks using their service so I don't see them being heavy handed. Plus, let's not forget that by owning Ning they will probably make a healthy profit from NCs anyway. Just hope all the Ning team's jobs are safe.

[Garnor Morantes]

Hi SweetPotato, 

To echo a few of the comments here, we have no plans at this time to change your ownership rights for the content, network data and information on your network.  You will continue to have full control over your network.