Ning won't let us run our own Ads on Mobile

[SweetPotato]

Hi all

There has been much discussion in the thread here about the new mobile interface and 'Ning Ads'.

Until we know fully what 'Ning Ads' means, I thought I'd open a discussion to find out what NCs want from the ad function on their mobile networks.

I've been very vocal that I want the ability to run my own banner ads, preferrably in rotation across all pages. An interface that enables me to do this is what I want, but failing that a text box that I can insert above all pages and insert html and script would suffice.

More than anything, though, I want control over what ads I put on my mobile site. I don't want to have one option only, i.e. Ning/Glam ads.

What does everybody else hope to see?

SP

[Chris]

"You'll be able to run Ning Ads on mobile, but you won't see a provided option to run additional ads on mobile as you will on the desktop version. "

I'm sorry, but that is unacceptable. What is the thinking behind depriving us of a way to make money from our sites? Ning ads will be useless or irrelevant for a great many of us, as you admit above. I have bespoke (custom) ads on the desktop version that I will LOSE if they can't see their ads on the mobile version!

[Baller]

Very unacceptable! Who thought of this? Like I said I'm seeing 30% less on my checks now because of this and then I have to wait Weeks for them to fix the bug that keeps it from going back to mobile?  This was a very DUMB idea...

I need a 30% refund on the yearly fee I paid!!!

My fill rate use to be 100% ALL THE TIME.. to the point I asked my advertiser to increase impressions available. They increased it and now I'm averaging 65-70% fill rate. This is NOT FAIR AT ALL!!! This is how I pay my bills.

I can't stress how much NING is taking money out of my pocket..

[Chris]

"one desktop ad you solicit yourself can pay huge dividends"

Forgive me if I'm being too literal, but your choice of words here seems to rule out soliciting our own mobile ads...? I haven't read anything here I can use to reassure my network's bespoke advertisers that their ads will appear on the mobile version. Can anyone definitively say that it's Ning ads or nothing on the mobile version, or (much preferably) that we'll be able to run whatever ads we like through a text box or similar?

[SweetPotato]

ha ha, yes, i got stuck on that wording, too, but decided to ignore it :-)

[Jim Coulbourne]

I could not have said it better myself. I have over 10 ning sites and have backed off of promoting them in favor of 2 sites I have on another platform I will not mention. I like ning and hope they resolve this quickly as for me it directly impacts my ability to generate an income with my sites. I am in this for a reason not a season and that reason is money. 

[SweetPotato]

So Jim, what would you like to see from the ads function on mobile?

[SweetPotato]

Eric,

Would you mind just putting my mind at rest: will we still have Text boxes to run our own banner ads on the desktop version???

Thanks

SP

[Eric Suesz]

Of course, SweetPotato. You can even run both Ning Ads and Google ads if you want. 

[SweetPotato]

OK, phew. Your ambiguious language is starting to make me chase shadows :-)

Right, that cleared up all we need to know now is ....... well, you know what....

SP

[JFarrow]

this is of great concern.... 

[SweetPotato]

all Eric has to do is say "Yes, you'll still have text boxes for custom ads on your desktop site", and "yes, we'll design a system to run your own ads on mobile" or "no, we won't be designing a system to let you run your own ads on mobile".

Clearly, the original plan was for the latter, otherwise Ning would just say it was in the works. That in itself is astonishing.

[Eric Suesz]

Sorry I wasn't able to answer you immediately. Yes, you'll still have text boxes for custom ads on your desktop site. Sorry if I wasn't clear earlier when I was speaking about mobile ads; you'll be able to run Ning Ads on mobile but not other ads.