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

[mark]

I'm with you. It isn't very logical, and extremely disappointing not to be able to run our own ads on the mobile version. This awesome win Ning had with launching the new mobile version is a complete fail in helping NCs monetize mobile.  

I vote to add the current NC-Ning "desktop" version agreement into the new mobile version. If Ning wants to advertise on my desktop network, they pay for an ad. Shouldn't that hold true for the mobile version? 

[SweetPotato]

WORKAROUND NUMBER ONE: DISPLAY ADS in UPDATE STATUS FIELD on MOBILE:

Go to your language editor and search for "Also post to"

Replace that with the following and then insert urls and image urls as bolded below:

<ul style="float:left;"><li style="border:none; margin-right:15px; list-style:none;display:inline;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.URL.COM/"><img src="http://yourimage/image.jpg" /></a></li><li style="border:none; margin-right:15px; list-style:none;display:inline;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.URL.COM/"><img src="http://yourimage/image.jpg" /></a></li><li style="border:none; margin-right:15px; list-style:none;display:inline;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.URL.COM/"><img src="http://yourimage/image.jpg"/></a></li><li style="border:none; margin-right:15px; list-style:none;display:inline;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.URL.COM/"><img src="http://yourimage/image.jpg"/></a></li></ul>
<br>
Also post to ...

Result

Hopefully more to come once i've investiagted what's in the language editor.

SP

[Chris]

Nice! I've been looking for the entry for the network name, hoping to add something in the header. Can't seem to pinpoint it yet - you had any luck? I've looked at %s and %1$s...

[SweetPotato]

no, sadly not. been looking for that as well. let me know if you found it.

[Chris]

Any idea how to make this work for rotating ad banners? Can't use iframes or script tags in the lang editor... (why?)

[SweetPotato]

not that I can figure.

[Paintball.fi]

I don't think the Ning/Glam adds are going to work for me. I have a niche site in non-English language, so basically it is a niche inside of a niche.

I tried Adwords when starting, they would pay about the same in a year as I now get in a month from a single "bespoke" banner from companies in "my" niche. As I understand the Glam adds pay better, but say if it is double better than Google, that would not be very good either for my site.

I can understand Nings/Glams point of view too, they need to get paid too. I originally signed up as paying member when there was free option, especially to be able to sell my own adds. But there was no promises to spend money to basically create a totally new site for mobile machines either, so having the new mobile website is an extra to the original plan, IMO.

At this point I would be happy with an option of being able to pay for the change to have my own adds in the mobile site. The mobile traffic is not yet very big, but it will be.

[SweetPotato]

we have always had a mobile version, it's just that previously it wasn't very good. now we have a good version that more people will use, Glam are deciding to cash in. irony is that it will cost them in the long run when people leave because they are losing money.

[Baller]

What is the update on mobile ads?