MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - GayAdPros.com, the first product from startup GapNet Media Inc., has launched.
The new site is believed to be the adult industry's first self-service online advertising network for the gay market segment.
"GayAdPros.com was created to address the growing need for a dedicated ad marketplace where people can buy and sell gay erotic consumer traffic to meet their business needs," co-owner Scott Rabinowitz, who founded adult-industry advertising agency Traffic Dude, told GAYVN.com. "Beyond being an ad network focused on the gay market exclusively, GayAdPros is run by a team of ethical and experienced folks who have firsthand knowledge of what it means to buy and sell traffic in the gay market, from the perspectives of both the sponsors and the traffic providers who are at the top of the ad business food chain."
Added co-owner Joe Sterner, who co-founded PrideBucks and serves as the gay affiliate program's chief operating officer, "As the ad buyer for PrideBucks, I would get frustrated after paying good money for advertising and later learning that I wasn't reaching my target [cost per acquisition] because my ads were being displayed on straight websites. Publishers and advertisers will be relieved to know that they do not have to worry about this aggravation any longer."
Rabinowitz said GayAdPros began conceptually in mid-2008 and was in development shortly thereafter. At launch, the site represented more than two dozen well-known gay websites in 30 categories, and several more sites are pending approval for inclusion in the network.
"As you might expect, we review publisher websites continuously to ensure they are not engaged in illegal activity," Rabinowitz told GAYVN.com. "A publisher can be accepted into the network as long as they have at least one valid website where we can clearly see that pages actually do cater to gay consumers."
The site is set up to encourage both advertisers and publishers to define their own price-point comfort levels and determine what sorts of matches perform best for them. Rabinowitz referred to the system as a "power to the people" model.
"Publishers set ad rates for all direct purchases on their websites," he told GAYVN.com. "Power to the people! Default network ads per publisher can be defined as well, at different price points."
Both Sterner and Rabinowitz see the network as a work in progress.
"We are totally committed to continuous refinement of the program as we are users of the program ourselves and know coming out of the gate that no matter what, GayAdPros.com has to fulfill industry needs at fair market value to be a success," Rabinowitz told GAYVN.com. "Over time, GayAdPros will feature more specialized and user-friendly offerings and services that reflect what the industry wants and needs at any given time."
As an initial incentive, advertisers will receive a 10-percent deposit bonus (up to $1,000) on the first purchase they make before April 30. Publishers will earn an additional 10 percent in revenue for the remainder of 2009, provided their publishing account and ad units are established in the system by June 30. Interested publishers and advertisers need to contact the company by email in order to capitalize on the promotion, Rabinowitz said.
For more information, visit GayAdPros.com.
