Traditional media team with niche websites to nab ad dollars

0 Comments | USA TODAY, March, 2008 | by Laura Petrecca

Looking to snare a larger share of Internet ad dollars, traditional media companies are launching "vertical ad networks" in which they sell ad bundles of space on their sites and on independent sites with complementary content.

Forbes.com's Business and Finance Blog Network, announced last week, includes more than 450 finance-focused blogs, such as Talking Biz News and Xconomy. Forbes will sell ad space across that network, earning a cut of the revenue from the sites.

It hopes to attract advertisers by featuring blogs that have been prescreened for "credible" content, says Forbes.com CEO Jim Spanfeller.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia has put together an ad network -- known as Martha's Circle -- that's made up of 25 lifestyle-focused sites such as...