Digg to launch ad network

Digg is planning to launch a network to place its ads on other Web sites, which allows users to vote on ads they want to see. Digg plans to begin with publishers who already receive large amounts of traffic from Digg they have difficulty monetizing because it arrives in unpredictable torrents.

The idea is to expand Digg's three-month-old cost-per-click ad program. The network is slated to initially roll out in 2010.

As quoted in media, Chas Edwards, chief revenue officer of Digg says, "Advertisers want the ability to take an advertising format and scale it in many places. It's like what Google started with AdWords."

Digg took a step in that direction last week when it began running its first standard banner units with customized content. Those placements let advertisers pull in feeds of user-submitted stories around particular subjects. For example, a Symantec placement showed stories about security that users had Dugg. This came a little over six months after Digg took back much of its banner ad inventory from Microsoft, which continues to fill remnant inventory.

Digg executives claim their efforts to introduce advertising to the social media site have been a resounding success.