I will cancel advertising in the content network.
That is a bit like my Grandma would say, "throwing the baby out with the bath-water."
The content network can be very profitable, but you must take the time to understand it and get to know what works.
When people are searching on Google (the "search" network) they are actively looking for a solution to a problem, therefore they are further along in there buying decision... so of course they convert better.
On the content network, your ads are shown on pages like this forum, so you have a crowd not focused on finding a solution to a problem, but more in exploration mode.
In order to be successful on the content network you must solve this problem in two ways:
- your ads must be much more "attention grabbing" otherwise no one will even notice them. To get this right requires a lot of experimentation
- your ads must take your visitors to a landing page that is more informational than salesy. Content network clickers are not ready to be sold to, think of them more as leads than buyers, and begin the process of building a relationship to gentle guide them towards the "wallet out" stage. Giving away a free report, or something similar works as a content network landing page.