--- source_url: "https://www.carbonads.net/more-info" title: "Media Kit: Pricing & Targeting | Carbon Ads" mirrored_at: 2026-08-11T01:08:49.886Z host: www.carbonads.net cited_in_42a: true mirror_canonical: "https://index.42a.ai/www.carbonads.net/more-info" --- > **Original source:** https://www.carbonads.net/more-info 01 — Overview ## We reach **developers** & **designers** _in their natural habitat_ Carbon Ads is a curated native advertising network serving **350+** developer and designer websites. Since 2010, we’ve connected technical brands with developers where they work — on documentation sites, developer tools, and trusted resources they visit daily. 02 — Pricing & discounting ## **Transparent pricing**, _up front_ Most folks want to know pricing but they have to wait. We don’t charge a $40 CPM (cost per thousand impressions) like ProductHunt, or a $10 CPM like StackOverflow. Audience Pricing **Developer** $6 CPM  ·  Optimized ROW Blend\* **Creator** $5 CPM  ·  Optimized ROW Blend\* \* Optimized ROW is “Run of world” including our standard anti-targeting. We remove 20+ countries with non-English primary languages at no additional cost. ### Up to 15% added value We offer a transparent discount opportunity that maximizes success outcomes based on historical campaigns. We offer up to 15% added value (AV) when we commit to the following: - +5% AVClearly defined campaign goals and quantitative KPIs - +5% AVRead-only access to GA4 and/or consistent weekly conversion reporting - +5% AVCreative refreshes every 45–90 days 03 — Audience & targeting ## A _research-driven_ **technical audience** - Working-hours traffic patterns - High engagement with educational content - Active seekers of new tools and solutions - Influence on technology purchasing decisions ### Roles reached - Backend Developer64.6% - Frontend Developer56.9% - Mobile Developer26.2% - UI/UX Designer24.6% - Game Developer16.9% - DevOps Engineer15.4% - Product Manager13.8% - QA Engineer/Tester12.3% - Data Scientist/Engineer9.2% Software developers · team size - 1–5064% - 51–20017% - 500+11% - 201–5007% Creators · industry breakdown - Design39% - Technology25% - Education14% - Arts/Entertainment14% - Marketing/Advertising7% ### Geographic targeting - **Global reach** with country-level targeting available - **Excludes top 20 non-English speaking countries** at no extra cost - Ideal for remote developer workforce ### Audience quality - **Curated technical professionals** actively seeking developer tools - **High-intent audience** visiting trusted developer resources - **Decision-makers and influencers** in technical purchasing decisions 04 — Communities ## Two _circles_, **one network** Developer Circle - Personal blogs from industry leaders - Documentation pages for frameworks - Online development tools - Technical reference sites - Open source project pages Creator Circle - Industry resource sites - Educational platforms - Community-driven content - Design inspiration galleries - Development tutorials 05 — Why Carbon works ## Why **Carbon Ads works** for _developer marketing_ ### Reaches developers where they work - **350+ curated websites** including documentation sites, developer blogs, tools, and resources - Sites developers **know and trust** during their working hours - Only **contextual, relevant advertisers** — no Coca-Cola or irrelevant brands - **Single ad unit per site** — not cluttered with programmatic ads ### Overcomes ad blocking - **Whitelisted on AdBlock Plus** as a trusted publisher network - Typically see **20–25% impression lift** compared to standard display advertising - Ads appear as **product recommendations** rather than intrusive banners ### Proven advertiser success - **91% decrease in CPA** for a leading identity management solution - Works with companies from **pre-Series A to post-IPO** - Many advertisers call us their **“secret sauce for growth”** MongoDBGitLabAtlassianSlackMonday.com 06 — Ad formats & specifications ## **Native ads** that _feel like content_ Carbon’s native ads integrate seamlessly into each publisher’s unique design, creating an experience that feels like curated content rather than advertising. Every ad is custom-implemented by our publisher partners to match their site’s aesthetic and user experience. ### Carbon **Classic** Typical performance - **Click-through:** 0.8%–2.1% - **Viewability:** 95%+ - **Brand lift:** 23% avg. increase in aided awareness What you provide - 260 × 200 image (PNG or JPG) - 80 characters of compelling copy - Landing page URL - Optional: multiple creative variations for A/B testing What we deliver - Custom implementation on each publisher site - Performance tracking and analytics - Monthly reporting with insights - Campaign optimization recommendations ### Carbon **Cover** An interactive format available on select sites: the image retracts on hover to reveal your ad copy. Typical performance - **Click-through:** 0.8%–2.1% - **Viewability:** 95%+ - **Brand lift:** 23% avg. increase in aided awareness What you provide - 250 × 100px transparent logo (PNG) - 500 × 500px visual banner (JPG or WEBP) - Campaign tagline (max 45 chars) - Campaign description (max 120 chars) - Call to action (max 20 chars) - Background color (in hex) - Landing page URL - Optional: multiple creative variations for A/B testing What we deliver - Custom implementation on each publisher site - Performance tracking and analytics - Monthly reporting with insights - Campaign optimization recommendations 07 — Premium placements ## **High-impact positioning** for _maximum visibility_ For campaigns requiring enhanced visibility, Carbon offers premium placement options that maintain our quality-first approach while providing additional prominence. Featured placements - Above-the-fold positioning - Homepage placements on select high-traffic sites - Sticky/floating ad units (desktop only) - Newsletter sponsorships - Content series sponsorships Premium benefits - Guaranteed positioning - Enhanced reporting and analytics - Direct account management - Custom creative development support - Priority access to new publisher partners Custom solutions - Sponsored content series - Technical webinar promotions - Tool/framework launch campaigns - Developer conference promos - Open source project sponsorships 08 — Campaign structure ## Building **successful campaigns** _together_ We’ll help you test CTA and creative to build your market playbook for scale. Month 1 + 2 - A/B test creative - Goal: ID strongest messaging and creatives Month 3 + 4 - Create dedicated landing pages per audience for messaging and the correct offer - Install attribution tracking - Goal: optimize based on shared performance data Month 5+ - Scale campaign - Ongoing performance optimization ### Budget & impressions - **Minimum 1M impressions per month** recommended - **CPM pricing model** with competitive rates - **Prepayment required** to secure inventory 09 — Performance & reporting ## **Measure** what _survives contact with revenue_ What we track - **Daily performance data**: impressions, clicks, CTR by creative - **Creative-level reporting** for optimization insights - **Mid-campaign optimization meetings** with a dedicated success team - **Click and View-through tags** can be utilized across Carbon Understanding developer behavior - Developers often **research independently** after seeing ads - **Halo effect on organic search** — many search your brand after exposure - **Self-reported attribution** works — ask “Where did you hear about us?” - **Don’t rely solely on CTR** — brand impact extends beyond clicks 10 — Common use cases ## What _advertisers_ **come to us for** Lead generation - Free trial signups - Product registrations - Demo requests - Newsletter subscriptions Awareness & education - Brand awareness for new/unknown products - Product launches - Feature announcements - Thought leadership content Events & content - Hackathon promotion - Webinar registration - E-book downloads - Conference sponsorships 11 — Getting started ## **Live** in _two or three days_ Campaign setup - **Quick launch:** can go live within 2–3 days - **Asset requirements:** image creative + 80 characters of copy - **Landing page optimization:** test different pages for best performance - **UTM tracking:** implement for backend conversion tracking Success metrics - **Cost per visit** to your site - **Time on site** and engagement metrics - **Backend conversions** (signups, trials, purchases) - **Brand awareness lift** via surveys or self-reported attribution - **Organic search traffic increase** (halo effect) 12 — The AI wave ## The **AI wave** _is here_ Developers today are racing to close the AI skills gap, and the pressure to hire for AI fluency is reshaping technical teams. Carbon Ads reaches these developers in the places they learn and build, positioning your brand as a resource that supports their growth rather than an interruption. If your AI solution helps developers learn faster, code smarter, or ship AI-powered features, Carbon puts you in front of the audience actively looking for that edge. Brands like Agent.ai, Bolt, Together.ai, MongoDB, and Google Cloud use AI messaging on Carbon and across our developer ecosystem to connect with these high-intent audiences. Agent.aiBoltTogether.aiMongoDBGoogle Cloud 13 — Recent success stories ## _Proof_ from **real campaigns** MongoDB As a long-time buyer, MongoDB recently started running on the Carbon ad network. After 1 month of testing, BSA optimized performance and decreased cost per registration by **90% over a 3-month campaign**. Andela Andela observed the first increase in organic traffic since August 2024, directly correlated with the duration of their BSA campaign. BSA’s placements have been their **top referring domains**. 14 — What advertisers say ## **In their** _own words_ “Reaching developers as a marketer can be hard. I come back to Carbon Ads because I know I’ll reach developers in their native digital communities, and that reach will help create more authentic connections to our target audience.” Shane RiceDirector of Demand Generation @ Smartbear “I have deployed Carbon Ads across my previous 3 roles because it reliably isolates high-intent technical audiences without bleeding budget on unqualified impressions. It is a highly capital-efficient tool for capturing a relevant audience directly into our funnel.” Jamie PridemoreHead of Growth @ Multiverse Computing 15 — Track record ## **Developers trust** Carbon Ads to deliver _real results_ Long-term track record - **16\+ years** supporting the independent web - **$120M+** paid out to publishers - **Well-known** in the developer community — often requested by name - **Consistent presence** across developer workflows and resources Quality standards - **Curated advertiser network** — only developer-relevant brands - **Trusted by site owners** who choose to integrate our ads - **Non-intrusive format** designed specifically for technical audiences - **Transparent approach** — no hidden fees or surprise charges