Work With Us!

GRAND RAPIDS KIDS (grkids.com) fuses social media and traditional web advertising together to make impactful marketing campaigns. We  connect with families and caregivers across West Michigan as we carry out our mission to “make parents happy in West Michigan.”

Since our inception in 2009, GRKIDS has grown organically through our community. We are a demand-based organization and publish reader-requested materials. This “ask-do” system ensures our content is relevant and interesting to our readers. We focus our energy where it matters to ensure maximum effectiveness. Grand Rapids Kids is run by Melody VanderWeide, the founder of the site. She is assisted by a team of work-from-home contributors. This all-woman crew is mostly comprised of moms, which allows us to be engaged and authentic with our audience.

What We Offer

GRKIDS.COM uses tools like a relevant blog, extensive event calendar, and an active Facebook community to integrate your business, product, or event into our users’ experience.

You’ll also find:

• VARIETY – You will find many ways to interact with our family-focused audience where they’re at.
• PREPACKAGED CAMPAIGNS – Prepackaged campaigns are great for the business that knows what they need. Designed to hit the variety of ways users interact with grkids.com, these are also our best value.
• CUSTOM AD CAMPAIGNS – Perfect for new advertisers, or when you want to put extra emphasis on your business or event. Includes one consultation conversation at no charge.
• A COMMITMENT TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY – We strive to contribute to a sustainable business and family community where we live. Keeping dollars local is a top priority and we look to support those who support us whenever possible. We are a proud member of Local First.

What Advertisers Say

If you are just looking to reach moms with kids, then, yes, grkids.com is a good buy. If you are looking to interact with those moms, engage those moms, and bring those moms to your organization, then grkids.com is a great buy!!! Melody consistently offers John Ball Zoo more than a banner ad or an event listing. She looks for solid co-promotions that are good for families and good for advertisers. From blogs, to coupons, to a combination of all, grkids.com offers John Ball Zoo many different ways to reach families at a price that doesn’t break the bank!  As an advertiser and as an advocate for kids and families, I endorse and recommend Melody and grkids.com!

– Krys Bylund, Marketing Director at John Ball Zoo Society

As a small business owner who advertises with grkids.com and a father of young children, I feel like I get ‘two for the price of one.’ On the business side, I am able to reach out to some of my favorite client markets – caring families – via a trusted and respected family-centered website. On the personal side, I have all the ‘family friendly’ west Michigan events right at my fingertips. I’ve been known to say ‘if it isn’t on Grkids.com, it probably isn’t worth doing.’ Keep up the great work!

– Mike Lichterman, Lichterman Law, PLC.

Sponsor Terms and Conditions

1. Grand Rapids Kids has final say about content advertised on grkids.com and retains the right to reject any material for any reason at any time.
2. Advertisements including images of a(n) identifiable person(s) must be accompanied by written permission of all subjects. Grand Rapids Kids is not liable for damages resulting from use of images supplied by advertiser.
3. Grand Rapids Kids makes no promises of exclusivity. Ads displayed on the site rotate and are served randomly.
4. Grand Rapids Kids takes no responsibility for factual information included in an advertiser’s ad or on an advertiser’s website. Advertiser assumes responsibility for content accuracy. 72 hours is necessary to process update requests.
5. Grand Rapids Kids offers no assurance that advertising on grkids.com will benefit the advertiser.
6. In the event that grkids or is offline the advertiser agrees to allow Grand Rapids Kids up to 48 hours to resolve the problem without penalty.  If the outage exceeds 48 hours, the client’s contract will be extended, at no additional cost, according to this formula: hours offline x 200% = additional hours of service.
7. Payment for services is expected upon receipt of invoice.  Failure to pay on time will result in late fees for the advertiser.
8. Late Payment & Check Policy: Submit payment within 4 weeks of receipt.  A second invoice will be sent 6 weeks after the initial invoice and will include a 10% late fee or a minimum of $20.  There will be a $35 charge for any returned checks.
9. Early termination of an Advertising Contract is not permitted. No Refunds.
10. PAYMENT OF YOUR INVOICE INDICATES THAT YOU AGREE TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET FORTH ABOVE.

We look forward to speaking with you. You may also inquire about advertising by emailing Kelly, our Marketing Manager.