How is it recommeded to handle content bids? I've never used them so really just any information or suggestions would be great... thanks!
In extremely competitive niches, you will probably need to bid as much as you do on the search network. I usually start out bidding about 1/2 what I do on the search network. I then review my traffic stats, impressions, click through, and position. In general, I shoot for positions 3-4 and adjust my bids accordingly. In less competitive niches, many keyword phrases can be had for a fraction of what you'd pay on the search network. You just have to test.
Content match is very category specific. I've run over the years from sat-nav, trampolines and flowers all the way up to property sales, finance related (loans, mortgages) and investments. and out of say 35 different market categories, only 4 or 5 have performed well. One of the most lucrative was for Cyprus property sales. I guess this could be down to the amount of quality sites on the content network, spawned from the lucrative yet competitive area of travel / holiday related content. It's very much a suck it and see thing when it can work one month and fail the next. I'd generally start the content match campaign at the same pricing level as the search network and make sure it doesn't get too carried away for a week - this will at least give you a ceiling to work from. It can generally take a month to get a fix on whether its paying off. pm me with the category your working in and I'll see if I have any experience of it.