What is Google Adsense?
Ad networks aggregate ad inventories from supply sources and match them with demand sources looking for ad slots. The supply sources in a mobile ad network typically constitute apps from publishers and app developers. Demand sources are made up of advertisers looking to place their ad in another app.
Many mobile ad networks support a wide spectrum of different formats, from banners to native ads, while others are focused on specific formats, such as video.
On the demand-side, some ad networks offer a platform for advertisers to sign-in and manage their campaigns. Others offer a managed service in which account managers provide a consultative approach and use their expertise to ensure that campaign runs at optimal levels.
Why are ad networks important?
Ad networks are an essential monetization element of the mobile advertising ecosystem. They act as a technical and commercial intermediary between advertisers and publishers. On the technical level, integrations are often provided for the supply-side to offer their inventory and for the demand-side to activate and monitor campaigns. Commercially, ad networks facilitate payments and transactions. Without ad network solutions to pull demand, publishers would have to negotiate deals with each individual advertiser.
Features of an Ad Network:
The quality of inventory:
Different ad networks are compatible with different kinds of inventory. While some offer premium inventory collected from top-tier publishers, others simply sell unsold inventory. Before choosing an ad network, make sure to identify the quality of the inventory that is being offered.
The size of the Ad Network:
It's crucial to consider the size of the ad network that you are picking for yourself, as it will be responsible for a steady flow of customers from inorganic (paid) sources. As Galina Grigoreva, Head of Marketing at Clickadu.com, said "The ad network’s size matters, since it has got to be a consistent traffic source. The more traffic it can deliver, the more you’ll get. "ROI is crucial in affiliate marketing. Once it gets to about 15%, your traffic has been converted."
In affiliate marketing, you pay a publisher to showcase your display/banner/native ad content. For example, a hotel chain might want to embed ad content on travel blogs, paying a commission whenever there is a click-through on the ad. Therefore, the more traffic the ad network generates, the higher is your return from the ad campaign investment.
Audience targeting Capabilities:
As an advertiser, you need to know who your target audience is while setting up your campaign. Considering different ad networks support different targeting options, you need to have clarity about each platform’s requirements before picking an ad network.
The different formats Available:
As different ad networks offer different formats, you might want to advertise with a simple banner ad or an animated GIF. Thus, while choosing the network that caters to your format needs, always consider the options available on that network.
Interface and Reliability:
This is among the top features to look for when choosing an ad network. Some might require manual, code-based integrations while others are purely plug-and-play. Modern ad networks could also be hosted on the cloud, raising questions of service availability. In case your ad network goes down, it could lead to major interruptions to business - so make sure to embed your service availability requires as part of the SLAs.
