Ad Networks and Publishers: What You Need to Know
If you are interested in online advertising, you may have come across the terms “ad networks” and “publishers”. But what do they mean and how do they differ? In this article, we will explain the basics of ad networks and publishers, and how they work together to deliver ads to users.
What are Ad Networks?
An ad network is a platform that connects advertisers and publishers. Advertisers are those who have products or services to promote, and they pay to display their ads to potential customers.
Publishers are those who own websites or other digital spaces where they can show ads to their visitors. An ad network acts as an intermediary between advertisers and publishers, providing them with various tools and solutions to run and manage their ad campaigns.
An ad network typically offers the following benefits to advertisers and publishers:
For advertisers: an ad network provides access to a large and diverse inventory of publishers, allowing them to reach a wide and targeted audience.
An ad network also handles the technical aspects of ad delivery, such as ad formats, ad serving, tracking, reporting, and optimization. An ad network may also offer additional services, such as creative design, fraud prevention, and compliance.
For publishers: an ad network provides a source of revenue, allowing them to monetize their traffic by displaying ads from various advertisers.
An ad network also handles the administrative aspects of ad sales, such as billing, payment, and support. An ad network may also offer additional services, such as quality control, content recommendation, and user experience enhancement.
There are different types of ad networks, depending on the criteria they use to select and match advertisers and publishers, such as:
- Vertical ad networks, which focus on a specific niche or industry, such as travel, gaming, or health.
- Horizontal ad networks, which cover a broad range of topics and categories, appealing to a general audience.
- Premium ad networks, which work with high-quality and reputable publishers and advertisers, offering premium ad placements and rates.
- Performance-based ad networks, which charge advertisers based on the results they achieve, such as clicks, conversions, or sales.
- Contextual ad networks, which display ads that are relevant to the content and keywords of the publisher’s website.
- Behavioral ad networks, which display ads that are based on the user’s browsing history, preferences, and interests.
What are Publishers?
Publishers are the owners of ad space, also known as ad inventory. Publishers can be any website or app that attracts visitors and displays ads to them. Publishers can be of different types, such as:
- Content publishers, which produce and publish original and engaging content, such as articles, blogs, videos, podcasts, etc.
- Social media publishers, which operate and manage social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
- E-commerce publishers, which sell products or services online, such as Amazon, eBay, Shopify, etc.
- Gaming publishers, which develop and distribute online games, such as Zynga, EA, Activision, etc.
- Search engine publishers, which provide search and information services, such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.
Publishers earn money by selling their ad space to advertisers, either directly or through ad networks. Publishers can choose from various ad formats and models, such as:
Display ads, which are graphical or textual ads that appear on the publisher’s website or app, such as banners, pop-ups, interstitials, etc.
Video ads, which are short or long videos that play on the publisher’s website or app, either before, during, or after the content, such as pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll, etc.
Native ads, which are ads that blend in with the publisher’s content and design, such as sponsored posts, recommended articles, in-feed ads, etc.
Audio ads, which are ads that play on the publisher’s website or app, either before, during, or after the audio content, such as podcasts, music, radio, etc.
Mobile ads, which are ads that are optimized for mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, such as in-app ads, push notifications, SMS, etc.
CPM (cost per mille), which is the amount the publisher charges for every 1,000 impressions (views) of the ad.
CPC (cost per click), which is the amount the publisher charges for every click on the ad.
CPA (cost per action), which is the amount the publisher charges for every action performed by the user after clicking on the ad, such as signing up, downloading, purchasing, etc.
CPI (cost per install), which is the amount the publisher charges for every installation of the advertiser’s app by the user.
How do Ad Networks and Publishers Work Together?
Ad networks and publishers work together to deliver ads to users in an efficient and effective way. The process typically involves the following steps:
The publisher signs up with an ad network and provides information about their website or app, such as the content, audience, traffic, etc.
The ad network assigns the publisher a unique ID and provides them with a code snippet, which the publisher inserts into their website or app.
The advertiser signs up with the ad network and provides information about their product or service, such as the offer, target, budget, etc.
The ad network assigns the advertiser a unique ID and provides them with a dashboard, where they can upload their ad creatives, set up their targeting, and monitor their campaign performance.
When a user visits the publisher’s website or app, the code snippet sends a request to the ad network, along with the publisher’s ID and other data, such as the user’s location, device, browser, etc.
The ad network receives the request and matches it with the most suitable advertiser, based on the criteria set by the advertiser and the publisher, such as the category, keywords, geolocation, device, etc.
The ad network sends back the ad creative and the advertiser’s ID to the publisher’s website or app, where the ad is displayed to the user.
The user interacts with the ad, either by viewing, clicking, or performing an action, depending on the ad format and model.
The ad network tracks and records the user’s interaction with the ad, and reports it to the advertiser and the publisher, through their respective dashboards.
The ad network calculates and distributes the revenue to the advertiser and the publisher, based on the agreed terms and rates.
Conclusion
Ad networks and publishers are two essential players in the online advertising ecosystem. They work together to connect advertisers and users, and to facilitate the exchange of value between them.
Ad networks provide advertisers with access to a large and diverse inventory of publishers, and publishers with a source of revenue from displaying ads. Ad networks and publishers also offer various tools and solutions to optimize and enhance the ad delivery and performance.
By understanding the difference and the relationship between ad networks and publishers, you can make better decisions and strategies for your online advertising goals.
