The definition of ad network
An ad network is an organization or a tool that connects advertisers to webapps and mobile ecosystems that want to host advertisements on their platform. The key function of an ad network is to aggregate ad space supply from publishers and match it with advertiser demand. Ad networks allow publishers to monetize their content and give advertisers access to a larger pool of potential customers.
How ad networks earn money?
Ad networks work as mediators between advertisers and publishers, thus they get a commission from the final payable amount to the publisher. As they provide technology needed to process and run ads and an opportunity to enroll as many publishers possible in their network to give advertisers a chance to promote their product with more audience at once.
Ad networks typically work on a CPM (cost per mile/thousand impressions) basis. That means, advertisers can pay the ad networks for showing their ads 1000 times to their potential online audience. Although, this ad costs are not limited to CPM way only. Ad networks also work with PPC (pay per click) pricing and many more types of charging options in recent times.
Why ad networks?
Here is why ad networks have become so popular and why brands and publishers choose to use ad networks rather than directly dealing with each other.
- Great exposure
The ad network model gives benefits at both the ends. It will help the network of publishers get more ads on their online properties and an option to generate steady revenue from this stream. While advertisers will get a chance to grab as much exposure they can catch with the option of running ads with ad networks.
- Safer than buying ads directly from the publishers
Ad networks majorly deal with an escrow wallet. That means, the chances of getting the money stolen from the advertiser or chances of payment failure goes down. While dealing directly with the publisher is not only time consuming, it will also increase the hassle of getting the payment process streamlined and managing operation very hectic.
- Gives technology and analytics for your campaigns
Ad networks provide a competitive advantage as they have the technology to server your ads, manage your ads, change your ads and track the performance of the ads on the go. With Ad Networks, you can also manager the real-time bidding, dynamic & custom user targeting, and analytical dashboards to get advantage.
Uses of Ad Network
Here are the primary usage of ad network for both publishers and advertisers:
- Ad Network helps a publisher to manage ad space and give a better look to their website.
- Ad Network helps an advertiser to place ads on websites with good traffic.
- Ad Network helps in matching the right ad space with the right advertiser.
- Ad Network also helps in increasing the revenue of the website.
How does Ad Network work?
Ad networks give a code to put in publisher’s website, where ads will be shown dynamically to their audience as per the advertiser’s targeting and audience preferences. This way, publishers can monetize their ad space on their digital properties. The ads can also be trackers by the advertisers via this code to measure the actual performance.
On the other hand, advertisers get a dashboard to manage their ads, campaign, do targeting, make payments, and track analytics of the campaigns they are running. Ad networks process data, manage security, prevent frauds, and manage placements & traffic relevence to give the best ROI to advertisers.
Types of Ad Network in detail
There are four primary types of ad networks: display, search, social, and email. Each network has its own unique benefits and drawbacks, so it’s important to select the right one for your needs.
Display Ad Networks
Display ad networks specialize in delivering banner ads on websites and apps. These networks typically work with a large number of advertisers, allowing them to offer a wide range of ad placements. Display ad networks also offer targeting options, so you can ensure your ads are being seen by your target audience.
Ad networks like Google, Facebook, Taboola provide display ad networks. Publishers can register on these platforms by fulfilling their guidelines.
Search Ad Networks
Search ad networks specialize in delivering text-based ads to search engines. These ads are typically displayed alongside search results, making them highly visible to users. Search ad networks typically offer a wide range of targeting options, so you can ensure your ads are being seen by your target audience.
Google Search Ads are one of the most popular search ads. Ad networks also provide an option to host Search Ads on other digital properties where the search results option is there.
Social Ad Networks
Social ad networks specialize in delivering ads to social media platforms. These ads are typically displayed in users’ news feeds, making them highly visible. Social ad networks typically offer a wide range of targeting options, so you can ensure your ads are being seen by your target audience.
Meta (Facebook), TikTok, Twitter are such platforms that provide social ads networlks on their own website and third party sites as well.
Email Ad Networks
Email ad networks specialize in delivering ads to email inboxes. These ads can be seen from the freemium mail boxes where users generally do not pay subscription fees to use the services.