How to choose ad networks for apps - 7 tips for publishers

It’s the age of mobile apps, and mobile advertising is on the rise. With the number of advertisers increasing by the day, many ad networks have come into existence, making it difficult for app publishers to choose the right one. There are too many factors to consider and too little time. Not just any ad network, you need one with specific features that can help you boost your ad revenue while retaining the user experience.

Let’s look at some things you must consider when choosing an ad network for your mobile app.

• Business models and payment terms
• Reach of the ad network
• Yield optimization and other support
• Ease of integration
• Control over ads or ad blocking
• Support for different ad formats
• Reporting and analytics
• Plus - Recommendations for ad networks

1. Business models and payment terms

Although ad networks offer plenty of business models such as CPA, CPC, CPI, etc., as a publisher, the most effective model for you is Cost Per Mile or CPM. With CPM, publishers get paid a fixed amount for every 1000 impressions on an ad. Unlike other business models, CPM doesn’t depend on the actions of the app users. If an ad network offers only CPM but with a 100% fill rate, this means more revenue guaranteed.

On another note, ad networks usually pay publishers on a net 10, 15, 30, or 60 basis, which means the net payment is made within 10, 15, 30, or 60 days of campaign completion. It depends on you to decide what payment model is most feasible.

2. Reach of the ad network

The number of advertisers on the ad network and their geolocations matter a great deal. If the ad network has a global reach, it means more demand for your inventory. And more demand means more revenue. Besides, there are increased chances of the ad network finding the right match for your ad space, ensuring that your inventory is always fully utilized.

3. Yield optimization and other support

Yield optimization is the process of using existing data to increase ad revenue. This is done by deploying header bidding, native advertising, CPM flooring, determining the right ad placements, etc. Ad networks must provide support with yield optimization to achieve better eCPMs and fill rates.

Additionally, most ad networks offer dedicated account managers who can simplify ad operations for you while resolving policy compliance issues. This eases the process of monetization, enabling you to focus more on building your app.

4. Ease of integration

You must integrate an ad network SDK with your app to start monetizing it. With the help of an SDK, publishers can run in-app ads by getting the right demand for their inventory and other helpful tools like analytics.

It is essential that the process of integrating the SDK is simple and less time-consuming.

Furthermore, if the ad network is easy to set up and run, you can focus on improving your ad earnings rather than spending time getting the hang of it.

5. Control over ads or ad blocking

As a publisher, you should be able to allow or disallow certain ad types. For example, you may not want to show ads around sensitive topics such as religion and politics. You should also be able to block ads from specific advertisers, ad networks, etc. With better ad blocking controls, you can ensure that the user experience is not hampered, which improves the lifetime value (LTV) of the app users.

6. Support for different ad formats

Don’t you like to explore your options before finalizing something? Do this when you’re shortlisting ad networks. Make sure it offers various ad formats - banner, interstitial, native, rich media ads, etc.

This enables you to test different formats over a while to figure out which one gives you the maximum ad revenue.

GreedyGame’s ad revenue optimization platform - SDK X - offers multiple ready-to-use ad formats. Moreover, you can effortlessly switch between ad formats within the same placement to find the highest-earning ads.

7. Reporting and analytics

The ad network that you choose must essentially offer two types of reporting. First, is the real time ad metrics - the number of ad impressions, views, fill rate, CPMs, and overall revenue. Second is user-level insights. This includes information such as how many users are using the app every day, how many ads a user is seeing per day, the overall revenue per user, etc. These metrics let you dive deeper into the app engagement, also helping you acquire users that last.

Best ad networks for mobile apps

Now that you know what to look for in ad networks, here is a list of some popular ad networks that you can consider.

AdMob

AdMob by Google is one of the most popular and straightforward ad networks for mobile apps. It is easy-to-use, with a global reach and support for multiple ad formats. Also, it gives you the ability to link other ad networks for ad mediation, offers detailed insights about user activity, and allows you to choose ads with blocking controls.

GreedyGame

Premium advertiser network, account management, off-the-shelf ad formats, one-click ad integration, detailed insights - GreedyGame’s ad revenue optimization platform, SDK X, gives you all this and more. You can even connect your account to other ad networks to enable ad mediation and boost your ad earnings. A 15-day free trial version of SDK X is also available.

IronSource

IronSource caters to a wide range of app platforms including Android, iOS, and Unity. It has the largest in-app video ad network and supports interstitial, offerwall, rewarded video ads, etc. You can rely on it for in-app bidding, access to premium global demand, and ad mediation to maximize your earnings.

AppLovin

Apart from bidders and ad networks, AppLovin offers global demand to increase your ARPDAU. Its automated workflows simplify app monetization for you. Also, you get real-time analytics and support for playable, skippable and non-skippable, rewarded video ads, and more.

Furthermore, you can go through the ad networks’ websites to gain more insights. Even take feedback from other publishers who have used the ad network that you’re eyeing. If the ad network that you choose hosts publishers and advertisers, consider signing up as both. This will not only help you monetize your app better but also grow its user base.