We all know the feeling – there’s a brand-new offer that seems incredibly lucrative. Not only that, but your ad budget is actually in the green for the first time in a while. You’re ready to launch a full-scale multi-platform campaign with that tempting new offer.
So, what’s the catch? Well, let’s face it – even if the new offer is valid, does the network you’re choosing really deliver the results you wanted? You might miss out on some beautiful advertising opportunities before you figure out which network works best for you. Below are some things to consider when choosing a network for your offer.
It’s not the most detailed guide in the world but we did enough research and talked to enough knowledgeable people to make this worth your time. For that reason, you can thank us later.
What Actually is an Advertising Network?
To put it bluntly, an ad network is akin to a broker, a middleman that links advertisers with publishers. The product offered to advertisers is a vast array of online advertising opportunities that come from publishers but are posted by the platform. The people working within an advertising network all have a vested interest in the ads.
Usually, there’s a slew of benefits that comes with sticking to the ad network model. For one thing, you get pre-negotiated prices and target audience pools (great premium traffic source).
An advertising network can be comprised of several different types of smaller networks. Of course, there are other types based on the structure, but these are not what most of us will probably come into contact with.
Why Does One Need an Advertising Network?
The most straightforward reason to employ an advertising network is that you don’t get to get in touch with publishers directly. Even if you did, it would have turned out to be a less-than-perfect scenario.
The best thing about an ad network is the fact that it can connect you to a precise type of audience that is already interested in the product you’re going to help sell. They are willing to spend money and you should be willing to work with them.
Another major reason for using an advertising network is that it can offer a seemingly limitless stream of HQ traffic that can offer higher conversion rates than any other means of web-based advertising could dream of. Also, they can connect you with a suitable audience globally, which is also very important.
When is the Right Time to Utilize an Ad Network?
Even though this write-up deals with networks, it needs to be mentioned that exchanges are also great and there’s nothing preventing you from harnessing their capabilities alongside a network. That said, a network seems like a more suitable choice if bigger volumes are what you’re most interested in.
So, in our humble opinion, every time is the right time to use an advertising network. We wouldn’t recommend using one just for the sake of using one even if you want to try something different, but we really think that this means of online advertising is superior in every way.
How to Pick the Right Advertising Network
There are several sides to this question and we are going to provide in-depth information on the matter. We’re not giving you a short, cheesy answer. There are many factors that need to be examined before you choose the right network.
There are several things you can look at, depending on what your targets are, but these are the most common ones:
Reach
First thing’s first – reach is pivotal when deciding which network to use. Whether you’re looking to connect with your target audience or just looking to make a quick buck, the scope of the network is really important. Adding the word “reach” to the discussion is just another way of saying that the size of the advertising network you’re about to join is very, VERY important.
It’s not a wise idea to commit to a network that only offers a measly handful of offers for the area you want to target. A smaller scope can (and will) significantly impair your ability to conduct testing and scale your advertising campaigns. Usually, smaller scopes go hand in hand with a very low CTR. This could also mean that you might find yourself being limited to only a tiny number of GEOs.
With a large enough network, you are guaranteed higher CTR, lesser operating costs, and various other goodies that are sure to make your ROI shoot up in no time at all. Also, it’s wiser to try and grow your operation and not just focus on what worked for you in the past.
Advertising Types
Similar to scope, ad formats and types play an important part when making decisions about an advertising network. Being able to choose the right ad type for your intended campaign is the key to a successful and efficient online campaign.
There exist advertising networks that are able to offer exclusive advertising formats whereas others run the gamut. It should be obvious that there’s no real point in selecting an ad network that focuses on email traffic if you want to stick with push traffic or social traffic.
Of course, if you’re a novice who’s yet to discover all the benefits that can be derived from an ad format that’s been mastered by you, you might want to try and give all formats a go before figuring out which one works best for you.
Quality of the Traffic, Quality of the Inventory
These things are a major aspect of any effective money-making strategy. With no quality of traffic, with no quality of the inventory, there’s no money to be made. This is one of the most important aspects of the equation and therefore deserves its own mention. Can an ad network possibly deliver desirable results when it’s struggling to find high volume traffic with high conversion rates?
Some networks try to pull a veil over this issue by not being transparent when it comes to their sources of traffic. It’s a red flag if you want to really pick the perfect network and make money in the process. Electing to do business with a quality network can save you a lot of headache and heartache in the long run.
It’s worth noting, too, that some networks choose to market themselves as networks that give you a seemingly unlimited supply of “untapped” markets, but this comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.
Targeting and Performance
Whereas it’s very important to have high-performance sources, it’s also vital to be able to adjust your ads once the campaign is already launched. A network with subpar targeting features can turn your campaigns into failures by allowing an unreasonable amount of non-quality traffic. Obviously, the more targeted the advertisement is, the higher CR and the CTR turn out to be.
You need to pay super-close attention to advertising filtering categories, GEOs on offer, and other parameters that decide just how often and where your ads run. A good ad network would have a fully operational traffic estimation tool that can give you a good idea of what to expect from your campaign’s run.
Thanks to high levels of customization, many networks enable you to choose the precise placement of your advertisements. Simply start as broad as possible before you filter out the non-value-adding traffic. Once you’ve identified your ideal niche, you can start converting like a pro.
Optimization Tools
These are in hot demand nowadays, as they help to ensure that your entire campaign is optimized and optimized correctly. Some networks can offer you a wide arsenal of optimization tools while others can’t. Our recommendation for you? Choose the one that offers a fully automatic toolset based on algorithms. You don’t want to waste your time trying to readjust everything manually, you really don’t. It might take the system a few days to investigate the data and make adjustments based on it, but at the end of the day, it can both save you time and make you money.
Choose optimization tools that require less involvement on your part.
Analytics and Reports
Examination of performance stats is always an important part of advertising campaigns, and choosing an ad network that offers you access to all the figures that will be needed is a great way to know your ads will be working for you. You should utilize built-in reporting tools in order to figure out which advertising spots are performing best and how quickly they’re catching up with others.
Almost all ad networks can give you a detailed investigation of CTR, CR, CPM, and other relevant numbers. They can also teach you to sync up with popular tracking software such as Voluum in order to receive even more detailed reports. The analysis provided by analytics tools is valuable in helping you better gauge your ads’ success.
High Levels of Standardization and Transparency
If a network is not standardized, you’ll never get to know what standards they meet and how they reach their goals. Or help you reach YOUR goals, for that matter. With a low level of transparency in regards to guidelines, technology, and other important aspects of any business, chances are your ads will simply not perform as they should be.
There’s not a single ad platform that will not be transparent if they have nothing to hide.
User Interface and User Design
There are just so many important components to examine when it comes to finding the right platform, including its interface and design. A poorly-designed interface makes it almost impossible for you to navigate the platform. You will have difficulties when it comes to withdrawing money, adjusting your campaign, and so forth. Also, being unable to create a pleasant user experience speaks volumes about a platform. If they don’t have enough money/don’t care enough to create a pleasant user experience, they’re just not worth the trouble.
Management and Support
Last but not least, the support you will get from your ad network needs to meet your exact expectations. Too many networks expect you to do everything on your own without providing any sort of assistance along the way.
Conclusion
While there are many aspects to choosing the perfect network, it should be easy for you to not only pick the right one but also start making money from it almost immediately. You can pick the right network after going through this monumental write-up or you can trust our recommendations for you.
As of right now, there’s only one ad network that offers all of the above and so much more and that’s us, RollerAds. Create an account, see just how great it looks, and get to the business of improving your money-making potential.
