Advertising networks, generally called Ad networks, are an important player in the marketing field. Since digital marketing is growing day by day, ad networks are also gaining importance as a sustainable source of media traffic. What is an ad network? What is its relation with a mobile marketing platform? What are its benefits? It is common for young marketers to struggle with these questions as they foray into the affiliate marketing sector. In this article, we will address all of these questions, and help you set up for a successful online advertising campaign!

What is an Ad Network?

An ad network is a platform in the online advertising ecosystem that mediates the sale of ad inventory. They record the preferences of both parties and match them according to their needs. In other words, it mediates the supply and demand functions between campaign creators i.e. advertisers, and media hosting parties i.e. the publishers. From the perspective of the advertisers, ad networks offer a space for selling their inventory that can be aligned with their budget and audience. On the other hand, for publishers, ad networks secure buyers for unsold ad space.

There are various types of ad networks and choosing the right one for your business is a decisive factor in campaign performance. Various elements like competency, viability, trustability, the wide range of formats it provides, and the comprehensive nature of the network are some of the things to be considered before choosing an ad network.

Now let us take a look into the types of ad networks.

Tailored to Perfection: Types Of Ad Networks

Understanding what each ad network has to offer can help you in choosing the right one. Focus on picking a network that reconciles your marketing strategy and its goals.

1. Horizontal Ad Network – These ad networks are not focused on a particular industry or niche, they cover a wide range of industries. Broad reach to the audience is the highlighting feature of this ad network.
2. Vertical Ad Network – This type is more concerned with connecting advertisers of a particular niche to the respective publishers. They will have a specific target audience who will be interested in certain topics like travel, health, lifestyle, etc.
3. Display Ad Network – This is a relatively new type of ad network that primarily focuses on visual advertisements. They provide ads in the form of images, videos, banners, etc. Since visuals are more appealing to the audience, these types of ad networks provide extensive engagement and will also have better targeting features.
4. Affiliate Ad Network – Affiliate ad networks connect advertisers with publishers (affiliates) who promote their products and services in exchange for a commission. The commission rates are based on various metrics, like impressions, clicks, sales, or installs. Such networks are highly beneficial to improve brand recall.

Weighing in Balance: Benefits Of Ad Networks

 

There are many benefits to using an ad network while doing digital marketing, some of which are discussed below:

1. Expanded Reach – One of the highlighted benefits that come to our mind when we talk about ads network is the outreach they provide. Ad networks are highly accessible marketing platforms with the potential to engage customers from various parts of the world. Using websites, social media, and other digital channels they provide maximum brand exposure and high user conversion rates beyond geographical constraints.
2. Partnership Opportunities – Ad networks often provide partnership opportunities between advertisers and publishers. This can lead to mutually beneficial marketing campaigns, positive user engagement, and potentially higher revenue growth.
3. Brand Awareness and Visibility –  With the help of the ad network advertisers will be able to display their ads on popular and trustworthy websites, this helps to cultivate a sense of loyalty for your brand. Brands are also likely to gain new customers when they advertise through popular websites or publishers. So this is a win-win situation for both of the parties.
4. Efficiency – Ad networks are efficient in their fields as they narrow the advertising process by centralizing campaign management, optimization, and monitoring. This will help advertisers save the time spent on advertising strategies. They strictly adhere to the privacy policies of global authorities, providing the advertisers with actionable user data which in turn helps the latter to personalize their marketing campaigns.
5. Cost-Effectiveness – Ad networks have flexible pricing models like pay-per-click or pay-per-impression. Advertisers can choose the method that aligns with their business, thereby saving tons of resources wasted on unfruitful endeavors.

We must understand that ads network is an essential part of the digital marketing field and they should be chosen with utmost judiciousness. Since they have an involvement in both the supply and demand side, using them appropriately can help businesses generate higher revenue and develop an active community of publishers. We must also keep in mind that pairing your ad networks with a mobile attribution provider like Trackier can be a great means to decipher campaign data, and ensure full transparency in your partnerships. So when you pick a network provider, make sure to speak with the attribution experts too!