It is the beginning of the year, and what better way to secure publisher business success in 2022 than to collaborate with the industry’s top ad network for publishers? Considering that, the perfect time to prepare your annual strategy is in the first quarter. This way, you can ensure that your programming outcomes are consistently high throughout the year. With the assistance of their sales and ad ops teams, publishers are attempting to enhance the monetization of their websites through programmatic advertising, header bidding, and direct marketing. Publishers are always looking for a solid Ad Network/ Demand Partner to help them achieve this.

Top 10 Questions for Publishers

Here is a list of top questions a publisher should ask their advertisers to assist you to save time and increase your success. 

  1. What added value do you bring to my company?

This should be the very first question posed since it is, without a doubt, the most significant. It’s critical to understand how your ad partner (or any other partner, for that matter) can help you as a publisher. You must be aware of their objectives and mission in order to improve your life. It’s critical for an ad partner to understand that their clients spend half of their time building their website and the other half monetizing it. As a result, their solution must be adequately managed. They must be able to assist publishers in better monetizing their websites so that they can devote their time and resources to generating new content or improving the user experience.

  1. What sets you apart from other advertising networks? 

There are ad partners that are just concerned with their own bottom line. They increase sales for publishers in order to satisfy their shareholders. While it is simple for a firm to claim that they operate in the best interests of their customers, it is also crucial to understand what sets them apart from other ad tech partners.

  1. Does collaborating with this ad partner help me achieve my long-term objectives? 

It’s critical to understand how you want your ad partner to represent your website. One thing to consider is whether or not the ad partner can effectively represent your website. There must be systems that allow you to log in and manage your own inventory; we believe this is an essential feature for publishers since it gives them control over their long-term objectives.

  1. How might an Ad Network assist me in increasing revenue as a Publisher? 

Publishers should figure out why they’re joining a new ad network. They should think about the possible earnings they could make from an ad network. As a background check, publishers could look at the Ad Networks’ client list. Publishers should also look into payment arrangements.

  1. Asking the ad network whether there is a fixed CPM? 

Working on a set CPM price model will be beneficial to a Publisher in terms of determining monthly predicted income. A fixed CPM model will be a simple approach for a Publisher with a high impression volume to monetize his site and have better income visibility.

  1. Does the Ad Network / Demand Partner have a preference in the monetization funnel that the Publisher has set up? 

The publisher should specify inventory type (display, video, mobile, in-app), inventory sizes, inventory placements, any geo-targeting, and any impressions targets with Ad Network before signing the contract. Publishers must also specify what type of priorities they wish to deliver to the Ad Network, such as First Look, Top Priority, or Remnant.

  1. Will there be any sort of share in the revenue? 

Prior to onboarding any Ad Network, the publisher must explain the revenue share on a signed contract. As a result, both parties will be aware of the distributions of the impression. In addition, publishers must clearly define payment conditions.

  1. What kinds of ad formats are allowed on the website? 

The publisher must confirm with the Ad Network the sorts of advertising they wish to appear on their site. Publishers should make certain that ad formats do not degrade the user experience of their website or app visitors.

  1. What is the payment structure for the ad network? 

The payment structure, as well as how the ad network will make payments, must be clarified by the publisher. It should be made clear whether it is a prepaid or a postpaid plan. And also, if they are postpaid, whether they are functioning on a net 30 or net 60 model. This information must be entered on BO/ IO.

  1. What are the policy guidelines of the demand partner or ad network? 

With the ad policy framework, the publisher should acknowledge his new ad partners. Publishers must ensure that if advertisers are using Google AdX on their end, they are using the same blocking that Publisher AdX is using. The same is applied when it comes to the pixel in policy. The publisher must make it clear upfront and explain the ramifications of breaking the pixel policy.

  1. What are the details regarding the implementation of ads.txt? 

Before monetization with the ad partner, the publisher must change his ads.txt file. If it is not implemented, the ad network will be unable to display advertisements on the publisher’s website. IAB guidelines should be followed when implementing. Hence, it is important to know the details about the implementation of ads.txt.

  1. Do I have the access to your ad network’s reporting portal? 

Publishers should have access to the Ad Network’s reporting site or an arrangement of daily reports given by the client after onboarding a new Ad Network to track performance. Such a report is vital for helping a publisher in assessing performance, inconsistencies, and the fill rate.

The Ad Network/ Demand Partner must share the following data elements with the publisher:

  • Ad requests made from the Publisher Ad Server to the Demand Partner
  • ad requests received by Demand Partner from Publisher Ad Server 
  • bid requests submitted to other Partners by Demand Partner
  • bid reactions from other Partners
  • ad inquiries that are matched with a buyer 
  • impressions that were monetized 
  • impressions returned to Publisher Ad Server 

At the very least, this data should be supplied by Device type, Geo, Ad size, and Ad unit (Placement) in the Publisher’s preferred time zone.

Conclusion 

The year 2021 is gone, and like with most things in business and life, it’s better to look ahead than back. Whatever outcomes you saw in your publisher’s company in 2021 – excellent, awful, or mediocre – it’s important to learn from them and move on. 

No matter which partner you pick, and whatever network system they use, it’s critical to understand what makes them special and what makes them a firm that will work in your best interests. After all, it’s your website, and your ad partner should primarily be concerned with your interests.

In 2022, your ad income plan will either make or ruin you. Remember to check out new display ad networks, ad optimization strategies, and new collaboration opportunities. So, allow your new digital marketing efforts some time to work, and then watch for an increase in sales overall. That’s how you’ll know whether everything is going according to the plan.

Samien Kidwai

Hailing from an academic background, I have been an Assistant Professor in Mass Communication with an additional decade of experience in creative writing. I’m passionate about music and theatre with an inclination towards movies. Being an avid reader, I love to scribble my thoughts and ideas when I’m not running behind my 8 year old daughter.