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Choosing an Ad Network in 2023? Don’t Make These 4 Mistakes! 

Monumetric

Monumetric

Choosing an Ad Network in 2023? Don’t Make These 4 Mistakes! 

Choosing your ad network should be easy
Kevin Hill

Kevin Hill

In today’s digital world, ad networks play a significant role in the online advertising ecosystem. However, with so many options available, picking the best ad network can be difficult. To guarantee that you don’t end up regretting your choice of ad network in 2023, there are four things you should steer clear of. 

These are the four tactics that publishers frequently make when choosing an ad network: 

  • Signing annual contracts, 
  • Relying on ad networks that promise certain rates, 
  • Letting ad networks take over your hosting,
  • Neglecting to place a high priority on exclusivity. 

 

Good news, now you know what to avoid: 

 

We come from the world of running websites. We understand firsthand what your inbox must be like. 

As a website or network owner, it’s common to receive a bunch of emails each week from individuals attempting to sell their services, such as plugins, affiliate tools, SEO optimization, content creation, and of course, ad networks. 

Having been in this industry for 13 years, with 10 of those years spent operating Monumetric, we have been exposed to countless pitches and observed sufficient results to offer valuable insight into what to consider when selecting an ad network, as well as what to avoid.

Annual Contracts

Let’s talk about annual contracts for premium advertisers. That just screams, “I don’t trust my own product.” If you’re confident in your ad network, why force people into a year-long commitment?

We all know that no one wants to commit to a yearly contract in 2023. Doing it for ad networks is like signing a lease for a house without ever seeing it. They may guarantee you premium ads, but what if the advertisers or strategies prove to be a big flop?

What if they don’t produce the expected results? You’re stuck for a year. 

Not to mention the burden it places on you as a publisher, you’re practically locked in, and it’s near impossible to get out. 

So you have to make it work, even if it doesn’t fit with your website brand or audience. Also, it eliminates any bargaining power you may have had. You can’t switch or negotiate better revenue share during your contract, and that can be frustrating.

Now, let’s talk about the premium advertisers themselves. If an ad network requires publishers to sign annual contracts in order to acquire access to premium advertisers, there is no guarantee that those advertisers are all that premium. It could be a sign that their ad strategies are just inconsistent.

What we assume is that these ad networks are trying to create a sense of exclusivity in order to make their service appear more premium when in reality, it’s likely the opposite.

You deserve the freedom to make the best decisions for your website and audience. On top of that, you deserve to be listened to, to be heard when it comes to your needs while monetizing your site.

“Guaranteed Rates” for “Premium Advertisers”

Publishers who work with Monumetric stay year after year because we see the relationship between a network and the publishers as a partnership, not a transaction. 

There are constant feedback loops with our experts and publishers that influence their growth while optimizing the experience for publishers’ readers. 

So when they receive offers from networks that seem too good to be true, they share the results with us, and the results are pretty clear. 

Ad networks start by guaranteeing specific rates to publishers. But what happens if they don’t keep their promise? 

That’s when things go south.

The implications of failing to meet promised rates are dismal. Publishers rely on revenue to keep their websites functioning. So when an ad network fails to meet expectations, it can have a significant impact on publishers’ bottom line; the overall experience is negative.

This is not a recipe for success.

This is a quick way to lose relationships and get the wrong type of street cred. 

We have had some publishers come from these not-so-fun competitors, and in contrast to them, this is what they have to say: 

Alex Woolfson 

Alex Woolfson Review

Hosting or Hostage?

Some ad networks like to take control of your hosting or WordPress framework. It almost feels like they intentionally want to “trap” you, making it impossible to switch to another provider. The industry knows that when they do this, you run the risk of losing data or simply delaying the whole process by months. It’s like a bad relationship ending where your significant other is out for revenge. 

Here are some reasons why this practice is a big “no-no”:

  • It makes it impossible to switch: When an ad network takes control of your hosting or WordPress framework, they essentially have you locked in. It becomes nearly impossible to switch to a different ad network without completely rebuilding your website from scratch. That’s a headache that no publisher wants to deal with.
  • It limits your control: As a publisher, you should have control over your own website. That includes your hosting and WordPress framework. When an ad network takes that control away from you, it limits your ability to make changes and improvements to your website. 
  • It can slow down your website: When an ad network takes control of your hosting or WordPress framework, it can slow down your website. This mostly happens if the ad network’s servers are located in a different part of the world than your website. Slow website speeds can negatively impact user experience and ultimately hurt your bottom line.
  • It’s just plain shady: If we’re being honest, ad networks that take control of your hosting or WordPress framework are not using the best business practices. They’re trying to lock you in and limit your options. It’s not a good look, and it’s definitely not a practice that reputable ad networks engage in.

The Value of Exclusivity

Another thing that some ad networks don’t value is exclusivity. If you’re working with an ad network, you want to make sure that they’re not working with your competitors. It’s just common sense.

We have a deep dive into why exclusivity is important to Monumetric; you can read that here

And finally, some ad networks make it difficult to add your ads.txt lines. This just makes it complicated when you want to switch providers without losing revenue. It’s like they’re saying, “Hey, we don’t want you to leave us, but we also don’t want to make it easy for you to stay.”

Our advice to you all is to be wary of ad networks that exhibit any of these red flags. 

Listen to what our Monumetric Publishers say about us:

Real Publishers Sharing Real Data

Site 1: 250% RPM Increase

This publisher joined Monumetric with a main focus on his user’s reading experience while getting the most out of his ad units. He didn’t want to place too many ads on his pages but was open to our team’s suggestions. Our Ad Ops team modified the ad types, placements on the page, and sizing of these units without increasing the total number of units. This tailored strategy and Monumetrics’ direct connection to premium advertisers and our Thalese pricing engine resulted in a significant lift in RPMs. They saw an increase from $6.4 RPM to $22.48  RPM from moving to Monumetric.

 

Site 2: 25% RPM Increase

This publisher was also utilizing a very low number of ad units. They were upfront with the Monumetric team that they prioritized their brand and image and didn’t want to increase their ad placements or ad density. The Monumetric team stayed within the parameters of the publishers’ needs and, by connecting the site to premium advertisers and using our Thales Pricing engine, still drove an increase of 25% in their RPMs.

 

Site 3: 58% RPM Increase

This publisher fit right in the middle, wanting to be aggressive with their ad strategy. An experienced publisher in the industry for over five years had optimized their site’s user flow for his specific niche. He met with the Monumetric team several times, discussing different ad layouts, and found a  middle ground where he could be more aggressive on specific pages. Listening to the Monumetric team and patiently exploring options made for a healthy 58% lift in RPMs.

Sites' Case Studies

A lot of factors go into how much lift you see in your revenue, from getting a tailored ad strategy to, then, matching your site, brand, audience, and revenue goals. Not to forget, our back-end teams are creating tools like our SmartZones and Thalese engine to get the results for the space we work with.

James Kenneth- Teenwire Review

Remember, you deserve an ad network that values your time, money, and exclusivity. 

If you have more questions about how you can be part of an exclusive ad network, someone that truly listens to their publishers,  visit Monumetric.com/join for more information.

Read more from Monumetric Publishers and what they have to say about us:

 

ShawnMosch’s Monumetric Review 

Viral Believer

Golden Lamb’s Monumetric Review

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