Ad Mediation: A Beginner’s Guide

There is a reason why Ad Mediation has been around for quite some time now. And its resurgence in recent years has led to practices being developed across multiple organizations, including the likes of big house publishers and brands with big demographics. It is kind of like a one-stop solution for the publishers’ inventory needs, boosting the revenue figures by a significant margin while requiring less manual work.

A whopping $645 billion is expected to be spent on global digital ads by 2024. Not only this but the number of professionals entering this realm is bound to increase as well. Experts in the advertising realm are already flexing their skills to get things done. The employment rate of marketing and advertising professionals is projected to increase by 10% in the US from 2020-2030. These figures not only paint a promising picture for advertisers and publishers but also convey the importance of Ad Mediation in a similar manner.

So, what is Ad Mediation?

To put it simply, Ad Mediation is a solution that empowers the publisher by increasing the number of ads over the given inventory space. Think of it as a solution that allows the publisher to provide the publishing space to different ad networks which eventually produce the highest bidders by using different methodologies. It involves the usage of technology to automate and streamline the bidding process while increasing the monetization of ads. The solution works in such a manner that it eliminates the publisher’s need to look for the best ad networks manually.

Crucial aspects such as the CPM (Cost Per Mile), efficiency, and display ad fill rates are taken into account while measuring the functionality of an ad mediation platform. Maximization on the ROI under the right circumstances not only gives the best bidding requests, but also surfaces the ad networks that can take care of specific needs of the publishers. It enables not only the best bidder from the bunch to take the top spot but also the one below the former if the request isn’t fulfilled or denied.

This collection of ad networks and their subsequent automation not only introduces the best players in the game but also performs better than relying on a single ad network for the same. There have been some indications over the fact that ad mediation performs 20% better than having a single ad network.  

And how does Ad Mediation work?

It all starts from a mediation platform where the publisher gains access to multiple ad networks. Once the publisher gains access to the plethora of ad networks, that’s when the bidding process commences on the inventory spaces available. The advertiser from an ad network with the best ROI emerges at the top upon the completion of the bidding process. Bear in mind that this process happens for all ad networks involved.

In simpler words the highest bidder from the bunch wins the competition. Publishers then rank other ad networks from the bunch and come up with a list of all probable names that may suit their requirements. Upon the formation of the list, the ad request is relayed which is then analyzed by the best performers of the bidding process. If the highest bidder does not possess the right resources to comply with the request filed in the first place, the request is then transferred to the next best one.

The process continues till the best ad network from the list of probable ad networks selected by the publishers is fulfilled.

And what benefits do I get from ad mediation?  

For the most part, Ad Mediation offers a plethora of perks that include:

• Increase in the number of ad inventories sold

Perhaps the biggest perk of having ad mediation by your side is the ability to increase the number of ad inventories sold to the ad networks. Since there are a plethora of ad networks that comprise the final list, the best bidders shall be available at all times. In case of a bidder not matching the requirements set by the publisher, the next one can step in and do the job. So, the flow of bidders to a request never ceases.  

• An improved ad management structure

The single SDK deployed to take care of all the operations in this system adds the luxury of stepping back from the manual selection of the right bidder and ad networks. Automation is a major player here and its influence enables the publisher to focus on the other tasks at hand. 

• A boost in CPM rates 

The Cost Per Mile rate often goes high when there are more players involved in the game. With the elimination of single entities governing the overall flow, more advertisers get the chance to step into the realm of advertising. Since there’s a high number of bidders from the very beginning of the process, the CPM rates are bound to go high. By the time the best bidder gets selected, the margins have already been covered and taken care of.

A word before bidding adieu    

The growing number of ad networks is determining the number of players in the industry. Automation, combined with powerful tools is assisting the publishing and advertising parties at every step. Ad Mediation might be around for some time now but its influence has been renewed in recent years. The profit margins for publishers have increased exponentially, something that wasn’t achievable with a single bidder. It is clearly evident that Ad Mediation is the stepping stone that all future publishers are looking for.

If you’re a publisher looking for a robust ad network, then Cubera is here to assist you. With the best in-line algorithms and sophisticated solutions to help with your publishing needs, you can rest easy with the right bidders approaching you. It is time for you to boost your ROI and get ahead of the game.