Programmatic ad spend has become a significant revenue source for most publishers in recent years. More specifically, all publishers operating under the advertising business model pursue the goal of generating the highest possible revenue for each ad impression. However, selling the right ad inventory to the right customer at the right time to get the highest possible price is not that easy. In fact the whole thing is becoming more and more complex and technically difficult.
Therefore publishers start to ask themselves: What can I do better? How do I get the most out of my ad stack? And: Which things do I need to change in my current setup to generate more revenue?
Let us tell you: As a publisher you probably have various ways left to get your yield up! Just read on to discover 9 tips you should take to heart.
Tip #1: Implement header bidding
If you haven’t already done it, please do yourself a favor and implement header bidding. Header bidding is a technology that is placed in the header part of your page and allows multiple demand partners to bid on your inventory simultaneously. This might increase competition and drive up the price for your inventory. In other words: Chances are high that header bidding will help you to maximize your yield.
Tip #2: Diversify your demand partners
Maybe you’re working with just a handful of demand partners. That's ok, but keep in mind that at some point it can be risky too. Therefore we would recommend you to increase and to cooperate with multiple demand partners. This not only provides security in case that trustworthy business relationships turn into the opposite in the future, but it also helps you to increase competition for your inventory and maximize your yield. Why that? Because different demand partners can have unique demand sources and pricing models and that can help you to drive revenue growth.
Tip #3: Develop strong relationships
Whether you work with 3 or with 30 demand partners, it is important that you build strong relationships with each and every one of them. After all, only when there is sufficient trust, open communication and collaboration at eye level is possible. So work closely with your demand partners. This is another way to identify new revenue opportunities that optimize your programmatic strategy.
Tip #4: Test and learn
The best way to find new strategies to improve your programmatic yield, is to set up A/B tests. These tests are really simple. They compare two versions of the same variable and check which one has achieved the desired effect so that you are able to make an informed decision about what actually works. We would suggest to continuously test different demand partners, formats and pricing models to learn what is best for your audience and inventory.
Tip #5: Implement ad quality controls
We said it before and we won’t get tired to say it again and again: Ad fraud is still one of the biggest challenges the digital advertising industry has to face every day – and you can't sugarcoat it. But good thing is that with the implementation of ad quality controls you are able to ensure that your inventory is protected from fraudulent or low-quality ads that can negatively impact user experience and revenue. Want to know more about this topic? Check out one of our latest posts.
Tip #6: Hire the right team
Programmatic advertising is a highly complex topic. That's why it's important to give it the attention it deserves. For you as a publisher, this first and foremost means: Hire a skilled and experienced programmatic team to help you manage and optimize your programmatic advertising strategy. A strong team can help you stay ahead of the competition and maximize your programmatic yield. You won’t regret it – promise!
Tip #7: Make it work for mobile
Today, mobile internet traffic accounts for almost 60 percent of total web traffic. Therefore you should ensure that your programmatic advertising strategy is optimized for mobile devices. What does this mean? Well, responsive ad formats, mobile-specific ad placements and mobile-specific demand partners – to give you just a few clues. You should also care about your page speed, go for mobile friendly formats and choose demand partners that can help you with all of this. Especially inApp is something not every SSP can handle. But don’t you worry! You can count on ConnectAd to support you all along the way ;-)
Tip #8: Use IDs
Publishers and advertisers have relied heavenly on third-party cookies for better results for so long that targeted advertising seems an impossibility without them. That's why universal IDs – such as user IDs, as cookie IDs or mobile device IDs – were invented. They are here to better understand your audience and target them with more relevant ads. IDs can also help you to increase your synced users across different devices and platforms, allowing you to get much better CPMs from your demand partners. Our recommendation here is PreBid Shared ID.
Tip #9: Use a CMP
It may sound obvious these days but implement a consent management platform (CPM) that does the job to comply with privacy regulations such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Practical side effect: A CMP can also help you to collect and manage user consent preferences, which can improve user trust and engagement, leading to increased programmatic yield.
You like our tips, but you still have questions or need support? Feel free to get in touch! We’re here waiting for you to reach out.
