What is an advertising network and types that exist

An ad network is a platform that connects advertisers with publishers who have spaces available to display ads on their websites, apps, or social networks .

Its aim is to facilitate the buying and selling of online advertising, offering advertisers the possibility of reaching their target audience and publishers the opportunity to monetize their traffic.

How does an advertising network work?

The operation of an advertising network is based on three main elements: the advertiser, the publisher and the network.

The advertiser is the person or company that wants to promote its product or service through online advertisements. The advertiser provides the advertising network with the ads it wants to display, the budget it wants to spend, the targeting it wants to apply and the objectives it wants to achieve.

The publisher is the person or company that has a website, an application or a social network where they can display ads. The publisher registers with the advertising network and offers its inventory of advertising spaces, indicating the characteristics and price of each one.

The ad network is the intermediary that is responsible for matching the advertiser's ads with the publisher's spaces, according to the criteria of both parties. The ad network is also responsible for managing the payment between the parties, measuring the performance of the ads and providing reports and analysis.

What are the advantages of an advertising network?

Advertising networks offer a number of advantages for both advertisers and publishers, including:

• For advertisers, ad networks allow them to access a wide variety of websites, apps and social networks where they can display their ads, without having to negotiate directly with each publisher. This allows them to expand their reach, optimize their budget and improve their return on investment.
• For publishers, ad networks make it easy to sell their advertising space, without having to actively seek out advertisers. This allows them to make the most of their traffic, generate passive income, and diversify their monetization sources.

What types of advertising networks exist?

There are different types of advertising networks depending on the format, model or focus of the ads they offer. Some of the most common types are:

Display advertising networks

These are the ones that offer graphic ads, such as banners, videos or rich media, that are displayed on publishers' websites or applications. These ads are usually aimed at generating brand awareness , traffic or conversions.

Search advertising networks

These are text ads that appear in search engine results such as Google or Bing. These ads are usually aimed at capturing the purchasing intent of users searching for a specific product or service.

Social Media Advertising Networks

These are those that offer ads that are integrated into social media platforms, such as Facebook , Instagram or Twitter. These ads usually aim to take advantage of the profile, behavior and interactions of users to generate engagement, leads or sales.

Native ad networks

These are those that offer ads that adapt to the content , design and context of the websites or applications where they are displayed, creating a more natural and less intrusive experience for users. These ads usually aim to generate trust, credibility and added value.

How to choose an advertising network?

When choosing an advertising network, it is important to take into account a number of factors that can influence the success of the advertising campaign , such as:

• Network size and quality : This refers to the number and type of websites, apps, and social networks that are part of the ad network, as well as the level of traffic, audience, and reputation they have. The larger and better the network, the more likely you are to find the right ad space for your ad.
• Ad formats and models : refers to the options offered by the advertising network for creating and displaying ads, as well as the payment methods it establishes. The more varied and flexible the formats and models, the more possibilities there are to adapt the ad to the advertiser's needs and objectives.
• Network conditions and requirements – These are the rules and limitations that the ad network imposes on both advertisers and publishers for participating in the network. These may include minimum budget, approval time, available targeting, possible tracking, support offered, etc. The clearer and more favorable the conditions and requirements are, the easier it will be to work with the ad network.

Advertising networks are a key tool for digital marketing , as they allow you to optimize the reach, budget and return on investment of advertising campaigns, as well as generate passive income and diversify the sources of monetization of digital content.

Written by Moises Hamui Abadi : I am an entrepreneur, founding partner of Viceversa and SoyMacho. After leading several digital businesses and advising several other businesses, I decided to form MHA Consulting, a digital marketing consultancy dedicated to growing and empowering digital businesses in more than 7 countries and generating more than 1,500 million pesos.