What is Mobile Ad Networks?

Platforms that provide available ad space in publisher apps for advertisers to bid on, connecting supply and demand.

Mobile ad networks provide available ad space in publisher's apps for advertisers to bid on. These networks aggregate ad inventories from supply sources and match them with demand sources – advertisers – looking to purchase ad inventory. Ad networks are a tool for advertisers to acquire new users and publishers to monetize their traffic through ad revenue.

Why It Matters

Mobile ad networks act as intermediaries that handle technical integrations and commercial aspects of buying and selling mobile ad placements. They save time and money for both advertisers and publishers by providing a single interface to access multiple inventory sources and demand partners.

How to Calculate

Ad network performance is measured through various metrics including fill rate, eCPM, CTR, conversion rates, and ROAS. Publishers track revenue per impression while advertisers monitor cost per acquisition and user quality.

Industry Benchmarks

Best Practices

Choose ad networks based on reach within your vertical, machine learning optimization capabilities, supported ad formats, and performance indices. Test multiple networks to find the best performers. Consider factors like brand safety, targeting options, and integration ease.

Examples

Publishers use multiple ad networks to maximize fill rates and revenue, while advertisers work with networks specializing in their target demographics. Popular networks include those ranked in AppsFlyer Index, Singular ROI Index, and Business of Apps listings.

Notes

Key difference from DSPs: Ad networks aggregate inventory directly from publishers via SDK integrations and sell directly to advertisers, while DSPs can only connect with publishers through ad exchanges. Ad networks have control over ad serving and rendering through SDK integration.