By 2026, the online advertising industry is expected to reach an all-time high of $786.2 billion, whereas the AdTech industry is estimated to reach a peak of $29.85 billion.
Plenty of tech-savvy individuals are seizing up these exciting revenue opportunities as more and more publishers and advertisers enter the market every year, investing their time and energy. One wrong step can result in a loss of revenue, underperforming tech stacks, and plenty of other consequences you’d want to avoid.
Step ahead with a little more caution and keep the necessary publisher guide, and you, too, can enjoy steady high revenues like the industry leaders.
Things We Will Cover in This Article
- The evolution of the advertising industry and technology;
- Understanding the shifts in a publisher’s revenue generation around the year;
- Key terms to know as a publisher;
- Basic revenue generation guide for publishers — beginner steps;
- Advanced strategizing tips to earn high revenue all around the year.
The Turning of the Wheels for the AdTech Industry
A few decades ago, the world of advertising was familiar with manual media advertising. It wasn’t until the 90s that the explosion of e-commerce sites welcomed advertising to a more technical landmine. Advertising agencies joined alongside advertisers helping them choose the best websites for their clients.
Seizing on the developments, soon enough, the first-ever automated ad server came out, which made easy the complexity of manual jobs, revolutionizing the advertising industry and automating it.
The first-ever advertisement broadcasted to the crowd was as early as the 1940s. Here we are, not even a century later, with an industry so efficient and vast it can run for days without any manual intervention. You’ll find AdTech companies ready for assistance in almost every corner of the world. And what happened to that first-ever ad server? It evolved into the Google Ad Manager we all know and depend on.
How to Understand the Shifts in AdTech Revenue Generation
If you’ve been in this field for a while, you’d see shifts in your revenue generation throughout the year. There are certain patterns in these shifts; say you’ll earn more during festive occasions, or the year-end will be better for your wallet than the start. Usually, to assess this, a year is divided into four quarters:
- 1st section is January, February, and March;
- 2nd section is April, May, and June;
- 3rd is July, August, and September;
- And finally, the 4th segment is October, November, and December.
The patterns that you’ll commonly find in these segments are as follows:
- The first segment usually overviews the lowest earnings except on special occasions;
- The second segment will see a slight rise, for many clients end their business session during this time, thus draining their advertising funds simultaneously;
- The third segment will either remain steady or face a little slump, as this is when advertisers are a little cautious with their budget planning;
- The fourth segment, i.e. the last three months, is usually the time where the highest revenues flow, as not only is it the year-end for the majority, but also due to the many occasions that follow;
- Some special occasions when advertisers like to spend big, causing an influx of higher revenues, are Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Christmas, Back to School, and so on.
However, relying just on these heights will not be of any help. So, how do you ensure you have a steady income throughout the year? The tips below will lead you toward continued and heightened revenue generation.
Things that Can Help You Grow as a Successful Publisher
With the rapid and unimaginable developments in the digital advertising industry, the market is no more as random as it used to be. To be successful, you have to be systematic and have the proper knowledge to create a robust strategy for earning high revenues. And for that, here’s a brief checklist of things you need to know as a publisher.
Abiding by the Rules & Regulations
Nowadays, the algorithms are pretty strict, and advertisers look forward to working with publishers with everything in order. So it would be best if you stayed on top of the regulations and guidelines for data protection and safe traffic monitoring, remain compliant with the platform regulations, and so on. Keep everything in order, and you’ll be rewarded.
Where to Allocate Your Inventory
As established, there are options for AdTech teeming online for automating your revenue generation, and anything and everything will not promise you the same high revenue. There are several models and plans from which you can decide what you find the most suitable. For instance, some publishers profited well via private marketplaces, some prefer automated guaranteed and preferred deals, and some prefer going direct on the process. Test out everything and evaluate which are the right choices for you.
More Than One Ad Format
There are plenty of ad formats available online. While you must be careful not to bombard your users with ads, you can deploy more than one format, whether video, native or interstitial. And it is always a thin line between being a pushover and a strategic publisher. However, opt for the formats that will return the highest ROI.
SSPs and DSPs
Choosing the right demand partner is always a crucial decision. Some platforms work on geo-strategizing, and some platforms partner with advertisers and companies to provide special perks to publishers. See which SSP or separate demand partners meet your needs the best, and opt for it accordingly.
Header Bidding
There are plenty of payment models that you may find intriguing, but many publishers strategize their revenue plan wisely and participate in header bidding. It is a process where an advertiser is offered a view of the publisher’s inventory and bids accordingly on the high-priority impressions.
And lastly, make sure to test out every component to make sure what performs the best and will generate the highest revenues.
The Best Ad Revenue Generation Practices to Maintain in 2022 — Tips for Publishers
While the tips mentioned above will help you construct a somewhat stable strategy and maintain a regular turnover, you can take it a few steps further by following the strategies below and creating an even more robust plan for your revenue generation.
Refreshing Ads with Action Triggers
Proper ad refreshing can result in high turnover revenues; however, you must be strategic with the user. Set specific triggers like refreshing a page, clicking on CTA, etc. Refresh the ads with a new one when said triggers are activated. Increase your pool of advertisers and keep your audience’s attention span engaged with refreshing and relevant ads. Recycle as and when necessary. However, test out the user experience accordingly with each trigger. Too much refreshing of ads can also result in concise sessions and a lesser turnover from your advertisers.
Alternating CPM Floors
Don’t keep your CPM floors at a steady high rate. Say it is the month of January, and your fill rate and revenue turnover isn’t performing greatly. You can start by slowly reducing the CPM floor and testing it out. Keep reducing till your fill rate, page RPM, and other factors reach a satisfactory state. You can alter it according to the timelines. Similarly, on festive occasions and days, you can raise your CPM floors to comparatively higher rates, for there won’t be a lack in the number of consumers.
Non-Intrusive Video Ads
Just as a significant population strictly against pop-up ads, a section also interacts with them well. They have excellent conversion rates, demand generation, and so on. Similarly, 2022 is the year for video ads, as they are engaging and offer high turnover rates. However, you must be careful that they are non-intrusive and set them to play without sound until the user chooses to interact with them. The more enjoyable the user experience is, the more profitable it is for you.
Tackling Adblock
Adblock is a significant concern for many digital advertisers and publishers today as more and more clients opt for the solution. But what if I told you there’s a way out? There are platforms online that you can partner with and run ads despite AdBlockers. However, this also means running only high-quality, non-intrusive, and standard ads on sites where adblockers are activated.
Don’t Completely Rely on AdTech
While this may seem like the more appealing and easy way out, remember the options available for AdTech are plenty, as are its clients. The only way to stand out from the crowd and have high turnovers is to maintain the balance between self-dependency and automation. Leading Ad publishers and advertisers of today have overseen a higher revenue turnover by reducing their dependency on ad tech, as most rely on their profits from the very share the publishers earn from their clients.
Evolving Your AdTech as you Grow
Understandably, you cannot invest in the best Ad Tech strategy as a publisher at the onset of your journey. You cannot make one game plan at the year's start and expect it to work well. However, the AdTech you use and the strategy you employ must evolve and upgrade along with your journey. The best of your fruits are in quality and not quantity.
Be in Tune with the Advertising and Ad Tech Trends
The digital world is fluid, as are the global population and its demands. Thus, every other year and even month, a new popular trend invades the industry. And as a publisher trying to make sure to earn a stable and high amount around the year, you must stay on top of said trends and adapt accordingly to your benefit. For instance, in 2022, OTT consumption has reached an all-time high, allowing publishers to monetize accordingly. Some other trends for the year are hyper-personalization, AR and VR, vernacularism, and so on.
Wrapping Up!
As a publisher, you must educate yourself on the ins and outs of the AdTech industry to make the best out of it. However, this is no implication for you to overwhelm yourself. And hopefully, the information provided above has helped you feel a little more ready with your Ad revenue strategy, even though the tidal shifts in ad tech revenue.
Whether it is a gloomy January or a festive December, you can strategize well and keep the revenues flowing throughout the year.
