1. Authentic Content Experiences: Pivoting Based on Data

Generic, cookie-cutter content no longer cuts through the noise, especially during high-demand periods like Q4. To connect with your audience, it’s crucial to create authentic content that aligns with their needs, preferences, and behaviors.

How can publishers achieve this? 

Start by looking at your existing data and using it to pivot your content strategies. Analyze metrics such as backlinks, organic search performance, and Page Speed Insights. These are not just metrics to check off but are critical indicators of how your content resonates.

By leveraging this data, publishers can ensure they are not only creating high-quality, relevant content but are also refining it to meet the evolving demands of their audience as Q4 progresses and into the next year as well. 

2. First-Party Data: Your Secret Weapon

With third-party cookies slowly becoming obsolete, first-party data has emerged as a critical asset for publishers. This data—whether it’s demographic information, browsing behavior, or engagement patterns—is unique to your platform and provides deep insights into your audience. More importantly, it allows you to create personalized ad experiences, which is crucial for creating an engaging experience for your audience on the website.

Using first-party data strategically enables you to:

• Segment audiences more effectively: By creating targeted audience segments based on first-party data, you can deliver highly relevant content and ads. This is especially useful during the holiday season when user behavior is more intent-driven.
• Optimize ad placements: With first-party data, you can better understand which pages, formats, or times of day perform best, helping you optimize your ad placements to ensure maximum engagement and revenue.
• Create custom audience packages: If you’re working with advertisers directly, offering packages based on first-party data can lead to premium CPMs and stronger partnerships.

Tapping into this data also allows you to demonstrate the value of your audience to advertisers, especially those looking for niche, high-quality traffic.

3. Partner with the Right Demand Sources for Diverse Ad Placements

Q4 is not just about maximizing pageviews—it’s about maximizing the value of those pageviews. As we have seen with our current publishers, video ads, in particular, are in high demand in Q4, with advertisers often willing to pay a premium for these placements. 

• Private Marketplace (PMP) deals: These can be a powerful tool in Q4, as many advertisers are looking for exclusive, premium inventory. Establishing PMP deals with advertisers can lead to higher eCPMs, especially when offering access to targeted, niche audiences backed by first-party data.

Freestar’s technology, for instance, provides access to a wide range of demand sources while also ensuring that the most lucrative opportunities are maximized across all ad formats. Reach out to us to learn more about this. 

4. Review and Adjust Block Lists

Every publisher’s block list evolves over time. However, as Q4 approaches, it’s essential to review your block lists to ensure you’re not inadvertently blocking valuable demand sources.

• Revisit ad categories: Certain ad categories (e.g., political, retail, e-commerce) experience a surge in demand during Q4. Ensure that your block lists are not excluding these valuable categories, unless absolutely necessary.

5. Constant Optimization of Ad Units

Ad placements and formats that worked well in Q1 may not be as effective in Q4. Therefore, it’s crucial to continuously optimize your ad units throughout the holiday season.

• A/B testing: Conduct A/B tests on different ad placements, sizes, and formats to understand what works best with your audience. Minor changes in ad layouts or sizes can significantly impact engagement and revenue.

How Freestar Can Help You Monetize These Strategies

Freestar’s comprehensive approach to ad monetization makes it easier for publishers to execute these strategies effectively. With Freestar, publishers can tap into advanced optimized ad placements in real-time to maximize revenue. 

As the Q4 season heats up, publishers who combine authentic content experiences with smart ad monetization strategies will have the upper hand. By leveraging first-party data, optimizing ad units, and working with the right partners, you can unlock the full revenue potential of the holiday season. And with Freestar as your ad monetization partner, you’ll be well-positioned to turn those strategies into real results.

WATCH THE WEBINAR ON-DEMAND

The post Top 5 Key Takeaways from our Webinar: Maximizing Q4 Ad Revenue first appeared on Freestar.

1. Updating High-Traffic Content

Refresh Last Year’s Top Performers
Your top-performing content from last year should be a priority for updates. Pages that previously attracted high engagement, like gift guides, product reviews, and seasonal travel recommendations, are likely to perform well again. Refreshing these pieces with updated trends, new links, or current recommendations can help boost their relevance and ranking in search results.

Leverage Seasonal and Event-Based ContentHoliday-themed content is incredibly valuable in Q4, but don’t forget about other key spending events that can drive traffic. In years with political elections, there’s an uptick in ad spend around political campaigns. Similarly, major sports seasons like the NFL and NBA bring advertisers looking to target engaged audiences during key sporting events. Make sure to align your DIY guides, travel tips, and holiday shopping lists with these pivotal moments to capture relevant ad revenue.

2. Analyzing Data for Strategic Insights

Dive Into Your Data
Looking at past and current traffic data can reveal critical insights for where your focus should be. Understanding what content is driving the most engagement and ad performance will help you replicate those successes. Use this data to optimize ad placements, refresh top-performing pages, and make informed decisions about future content.

Traffic Trends and Recovery
While some publishers are experiencing recovery in their traffic, especially quality publishers producing reliable and valuable content, others are facing challenges. Understanding the broader traffic trends in your industry can help you anticipate changes and prepare for fluctuations. Freestar can assist with analyzing these trends and suggesting actionable steps to optimize for recovery.

3. Optimizing for SEO

Focus on SEO Best Practices
Quality content goes hand in hand with strong SEO. Update meta descriptions, alt texts, and ensure your content is optimized for mobile users. Q4 is competitive, so making sure your site is search engine-friendly will help capture more organic traffic. Don’t forget to focus on keyword optimization around trending holiday search terms!

Boost Performance with Direct PMPs
Private Marketplace Deals (PMPs) are a powerful tool to secure high-value, targeted ad placements. By offering premium ad inventory to select advertisers, you can ensure higher CPMs and better fill rates. It’s crucial to position your site as a valuable, high-quality partner to direct advertisers, especially during this busy season when demand is high.

4. Capitalizing on Traffic Trends

Scale Issues and Efficiency
With scaling challenges still impacting many, now is the time to focus on doing more with less. Efficient ad layout, strategic partnerships, and traffic quality will become increasingly important in Q4. Quality over quantity is key – advertisers are looking for reliable, high-engagement audiences, and this can improve your value in direct campaigns and PMP deals.

How Freestar Can Help

Freestar continues to support publishers by analyzing traffic trends, offering strategic insights, and ensuring you make the most of your Q4 opportunities. Our header bidding technology and network of demand partners can help you unlock new revenue streams while ensuring high-quality ads and traffic recovery.

The post Maximizing Q4 Ad Revenue: A Guide, Part 2 first appeared on Freestar.

The post Maximizing Q4 Ad Revenue: A Guide, Part 1 first appeared on Freestar.

Delivering personalized content is key to capturing user attention and driving engagement. However, personalization is only as good as the data behind it. That’s where Identity (ID) Graph solutions come into play. By leveraging ID solutions, publishers can connect data points across devices and platforms, helping deliver the right content to the right audience at the right time.

What’s an ID Graph Solution?

An ID Graph solution connects a user’s interactions across multiple devices, platforms, and channels, creating a unified profile that informs how content is personalized. This holistic view, often referred to as an “Identity Graph,” provides publishers with the ability to deliver content experiences that are finely tuned to individual user behavior and preferences.

Here’s how an ID Graph makes content personalization a reality:

1. Comprehensive Audience Profiles

ID Graphs aggregate user data from multiple sources, creating rich audience profiles. These profiles allow publishers to deliver personalized content tailored to each user’s preferences, behaviors, and interests, and the usage of a device The result? More relevant content that leads to highly targeted content that boosts more engagement, and increased loyalty.

2. Smarter Content Recommendations

ID solutions enhance your ability to offer more accurate content recommendations by drawing on a user’s history across devices and channels. By serving personalized recommendations, publishers can guide users to consume more content, driving deeper engagement that increases the time spent on the site, and improve the click-through rates.

3. Cross-Device Content Consistency

With an ID Graph, users can receive personalized content no matter which device they’re using. This cross-device consistency is vital for maintaining engagement as users switch between mobile, desktop, and other devices thus ensuring the ads are being delivered seamlessly across devices.

4. Increased Relevance

Using an ID Graph allows you to deliver content based on highly specific user behaviors. Whether it’s adjusting headlines or recommending articles, the increased relevance makes users feel more connected to your site. This not only makes the website relevant but also can drastically reduce bounce rates and increase page views, achieving a higher level of personalization.

5. Detailed Audience Segmentation

ID solutions enable publishers to segment their audience with incredible detail. By understanding nuanced behavior patterns, publishers can tailor content for specific audience segments, delivering hyper-relevant material that improves engagement. The more tailored your content, the more time users spend on your site.

6. Boosted Engagement

Personalized content has been proven to generate higher engagement. With an ID Graph, publishers can present users with content that aligns perfectly with their interests, boosting click-through rates and interaction. This increase in engagement not only helps build loyalty but also contributes to higher ad revenues.

7. Optimized Ad Targeting

ID solutions don’t just enhance content personalization—they also improve ad personalization mapping a better user journey.. By using the same data to tailor both content and ads, publishers can ensure that users see ads that are relevant and engaging, leading to higher click-through rates and better monetization opportunities.

8. Data-driven decisions

 As ID solutions provide valuable insights into the various user behavior on the site, it helps publishers to make not only data-driven decisions but be data-informed as well at all times. This will in turn boost better content creation, superior ad placements, that will in turn impact the ad revenue. 

These help in creating long-lasting relationships with the audiences by ensuring that each interaction feels tailored and relevant. 

9. Be compliant

While privacy concerns are becoming highly notable across industries, ID solutions create “privacy-friendly” ways to target users. The shift away from third-party cookies encourages greater transparency and empowers users to have more control over their data, improving online security and reducing cyber threats.

10. Future-Proofing Personalization Efforts

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, reliance on first-party data becomes even more crucial. ID Graphs allow publishers to maintain personalized content delivery even as third-party cookies disappear, ensuring they remain competitive and continue providing a valuable, relevant user experience.

Don’t Miss Out: Elevate Your Content Strategy with ID Solutions

Personalized content is no longer optional—it’s essential. Implementing an ID Graph solution allows publishers to offer tailored content that captivates users, drives deeper engagement, and boosts revenue.

At Freestar, we help publishers unlock the full potential of their content by integrating powerful ID solutions. Contact us today to learn how we can help you personalize your content and enhance your monetization strategy.

The post Top 10 Reasons Why ID Solutions Help in Personalizing Content first appeared on Freestar.

To gain further insights and strategies for managing publisher traffic and maximizing revenue, watch our recorded webinar, The Truth About Publisher Traffic

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The post Top 10 Reasons How ID Graph Solutions Help in Increasing CPM Rates first appeared on Freestar.

What is client-side header bidding?

Client-side header bidding allows multiple demand partners to bid simultaneously on ad inventory, with the auction taking place within the user’s web browser.

In client-side header bidding, a JavaScript tag is placed in the header of a webpage, which initiates the auction when the page loads. This tag sends bid requests to multiple demand partners, who respond with their highest bid for the available inventory. The bids are then passed back to the client, and one or more bids are sent to the publisher’s ad server (typically Google Ad Manager).

The real benefit compared to a passback/waterfall approach is that multiple demand partners compete at once, in the same auction, based on real-time bid values – rather than the publisher having to manage the priority of which bidders to call first, which can mean that they either miss out on potentially higher bids from other bidders or must deal with latency when the bidder didn’t fill.

What is server-side header bidding?

Server-side header bidding (also known as server-to-server header bidding) allows publishers to minimize client-side requests (one client-side request to the server may be split into multiple server-side requests to demand partners), which can further improve the user experience. Server-side also allows publishers to enable more demand partners to help increase revenue without impacting that user experience. If a publisher wants to monetize AMP or app, server-side is the only option available. 

In traditional client-side header bidding, the auction takes place in the user’s browser, which can cause latency issues and may result in discrepancies between demand partners. In contrast, server-side header bidding moves the auction process to a server-side platform, where multiple demand partners can bid on the inventory in real-time before the winning bid is sent to the publisher’s ad server.

This process allows for more efficient and streamlined bidding and reduces latency. Server-side header bidding also allows publishers to work with a wider range of demand partners and can result in increased competition and higher ad revenues.

What are the benefits of server-side header bidding versus client-side header bidding?

There are several benefits of using server-side header bidding over client-side header bidding:

1. Reduced page latency: Since the bidding process happens on the server side, the page load time is reduced, leading to a better user experience.
2. Reduced page complexity: Server-side header bidding reduces the amount of code required on the client side, leading to simpler and more efficient ad loading.
3. Improved scalability: Server-side header bidding allows for greater scalability, as it can handle a larger volume of bid requests and support multiple demand partners.

On the other hand, client-side header bidding can offer benefits such as:

1. More control: With client-side header bidding, publishers have more control over the auction process, as they can manage bids directly on the page.
2. Access to more data: Client-side header bidding allows publishers to access more data about their users, which can help them to deliver more targeted ads.
3. Higher cookie match rates: With client-side header bidding, the bidding process occurs within the user’s browser, which allows for direct interaction with cookies stored on the user’s device. This direct interaction provides more accurate and up-to-date information about the user. 

Which is better – server-side or client-side bidding?

Server-side header bidding can be more efficient and scalable for large publishers with high traffic volume. In contrast, client-side header bidding may be a better choice for smaller publishers with less traffic. However, the choice between the two ultimately depends on the specific needs and goals of the publisher, and a thorough analysis of the available options should be conducted before making a decision.

That’s where Freestar’s ideal ad stack comes in. The ideal ad stack varies depending on the needs of the publisher, but at Freestar, our ad stack has a goal of constant optimization. This includes optimizing each ad request to see if it should run demand client-side or server-side, among other things. Our ideal ad stack makes it possible that a publisher doesn’t have to choose between server-side and client-side but has the opportunity to utilize both to their advantage.

If you have questions about server-side or client-side header bidding, contact our team today; we can help you determine the best path for you. 

The post FAQ: Server-Side or Client-Side? first appeared on Freestar.

Let’s get started! 

Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) is a project supported by Google to provide web publishers with a way to quickly serve web pages for mobile devices. There is much debate in the industry about whether AMP is worth the hassle. For our perspective, check out our blog on 5 AMP HTML Myths Busted.

Ad Network is a company that serves as a broker between a group of publishers and a group of advertisers, aggregating inventory and audiences from numerous sources in a single buy. Ad networks traditionally aggregate unsold inventory from publishers to offer advertisers a consolidated and generally less expensive pool of impressions. Still, they can have a wide variety of business models and clients. In the context of ad trafficking and ad tech, the term “network” is generally taken to mean an ad network.

Ad Operations refers to processes and systems that support the sale and delivery of online advertising. More specifically, this is the set of workflow processes and software systems that are used to sell, input, serve, target, and report on the performance of online ads.

Ad Tags are snippets of code (usually HTML and Javascript) generated from an ad server that allows for ad serving on web pages or within mobile apps where ads need to display.

Ad Targeting is serving an ad to the appropriate audience based on data. Ad targeting can involve demographic, geographical, behavioral, or psychographic data.

Backfill refers to ads that a publisher can use when direct sold or programmatic ads did not serve due to lack of demand, or demand not meeting the price floor. Certain demand partners specialize in this solution that helps publishers monetize as much ad inventory as possible. Backfill ads act in the same way as House ads, but they offer the added benefit of providing revenue for these unfilled impressions. 

Consent Management Platform (CMP) is a tool used by publishers to manage and obtain user consent for the collection and processing of their data under data protection regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the United States.

An Impression is when an ad is displayed on a webpage, regardless of whether or not it has been viewed.

Transparency Consent Framework (TCF) is an advertising industry-standard framework developed by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). It provides guidelines and technical specifications to facilitate compliant and transparent user consent management in the online advertising ecosystem.

Unfilled Impressions (also known as blank ads) occur when there is no demand to fill an ad slot on a website. There are many reasons for blank ads, such as insufficient advertiser demand, user behavior, and too-high CPM floors on a given impression. Unfilled impressions are normal, and it is not always optimal for maximum revenue to have 100% fill on all ad positions.

Winning Bid is the highest programmatic bid in an auction. It does not guarantee that an ad will be served; the bid must then compete in the ad server, and something of higher priority, like a sponsorship campaign, could still win above it.

We hope Volume 2 was a helpful dive into ad tech terms. Be on the lookout for our next Ad Tech from A to Z, where we continue diving into additional industry terms. Also, if you have any further questions or want to chat with someone at Freestar, please email us. 

The post Ad Tech from A to Z V.2 first appeared on Freestar.

Freestar is fortunate enough that our work does not need to be done in a specific place to be executed successfully. About half of our employees previously worked from their houses, from all over the country. For anyone who is anxiously entering uncharted territory as a first-time remote worker, our Freestar family is here to help make that transition a little bit easier.

Keeping in mind that what works best for remote workers will vary from person to person, we asked a few of our employees to share what keeps them focused and inspired when working in their own homes. This is how our remote working veterans take full advantage of the opportunities that a remote working lifestyle gives them, while remaining positive, healthy and on the path to success.

Matt Burgess | SVP, Revenue Operations
Portland, ME, USA

“If I’m in my house, then I’m near my computer. Productivity is never an issue, and video conference calls are a game-changer. No commute means more time to focus and build a schedule that works for me.”

Matt’s tips:

• Create an office space that is physically comfortable. Example: When I first started, I skimped on buying office furniture. Now I have a stand-up desk and a much more comfortable office chair. I wish I did this from day one.
• Stay physically active.
• Listen to music and/or podcasts in between calls.

Carrie Landers | Associate Director, Publisher Support
Dayton, OH, USA

“Always make sure to strike a healthy balance between work and home. Clear lines will help you focus when you’re working and unwind when you’re done.”

Carrie’s tips:

• Have a clearly designated area for work. Don’t just sit on your couch with a laptop, have a desk in a space you don’t commonly use (like a guest room) so you can easily separate your work-life from your home-life.
• Go for a walk. If you’re able to get up and take a quick turn around your block, you should. Fresh air and a change of scenery will do you good!
• Invest in a good pair of headphones with a built-in mic. The ability to block out potential distractions is important when working from home but you should also make sure your co-workers can hear you over any background noise (from kids, roommates, or pets) on conference calls. And always remember to mute yourself if you’re not the presenter on a call!

Shaina Lam | Director, Revenue Operations
Costa Mesa, CA, USA

“Freestar employees work in several different time zones. Working remotely gives us the flexibility to work the hours that work for us the best but can also lead to working non-standard hours. Sometimes I find myself working late hours and need to provide a team member an update or ask a question. To respect their time, I always schedule messages to be delivered first thing the next morning if it is not urgent. Maintaining a healthy remote work environment requires us to respect each other’s time and to clearly communicate the urgency of the question or request.”

Shaina’s tips:

• Taking short breaks to play with my pup outside so I feel rejuvenated when I go back to work.
• Working in a sunny place.
• Keeping a notebook nearby to add to my to-do list. I did this when I worked in an office but stopped doing it when I started working remotely and kept notes on my laptop. I found that handwriting my to-do list was much more effective because of the muscle memory and being able to physically check things off gave me a sense of completion.

Julia DeHerrera | Onboarding Success Manager
Oceanside, CA, USA

“Since the majority of my coworkers are on the east coast/in other parts of the world, they’ve already been working for several hours before I log on, so my mornings are a lot busier than my afternoons. Right before I start working, I pour myself a cup of coffee and then right at 8 am PST on the dot, I dive straight into my emails and Salesforce notifications. The afternoons are lot quieter so I usually go into the backyard and work from my hammock if I don’t have any calls scheduled for the rest of the day. It’s super relaxing and I’m very fortunate to be able to do stuff like that. It’s nice being able to get most of my work done in the morning and focus on other smaller tasks in the afternoon. It’s a good balance.”

Julia’s tips:

• Try switching up where you work, go to a coffee shop, or try a family member/friend’s house to change the scenery.
• Buy a standing office desk, this is a game changer for when you’re tired of sitting all day!
• Find a fun healthy drink that can give you energy to finish out your day with a bang! I personally like the Poppi drinks or the Culture Pop drinks.

Ruslan Krastev | Yield Manager
Varna, Bulgaria

“I appreciate the flexibility that remote work give me, allowing me to prioritize important tasks when I am most productive, rather than confining myself to a specific 9-5 time frame. Additionally, the absence of a daily commute significantly improves my work-life balance, giving me the freedom to go to the gym every day, prepare wholesome homemade meals for my lunch break, and even take a power nap when needed!”

Ruslan’s tips:

• Create a focused work environment by minimizing distractions. Silence notifications on your phone, close unnecessary browser tabs, and try not to visit distracting websites or social media.
• Explore flexible work schedules to find what suits you best – do early mornings or evenings work best for you? Adapt your work schedule to align with your natural energy levels and optimize productivity.
• Establish rituals that signify the start and end of your workday. This could be as simple as brewing a cup of coffee in the morning or taking a short walk after finishing work. Rituals help create psychological boundaries and improve work-life balance.

Nikita Prokhin | Customer Success Manager
Brooklyn, NY, USA

“Working from home has been a transformative experience for me as a young professional. It has provided me with the flexibility to design my ideal work environment, allowing me to seamlessly balance my personal and professional life. By eliminating the daily commute and office distractions, I have created a work environment that allows me to focus on my tasks with greater ease and concentration. This flexibility has not only improved my overall well-being but also provided me with ample opportunities to spend quality time with my animals, which I was not really able to do while working in an office. Overall, working from home has not only enhanced my productivity but has also enriched my life by reducing stress and allowing me to do more throughout the day.”

Nikita’s tips:

• Establish a daily WFH routine or staple. Mine is grinding and making my own coffee each morning. That fresh coffee smell and that first taste get me ready for whatever I have to face during the day.
• Take short breaks to recharge, your couch is likely only a few steps away.
• Set, organize, and prioritize your goals and tasks. Prioritize your workload based on urgency and importance to stay organized and focused.
• Use the time you would typically use commuting to better yourself. Whether it’s going to the gym or reading a book, with more time on your hands there are endless opportunities.

Vineeta Sajnani | Yield Manager
Bengaluru, India

“I love working remotely because it gives me the freedom to travel and work from anywhere, eliminating the hassles of traffic and commuting during peak working time. I can save precious hours to focus on my health, pursue side projects, or enjoy quality time with my loved ones.The autonomy to manage my time as I see fit allows me to be more mindful and create a well-rounded life that aligns with my passions and priorities.”

Vineeta’s tips:

• Establish a consistent schedule and stick to it. Set clear work hours and breaks to maintain a healthy work-life balance. It also helps me with staying focused throughout the day.
• Working from home allows me to have more control over my time. Embrace the flexibility and utilize this opportunity to prioritize self-care activities like exercise, meditation, or pursuing hobbies like traveling.
• Take small breaks throughout the day and try to not scroll through your phone during breaks. I like going for a short walk or squeezing in a quick stretching session between meetings. It helps with alleviating eye strain and refreshes my mind.

Interested in working at Freestar? Check out our open roles!

The post Remote Life – How Freestar Makes It Work first appeared on Freestar.

In this blog, we will guide you through calculating CPM and RPM and discussing their benefits. Additionally, we will cover the key factors affecting CPM and RPM, including ad placement, format, quality, traffic quality, advertiser demand, and seasonality. 

Finally, we will explore the future of RPM and CPM in digital advertising, including the increased emphasis on audience data, the growing popularity of programmatic advertising, and the emergence of new ad formats. By the end of this blog, you will have a comprehensive understanding of CPM and RPM and how they impact digital advertising.

Let’s get into it!

How to Calculate CPM and RPM

Here are the steps to calculate CPM and RPM:

CPM Calculation:

1. Determine the total number of ad impressions served on your website during a specific period, such as a day, week, or month
2. Divide the total ad revenue earned during that period by the total ad impressions
3. Multiply the result by 1000 to get the CPM

Formula: CPM = (Total Ad Revenue / Total Ad Impressions) x 1000

For example, if you earned $1000 from 500,000 ad impressions in a month, the CPM is calculated as:

CPM = ($1000 / 500,000) x 1000 = $2

RPM Calculation:

1. Determine the total revenue earned from all sources (such as ads, affiliate programs, and product sales) during a specific period (such as a day, week, or month)
2. Divide the total revenue earned by the total number of pageviews or sessions during that period
3. Multiply the result by 1000 to get the RPM

Formula: RPM = (Total Revenue / Total Pageviews or Sessions) x 1000

For example, if you earned $5000 from 100,000 pageviews in a month, the Page RPM is calculated as:

RPM = ($5000 / 100,000) x 1000 = $50

CPM is a metric measuring the revenue earned per thousand ad impressions. At the same time, RPM is a metric that measures the revenue earned per thousand pageviews or sessions, regardless of the number of ads displayed.

What are the benefits of using CPM and RPM?

Here are some benefits of using CPM and RPM to measure:

1. Track Advertising Revenue: CPM and RPM help website publishers track the revenue generated from their advertising campaigns. By measuring the cost per thousand ad impressions, pageviews, or sessions, publishers can optimize their ad inventory to increase revenue and improve their ROI.
2. Compare Ad Performance: CPM allows website publishers to compare the performance of different ad campaigns, as well as networks’ performance. Publishers can identify the most effective ad campaigns and ad networks that generate the highest revenue, then make informed decisions about which ones to keep or drop.
3. Evaluate Ad Inventory: CPM helps website publishers to evaluate their ad inventory and identify areas for improvement. Publishers can analyze individual ad units’ performance and placements to optimize their inventory for maximum revenue and RPM.
4. Monitor User Engagement: RPM helps website publishers monitor user engagement on their websites. By measuring the revenue earned per thousand pageviews or sessions, publishers can track the effectiveness of their website content and user experience.
5. Optimize Revenue: RPM helps website publishers to optimize their revenue streams from various sources such as ads, affiliate programs, and product sales. By tracking the revenue earned per thousand pageviews or sessions, publishers can identify the most profitable revenue streams and make informed decisions to maximize their revenue.

Overall, CPM and RPM are valuable metrics that allow website publishers to track their advertising revenue, optimize their ad inventory, and make informed decisions about their revenue streams.

What factors affect RPM and CPM?

Several factors can affect website publishers’ RPM (Revenue per Mille) and CPM (Cost per Mille). Here are some of the critical factors:

1. Ad Placement: The location of ad units on a webpage can significantly impact CPM and RPM. Ads placed above the fold and within the main content area tend to have higher CPMs and generate more revenue.
2. Ad Format: The type of ad format used, such as display ads, video ads, or native ads, can affect CPM and RPM. Some ad formats have higher engagement rates and generate more revenue.
3. Ad Quality: The quality of the ads displayed on a website can impact CPM and RPM. High-quality advertisements that are relevant and engaging to the audience tend to generate more revenue than low-quality or irrelevant ads.
4. Traffic Quality: The quality of the website traffic can also impact CPM and RPM. Higher-quality traffic, such as organic search or direct traffic, tends to generate higher CPMs and RPMs than lower-quality traffic sources, such as referral or social media traffic.
5. Advertiser Demand: The demand for advertising from advertisers in a specific industry or vertical can impact CPM and RPM. Higher advertiser demand in a particular niche or industry tends to result in higher CPMs and RPMs for publishers.
6. Seasonality: Seasonality can also impact CPM and RPM, with some industries experiencing higher demand and revenue during certain times of the year. For example, the retail industry tends to have higher CPMs and RPMs during the holiday season.

By understanding these factors, publishers can optimize their ad inventory and website content to generate maximum revenue.

What is the future of RPM and CPM in digital advertising?

1. Increased Emphasis on Audience Data: With the growing focus on data privacy and security, first-party and second-party data are expected to become more prevalent in digital advertising. This shift could lead to more targeted and personalized advertising campaigns, which may result in higher CPMs and RPMs for publishers.
2. Growing Popularity of Programmatic Advertising: Programmatic advertising is expected to grow in popularity as more advertisers seek to automate and optimize their ad campaigns. This could lead to more efficient and effective ad delivery, resulting in higher CPMs and RPMs for publishers.
3. The Emergence of New Ad Formats: The digital advertising industry is constantly evolving, and new ad formats are expected to emerge. For example, interactive and immersive ad formats such as augmented reality and virtual reality are expected to become more common, which could lead to higher CPMs and RPMs for publishers.
4. Increased Competition: As the digital advertising industry continues to grow, the competition for ad inventory is expected to increase. This could lead to higher CPMs for publishers and a more competitive landscape where publishers need to work harder to attract and retain advertisers.
5. Shift Towards Video Advertising: Video advertising is expected to become increasingly important in digital advertising, with more advertisers investing in video ad campaigns. This shift could lead to higher CPMs and RPMs for publishers who can offer high-quality video ad inventory.

The future of RPM and CPM in digital advertising will likely be shaped by changes in technology, data privacy, and advertiser demand. Publishers who stay abreast of these trends and adapt their strategies accordingly can expect greater success in generating revenue from digital advertising.

The post How to Calculate CPM and RPM first appeared on Freestar.

This blog will explore various strategies for increasing mobile app revenue through ads. From selecting the suitable ad format to optimizing ad placement and targeting, we will cover everything you need to know to maximize your app’s ad revenue potential. So, if you want to increase your mobile app revenue through ads, keep reading to learn how to do it correctly.

How much does an app make per ad?

The amount an app can make per ad can vary widely depending on several factors. These factors include the type of ad format, the ad length, the platform it’s being served on, and the users’ geographic location.

In general, the revenue from ads is calculated on a cost per thousand (CPM) basis, which means that the advertiser pays a certain amount for every thousand views of their ad. The average CPM for mobile ads can range from $3 to $10 or more, depending on the abovementioned factors.

For example, if an app developer serves a 30-second video ad with a CPM of $5 to their users, and 10,000 users watch the ad, the revenue generated from the ad would be $50. However, it’s important to note that the actual revenue the developer earns can be lower due to ad serving fees and revenue share agreements with ad networks.

It’s also worth mentioning that some ad networks offer a revenue share model, where developers can earn a percentage of the revenue generated by the ads served in their app. In this case, the revenue earned per ad will depend on the revenue share percentage agreed upon between the developer and the ad network.

Overall, the amount an app can make per ad can vary widely, and it’s essential to consider all the factors that can affect the revenue generated from ads in your app.

What factors affect mobile app ad revenue?

Several factors can affect the revenue generated from mobile app ads. Understanding these factors can help app developers optimize ad revenue and increase their app’s profitability. Some of the critical factors that can impact mobile app ad revenue include:

• Ad Format: The ad format can significantly impact the revenue generated from ads. Different ad formats, such as rewarded ads, interstitial ads, and in-stream ads, can have varying CPM rates and engagement levels.
• Platform: The platform on which the app is being served can impact ad revenue. Different platforms, such as iOS and Android, may have varying ad rates due to user behavior and advertiser demand differences.
• Geographic Location: The geographic location of the app’s users can also impact ad revenue. Depending on their target audience, advertisers may be willing to pay more for ads served to users in specific regions or countries.
• User Demographics: Advertisers may be willing to pay more to target specific demographics, such as age, gender, or interests. Apps with a user base that matches the advertiser’s target audience may generate higher ad revenue.
• Ad Placement: The placement of the ad within the app can also impact revenue. Ads placed in strategic locations, such as between levels or during natural breaks in app usage, may have higher engagement rates and generate more revenue.
• Ad Network: The ad network used by the app can also impact revenue. Different ad networks may have varying CPM rates and revenue share agreements, which can affect the revenue generated from ads.

In summary, several factors can affect mobile app ad revenue. App developers should consider these factors when implementing ads in their apps and work to optimize their ad revenue by experimenting with different ad formats, lengths, platforms, locations, demographics, ad placements, and ad networks.

8 Tips to Increase App Ad Revenue 

1. Strategic Ad Layout – Focus on monetizing the highest traffic screens where they will be impactful. There will always be some degree of weight attached to any ad tech integrated within an SDK, so implementing ad units only on screens with very low traffic or placing them mostly BTF will create weight on the app without significant revenue benefit. Try to implement ads where that will be more viewable and be considered most valuable to the buyer.
2. Utilize Fixed/Sticky Placements – This creates more viewable inventory, and you can utilize refresh to garner additional impressions since the ad is constantly in-view.
3. Diversify Ad Formats – The more opportunities for ad formats, the more demand you can capture from buyers. Different ad formats competing against one another in the same placement can also be an excellent way to capture multiple demand sources for the highest yield.
4. Utilize higher impact formats such as Interstitial or Video – Full-screen interstitials can be frequency capped and configured to render at a point where they are not disruptive to the user experience, such as between pages where there is a natural break from looking at content. You can also implement video in a way that makes sense for your user base. A scrollable video thumbnail may make sense for long article content because the user can collapse the unit or move it around their screen to move it away from the content. For gaming apps, a rewarded video unit can be a great way to get users to opt into watching a video ad in exchange for in-app currency
5. Utilize Timeout Rates at the Ad Unit Level – For in-content ads, a shorter timeout rate might make sense to speed up the auction and force an ad to render before the user can scroll past the ad container. A longer timeout rate for a fixed unit might make more sense because you can extend the auction long enough to get the highest CPM out of each auction.
6. Increase Demand for Your Inventory – Bring in several client-side and server-side demand partners to compete for impressions. This will increase the chance of ad fill and drive up CPMs due to competition. Some demand partners specialize only in specific ad formats or geos, so bring on partners that make sense for your app.
7. Strategically price inventory – Implement price floors to force buyers to increase their bids for your inventory without decreasing the fill rate too much. Consider factors like ad format, geo, viewability rate, and OS when determining where price floors should be set.
8. Increase your app traffic – The more users that visit your app, the more impressions can be served, and the higher you can scale your revenue

Maximize Your Mobile App Ad Revenue with Freestar

How much does an app make per ad? That depends on many factors, one of which is the ad tech partner you choose to work with. At Freestar, we pride ourselves on our demonstrated history of bringing app publishers’ ad revenue to previously unseen heights. 

To partner with Freestar and increase your app revenue, all you have to do is get in touch. Reach out to our team by filling out this form. 

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