The importance of establishing strong relationships with quality advertisers is critical for successful monetization for serious publishers. Creating these professional connections takes time and effort and not all partnerships are a slam-dunk even if they initially seem so. Longevity is key. Having an advertiser sign on with you is the first step but it doesn’t end there. If the advertiser’s inventory does well, and they renew with you and spend repeatedly on your site, then you’re on your way. To an extent, an advertiser’s success is out of your control, and can’t be predicted with certainty, but there are things you can do to ensure you are giving your advertisers the best value. Let’s explore Frequency Caps, Site-Level Targeting, Geo Targeting, Time-Targeting and Added Value as a means to that end.
Frequency Cap
Frequency Caps ensure visitors to a site are not repeatedly shown ad impressions in which they are not interested or not targeted correctly. By limiting the number of times a visitor is shown a particular ad impression to which he or she may not be receptive, you avoid wasting valuable ad space. Frequency caps also prevent inundating a visitor with an ad that may be of little or no interest.
Site-Level Targeting
Another way to improve the performance of an ad campaign is through site-level targeting, also known as “hyper-targeting.” Rather than run an ad specific to a certain population throughout a site, when you use site-level targeting, you run the ad on the pages that pertain to that subject. We see this a lot with sports-oriented sites. Why run baseball-related ads on all pages of a sports blog, when you can run those impressions on the pages and articles that are specific to baseball.
Geo-Targeting
Geo-targeting involves exactly what its name implies-targeting audiences based on geographic location. With geo-targeting, advertisers can target visitors from countries, states, or even cities most receptive to certain ads. There will no doubt be a jump in performance if you serve those ads exclusively to visitors in parts of the world and country likely to be interested in them.
Time Targeting
Time-targeting, another invaluable tool, allows publishers to time their ads right. Timing is everything and some ads shown to people during the work week are likely to leave a bigger impression than if they were shown on the weekend. These higher click rates are simply the result of honing in on the right time to flash an impression before a visitor’s eyes.
Added-Value
Freebies, when used on ongoing campaigns, is not only a great way to establish a strong professional relationship, but giving over bonus inventory can make your site look even more appealing without diminishing the value of your inventory too much.
Keep in mind once you sign an advertising contract and you have some direct advertising relationships, sustaining those connections becomes your focal point. The strategies outlined above can help you turn your site into a malleable entity, constantly evolving to increase the likelihood of profitable, continued relationships with advertisers.