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How can an ad server help with media buying?

Media buying is performed by an advertising agency for its clients. The advertisers want their ads displayed on certain sites and apps. There are many tasks involved in finding, negotiating, booking and monitoring ad campaigns. Therefore, advertisers might outsource media buying to an ad agency.

The agency uses its networking and industry expertise to negotiate and buy those ad placements at the best possible price. Digital media buyers can find the best rates because of their industry knowledge. They are deep in the online media ecosystem on a daily basis so they know the players and where to find value. First they need to understand your business, your needs and goals. You also need to see if it is a good fit for you and if they really know your industry or niche. Then they will put together a media plan based on your budget so you should prepare a basic idea in mind where you want to display your ads and how much you can afford. You do not want to be sold an expensive proposal and waste your ad budget on something you do not want.

Media buying can be done directly with individual publishers or via ad networks or ad exchanges. Typically, it is a mix of premium ad space with direct publishers and the rest from other sources. In this case, it is important to have a suitable ad server to help with ad serving, ad management, and ad reporting.

Ad serving

Ad serving is the process of placing advertisements on websites and apps using an ad server company. This company writes software and deploys it onto web servers to select and deliver ads to the viewers. Advertisements are chosen using the ad targeting criteria and restrictions created by the advertisers, ad agencies or publishers. The selected ad is then delivered to the viewer’s browsers on their devices, which could be mobile phones, desktops, laptops, OTT streaming sticks, smart TVs, etc. The ad server then records ad views, clicks and other ad events into a database for further processing and analysis.

Ad management

An ad server designed for agencies and advertisers will help with ad management because when an agency or advertiser buys ad space, it is often from multiple sellers. That means having a way to keep track of which ad goes where and when. With many items on your plate, you can make mistakes, which can be costly. The ad server gives you consolidation and control over ad placement and scheduling. You can see a big picture on your ads across websites, apps, and other channels any time. The ad agency can create accounts in the ad server for their advertisers to access, view or edit their ads.

Ad reporting

Reporting is the only way you know how effective your ad dollars were spent and where should you spend them on future campaigns. Reports on ad metrics from ad servers provide accountability for all parties involved. Using your own ad server gives you the power to track your own ad campaigns and having your own set of numbers. Any reporting discrepancies will then obviously show up and cannot be hidden like if you relied only on reports provided by your publishers or ad networks/exchanges.

Posted in AdServer for Ad Agency AdServer for Advertiser by Watson F April 05, 2021

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