An ad exchange is a digital marketplace that facilitates buying and selling on online advertising inventory. Let’s find out what all it encompasses and how businesses can use these exchanges to make the advertising process more efficient.
What are Ads Exchanges and How Do They Work?
Much like any other marketplace, an AdExchange is a marketplace for ads. It serves as a platform for advertisers and publishers to come together to trade ad space with advertisements. Demand for these spaces is created by ad agencies, advertisers, and demand-side platforms, while these ad spaces are supplied by ad networks and supply-side platforms.
In terms of how these exchanges work, the process is almost instantaneous. Once a user visits a website, the ad spaces on the page go up for sale, and the most relevant bidders are selected based on the user’s cookies. These bidders are notified through a bid request and the bid begins in real-time. The advertisers with the highest bid get the ad space and display their ad to the visitor as soon as they visit the page. This entire process happens in an instant and happens every time a new inventory opens up.
Importance of Using Ads Exchange Apps
The biggest advantage of ads exchanger platforms and apps is that they allow advertisers to place their ads in the spaces most ideal for them at the most viable cost. These platforms are public and regulated, introducing transparency in the way inventory is awarded. Furthermore, by allowing publishers the lowest price they are willing to accept for the space and allowing advertisers the highest price they are willing to pay, these exchanges allow the ideal scenario to be met by matching both parties.
Additionally, by making the entire process automated, they reduce the need for intermediaries. This aspect of automation also allows advertisers to cast a wide net to increase their chances of winning bids. But apart from these benefits, such exchanges also give advertisers the ability to choose where they publish their ads. This increases their chances of customizing their ads based on the vertical and campaign, translating to the potential for better conversions. For publishers as well, they present the benefit of filtering out any ads that do not comply with their platform requirements or seem to be of poor quality.
Ad Exchanges Examples for Your Business
When opting for ad exchanges, there are 3 types you can choose from – open exchanges, private exchanges, and preferred exchanges.
- Open ad exchanges are the most common and offer open auctions to all. So, advertisers can choose from a huge variety of inventory across multiple publishers. While this is great for increasing the visibility of your ads, it limits you from identifying the publisher, who may or may not be effective in helping your campaign proceed further.
- Private ad exchanges are closed platforms where access is given only to premium publishers. These publishers then have the option to choose the advertisers they wish to advertise on their ad space. This is great for advertisers in a niche industry who can benefit from the premium inventory. However, it also gives advertisers limited control as the publishers are the only ones who can choose the advertisers.
- Preferred ad exchanges and entirely pre-determined, with the publisher selling the ad space to their preferred advertisers for a negotiated price. This allows the publisher to have a stable flow of revenue while giving select advertisers a permanent ad space at their preferred price.
Conclusion
In digital marketing, the importance of ad exchanges is immense in connecting advertisers with those willing to host their ads. By incorporating speed, accuracy, and efficiency in the way ads are shown to users, it stands as a mutually beneficial way of allowing advertisers to showcase their offerings while giving publishers assured ad revenue, benefiting both in the process.