Ad Mediation Workout: How to Boost Your Mobile App Revenues [+ 5 Platform Examples]

Publishers often start juggling several ad networks to increase revenue. This makes sense, but managing and optimizing your ad inventory across multiple platforms is a tough task. If it’s your case, there's a solution: ad mediation.

Imagine having a helper who can choose the highest bids from multiple ad networks in the blink of an eye. An ad mediation platform can do it for you! It compares bids in real-time, analyzes historical data from every ad network, and makes decisions about ad placement that bring you the highest revenue.

In this article, we’ll explain how programmatic ad mediation helps publishers monetize their apps most efficiently. Also, we’ll discuss the top mobile ad mediation platforms and offer tips on choosing one. So, keep reading to realize your revenue-generating potential in full!

What Is Ad Mediation?

We don’t want to keep you waiting, so let’s start with the main.

DEFINITION: Ad mediation is a technology that allows publishers and app developers to manage several ad networks via a single entry point — an ad mediation platform. As a result, they can maximize their profits because the platform continuously chooses the highest-paying ads.

Let’s dive a bit deeper into the revenue maximization mechanism. Ad mediation aims to increase fill rates, eCPM (effective cost per mille), or both metrics. It’s reflected in the following formula:

For instance, 100,000 requests with a 0.80 fill rate and $2 eCPM will generate $160 in revenue.

You may have heard the term “mobile ad mediation,” but don’t be confused: it refers to the same technology. In today’s digital advertising landscape, ad mediation is mostly mobile-based, so mobile ad mediation platforms and ad mediation platforms are synonyms. Another synonym for ad mediation is ad network mediation. As you can see, everything’s pretty straightforward.

What Are The Vital Features of Ad Network Mediation?

Every ad mediation platform has a set of unique features that make it a valuable tool for publishers. Here are some of them in a short table first:

Unified SDK

A unified software development kit allows simple integration with multiple ad networks. There’s no need to use different SDKs for every platform. A unified SDK acts like a bridge between a publisher’s app and ad networks.

The key benefits of this feature are easy maintenance and the app's lighter weight. Also, a unified SDK requires less memory and allows the app to load faster.

Real-Time Optimization

It’s the core feature of every ad mediation platform. Simply put, it refers to the dynamic selection process of the best ad that happens in real-time. We’ll describe the underlying process in the next section.

Reports and Analytics

This feature allows publishers to get insights from ad network mediation tools. Since they collect information about multiple ad networks and monitor various ad performance metrics, you can learn much from reports generated by mobile ad mediation platforms. For example, you can compare eCPMs and fill rates in different locations, estimate engagement using click-through rates and session duration, and even access technical performance data, such as error rates or network response time.

As you can see, programmatic ad mediation is a comprehensive technology that offers publishers enormous possibilities. Now, we’re going to look under its hood!

How Does Ad Mediation Work?

An ad mediation platform is a middle link connecting publishers and ad networks. However, it does much more than collecting and transferring the data. Here’s a step-by-step explanation of the ad mediation process.

For publishers, it starts with integrating a unified SDK into their app and connecting several ad networks. After that, whenever a user visits the app, it sends a request to the ad mediation platform, and selecting the best ad starts.

There are two primary models mobile ad mediation platforms utilize:

1. Waterfall model. It analyzes historical data (fill rates, eCPM, etc.) and considers publisher’s preferences (for example, prioritizing eCPM) to rank all ad networks. When an ad request occurs, the ad mediation platform turns to the ad network with the highest rank. If it declines the request, the second highest-ranking network comes into play, etc.

2. Real-time bidding (RTB) model. In this model, ad networks bid in real-time, and the ad mediation platform assesses bids and chooses the highest.

Many platforms combine both models. For example, they can use RTB to make decisions during real-time bidding and utilize the waterfall model to estimate the ad network’s overall score and make long-term decisions.

After choosing the ad source, the next step is serving the winning ad to the app’s visitor.

Performance tracking is also a significant part of the ad mediation process. The platform measures impressions, click-through rates, revenue, and other metrics. Publishers can access this information and analyze it, looking for potential areas of improvement.

Why Use Ad Mediation and How to Do IT?

Mobile ad mediation platforms can become a rescue for publishers struggling with managing multiple ad networks and aspiring to maximize profits. If this sounds familiar, you may want to consider using such a platform. Here are some other reasons to do it.

More Competition – Higher Revenues

If you work with multiple networks, the ad mediation platform makes them compete for your ad inventory, which results in higher eCPM.

Another technology leading to higher profit is real-time bidding. As the essence of programmatic advertising, it makes advertisers fight for your inventory and brings you the best possible outcomes.

Broader Reach

The more ad networks you’re capable of managing, the higher the chances of reaching a diverse audience. Hence, the more opportunities to increase your revenue. Moreover, different ad networks may cover different geographical areas, so ad mediation also widens your reach in terms of location.

Higher Fill Rates

The same “math” applies here as well. Publishers using mobile ad mediation platforms are more likely to fill their ad space.

Better User Experience

Maximizing profits in the short term is often about filling ad requests. However, if a publisher wants to increase revenue long-term, user experience may be a factor worth attention. Programmatic ad mediation includes choosing high-quality ads that won’t irritate your visitors.

As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to try ad network mediation. Still, to get the best results, you must know how to do it properly. Here are some nuances to consider:

• Spend some time selecting the ad mediation platform. It makes sense to choose among the well-known options. We’ll discuss them in detail later in this article.
• Use the automatic optimization option (so choose the platform that provides it).
• Conduct thorough testing. For instance, it helps to try different ad formats and examine the results.

Finally, it’s crucial to remember that it’s not enough to select the ad mediation platform and connect it once. First, you must keep its SDK updated. Second, you should constantly review its performance and ask yourself: is user experience the best it could be? Aren’t we overloading our visitors with ads? Third, keep examining reports from your ad mediation platform and experimenting with its settings. You may try to exclude some low-performing ad networks or add new ones, optimize ad inventory, etc.

Benefits of Ad Mediation

To summarize all the positive sides of ad network mediation discussed in this article, here are the top 5 benefits of this technology.

1. Easy Management

A unified SDK allows publishers to make integration easier. Also, mobile ad mediation platforms often have centralized dashboards that save time and help analyze the performance of all your ad inventory.

2. Support of the Wide Range of Ad Inventory

Mobile ad mediation platforms support a variety of ad formats, such as banners, rewarded and native ads, etc. So, publishers can experiment and choose the best formats for different audiences.

3. High Scalability

If your app is growing, trying new formats, adding new ad networks, and reaching new audiences is much easier with ad mediation. So, expanding to new markets while increasing ad revenues won’t be a problem.

4. Improved User Experience

For example, some ad networks have faster response times than others, and the best mobile ad mediation services prioritize them. So, ads in your app load quickly.

5. Higher Profit

Maximizing revenue is the goal of all publishers and the most important reason for trying an ad mediation platform. Indeed, due to RTB technology, these platforms choose the highest-paying ads. Also, they connect publishers to many advertisers, increasing the chances of successfully filling all ad requests.

We should also mention the cost-effectiveness of using ad network mediation. This benefit is pretty simple: having one platform to access many ad networks saves you time and money.

What Are the Best Ad Mediation Platforms?

Choosing the right platform isn’t a simple task because you must consider many factors, such as target audience, ad formats, goals, and app development plans. We’ve created the list of 5 best mobile ad mediation tools to get you started.

Google AdMob

This ad mediation platform is one of the strongest players on the market. It grants publishers access to over 30 ad networks. Also, it’s easy to integrate with Google Ads and the whole Google ecosystem.

Google AdMob supports waterfall and RTB models and offers many convenient features, such as real-time optimization based on machine learning, automatic audience segmentation, and advanced analytical and reporting tools.

ironSource

This platform is a good choice for gaming apps and focuses on rewarded video ads. The revenue comes from in-app bidding, which helps maximize earnings. ironSource is also well-known for its comprehensive reporting tool.

AppLoving MAX

This solution for monetizing ad inventory is excellent for high-traffic apps. It utilizes efficient programmatic bidding algorithms and supports various ad formats, including rewarded ads, banners, and interstitials.

Also, this ad mediation platform provides real-time analytics so publishers can get immediate insights into the campaign’s performance.

Meta Audience Network

This platform offers a fast and easy way to connect with advertisers from the enormous Meta ecosystem. That’s why publishers can expect high fill rates, high eCPMs, and quality ads. You should also consider this option if you’re looking for global reach and support of multiple ad formats.

Another valuable feature of this ad mediation platform is its advanced targeting capabilities based on users' behavior, interests, and demographics.

PubMatic

This platform’s distinctive features are robust reporting tools and a focus on brand safety. It also offers fraud prevention solutions in addition to support of multiple ad formats and advanced analytics.

How do you choose between these and many other mobile ad mediation platforms? First and foremost, you must decide on your priorities. What’s the most important to you: support of various ad formats, simplicity of integration, global reach, analytical tools, transparent and real-time reports, etc.? Selecting a few main criteria will help you make the best decision.

Conclusion

You’re now equipped with all the knowledge you need to determine whether you want to try ad mediation and choose the proper platform if you do.

Today, mobile ad mediation platforms help publishers worldwide increase their revenues. Maybe tomorrow, you’ll become one of the profit-gainers.

FAQ

• What is ad mediation?

  Ad mediation is a technology that allows publishers and app developers to manage several ad networks via a single entry point—an ad mediation platform. As a result, they can maximize their profits.

• What is mobile ad mediation?

  The term “mobile ad mediation” refers to the same technology as ad mediation.

• What is ad network mediation?

  It’s another synonym for ad mediation.

• How does ad mediation work?

  For publishers, it starts with integrating a unified SDK into their app and connecting several ad networks. After that, whenever a user visits the app, it sends a request to the mobile ad mediation platform, and selecting the best ad starts. After choosing the ad source, the next step is serving the winning ad to the app’s visitor.

• What are the best ad mediation platforms?

  When choosing the right platform, you must consider many factors, such as target audience, ad formats, goals, and app development plans. Here are some viable options to get started: Google AdMob, ironSource, AppLoving MAX, Meta Audience Network, and PubMatic.

• How do I choose the best ad mediation platform?

  First and foremost, you must decide on your priorities. What’s the most important to you: supported ad formats, simplicity of integration, global reach, analytical tools, transparent and real-time reports, etc.? Selecting a few main criteria will help you make the best decision.