How to Find an Ad Network

This article was written by Ted Dhanik

Finding an ad network is almost as difficult as finding an affiliate. To avoid paying high costs in testing, use these tips to find your ideal ad network.

Tool Set

You can learn a lot from your own analytics, but tools like URL parameters can help you identify when a campaign is working. Targeting settings can help you whittle your audience down to a number that is manageable, increasing your chances of conversion. The ability to separate and label display advertising campaigns is another useful feature for tracing conversions, and any network that lets you export data as a CSV file is an extremely useful benefit for your analysis.

Cost

The lowest possible price does not guarantee conversions, and it’s an illusion that low costs per view will save you money over all. You might spend triple what you’d spend on a better quality network, just looking for that low cost deal. Talk with the network’s customer service team and ask them questions about the campaigns you plan to bid on. Ask them what kinds of offers do well in their network, and try to get a feel for the actual user experience.

Final Thoughts

Reputation is another important factor for display advertising, but not in the way you think. Anyone who loses money on ads will think they’ve been somehow wronged, so you need hard data from marketers. When in doubt, take to the blogosphere and search for the network you plan to use. There are often detailed reviews online accompanied by best practices.

Bio: Ted Dhanik is the president of engage:BDR. As the co-founder, Ted Dhanik is responsible for business development and direct marketing. Learn more about display advertising with tips from the blog of Ted Dhanik.