How to structure and manage advertising
Effective advertising management is closely tied to the content strategy. By aligning both, you can prevent audience cannibalisation and maximise ad performance.
To achieve this, you need to integrate an intermediary layer within your system. This layer should take precedence over the ads delivered from the ad server, ensuring control over where and when each ad is displayed.
Managing exclusivity
Advertisers often seek exclusivity, especially premium brands. For instance, imagine Loewe pays a significant amount for an article featuring their latest collection. However, when users visit the page, they see Gucci banners. This could harm your relationship with Loewe and potentially damage future business opportunities. Managing such conflicts is critical for maintaining strong relationships with advertisers.
Technical implementation and ad placement
While the technical nuances of ad placement depend on your system, it's important to develop a framework that prioritises ad control and relevance. I will cover more of the technical aspects in a later section.
How to maximise advertising revenue
Beyond ad placement, it’s essential to manage your audience’s relationship with advertisements. Depending on the subscription tier or user status, the tolerance for ads will vary. Even when users prefer an ad-free experience, you can still include subtle advertising without diminishing their overall experience.
Example subscription models
- Premium Subscription: No advertisements are shown.
- Standard Subscription: Users see only a few, less intrusive banners, such as those placed in the header. Ads embedded within the content are excluded.
- Low-cost Subscription: Users see all banners similar to anonymous visitors, but they enjoy more content access. Additionally, they can customise their ad preferences, selecting topics that are more relevant to them, which increases engagement and click-through rates.
These models allow room for experimentation. You can try different combinations of ad placements and subscription levels to find the optimal balance between user satisfaction and ad revenue.
Ad and content loading optimisation
One crucial aspect of ad optimisation is ensuring that ads load seamlessly alongside the content. Although this may seem straightforward, it's a common area for missed opportunities.
For example, in cases of infinite scroll, where a new article loads automatically as the user reaches the end of the current one, it’s vital that a new ad loads simultaneously. I've come across instances where content continues to load, but the ads don’t. This can result in lost impressions, which directly affects your monthly ad revenue.
By making sure that ads are served in tandem with new content, you maximise your chances of capturing impressions and monetising them effectively.
Final thoughts
The careful structuring and management of advertising, while balancing user experience and revenue generation, is essential for any digital content strategy. By focusing on exclusivity, tiered subscription models, and ensuring smooth technical implementation, you can ensure that both your audience and advertisers are satisfied.
Image Credits: Freepik