When your app grows, the challenges become greater. And if we talk about earnings through programmatic advertising, the challenges may seem overwhelming. Although your ad inventory is well-placed through auctions on ad networks, you need to break that ceiling to increase your revenue. At that point, your best alternative is programmatic guaranteed or guaranteed programmatic advertising.
This ad placement modality presents new challenges for you as a publisher. Together with your team, you need to build direct bridges with advertisers, add new value to your ad space, and closely monitor the results. Those who already work with this modality have not only confirmed the benefits but also discovered the best practices to maximize monetization.
What is programmatic guaranteed?
Programmatic advertising is a modality of direct programmatic where publishers and advertisers negotiate directly the purchase parameters of advertising space in an application or website. Generally, a specific number of impressions are offered for which a fixed price will be charged.
With this modality, publishers guarantee a part of their ad inventory to advertisers without the need to bid for it in an auction. Additionally, it provides a clear and controlled view of the platforms where brands and services are promoted.
This model also emulates the ad placement schemes used in traditional media. Its current popularity is due to the trust it generates and its possibilities for effectively segmenting audiences.
Programmatic guaranteed vs. Preferred deals: What are the differences?
In addition to guaranteed programmatic advertising, direct programmatic offers another option for advertisers: preferred deals. When you use this modality, you offer a group of advertisers privileged and early access to your inventory without it being reserved for any particular one.
When making an offer, these advertisers will be the first to evaluate your ad inventory and decide whether to buy or not. Similarly, an advertiser can contact you and request a proposal for the purchase of space.
Specifically, preferred deals:
- Offer preferential access to an app or website’s ad space without implying exclusive use or a guaranteed number of impressions.
- The ad inventory can be optionally purchased.
- They serve as the exchange framework between a seller and multiple advertisers.
On the other hand, programmatic guaranteed:
- Reserves the ad inventory for an advertiser, establishing a fixed price, number of impressions, dates, and location.
- Guarantees exclusivity to the buyer once the negotiation is closed.
- Is a direct transaction between a publisher and an advertiser.
If you want to attract advertisers because of your app’s audience, you might lean towards preferred deals. However, if you want to close deals with a premium advertiser and secure your earnings with a direct negotiation, it’s time to work with programmatic guaranteed.
Benefits of programmatic guaranteed for publishers and advertisers
This model of direct programmatic advertising not only secures your earnings but also brings many advantages to advertisers, as it provides secure access to platforms where they can reach their desired audiences within a specific period and under previously agreed conditions.
As it is a direct negotiation, it is more feasible to close favorable deals for both parties. They are not tied to auction conditions or restrictions imposed by ad networks.
Publishers can place their ad inventory under more favorable conditions
With programmatic guaranteed, you can set a higher price than in an auction. Moreover, it is easier to estimate your income and have greater control over the creatives advertised in your application, thus protecting your reputation.
This modality of programmatic advertising also contributes to a better user experience. By displaying ads relevant to your audience with attractive formats in non-intrusive locations, you will achieve more effective impressions. Another advantage? The ads are easier to schedule.
Advertisers can target their campaigns more effectively
Before closing a deal, they evaluate the app’s profile, its audience characteristics, and the cost per thousand impressions (CPM) to create their budgets. With a clear picture, they buy the inventory that best meets their needs, knowing where and how their ads will be displayed.
All of this is done without the restrictions of auctions, conditions of ad networks, and the risks of ad fraud. Free from these dangers, they can better target their campaigns, receive more reliable information about their performance, ensure they are reaching their target audience, and invest without risks.
Transparency: The greatest benefit for publishers and advertisers
Direct negotiations guarantee transparent and secure transactions. It is more feasible to accurately estimate income and return on advertising spend (ROAS).
Moreover, publishers and advertisers consolidate their reputation in the programmatic advertising ecosystem, becoming synonymous with guaranteed investment and earnings.
How to start in the world of guaranteed programmatic advertising
To start offering your ad inventory this way, you first need to evaluate your potential as a publisher. If you already have experience in programmatic advertising, your inventory has increased in value, and you feel your profit margin is stagnating, you can venture into this modality.
If you have the potential, you need to identify which advertisers you want to attract for negotiation. This depends on the sector in which your app operates, the profile of advertisers who have previously published on your platform, and the characteristics of your user community.
Once you know who you want to reach, you need to design a plan to place your ad inventory. Study the ad formats that perform best, the brands, products, or services related to your app content and users, and the best times to make offers.
In addition to exploring your potential and planning your action plan, you must choose the means to contact potential advertisers. You should set up your account on a robust monetization platform like Google Ad Manager, which integrates the necessary tools to be visible to interested advertisers, manage, and close programmatic deals.
With Ad Manager, you can also manage advertising campaigns, track the performance of your inventory, and ensure transparency between advertisers and publishers.
Finally, evaluate your team’s conditions to start this stage. Prepare your technical support and sales staff to detect opportunities, manage ad placements, and effectively track the results obtained.
Ready to grow? Here are the best practices for programmatic guaranteed
Although this modality of programmatic advertising often yields good results, there are strategies that can enhance your earnings. These encompass aspects related to your application, the profile of your potential advertisers, and characteristics of the programmatic advertising ecosystem. Explore them and choose those that best fit your goals.
#1 Work with first-party data
Given the strengthening of data protection policies and the growth of contextual advertising, it is essential to analyze the possibilities of selling your inventory by analyzing first-party data. It provides the best profile of your users, as you will know their habits, average age, peak traffic times, and significant interests.
Additionally, designing your action plan with first-party data will help identify the advertisers and formats that have given you the best monetization performance.
With this data, you can build a profile of the types of brands, products, or services that can work in your ad space, identify the ad formats that offer the best performance, and determine the most convenient frequency of appearances.
#2 Aim for premium advertisers
To ensure favorable agreements, establish a transparent relationship, and obtain better earnings, you should seek advertisers with a high reputation. These are well-known or expanding brands with a high recall rate among audiences like those using your app.
To reach them, you should analyze the profile of the platforms where they usually publish their ads, the types of advertising campaigns they conduct, and the formats they use most. This will help you design an attractive proposal.
#3 Identify opportunities to make an offer
Depending on the sector in which your app operates, there are times you can take advantage of to place your ad inventory through programmatic guaranteed. If your development is related to tourism and a vacation season is coming up, you can offer part of your inventory to high-demand hotels or airlines.
Just as you can see great opportunities, you should also identify less favorable times. For example, the first quarter of the year tends to be a period of low activity for programmatic advertising in general. Advertisers evaluate their starting strategies during this period. It is ideal to wait a bit longer.
Another key element is the advertiser’s objectives. Do they want to increase their notoriety? Do they aim to position a product or service? Do they want to reach a different audience? The answers to these questions can be an extraordinary opportunity for you.
#4 Verify the solidity of your offers before sending them: this will seal your programmatic deals without problems
When negotiating, check all the conditions you are agreeing with the advertiser: campaign period, number of impressions, locations in your ad space, publication rate, cost per thousand impressions, and the estimated budget.
With this information, confirm your app’s availability and verify the advertiser’s details to ensure the viability of your programmatic deal.
#5 Check the validity of the creatives to be displayed in your app
Confirm that they fit your app’s characteristics, meet the established dimensions, are not blocked by Google, and do not cause latency issues. By checking all this information, you will secure your programmatic agreement.
#6 Monitor your programmatic agreement
Review the results progressively. This will allow you to make adjustments to ensure compliance with what was agreed with the advertiser and progress in your monetization goals.
#7 Sustain the investment and development of your app
If you feel ready to venture into programmatic guaranteed, it’s thanks to the robustness of your development. Although implementation poses less complexity in configuring and managing ads, app optimization must be constant.
When you improve technically, optimize your content, and continuously work on the user experience, you continue to create possibilities to directly place your ad inventory. Combining transparency, quality, and progress ensures greater monetization possibilities.
Is your app ready to venture into programmatic guaranteed? Do you know where to start? Our team designs the best route to increase your earnings.
Programmatic advertising adapts to the challenges and demands of advertisers and publishers, with one goal: to increase earnings. But the competition is tough, and it’s vital to experiment with new strategies. You have the opportunity to maximize your revenue by monetizing with guaranteed programmatic advertising, and we at Wortise can help you. We work with first-party data and can place your ad inventory with premium advertisers.
We connect you with over 100 Ad Networks, offer the highest eCPM on the market, and provide personalized support to address any in-app monetization-related queries.
