What Is an Ad Server?
An ad server is advertising software hosted on a server, used by publishers and ad networks to facilitate and manage ads. It plays a crucial role in the delivery, targeting, and tracking of online advertisements. Here are its key functions:
What Is [the Role] of an Ad Server?
In a traditional ad serving workflow, numerous steps are involved in placing an ad on a publisher's website and measuring the campaign's performance. This process can be time-consuming and inefficient, particularly for ad networks managing multiple publishers and campaigns. This is where ad servers play a crucial role, offering significant value to both advertisers and publishers.
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Centralize Their Workflow For Operational Efficiencies
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Own And Make The Most Out Of Their Ads' Data
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Report And Measure The Right Insights
How to Choose [the Right] Ad Server
As the digital advertising industry evolves, players in the online advertising space must understand how to choose the appropriate ad server for their business. Publishers and advertisers have fundamentally different requirements for what they need from an ad-serving platform.
Publishers
Publishers require sophisticated control over various aspects of ad serving, including ad inventory, ad formats, targeting options, and campaign pacing. They need access to tools that enable them to optimize the delivery of creative content across multiple connected devices. Additionally, publishers seek the ability to track the performance of their ads using their preferred platform, which helps them predict future inventory requirements and make informed decisions.
Advertisers
Advertisers need ad server platforms that provide specific information about the performance of their ads and campaigns. They should select an ad server that tracks impressions for individual ad units, allowing them to optimize and gather insights for future campaigns.