Database Users

Mobile Ad Networks - good or bad?

Hi all,
I would like to seek your feedback on your experience with mobile ad networks. Should I be engaging the big players like AdMob or can I go to smaller ad networks? They all look the same to me, offering the same services.
Cheers!

chongnyen said:
Hi all,
I would like to seek your feedback on your experience with mobile ad networks. Should I be engaging the big players like AdMob or can I go to smaller ad networks? They all look the same to me, offering the same services.
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my apps I usually combine several ad networks. Admob has a very small eCPM, so Im using iAd + Mobfox + Admob for iPhone and Mobfox + Admob for android.

It really depends on what your app is for, does, etc. For instance I develop live wallpapers. So I would need an ad company that would work with live wallpapers not necessarily a "regular app".
Personally I use leadbolt:
The only ad type from them I use is the notification ad. They offer different types this one works for me. Since my live wallpapers aren't traditional apps that users enter this works great since it will display a small ad in the notification bar that is easily "cleared" if the user chooses not to click it. They are not forced to click, etc. This means your users wont leave a lot of those spam 1 star ratings. Its also easy to implement with eclipse. You can also set how often the users see the ad (in days).
They have a good payout plan and i'm not greedy so the starting low earnings is ok because it grows with your user base. Permissions needed for this company is 5. Standard number for most apps.
The second company I just started using is StartApp.
They pay on an per install basis not by ads. So for each US install of your app you get $.055. So if you get 1000 US installs thats $55USD. They pay a lower amount for non us installs i believe its $.04 and $.01 for returning users meaning if a user has one of your apps installed and download another with start app in it you make $.01 not $.055.
This one is a little more tricky however because the user must accept the terms when they install your app for you to get credit. Once they do that they get a search icon, browser bookmark, and one other thing. All of which can be deleted right then after install without effecting your app or your pay. As long as they accept the terms you get paid.
Permissions needed for this company is 15 i believe. Which most are just to access the settings of the different third party launchers out there and not listed in the Google play store listing.
Startapp doesn't generate as many bad or negative reviews as others.
All in all im happy with both and haven't gotten any negative reviews since implementing either. However just started using Startapp 2 days ago so ill wait and see how that does.
You can use either of these along with other companies at the same time. I use leadbolt and startapp in some of my apps at the same time.

One thing you should also keep in mind is your users' privacy. Don't forget you bundle those ad modules with your own app -- so they also have access to everything your app has access to. And some networks make use of (or rather abuse) this. Also, it makes it harder to explain your app's permissions to the user -- not everybody is satisfied by "well, that's just for the ads".
Some useful readings on this include:
Android Adware abusing permissions, Collecting more than they need
How to Curb Aggressive Mobile Ad Networks
Android ad networks found accessing users’ private data
Android apps and advertising: A bit too cozy
Again: while some ad modules require too much permissions themselves (you can check that e.g. at Top Mobile Ad Networks), some additionally abuse the permissions your own app needs.

Ad networks = profit from free apps. Android users do not like paying for apps so thats the smartest way to be paid for the hard work while development process

Ad networks are a great way for you to make solid revenue on android

In my experience I would say:
Good for Admob
Less than sufficient for Startapp (dropped a lot after the Google's changes )

Hi,
Being an ad network, we understand such concerns. There are app developers who look for different way to monetize via (their) app. Ad networks help them to do it in easy way. Ad networks facilitate app developers with right solution.
For any app developer, there is nothing more gratifying than app monetization, and that's what Ad networks do. We help app developer to monetize well.

That's the problem really, comparing Leadbolt against Admob is not an apple vs apple comparison. One is a push network (plus in-app and icon and walls, etc.), another is in-app banners.
As a benchmark... In July last year I made over $300 from referral revenues, this month, it stands at $4 from over 200 referrals. These numbers do indeed speak for themselves.
As I always say, some ad networks work great for some people, maybe this works for you. Maybe Leadbolt works for many others too, and if it does, I'm happy for you.
It just doesn't work for me... too bad...

Thanks guys, this thread is what I'm looking for.

chongnyen said:
Hi all,
I would like to seek your feedback on your experience with mobile ad networks. Should I be engaging the big players like AdMob or can I go to smaller ad networks? They all look the same to me, offering the same services.
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I prefer to use big player.. for big player usually give you a smaller ecpm, but there is scam potency for smaller ad network..
don't want to take risk for that..
as changing ad provider means we must update our apps in play store, if we just say that our update is only change the ad provider, our user won't be interested to update their apps.. we must make significant update in the codes to.. that means times too.. while we all know.. times is precious and expensive too

AdMob newbie question

Hellos!
I am currently developing my first game, in which I am planning to include ads via AdMob.
From what I've read, it seems like AdMob/Google are quite strict on "clicking your own ads" and they simply just disable your account. Therefore, as recommended, I've added my device as a 'test' device.
My question is, if I give my app to one or two friends for some beta testing, and they click on the ads, will that be counted as "false impressions"?
Not sure if AdMob checks the clicks based on device/account association, or if it is based on the number of different sources of clicks. If it is the former, then should be ok. However, if it is the latter, then having only one or two friends with the beta apk might be problematic?
Anyone know how it works?
Thanks in advance!
pyko

pyko, don't worry it isn't as strict as they're telling. We're always clicking on our test ads to ensure the integration works as expected. And we don't setup our devices as test devices. BTW, if you want to maximize your monetization with ads I recommend checking out AdFlake. It enables you to integrate lots of ad networks in a single app. And you can even change the allocation after you've deployed your app. Plus, we've got house ads (great for cross promotion) , custom events, analytics and more.

Hi dutty,
Thanks for the reply
Yep, I've got test ads set up and feel safe clicking on them. What I'm concerned about is non-test ads... will a small number of people (ie. my beta testers) clicking on them raise a red flag?

edit: delete dup... xda playing up a bit for me

Hi, I know this is going to sound like a spammy ad, especially since it is my first post, but I just want to advise you to check out different ad formats than banners. They are considered kinda dead now. People have learned to ignore them (i know i have). The CTR on banners is very low, there are new formats like app lists, interstitials, and panel ads that boast a much higher CTR - 5-12% they claim.
We are starting a game development and so far I pretty much sure we are going to use this platform:
www.appflood.com?site=21155

Yeah, I'm not expecting to get a massive income via ads... it's more so just to see how much it will get
Much prefer to keep the app "clean" than to add full-screen ads, which in my opinion is very intrusive and annoying.

You will be fine with that, don't worry. However, from the cases of people who lost their 500$ and didn't receive a single piece of explanation from Google, I wonder: "should I always depend on Admob?".
So I decide to combine several Ad networks. It works. And I realize something about Admob:
Pros: It is reliable and has huge users database. Admob is backed by Google - a prestigious corporation who tracks every steps of anyone who use its service.
Cons:
- Its eCPM is low (I don't know exactly why but everytime I try another Ad network, they outperform Admob in terms of eCPM. I guess that Admob know it has advantages over competitors when it comes to reputation and users database, so It charge advertisers and publishers more)
- Its ban users more frequently. (Some of my friends' accounts got banned because Google thinks they was cheating, while infact he didn't. It was very difficult for him to reach Google support to recover his accounts).
after combining Admob and with Airpush, Leadbolt, StartApp, ChartBoost, I end up with Adsota - a lesser known ad network. Adsota is an has much higher eCPM, 100% fill-rate, variousa ads format, and swift payment. You can find it by googling "ads.appota".
Best of luck, mate!

Share you paid advertising experience

I've just published my game to Google Play Store and was thinking of purchasing some advertising or pay per install ads. Anyone has any experience using Facebook ads, Admob, appbrain or other ad networks? What would you recommend. I do not have a large budget, for a start I am planning to spend around USD100.

Digitally said:
I've just published my game to Google Play Store and was thinking of purchasing some advertising or pay per install ads. Anyone has any experience using Facebook ads, Admob, appbrain or other ad networks? What would you recommend. I do not have a large budget, for a start I am planning to spend around USD100.
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No experience with ads yet. I was recommended Facebook Lookalike Audience but we'll continue on our own up until 10k users. My fear would be to get a mass of users and disappoint them. Growing 100 at a time provides a good feedback loop to improve the app. Might use the Lookalike Audience then! Good luck!

Digitally said:
I've just published my game to Google Play Store and was thinking of purchasing some advertising or pay per install ads. Anyone has any experience using Facebook ads, Admob, appbrain or other ad networks? What would you recommend. I do not have a large budget, for a start I am planning to spend around USD100.
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Click to collapse
I am also interested in this topic. I have a free app with a paid (no ads) counterpart. I was considering using any of the services that charge per install (CPI) on the paid app. If the cost per install is lower than 70% of the price of your app, then that investment would be risk-free.
Has anyone tried something like that? Would you recommend any service in particular? (Ideally, the ones that do not require SDKs to be added to the app, I don't want to add crapware to my app).

Digitally said:
I've just published my game to Google Play Store and was thinking of purchasing some advertising or pay per install ads. Anyone has any experience using Facebook ads, Admob, appbrain or other ad networks? What would you recommend. I do not have a large budget, for a start I am planning to spend around USD100.
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The budget normally starts from $10000. I don't think $100 generates significant data and downloads to help you make further decisions considering that average CPI is about $1.

Reply From A Guy That Knows The Data
Digitally said:
I've just published my game to Google Play Store and was thinking of purchasing some advertising or pay per install ads. Anyone has any experience using Facebook ads, Admob, appbrain or other ad networks? What would you recommend. I do not have a large budget, for a start I am planning to spend around USD100.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great question! While I cannot, and will not give you numbers or estimates in any shape or form, I can give you broad and general advice.
First off, I'll explain my background in a bit more detail. I worked in advertising sales for years at the top companies, and then moved into the mobile app space (I am also a secret coder by night.) I then spent two years working in the mobile app data space - providing performance data in the form of estimates for downloads/revenue. Our job was to sell our vast data sets (on every mobile app and publisher - ranked and un-ranked) which were centered around accurate estimates for downloads/revenue for any given app in every category/subcat, and country for iOS and GP. We worked with mid-market and top publishers to help them forecast how many installs they would need to purchase to reach top rank, how many organic installs they would receive at that rank, and how many installs they would have to purchase on an ongoing basis to maintain that rank.
Based on my experiences, truth be told, most publishers that are actual companies (not small indie or single shop guys)....they are buying downloads. This is not to say that strong marketing campaigns don't come with this (PR, promotions, social media, viral, cross-promotional ads to existing user base, etc.), but in some way or another, most of them will be buying ads. Here is the caveat - it is not a simple process, at all. They have analysts that know exactly how much money they make off of one download....for instance...they know that for every download on xyz game, they make $2.30, and their CPI is $1.95, thus, their actual net rev is $.35 per install. However, this is all also centered around growth potential as well...so in many cases, they need to hit the top ranks for organic growth to generate higher profit margins, so they need accurate forecasting of exactly/roughly how many installs it's going to take to get there...and if they come up short, they don't make top charts and they either have to spend more money to climb up...or they're out of budget and they've lost $$$. Basically, if you want to buy ads...you need to set realistic goals, and understand what the value of your user is...from a financial standpoint. You must know your numbers cold before even considering putting a budget towards ads.
That being said, there are a ton of ways to buy ads out there, as I'm sure you and everyone knows. However, if you do get around to doing some solid analysis on what your users are worth, and want to run some testing with a low budget...nothing to break the bank...I would A) Go with a reputable company, even if the CPI/CPA is higher than you'd like....because you want to avoid fraudulent DL's....many ad networks will turn a blind eye to this for obvious financial reasons, and B) Try Facebook....honestly, I've spoken to many smaller developers that find a fair CPI/CPA, with pretty good ROI and retention.
Hope this helps - KNOW YOUR NUMBERS AND ALWAYS LOOK TO THE DATA
~Geo_Mojito

Some interesting data we are gathering at Thalamus.co, where we have the average CPI rates & Install Volumes of each network broken out by genre/platform/country. There are also contacts and minimum spends so should give you a good sense of what's out there.
A $100 budget is not too large, so it'd be hard to give you a definitive answer as to which network has basically no minimums (unless you want to work with a mobile self-serve DSP like PocketMath). Facebook would be a good place to start, although prices are at a premium due to high demand. I'd suggest really going all in on free methods like PR, reaching out to Bloggers, ASO, Social Fan Pages, Organic/Viral Installs, and Partnerships first.

My experience:
1) Social Networks advertising. I promoted it personally, it was tooooo long and without big results.
2) Youtube videos. Not bad, but you have to attract users to watch your videos and invite their friends to install your app.
3) Buying the marketing services in agencies. I have experience with several agencies, but App-Reviews has the best, I think.
4) Use different tools for advertising. I used AdMob, it had some success...

Digitally said:
I've just published my game to Google Play Store and was thinking of purchasing some advertising or pay per install ads. Anyone has any experience using Facebook ads, Admob, appbrain or other ad networks? What would you recommend. I do not have a large budget, for a start I am planning to spend around USD100.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After advertising services you can try some low budget app promotion services too. My personal choice is AppRankPRO . why is because it gives the proof of each and every install of the genuine real user and free keyword analysis services too. I think you can have a look at AppRankPRO

[CLOSED]Do You saw any significant earning improvement after using AdMob Mediation?

Currently, I have been using AdMob banner ads, for several years. Happy user so far as Google able to wire bank-in payment on-time with no delayed.
Recently, I was exposed to AdMob Mediation concept. I'm still reluctant to do so. I have to split my ads revenue to another ads network, and receive payment separately. I feel some how hassle, of having to maintain 2 payments separately. (For example, extra bank charge occurs...)
I was wondering, do you guy saw any significant earning improvement, after using AdMob mediation?
Would you recommend it? If yes, what is the another ads network you would recommend?
Thanks.
Cheok

Well the great thing about mediations is that you can turn individual networks on/off at any time, right from your dashboard, so you can just leave it running for a few thousand impressions and then decide which ones are worth it. I can't really recommend any though since we only make games and use interstitials instead.

AdMob mediation is better than nothing, but it's still too relies on their own resources too much, which could limit the profits. I'd recommend to try some 'pureblood' mediators, who don't have their own networks. I had a nice experience using Appodeal.

What problems exist in mobile ad networks?

Hi!
Working with an advertising network should be pretty simple, right? You launch your app, set up an account with the network, do a little configuration and watch the money roll in. Far away from the truth
Let'stake a look at the main problems you can face if do not use mediation
1. The Newbie Learning Curve: Implementing many advertising networks, all with unique conditions, offerings and configurations creates a major learning curve for publishers. If you work with multiple applications and high traffic coming in, the problem multiplies ten-fold
2. Lack of Specialization in Multiple Markets: It is really difficult to be efficient in the global market. Many ad networks are strong in specific territories. One solution is know where are your users coming from
3. Low Fill Rates: The loss of impressions equals loss of profit. Many advertising networks are simply unable to offer high fill rates due to their limited audiences
4. The Advertiser Reigns Supreme: Publishers don’t have the opportunity to negotiate for better bids. Once the advertiser makes a bid, the deal is done
To combat these problems, which is probably the biggest disadvantage of ad networks, publishers can focus on mediation solutions that enable them programmatically negotiate higher bids from buyers for each ad impression and let focusing on the most important, creating awesome apps
Have you tried ad mediation like Appodeal?

Tried it, can't say about all of the paragraphs mentioned above, but for now it works good for me, and actually better than AdMob itself, which I was using.