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

Ad networks available

what are other ad networks other than airpush,tapcontext,leadbolt and startapp available for android app integration?

gopineom said:
what are other ad networks other than airpush,tapcontext,leadbolt and startapp available for android app integration?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello @gopineom,
The best place I have found is on AppBrain. Their list of active ad networks not only break down the top 60+, but you can dig into them a little deeper by seeing what category of apps people are using. This is an indication of the success of those category per each network (http://www.appbrain.com/stats/libraries/ad), not saying others wouldn't work, I just use it as a guide.
I am actually curious your successes on the networks you mentioned, and why you would be looking at others?
Thanks!

Pingjam is a new ad network which doesn't spam
Pingjam is a new ad network for Android apps that adds a useful caller ID service to your app and shows only relevant ads in business phone calls. You are welcome to check us out :good:

In our experience it depends on your location, if you've got lots of US customers Amazon is a great choice. We've got a list of ad networks we're support for Android on AdFlake.com, scroll down to the bottom of the page.
But I recommend integrating AdFlake into your app, it supports 14 ad networks for Android (and we'll add more in the near future) so you only have to implement a single SDK and you'll get access to all networks and even more awesome features on top. You can even change the allocation after the deployment of the app.

Although they are not ad-networks per se, did you try the Burstly (now it is called skyrocketapp) and MoPub?

gopineom said:
what are other ad networks other than airpush,tapcontext,leadbolt and startapp available for android app integration?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey @gopineom. Did you have a look at Pollfish? Pollfish is a new interactive monetization method that delivers surveys instead of ads through mobile apps providing high payouts with minimal intrusion.

I have used Admob,airpush,leadbolt. SDK integration is easy and quick, smooth payment however they have one common thing: kinda low eCPM. So I switch to Adsota. Here is my opinion about it
Pros:
- Good eCPM
- Quick and smooth payment
- Work for IOS and Android
- 100% Fill-rate
Cons:
- It mainly targets Southest Asian users. (actually this is a pros for me)
I still use it today and you can find by googling "ads.appota"
Best of luck, mate!

@gopineom , if you'd like to try video advertising, would highly recommend you check out Teads.tv. We offer great CPMs, advertisers, and support for the integration. Not to mention that we currently have a big publisher sign-up bonus as well!

Solution to your Query
gopineom said:
what are other ad networks other than airpush,tapcontext,leadbolt and startapp available for android app integration?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are many Ad networks you can check out. My personal suggestion would be Affle. When my previous company was reaching out for the same problem's solution, we came across Affle and we have seen results. I would recommend you the same. You can post a query on their website about your requirements. You could also give my reference if required.

I'm in need of the unlock codes for my Samsung Galaxy exhibit SGH-T599N ,the phone and sim are locked
Thank you Darrylcpt.....

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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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

AD Networks for different applications

Hey guys,
I know there has been a couple threads about this topic but Im still having troubles distinguishing the different AD networks and potential revenues to be generated.
I was wondering what the 'secret' is to making money with mobile games. The AD revenues I have been getting from AdMob and Revmob aren' t making me feel like I am reaping the full benefits of my work.
What are your suggestions?
-Are Ad Networks the way to profit the most from your developments?
-How many Ad Networks do you guys implement?
-Which ones pay up the most?
-Which Ad Networks serve what purpose?(ex. AdMob for banner ads or Revmob for full screen? or both?)
-Are in-app purchases the way to go?(To unlock new levels, remove Ads, etc.)
Im in a huge dilemma after receiving $0.50 for over 1000 impressions. I was expecting to earn at least $3-5 like many Youtubers do(Which is less work then Game Development).
What are you suggestions we developers should take in order to maximize our revenues and reap the full benefits of our work. 1 week spent on an app and it makes $0.50? Thats just not reasonable. There has to be a 'secret' that people won't tell us.

It's a good idea to try out all the top ones if you have a large inventory.

There are many factors when trying to maximize yield from ad networks, couple of them being (on your end) what genre your app is, platforms you run on, and geos most of your users are based. On the network side, it's good to know what active advertisers they have running, and get them to give you an estimate of average eCPMs for apps like yours, and fill rates.
We have some of this data, but it is more on the user acquisition front (like Average CPI rates + Installs by genre/platform/geo) but it should be able to give you a good idea of what's out there, and maybe you can back it into a general eCPM. Link is in my signature.

Ad Networks

What ad network do you use to monetize your app?

Revtop media can help you if you are looking to monetize using ads. [email protected]

op27b2012 said:
What ad network do you use to monetize your app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Admob - my primary network.
Amazon - good, but only for US.
StartApp - Ads for all countries, but most antivirus ad.
MobFox - fill rate is dramatically low. I stopped to use.

op27b2012 said:
What ad network do you use to monetize your app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) AdMob is the biggest and most reliable one.
2) Appodeal, it's a programmatic mediation, so it covers several networks at a time. I'm also using AdMob through Appodeal, this allows to max revenue alone on AdMob 20-30%. The platforms itself makes networks to compete each other and chooses the best bid for ad impression.
3) Startapp. Also use it through Appodeal. They have very cool ads, rather creative.
4) MobFox - tried it for a while, and it's really ****ty. Except low fillrate you get huge SDK and dumb instructions.
BTW, @ScottRev which ad formats do you use?

Check out Facebook's Audience Network
Asmok78 said:
Admob - my primary network.
Amazon - good, but only for US.
StartApp - Ads for all countries, but most antivirus ad.
MobFox - fill rate is dramatically low. I stopped to use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can also check out Facebook's Audience Network on some case studies and learn about amazing revenues that publishers are receiving with people targeting.

Asmok78 said:
Admob - my primary network.
Amazon - good, but only for US.
StartApp - Ads for all countries, but most antivirus ad.
MobFox - fill rate is dramatically low. I stopped to use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Appnext, ios/android oriented, focusing on mobile apps and gaming apps, also started offering video ads

Admob (very good)
Avocarrot (low earnings but good)

Hi from HyperAdx
Hello, my name is Katerina. I represent Hyper Ad Platform.

op27b2012 said:
What ad network do you use to monetize your app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ping me for help

admob
Sent from my LENOVO A760 using Tapatalk

If you want to use one ad network you probably should try Admob. In the most cases it really plays better than the others compared face to face. But having installed only one ad network you will definitely lose some impressions, as they can't guarantee you 100% fill-rate. You should take at look at mediation services, which aggregate the best demand offers from multiple ad networks, perform an auction between them and put the most profitable ad in your app. I’d recommend to try something like Appodeal.

Hello, have you heard about Tappx? They pay in CPM and have a cross-promotion platform to exchange inventory with other developers to get users for free.