What is an Ad Server?
Martech Outlook | Monday, April 19, 2021
The majority of ad serving systems have centralized solutions that merge all types of ads simultaneously. Ad networks also use full-stack ad tech products because they enable them to handle both supply and demand-side partners from a single interface.
FREMONT, CA : An ad server is the cornerstone of effective cross-channel advertising. Recognizing what an ad server is and how the ad server works is the ad tech knowledge foundation, a number one stop in the advertising journey. Take a look at the ad serving process below.
An ad server is a web server that stores advertisement data and distributes it to various digital platforms, websites, and mobile apps. Like a web server, the ad server stores all data about the website and presents related pages to the end-user. It also places advertisements in the right places and shows them to the right people.
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Modern ad servers have outgrown their original feature. They are no longer just plain data storage and transmission programs. Ad server software today enables one to monitor and optimize the media buying activities and host and serve ads. Ad servers are now known as cross-channel ad serving networks, with analytics, output monitoring, and other sophisticated algorithms, thanks to this ad-tech breakthrough.
Ad servers are split into two categories: first-party and third-party. Publishers use the first piece of software, while marketers use the second. The majority of ad serving systems have centralized solutions that merge all types of ads simultaneously. Ad networks also use full-stack ad tech products because they enable them to handle both supply and demand-side partners from a single interface.
Advantages of Employing Ad Serving Platforms for Publishers
Ad serving can be achieved the old-fashioned way by emailing partners and negotiating with them separately. This strategy, apart from being inconvenient, is not feasible today. Instead of being bogged down in the past, advertisers now benefit from using a 1st-party ad server for the following reasons:
- Connect with a range of demand partners and control the joint campaigns from a single interface.
- Set up predefined criteria, also known as zone rules, to serve ads automatically.
- Get consolidated reports for the placements and track views, clicks, and conversions.
- Optimize ad placements to increase monetization revenue.
- Participate in a waterfall and RTB (Real-Time Bidding) auction to optimize each slot's inventory fill rates.
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