Ads, when implemented correctly, offer a lucrative way to drive revenue.
One of the critical elements to success is ensuring that your ads match the needs of your users – this will give you the highest return.
Here are some of the more popular ad services out there:
AdMob – This is Google’s network for mobile although it isn’t just for Android apps and can be integrated into iOS. They work on a CPM (cost-perthousand-impressions) or CPC (cost-per-click) basis with a variety of options for banner placement and an SDK that is pretty easy to install.
iAds – This is Apple’s home-grown ad network and is managed through your iTunes Connect dashboard. You have some control over what ads you serve and most developers should find it easy to integrate into any iOS app.
Playhaven – This is a Cost-Per-Install (CPI) network that gets integrated into your app. This is ideally suited for games and can include a button such as “More Games” which drives through to a dynamically served menu of free games for the user. The SDK is moderately complex to install however they do a great job of matching game styles with your app.
Chartboost – This is another Cost-Per-Install (CPI) network however they have a strong focus on running popup ads. Their SDK is easy to install and you have a variety of options from a configuration perspective. There is also a great analytics dashboard that provides real-time updates of your app activity.
Revmob – This is a great option for people looking to earn good money with a free, advertising supported app. There are a variety of ads to choose from including banners, pop-ups and full screen ads and can be simply installed with a single line of code.
Millennialmedia – One of the original big players in mobile advertising they are still around and are probably rated as the leading independent player in mobile outside of Google. While Millenialmedia’s ad costs are relatively high their main business is in serving premium ads, not programmatic buying and a large investment has been made in serving video ads. With a 3-IN-1 SDK developers can incorporate premium brand video, rich media and banner ads into their apps with one SDK.
InMobi – InMobi has focused on helping app developers expand their reach through the growth of their international network. Claiming a reach of 691 million unique users globally, InMobi’s networks reach through a myriad of exchanges covering 165 countries. With users seeing InMobi’s ads, on average, 135 times per month, their reach is second only to Facebook. The InMobi SDK is easy to install with just 3 lines of code and is available for Apple, Android and Windows devices.
You can find more information on the Top 10 Mobile Advertising Companies in this great article over at Venture Beat:
http://venturebeat.com/2013/06/12/the-top-10-mobile-advertising-companies/