18 Best Advertising Networks For Indie Media Creators In 2024
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As a media creator, you invest a lot of time, effort, and money into creating quality content that people love. So it’s only fair that you get compensated for your efforts. Yet monetizing your work can sometimes be a challenge.
Advertising networks provide a great solution to this problem. They give you flexible options for generating income from your work. There are literally hundreds of networks you could partner with.
But with so many to choose from, where do you start? How do you identify the best CPM ad network for your purposes? No need to worry; I’ve got your back. In this article, I’ll bring you my top network picks and explain what’s great about each one.
Software Shortlist
Here’s the list of the best networks I’ll cover in this article.
- Media.net - Best for a large number of premium advertisers
- Google AdSense - Best for leveraging the power of Google Ads
- Amazon Associates - Amazon’s pay-per-performance ad network
- RollerAds - Best for unique optimization algorithms
- Bidvertiser - Best for a fully-transparent network
- Pangle - TikTok’s ad network with a real-time bidding system
- RevContent - Lighter widget for faster performance native ads
- Outbrain - Open web recommendation platform
- Taboola - Best for actionable editorial insights
- AdThrive - Best for higher revenue per mille
Comparison Criteria
What do I look for when selecting the best desktop and mobile advertising networks? Here’s a summary of my evaluation criteria:
- User Interface (UI): I look for a self-serve model that lets publishers set up and run their own campaigns
- Usability: I expect each network to combine advanced features with ease of use
- Integrations: I’m seeking integrations with tracking software and other media management tools
- Value for $: I look for networks that deliver acceptable CPMs, regardless of the bidding model used
Advertising Networks Key Features
Any ad network worthy of consideration should offer a wide range of features, including:
- Large size: you need many advertisers competing for ad impressions to drive up CPMs and enhance revenue
- Quality advertisers: premium brands and capable marketers with significant budgets to spend
- A variety of ad formats: publishers should be able to choose from multiple ad formats n multiple sizes
- Ad controls: the option to screen out any ads you consider shady or inappropriate
- Reliability: a robust platform that doesn’t slow down your site and delivers high up-time percentages
- Regular payments: a reliable payment schedule that ensures you get paid fast
- Multiple payment options: a choice of ways to get paid, including bank deposit and through fintech services such as Payoneer or PayPal
- Advanced reporting: analysis features that help you drill down into the data to see what’s working (and what’s not)
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Overviews Of The 10 Best Advertising Networks
Here’s a brief description of each advertising network to showcase each solution's best use case, some noteworthy features, and screenshots to give a snapshot of the user interface.
1. Media.net - Best for a large number of premium advertisers
Media.net is one of the best-established ad networks with a long track record of connecting publishers with top revenue sources. This platform boasts one of the largest pools of advertisers in the world.
Features include contextual ads for monetizing content, plus the ability to leverage searches from the massive Bing/Yahoo network. The Marketplace helps you tap into demand from direct advertisers and those using the real-time bidding (RTB) model.
The display ads option connects you with major buyer networks while also giving you strong relationships with horizontal, vertical, and performance networks. Using native ads, you can also benefit from the higher click-through rate and earnings this format offers.
The minimum payout threshold for publishers is $100.
2. Google AdSense - Best for leveraging the power of Google Ads
AdSense is Google’s contextual advertising service. This self-service platform connects publishers and advertisers and is one of the most popular sources of income for media companies.
A pioneer of contextual ads, this platform gives you access to the millions of advertisers in the Google network. Setting up ads is simply a matter of cutting and pasting code into your website, then monitoring your income.
Google Adsense offers multiple ad formats for both desktop and mobile, including video ads, text, image, and banner ad options. Multiple web properties can be managed through a single AdSense account.
The minimum payout threshold for publishers is $100.
3. Amazon Associates - Amazon’s pay-per-performance ad network
Amazon Associates is a pay-per-performance network. It was one of the earliest affiliate marketing programs and is now the largest by far. Associates (publishers) earn commissions when visitors click an affiliate link, then go on to purchase on Amazon.
Although the commission rates in some categories are low, associates benefit from Amazon’s global branding and unmatched ability to convert visitors into buyers. If a customer buys multiple items (through your affiliate link), you will earn commissions on all items purchased. As an Amazon Associate, you can choose from a wide selection of banners, text ads, interstitial ads, and other creative options.
The minimum payout threshold for publishers is $100.
4. RollerAds - Best for unique optimization algorithms
RollerAds offers a range of ad format options, including push notifications, on click, and in-page push. This self-service platform operates on a cost-per-click (CPC) pricing model. The network attracts large numbers of advertisers through its highly-targeted programmatic approach.
Getting started with RollerAds is easy, so you can have ads running within minutes. The built-in anti-fraud system increases trust and keeps the network safe and secure. The network offers smart targeting, and bids can begin at just $0.0001.
The minimum payout threshold for publishers is $100.
5. Bidvertiser - Best for a fully-transparent network
Bidvertiser is a popular ad network that guarantees full coverage for desktop and mobile worldwide. In-house AI technology is used to optimize ad performance and increase your revenues.
This network helps publishers make the best use of ad space, optimizing their traffic using JS Tags, XML, or other implementation models. Everything is controlled from a single self-service publisher control panel.
The Smartlink feature makes it easy for any small publisher to maximize revenue on autopilot. The AI technology calculates which ads will produce the most income and optimizes display accordingly.
The minimum payout threshold for publishers is $10.
6. Pangle - TikTok’s ad network with a real-time bidding system
Pangle is the ad network of TikTok for Business, allowing media companies to profit from the runaway success of this social media platform. App publishers of all sizes can maximize revenue using Pangle’s in-app ads. They can tap into the fast-growing marketplace of TikTok advertisers to generate a new source of revenue.
As one of the best video ad network choices, Pangle offers a range of formats designed to boost revenue. The system matches ads with your mobile app to achieve the best possible eCPM based on real-time bidding.
The minimum payout threshold for publishers is $10.
7. RevContent - Lighter widget for faster performance native ads
RevContent is a top-tier native ad network focused primarily on native ads. It aims to provide publishers with ads that are less disruptive and take up less screen real estate. This reduces scrolling and generates more clicks.
This network delivers fast, scalable performance by using lighter widgets and reducing page latency. The software eliminates the need for cookies, delivering first-party data directly to the publisher. It's also easy to track trends, reduce revenue fluctuations and manage seasonal volatility. Custom data visualizations provide the data insights needed to make better decisions.
The minimum payout threshold for publishers is $10.
8. Outbrain - Open web recommendation platform
Outbrain is a premier ad network with a huge amount of ad inventory, offering advanced features for media owners. To ensure quality for publishers, advertisers must adhere to strict guidelines, and a human review team evaluates ads. Smart-ads technology maximizes engagement and revenue per mille (RPM) at every stage.
The recommendation software maximizes monetization and engagement across many environments. Based on visitor segments, audience rules help you customize your engagement strategy to optimize ad revenue. Outbrain includes a dashboard with tools that provide insights and 24/7 reporting.
The minimum payout threshold for publishers is $50.
9. Taboola - Best for actionable editorial insights
Taboola is a well-established native advertising network that drives revenue across all platforms, including websites, apps, and newsletters. The engagement tools keep users coming back and maximizes their time on site and encourages increased pages per session.
The network allows editorial teams to enhance content, using actionable data insights provided by the reporting tools. They can also perform A/B tests and get alerts when important events occur.
Other features include a scrolling news feed experience that keeps visitors on your site longer and helps to build your audience. In addition, the ad exchange allows you to trade traffic with partner and third-party sites.
The minimum payout threshold for publishers is $50.
10. AdThrive - Best for higher revenue per mille
AdThrive is an advertising network that aims to maximize the revenues earned by publishers from each ad unit. This goal is achieved through custom ad strategies and access to premium ad campaign options. These have the potential to increase RPM growth by 75%.
AI content recommendations and keyword analysis tools help you maximize engagement. AdThrive uses proprietary technology to create a better user experience and increase the length of user sessions.
The minimum payout threshold for publishers is $50.
Other Options
Here are a few more alternative ad networks that didn’t make the top list.
- LinkedIn Business - Perfect for B2B advertising
- Mediavine - Well-established, reputable ad network
- Ezoic - Great self-serve option for publishers
- Adcash - Easy way to monetize your traffic
- Clickadu - Premium platform for web and mobile ads
- Ad Maven - Best for proprietary optimization tools
- Hilltop Ads - Best for a wide range of payment options
- PopAds - Network that specializes in popunders
Other Advertising & Promotion Software Reviews
Here are some related lists of software reviews that you may find useful when considering how to advertise and promote your content online.
- SEO Audit Tools
- Online Community Software
- Content Planning Software
- Social Media Advertising Software
- Audio Advertising Software
- Affiliate Networks
- Advertising Networks
- Mobile Advertising Platforms
What Do You Think About This List?
Did I include all your favorite desktop and mobile ad networks? Let us know what you think in the comments below. We welcome good ideas and suggestions from readers.
Also, take a moment to download our media kit template. It’s free and will help you on your way to greater success in the media world.
The indie media world is changing fast, with amazing new technologies and opportunities emerging at a rapid pace. So be sure to visit the Indie Media Club often. We’ll keep you up to date with everything you need to know.
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