We are living in the era of ad monetization.
Ad revenue is an increasingly important part of a developer's monetization strategy, and the technologies, solutions, and services offered in our industry need to reflect that.
That’s where ironSource’s impression level revenue (ILR) solution comes in, which gives app developers the ability to accurately measure ad revenue on the device level, and link that data to the marketing channel which brought in that specific device.
By revealing how much in-app advertising revenue each individual device generates across all networks, and attributing that revenue to the relevant marketing channel, impression level revenue empowers app developers to dramatically optimize both their monetization and user acquisition activities.
The current landscape
The lack of accurate device-level data on ad revenue has been a significant blind spot for both monetization and user acquisition managers, especially with the rising importance of ad monetization, which App Annie predicts will more than double by 2020 to $120B globally.
Up until today, the efficiency of user acquisition spend was evaluated solely in terms of in-app purchase revenue generated by acquired users, which left app marketers in the dark about potential top performing marketing channels bringing in high-value users in terms of ad monetization. For any developer monetizing through ads, impression level revenue ensures that no marketing channel is mistakenly blacklisted or disregarded, thus maximizing overall revenue.
What we’ve done
Our solution is unique in that it leverages data from their mobile ad mediation platform to show accurate, device-level data on ad revenue generated from across all the major ad networks. By then partnering with the leading attribution companies to gain insights into user acquisition channels, we are essentially closing the loop on monetization and marketing. Developers will be able to see the ad revenue generated by acquired devices through the dashboards of any participating attribution provider - Adjust, AppsFlyer, Kochava, Singular and Tenjin. Those using our mediation platform will be able to see the complete breakdown by network.
Impression level revenue is the only solution able to offer app marketers a way to access accurate data on the ad revenue generated by users acquired through specific networks, and to then attribute that revenue correctly. Critically, this enables app marketers and user acquisition managers to shift campaign optimization from a retention-based model to an ARPU/ROAS - based model which takes account of ad revenue as well.
Creating a comprehensive view of your marketing efforts
“We developed this capability to enable our partners to finally generate profitable and efficient user acquisition across all the marketing channels,” said Tal Shoham COO Developer Solutions at ironSource. “As a mediation provider we have visibility that other networks simply don’t have, allowing us to provide a picture of ad revenue generated across all the top networks. Coupled with our partnerships with the leading attribution providers, we’re able to generate a comprehensive view of the monetization and marketing cycle that no company has managed before. This is a true game changer. It allows an app marketer to not only bid accurately but it gives them the confidence that their marketing investment is indeed profitable.”
It’s already working
“The impression level revenue solution from ironSource greatly enhances our user acquisition campaign management and optimization,” said Jeff Gurian, VP Marketing & Ad Monetization at Kongregate. “Previously we were estimating this revenue based on in game ad events and extrapolating the impact to LTVs, which has some known drawbacks. The User Ad Revenue solution enables us to spend more efficiently across our marketing channels by providing a more accurate view of revenue across all ad types. This ultimately moves our business forward on many different levels.”
“Our vision is to create an offering which functions as a one-stop-shop for developers looking for growth solutions - whether that’s monetization, user acquisition, or deep data insights,” continued Shoham. “A central part of that mission is to forge connections between different parts of an app’s business to make the whole work more efficiently, and impression level revenue fits perfectly within that mission.”
