Top 8 Mobile Advertising Platforms for 2019

The rise in smartphone popularity and use led to a whole new avenue in marketing — mobile marketing and mobile advertising. The adtech industry grew substantially, and now we have multiple mobile advertising platforms that provide the infrastructure for publishers and advertisers to purchase ad spots on mobile websites and apps. Let’s look at some of the best mobile ad platforms this year.

Consumers spend over five hoursOpens a new window on their smartphones every day. The subsequent increase in time spent watching videos has led to a multitude of ad platforms, providing distinct features for publishers and advertisers, making it tough to decide which mobile advertising platform is best suited for your marketing objectives. We compiled a list of the top platforms you could consider using as per your mobile marketing needs.

Learn More: The Trends That Will Define Mobile Advertising in 2019Opens a new window

Best Mobile Advertising Platforms for 2019

Most mobile advertising platforms provide a dashboard where you can create and manage campaigns, report and analyze ad performance, set and modify campaign budgets, identify target audiences, etc.

Let’s look at the top mobile advertising platforms and what they have to offer.

1. Google Ads and AdMob
 

Google supports online advertising with Google AdsOpens a new window , one of the most popular advertising platforms for the web and mobile. Various ad-formats such as banners, in-app, and video ads are supported. You can target only smartphones and tablets, using device targeting for display ads. For mobile devices, you can choose from text, image, video, and True View ads. The USP of Google Ads is that they show up when the user searches for a related product (or service), making them more relevant and more likely to be noticed. You can set goals such as website visits, customer calls, increased footfall, and you can also set an advertising budget.

AdMobOpens a new window is one of the largest mobile advertising platforms to monetize your mobile apps. Acquired by Google in 2010, AdMob has evolved to use other Google technologies like AdSense to enable optimized revenue growth. AdMob platform helps you integrate high-performing ad formats such as native ads, banner ads, video and interstitial ads into your app. It’s robust reporting and analytics features offer rich insights into how users engage with mobile app and ads and enable decisions to improve customer experience and mobile revenue.

2. Facebook and Instagram Ads
 

If you want to reach out to a highly engaged audience, anytime, anywhere, Facebook and InstagramOpens a new window for business are the right mobile advertising platforms for you. Both Facebook (the most downloaded app of all timesOpens a new window ) and Instagram, a mobile-first platform, are the hot favorites among advertisers. Facebook ads offer versatile ad formats, viz. photo, video, stories, messenger, carousel, slideshow, collection, and playable ads. You can choose to run ads across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Audience Network. Creating ad campaigns is a self-service mechanism where advertisers can identify ad objectives such as brand awareness, app installs, reach, views, lead generation, etc. Audience selection tools help you choose your target audience. You can also track performance and tweak your campaigns accordingly.

Facebook Business also has a section called Instant ExperienceOpens a new window , a mobile-only, full-screen experience that brings your brand or products and services to life. You can use it to tell a story in all ad formats of Facebook Ads.

3. AppLovin
 

AppLovinOpens a new window is a growth engine for gaming apps. Marketers can use AppLovin to design and build games to acquire new users, access insights, and publish your games. What’s special about AppLovin is that you can integrate major ad formats (banner, interstitial, video, playable, narrative) into your games. You can use the data (you have access to an extensive database of users) and algorithms to build campaigns to target users who are more likely to download. Powerful, in-depth analytics can help you make smart decisions to improve campaigns and optimize for greater ROI.

4. Unity
 

Unity AdsOpens a new window is a robust mobile advertising platform for game development and it helps developers monetize their entire player base. It is easy to set-up and integrates games, even those built on other platforms with Unity Monetization 3.0. Marketers can target players that are likely to be interested to try a new game. It supports diverse ad formats including rewarded video (that offer coins/coupons for watching ads) and AR to enhance the player experience and boost CPM results. Unity leverages rewarded videos to drive user engagement and in turn, revenue.

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5. Apple Search Ads
 

You can have your app appear at the top of the App Store searchOpens a new window results page to drive app discovery and push app installs, the developer pays per install. Like Google and Facebook, you can set your goals, manage campaigns, and track performance. With the advanced version of Apple Search Ads, you can also select target keywords and audiences. The crucial factors for your ad to show up include, relevance to the users’ search query, descriptive metadata with the right keywords, and user response (for example, when they tap on an ad).

6. Twitter Ads
 

If you are looking for an audience that is eager to stay updated and engages with brief information, try Twitter AdsOpens a new window . Apart from choosing your campaign objective and target audience (you can select your audience based on their location too). Twitter Ads run on an auction where you can set up your own bid or use automatic bidding to decide as per your budget and goals. And you only pay for user actions, such as app install.

7. AdColony

AdColonyOpens a new window specializes in interactive, HD video, and rich media ads. These innovative ad formats amplify the in-app experience, which drives engagement and improves revenue. AdColony is a one-stop shop to create compelling ad experiences powered by creativity, data, and technology to drive conversions, traffic, footfall, and other meaningful outcomes.

8. Snapchat

Snapchat AdsOpens a new window deserve a special mention among our top mobile advertising platforms. Although Snapchat is a relatively young player in the market, you can evaluate Snapchat for its diverse features such as natural, organic content, augmented reality, fun and engaging filters and much more. If you are targeting a relatively young audience, especially Millennials and Gen Z, Snap Ads are definitely worth a try, provided they fit your budget.

Apart from the above mentioned mobile advertising platforms, you can also check out VungleOpens a new window , InMobiOpens a new window , ChartboostOpens a new window , FlurryOpens a new window , StartAppOpens a new window , SmaatoOpens a new window , Millennial MediaOpens a new window too.

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Key Takeaway for Marketers

When selecting a mobile advertising platform for your advertising goals, ask yourself the following questions:

• Who is your target audience?
• Where does your user-base spend most of their time? Gaming apps? Social networks?
• Have you identified their buying and search patterns?
• Which devices do they use to search and purchase products on?
•  What are your advertising objectives?
• What is your budget?
• What ad formats would you use for your campaign?
• Does the advertising platform offer a large inventory of ad placements?
• Does the mobile advertising platform support analytics and targeting?
   

There is no ‘perfect’ mobile advertising platform, but you can find the one that best fits your requirement, once you address the above questions.

What are you looking for in a mobile advertising platform? Tell us on TwitterOpens a new window or LinkedInOpens a new window or FacebookOpens a new window ; we’re always listening!