If you're like us and intrigued by the vast number of ads letting you know that you, too, can become a self-made millionaire, working from home? then you may enjoy this series. ;)
In this new series, we'll teach you what you need to know to become a successful (although maybe not a millionaire just yet!) media buyer.
This first part will cover the basics of media buying ? a general overview of what media buying actually is, consists of, and we?ll explore the different ad networks as if you were just starting out. For our more established readers on GFY (and we know there?s a large number of you), sit back, relax, and breeze by with this refresher course.
What is media buying?
Some people like to use a busy highway/billboard analogy to better understand the concept of media buying.
The ad networks represent the billboard space, the billboards represent the ad space, and the sites they?re featured on act as the busy highways.
Think of the media buyer as a trader, buying low and selling high, but with ads instead of stocks.
He looks for the best ad placements and aims to monetize the traffic with the highest paying ad programs.
The more expensive the spot, the greater likelihood your ad will be seen by more people.
Remember, high traffic websites are like prime pieces of real estate: well positioned on a busy street corner with plenty of passersby.
A lot of publishers and advertisers are in fact, media buyers themselves.
If by chance they?re not, they?ll sure want to collaborate with one.
One who?s a smooth sailin?, hair slicked back kind-of-guy, skilled in his trade, and one who lives and breathes business.
In other words, the media buyer?s a middleman.
And because he?s a solo act, it?s far easier to deal with him than a bunch of small time publishers.
Traffic Types
First things first, a media buyer needs to buy traffic if he wants to do well in this business.. But not just any traffic ? a treasure trove of traffic holding tens of thousands of visitors is more like it. Since this kind of traffic volume is not typically attained through one website alone, the smart and savvy media buyer will always try to diversify his sources. Unfortunately, all traffic types are not created equal? and since the media buyer doesn?t create traffic, he has to buy it. Here?s what you can usually expect to find on the market:
RON ? Rotation on network
This is a campaign in which your ads rotate on a network of sites; spots that are part of a packaged deal and can?t be sold separately. This traffic typically consists of different sources (websites, blogs, forums, etc?) and this in turn, creates the RON.
"Have a good RON for your money!"
Be careful though! A RON can mask top converting or rubbish traffic. Therefore, take a closer look at domain names ending in .tk and traffic coming from from any unindustrialized countries because they usually don?t convert as well. In some cases, some of the great ad networks allow you to blacklist, or in some much rarer cases, whitelist some of their RON traffic.
REMNANT
Remnant traffic is traffic at a discount.
Essentially, it?s the leftovers; it?s traffic the biggest media buyers in the game couldn?t do much with? and that is why it?s sold at such bargain prices.
But you know the saying, the leftovers of others make a feast for some! The harder-to-convert traffic of industry players may actually be to your benefit if you have a decent geo-targeting strategy? or access to the most efficient geo-matic tools? *Wink wink*
Traffic providers
Now that we?ve seen WHAT you can buy, it?s time to see WHO you can buy it from.
The everyday life of a media buyer is scattered with intermediaries: He or she is a professional networker by trade.
The Ad Network
The ad network is one helluva player in the industry: It?s the company that serves as a bridging point ? as traffic broker ? connecting buyers and sellers alike. The ad network can be thought of as a conductor in an orchestra leading a symphony of publishers and advertisers ? baton in one hand, traffic in the other.
You may be wondering, why go through a broker at all? Well, since the network purchases higher volumes of traffic over a longer period of time, it has access to a larger array of traffic types at a more reasonable price. It?s always better to get your feet wet in something new once you have a basic understanding of what?s to be done? and in this case, ad networks make traffic buying simpler. They make traffic buying for the beginner easy to do and they tend to offer support if you run into trouble along the way.
Among some of the best adult ad networks out there, there?s
TrafficHaus,
TrafficJunky,
Traffic Force,
TrafficFactory,
JuicyAds,
AdXpansion,
ExoClick,
PlugRush,
EroAdvertising, and
Star-Advertising. We apologize if we left any out, there's just so many! Feel free to comment your favorite.
Usually, these networks sell traffic through flat rate deals or to the highest bidder.
The Webmaster
For those who think that the independant, self-made and successful online entrepreneur is a thing of the past, you better check yourself before you wreck yourself! There are still a lot of site owners out there that won?t sell their ad space to networks. They themselves prefer dealing with their own site?s traffic monetization operations.
The lone webmaster might look like an ant compared to the big, powerful ad networks out there but hey, as you know, when you put a bunch of ants together, they build wonders.
By working directly with a few skilled webmasters and including them into your inner circle? well, just prepare to be a traffic magnet! (being a chick magnet is cool, traffic magnet? That PAYS)
With like minded individuals and great traffic on your side, you?ll soon be on your way, riding off into the sunset in your brand new Porsche.
Or Ferrari.
Or Lambo?
Well, if that?s the case, you may not be reading these Educational series anymore ;)
If not, bear with us as this was just a short intro into the wonderful ? yet complex ? world of media buying.
In the next educational series, we?ll learn how to efficiently monetize the traffic you just bought and we?ll even share the mathematical secrets behind a successful media buyer?s campaign, and happiness!
