How do you implement header bidding or RTB on your website? Which monetization solution offers the highest CPMs? What’s the best way to A/B test content, ad units, or ad networks?
These sorts of questions are crucial for revenue gains in today’s digital publishing environment. But, and this isn’t a small but, the answers aren’t always easy to come by.
To help solve that problem, we’ve created a list of the best resources publishers and digital ad pros should follow in order to learn the industry and grow their professional skills. Each of the websites we’ve carefully selected offer a unique set of features, perspectives, and user experiences, so we hope you’ll find something you like. Now, let’s get to em’.
– Digiday
What makes Digiday unique? If you’re new to the digital publishing or digital advertising industry, Digiday is the first place I’d send you. What I love about Digiday’s writing style is that every article they publish offers deep analysis for industry veterans, while writing simply and clearly enough to appeal to beginners. The site is also a pleasure to read with its simple feel, quick loading times, and killer mobile site.
Coolest feature? It’s TLDR feature allows readers to get a quick synopsis of every article so you can learn what’s going on in the industry quickly and easily decide which articles you want to read more in depth. Also, Digiday offers “7 things to know” in the beginning of each of their daily newsletters. It hits on the biggest stories of each day with just one quick sentence, giving readers a rundown of what’s happening that day.
The numbers? Digiday gets over 1.7 million hits a month and its variety of email newsletters reach more than 175,000 global readers.
– AdPushup Blog
What make the AdPushup blog unique? The AdPushup blog is really useful because they cover a wide range of industry topics in a lot of detail. Their content team will write about anything from user experience to revenue optimization to Google Analytics. Additionally, if you are a publisher looking for a new monetization tool or a high-paying ad network, AdPushup publishes helpful articles such as “Best Paying CPC Networks” or “Best Native Ad Networks.”
Coolest feature? AdPushup utilizes a lot of images and graphs throughout its articles to visualize information and simplify complicated concepts and technologies.
The numbers? AdPushup has over 17,000 newsletter subscribers, 1000+ publisher partners, and gets around 300,000 hits a month.
– AdExchanger
What makes AdExchanger unique? AdExchanger is the top site I go to when I want to understand the ideas and opinions of major digital publishing and advertising thought leaders. It’s where you can get the pulse of the industry, a place to exchange ideas and learn from the best. Aside from their insightful articles, AdExchanger puts out a unique podcast called “AdExchanger Talks” that discusses major data and technology issues in online advertising. It’s well worth the listen.
Coolest feature? AdExchanger runs a very active LinkedIn group called “AdExchanger’s Exchange” where publishers, advertisers, agencies, and data providers can come together to connect, share tips, and offer advice.\
The numbers? AdExchanger gets over 500,000 hits a month, runs 3 major industry events every year, and has over 11,000 professionals in its LinkedIn group.
– Nieman Journalism Lab
What makes Nieman Journalism Lab unique? Nieman Lab is a website founded and run at Harvard University and is particularly useful for publishers that are more focused on the editorial side of digital publishing. The site covers the future of journalism in the digital age, but offers publishers and digital advertising professionals a glimpse into what today’s digital newspapers are doing to improve their technologies and better monetize. If there is one word I’d use to describe Nieman it’s quality. The site has strict editorial standards and prefers quality over quantity.
Coolest feature? Nieman has a really cool section called “Encyclo,” which features encyclopedic descriptions and information about the biggest online publishers, newspapers, journalism organizations, and tech companies involved in the industry.
The numbers? Nieman gets over 600,000 hits a month, has over 65,000 followers on Facebook, and over 257,000 on Twitter.
– AdMonsters
What makes AdMonsters unique? AdMonsters is an especially useful resource for publishers and digital ad pros looking to improve their technical skills. The site uses a lot of industry specific terms, but is really adept at simplifying complicated concepts. My favorite articles on the site are the numerous industry interviews conducted by AdMonster’s editorial team.
Coolest feature? Looking for a job? AdMonster runs a very active job board where publishers, adtech startups, media groups, and data companies post industry jobs frequently.
The numbers? AdMonster was founded in 1999, runs 4 major industry events, and has over 30,000 followers on Twitter.
– Publishing Executive
What makes Publishing Executive unique? Publishing Executive is an excellent resource for digital publishers and digital ad pros looking to expand their skills and gain insight into the industry. The site offers a wide range of topics including monetization, content strategy, adtech industry news, digital publishing trends, and interviews with top publishing and adtech executives.
Coolest feature? I would highly recommend subscribing to PubExec’s email newsletters. They aren’t overly frequent and they are a great way to keep a pulse on the industry. PubExec also offers a wide range of webinars. I haven’t had the chance to participate in one yet, but if they’re as good as PubExec’s site content, I’m sure they are well worth the time.
The numbers? PubExec reaches more than 12,000 industry executives, gets over 40,000 hits a month, and has over 4,000 followers on Twitter.
– Thalamus
What makes Thalamus unique? Thalamus is one of the best places to go when you want to keep up with major trends and see the big picture of what’s happening in the industry. Thalamus offers one of the industry’s largest databases of ad vendors, a real-time news aggregator, and a top-notch blog. Thalamus’ real-time news aggregator is broken up into five major sections depending on what you’re interested in: Advertising, affiliate marketing, general marketing, mobile gaming, and technology.
Finally, Thalamus has a Marketplace where direct advertisers and agencies can post campaigns and ad vendors can apply. It’s 100% free, and they’ve already had $10M+ in campaigns listed on the site.
Coolest feature? The Thalamus blog provides lists of the top ad networks and adtech companies around the world based on geos. This can be very helpful for publishers looking to grow their revenues with additional monetization solutions. I’d recommend taking a look at The Ultimate List of Israel Ad Networks or The Ultimate List of Indian Ad Networks.
The numbers? Thalamus was founded in 2014, has over 50,000 ad partners, and gets over 200,000 hits a month.
– Imonomy Blog
What makes the Imonomy blog unique? We’re admittedly biased, but we really do offer some of the best content for publishers and advertisers in the industry 🙂 You are reading this right now, aren’t you?
We write about everything from ad revenue optimization to mobile monetization with an emphasis on helping publishers make the most of their sites’ images. Everything we write offers deep analysis and we’re dedicated to making sure publishers and advertisers get better at their jobs.
Coolest feature? Our E-books are written to help publishers increase their revenues. Rather see for yourself? Take a look at our most recent E-Book: The Publishers’ UX Guide To Increasing Site Revenue.
The numbers? We work with around 400 top-tier publishers, get over 240,000 hits a month, and operate in over 20 countries.
– MediaPost
What makes MediaPost unique? Aside from their top-notch content, MediaPost is an excellent resource because they have something for everyone. Interested in RTB? Native? Email marketing? Social media? SEO? Programmatic? MediaPost offers content for every one of these topics and a lot more. Even better, you can subscribe to a newsletter for the niche subject you’re interested in.
Coolest feature? MediaPost is a powerhouse and they offer tons of niche newsletters and industry events. Another thing I love about their website is their “Today’s Most Read News” and “Today’s Most Commented On,” which is a great resource when you want to quickly see the biggest stories of the day or find content that’s engaging the industry.
The numbers? MediaPost sends more than 70 niche newsletters, holds 40+ annual industry events, and gets over 690,000 hits a month.
– AdWeek
What makes AdWeek unique? When I want to understand what’s happening in the online advertising or general advertising industry I go to AdWeek. Founded in 1978, AdWeek has become one of the largest advertising trade publications and they cover nearly everything in the industry. Curious what the biggest commercials will be during this year’s Super Bowl? AdWeek is the first place I’d go.
Coolest feature? AdWeek has a large network of niche blogs that cover everything from social media to TV advertising to pop culture. But, my real favorite AdWeek feature? I’m a bit of an old soul and love reading print magazines. AdWeek offers an affordable print version as well as an iPad magazine app for those of you with more modern tastes.
The numbers? AdWeek gets a whopping 11.5 million hits a month, owns and manages over 10 niche industry blogs, and has over 530,000 followers on Twitter.
– Advertising Age
What makes Advertising Age unique? AdAge is another great resource for staying up-to-date and learning about the advertising industry. What really stands out to me about AdAge is the site’s clean and beautiful design. As a reader, I love browsing the site because of its simplicity and powerful use of images and videos.
In addition, AdAge’s content offers deep analysis of the industry, which allows you as a reader to not only learn about what’s happening in the industry, but to learn why a news event is important and what it means for the future of the industry.
Coolest feature? AdAge On Campus is a really cool feature that’s geared towards students studying advertising, marketing, media, and PR. The program allows students to access a wealth of data information, professional tips and advice for the industry, and a huge glossary of important industry terms.
The numbers? AdAge gets over 2.4 million hits a month, has over 920,000 followers on Twitter, and has almost 60,000 print subscribers.
– DigitalAdBlog
What makes DigitalAdBlog unique? DigitalAdBlog covers a variety of topics in digital advertising such as social media, ad operations, and ad blocking. The site is particularly useful for adtech and ad ops professionals. They have over 330 quality blog posts and a very solid social media following.
Coolest feature? DigitalAdBlog has some of the best content on digital advertising trends in the industry and their content often includes detailed and insightful infographics. Two recent trends articles I’d recommend are The Future of Mobile Advertising is Native and 2017 Programmatic Trends Publishers Should Know.
The numbers? DigitalAdBlog gets almost 20,000 hits a month, has over 5,000 followers on social media, and has over 335 quality blog posts.
– Digital Content Next
What makes Digital Content Next unique? The DCN is an industry trade organization dedicated to the needs of high-quality digital content companies. They are a very research-focused organization and their website offers high-quality articles based on their extensive research. Because they have many advertising and publishing executives as members, their content is primarily written by big-name experts in the industry.
Coolest feature? DCN’s “Perspectives” section on their website includes articles written by executives from AOL, Outbrain, The Media Trust, Vox Media, and many more.
The numbers? DCN works with over 80 top-tier publisher members, has an unduplicated audience of 230 million unique visitors, and has over 5,000 followers on social media.
– Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)
What makes IAB unique? IAB is one of the first places I go when doing research on the digital advertising industry. The site offers numerous digital media research reports, industry best practices advice, thought leadership articles, and major industry news. I particularly enjoy watching and learning from IAB’s webinars, panels, and lectures, many of them available on their YouTube channel.
Coolest feature? IAB has a tremendous online learning resource center. They offer webinars, online classes, and certifications for digital sales, media buying & planning, digital data solutions, ad operations, and more. IAB’s learning center is certainly one of the best in the industry.
The numbers? IAB is comprised of more than 650 leading media and technology companies, gets over 500,000 hits a month, and has almost 90,000 followers on Twitter.
– PubNation Blog
What makes PubNation unique? PubNation is where I go when I want to learn about ad measurement, data transparency, and ad revenue optimization. Ad measurement is one of the hottest topics in the industry today and I believe that understanding it thoroughly is more critical than ever for publishers and digital ad professionals.
Coolest feature? PubNation writes high-quality and easy-to-understand guides and lists for publishers and digital ad pros to optimize their revenues. Take a look at How to Manage Programmatic Ad Quality: A Survival Guide for Publishers or 27 Ad Units to Monetize Mobile. I guarantee you’ll learn something useful.
The numbers? PubNation was founded in 2015 and gets over 10,000 hits a month.
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