SSP vs. Monetization Platform: Understanding the Key Differences

The internet has become a primary channel for reaching target audiences. Everyone knows that if you want to engage with potential customers and ultimately drive business growth, then the internet is what you need. The result? Today digital advertising has evolved into a complex ecosystem. The kind that is critical to modern marketing strategies might I add. Anyway, programmatic advertising has emerged as an important aspect of modern digital advertising. This approach uses automated systems and algorithms to buy and sell digital ad space in real time. However, we have already established by now that the digital advertising ecosystem is complex. It involves multiple platforms and technologies that make it easier to buy and sell ad inventory. So, it makes sense for businesses to have a proper grasp of the roles and functionalities of these various platforms. At least if they are looking to advertise their products and services. And folks who own digital properties and want to monetize their online traffic through advertising? Yeah, they also need to wrap their heads around all this.

In this blog, I will discuss how a supply side platform is differentiated from a monetisation platform. I will also walk you through how each of them affects bidding.

SSPs Vs Monetisation Platforms: Key Differences You Ought to Know

Your income strategy may succeed or fail depending on the ad tech solution you choose. Although they have different functions, SSPs and monetization platforms both aid in maximizing profits. To maximize ad performance, it is essential to comprehend their primary distinctions. We explain each in this guide, along with which one is best for you. Let us examine which option best suits your monetization objectives.

●Demand sources: SSPs are primarily meant to connect publishers to various sources of advertising demand. These platforms integrate with a variety of ad exchanges and DSPs. That's not the case with monetization platforms though. They can have direct integrations with a diverse set of demand sources, as SSPs do. It is worth noting that a monetization platform may integrate with one or more SSPs to gain access to programmatic demand. However, their response to demand can be more diverse. They may also facilitate direct deals between publishers and advertisers and provide tools for managing their own ad sales teams.

●Technology: SSPs get specialized tech that optimize the programmatic selling process. An example in this context is header bidding. This technology is how publishers offer their ad inventory to multiple ad exchanges simultaneously. This increases competition for each impression, potentially leading to higher revenue. Monetization platforms may also use some of SSP technologies but they usually provide a broader range of tech solutions to help boost overall revenue generation. Some of such tools include those for managing direct ad sales campaigns and integrating with analytics platforms.

●Target audience: SSPs are for publishers who want to sell their ad inventory. This is not the case with monetization platforms. They cater to a wider set audiences looking to generate revenue from their online assets. This could include not only large publishers, but also individual bloggers and even smaller app developers with multiple ways to monetize their online presence.

●Area of focus: An SSP, as the name suggests, is about the supply side of the advertising ecosystem. These platforms are designed to assist publishers in effectively selling their ad inventory. But monetization platforms have a broader goal: to assist digital content creators and businesses in increasing overall revenue from their online assets.

●Bidding: SSPs directly impact bidding because they connect publishers to multiple ad exchanges and DSPs during real time auctions. They ensure that multiple advertisers compete for the publisher's ad inventory, resulting in higher bid prices. Monetization platforms influence bidding in various ways, depending on their features. Say a monetization platform is integrated with multiple SSPs, then it can have an impact on which demand sources participate in the bidding process and how they compete. Some monetization platforms may provide tools to set pricing floors or manage bidding rules across multiple SSPs, thereby indirectly influencing the final bid price.

Final Words

Clearly, there are plenty of differences between the two. Now, if you still need help deciding if you should opt for a supply side platform or the other, I advise you get in touch with an expert service provider right away.