Our latest webinar of the Publisher Predictions was an insightful deep dive into the most pressing issues and opportunities shaping the publishing and adtech landscape. From decoding audience engagement to navigating the complexities of SSP consolidation, the session offered actionable strategies for publishers aiming to thrive in a dynamic market. If you missed it, here are the top takeaways you need to know:
1. Building Smarter Traffic Strategies with Identity Graphs and Audience Segmentation
Publishers are leveraging identity graphs to unlock deeper insights into their audience profiles, creating a bridge between anonymized data and identifiable user attributes. This enables more precise audience segmentation, allowing publishers to tailor content and advertising for higher engagement and ROI. SSO (Single Sign-On) has emerged as a pivotal tool for integrating these insights, ensuring a seamless user experience while safeguarding privacy.
Pro Tip from our experts: Use your content as a testing ground to refine audience segments – track what resonates and iterate to drive higher traffic quality. Look into data to drive your content strategy.
2. Video Monetization: Filling the Gaps with a Mobile-First Approach
Video continues to dominate the ad revenue conversations in 2024 and well into 2025, but it’s no longer enough to prioritize desktop placements. Mobile-first video monetization strategies are essential, especially as mobile traffic accounts for a growing share of publisher audiences, especially when targeting the younger mobile-first demographic. Publishers can improve fill rates and monetize short-form content by optimizing video placements and format, particularly on social platforms.
Pro Tip from our experts: Experiment with vertical and immersive video formats to capture mobile users’ attention in competitive feeds.
3. Monetization Diversification: The Power of Curation and Omnichannel SSPs
Publishers are strategically curating ad inventory and packaging premium placements to attract higher bids. By partnering with omnichannel SSPs, they’re diversifying programmatic ad spend across channels like video, display, and CTV, reducing reliance on any single ad type or buyer. Supply path optimization (SPO) is critical in creating transparency and efficiency for buyers, translating to stronger revenue for publishers.
Pro Tip from our experts: Regularly assess the performance of your SSP partners to ensure you’re maximizing omnichannel demand, being agile and adaptive.
4. The AI Evolution: Tracking User Behavior to Inform Strategy
AI/ML continues to transform how publishers understand and predict user behavior. Predictive algorithms enable content teams to anticipate trends and tailor experiences in real time, while monetization teams use AI to fine-tune programmatic auction strategies. However, successful implementation requires a balance of automation and human oversight to maintain brand integrity and user trust.
Pro Tip from our experts: Use AI to enhance first-party data insights but ensure editorial teams retain control over content narratives, thus maintaining competitive advantage regarding content refresh and contextual targeting.
5. SSP Consolidation: What It Means for Publishers
The ongoing consolidation of the SSP market is reshaping the adtech ecosystem. Publishers should proactively evaluate their SSP partnerships and diversify their demand sources to mitigate potential vulnerabilities.
Pro Tip from our experts: Look for SSP partners that align with your business model, offering transparency, innovation, and consistent support.
Connect with our Speakers:
Kurt Donnell
CEO
Heather Carver
CRO
Lindsay Valdez
VP, Audience Strategy
Jamie Murphy
VP, Product
