Killer Features for a Brand-New SSP: Enhancing Publisher Monetization

The success of a supply-side platform (SSP) lies in its ability to enhance publisher monetization by providing robust and advanced features. This article delves into the essential features that can set a new SSP apart and ensure its longevity in the highly competitive digital advertising market. From technology and server cost optimization to automation and advanced features, this guide covers all the necessary points to consider.

Technology

When designing a SSP, it is crucial to have the capability to onboard various types of advertisers. Direct advertisers, API buyers, and RTB (Real-Time Bidding) buyers are the primary targets. An SSP should be able to:

On-board direct advertisers to target and bid on your traffic Support API buyers for automated requests and responses Handle RTB buyers and DSPs (Demand-Side Platforms) for real-time bidding

At a minimum, an SSP should be able to segment traffic against various targeting parameters (GA, CPA, CPM, etc.) and direct it to the buyer that offers the highest eCPM (effective cost per thousand impressions) or fill rate. However, to truly set an SSP apart, it should provide actionable reporting, which can:

Help publishers increase the eCPM where possible Reduce opportunity loss by optimizing fill rates Enable actions such as adjusting floor prices, redirecting traffic, and setting waterfalls based on bid responses

Server Costs

To manage server costs effectively, an SSP needs to address several key areas:

Data Out Costs: An SSP often requires requests to multiple bidders, leading to data fan-out costs. Some DSPs charge a fixed fee per bid request, which can become a significant expense. Optimizing this cost requires: Incorporating machine learning to selectively fan out requests based on bid indication Using multi-variate testing to determine if additional traffic might yield higher eCPMs Providing predictive and actionable reporting to publishers, giving them insight into bidding patterns and optimizing future traffic allocations

For very large SSPs handling billions of requests, intermediaries can help reduce costs by managing the fan-out and listening processes more efficiently.

Automation

A significant amount of time spent by publisher monetization teams is on gathering and analyzing reports. Automating this process can dramatically increase efficiency and reduce manual labor. This includes:

Automated reporting to save time and provide real-time insights into eCPMs Capacitating the SSP to adjust eCPM floors and demand pipelines based on performance data Providing actionable recommendations to publishers to maximize revenue

This automation will greatly enhance the publisher's ability to make data-driven decisions, leading to higher monetization rates.

Advanced Features

To further enhance a SSP, several advanced features can be implemented:

Header Bidding: This technique improves efficiency, user experience, and overall monetization by allowing publishers to run multiple bidding processes simultaneously. User Segmentation: Publishers can segment their users based on actions taken and serve them with targeted ads from specific demand sources. This can lead to a more personalized user experience and higher CPMs. Marketplace: Offering access to a wide range of demand and scale is crucial. An SSP that can monetize a publisher's inventory globally, onboard all DSPs and APIs, and facilitate direct advertising and private marketplaces will significantly enhance its value.

For a new SSP, a flexible approach is recommended, starting with middle-tier publishers and gradually moving up in size. Customizing the SSP to meet customer needs will be key to success. Alternatively, a tech solution that caters to the long-tail market would require advanced predictive fraud systems to succeed.

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