According to a survey conducted by AdColony, which wanted to see how publishers of the world’s top apps monetize and engage their users in a meaningful way, advertising accounts for 55% of total mobile publisher revenue.
The greatest contributor to this category is mobile video ad monetization, as 31% of mobile publisher revenue comes from mobile video ads.
Outside of advertising, publishers are far more likely to make money through direct in-app purchases than they are from paid installs or subscriptions. In fact, in-app purchases was the single greatest individual revenue contributor cited, driving 39% of total publisher revenue.
Albeit not too surprising given the fact that users opt-in to rewarded video ads, a vast majority of publishers (87%) feel that rewarded video ad placements provide a positive user experience.
The next most favorable ad units were those that are well-integrated (native), short in duration (interstitial display), engaging (playable), or modest in stature (banner display). The least favorable ads were those that auto-played before (preroll) or amongst (in-feed) content.
The most popular engagement methods used by publishers were achievements, push notifications, value exchange ad integrations, and in-app events. This suggests that users must be rewarded & reminded while content must be refreshed.
