In Part 1, we showed how cooperation between competitors can build trust and transparency across the digital advertising landscape.
But competition has its own kind of power — the kind that drives progress.
In this part, we’re looking at how healthy rivalry pushes networks, advertisers, and publishers to innovate, improve performance, and raise the standards for everyone involved. When companies like TrafficShop and Adspyglass Group challenge each other, the entire AdTech ecosystem evolves — faster, smarter, and stronger.
Disclaimer: While we may look like similar ad networks at first glance, there are key differences both technically and in our focus on advertisers vs. publishers (buying vs. selling traffic).
That’s why our answers may vary, to give you a full picture from both sides.
Meet the experts:
Diana — Head of Marketplace, Adspyglass Group
Darry — Sales Director, TrafficShop
Advertiser–Publisher Relationships
Q: What practices strengthen trust and cooperation between advertisers and publishers?
Diana:
Strong, transparent relationships between advertisers and publishers are the foundation of sustainable monetization. When there’s trust, both sides benefit — not just in the short term, but over the long run. Cooperation makes campaigns more effective, communication more open, and results more predictable.
It all starts with transparency. Publishers should offer clear, honest reporting on traffic quality, while advertisers need to share their goals and expectations. This mutual clarity helps both sides align efforts and measure success on the same terms.
The next pillar is quality over quantity. Misleading creatives, fake clicks, and low-quality offers might boost metrics temporarily, but they always damage user trust — and once that trust is lost, it’s hard to rebuild. Consistency, on the other hand, builds credibility. Delivering stable traffic and honoring agreements shows reliability and professionalism, which advertisers value deeply.
Flexibility also plays a huge role. Testing different ad formats, targeting options, and pricing models allows both sides to find what truly works — and to adapt together as the market evolves.
From our experience, flat deals are one of the most effective ways to build lasting partnerships. They bring predictability and trust to the relationship: publishers get guaranteed, stable income, while advertisers secure consistent traffic from a trusted source. These agreements eliminate uncertainty, encourage ongoing communication, and often evolve into long-term collaborations that benefit everyone involved.
Darry:
Trust between advertisers and publishers starts with clarity. For publishers, that means offering fair, transparent rates upfront, so they know exactly what kind of revenue to expect (or at least the current average the Ad Network can offer). And for advertisers, Trafficshop provides realistic pricing guidance based on their product type and goals. No false promises about “cheap traffic that converts.” Starting with ultra-low bids might sound good, but it often leads to poor performance and frustration.
Sharing full API statistics and integration is another key. Considering we work on our in-house platform, we can provide deep-level logs and performance insights, including metrics that aren’t always available on the surface, but can be crucial for scaling or finding the stats differences.
And of course, working with transparent domains is a must for a top advertising network.
It doesn’t just build trust but increases demand across the board. We understand that not every advertiser is running direct offers, some are reselling. Keeping domains and sources visible helps ensure transparency at every level of the traffic flow.
Smart Campaign Optimization
Q: How can advertisers achieve the best ROI with tools like smartCPM or IP targeting?
Diana:
Maximizing ROI is about much more than simply running ads — it’s about using the right tools to make every impression count. With modern optimization features, advertisers can fine-tune their campaigns for both efficiency and scale.
It begins with smart bidding and a clear focus on conversions. Tools like SmartCPM allow advertisers to bid just above the competition, ensuring they get the best possible traffic price without overspending. Combined with auto-CPA optimization, algorithms can automatically adjust bids in real time, prioritizing the most profitable conversions and reducing wasted spend.
Equally important is precision targeting. Advertisers can control exactly where their ads appear by using domain and spot whitelists or blacklists, achieving full transparency over traffic sources. Targeting can be refined by geography — from country down to specific regions and cities — as well as by ISP or IP range, filtering out irrelevant traffic and zeroing in on the most valuable users. Device, operating system, browser, and version targeting add another layer of accuracy, ensuring every ad reaches the most relevant audience.
Finally, retargeting helps bring back users who showed interest but didn’t convert the first time. By focusing spend on warm audiences, advertisers can significantly increase ROI and overall campaign performance.
When all these elements work together — smart bidding, conversion-based optimization, and precise targeting — ad budgets are spent exactly where they generate the highest returns. Platforms like Traforama make this process seamless, offering advertisers a full suite of tools to reach the right users at the right moment.
Darry:
To get the best ROI, advertisers need to go beyond basic targeting. Tools like smartCPM help win impressions at the lowest possible price without overbidding. IP targeting lets you zero in on high-converting users and avoid wasting budget.
At Trafficshop, combining smartCPM with GEO, device, and IP filters allows advertisers to fine-tune campaigns and reach exactly who they want.
There is also a secret feature available only to premium SSP users. With direct traffic buying, advertisers can capture up to 99 percent of all traffic that matches their filters. This is the ultimate way to lock in performance and scale fast.
Our deep targeting also includes city-level filters. This helps advertisers focus budgets only on locations with real purchasing power and avoid spending on traffic that does not convert.
Want the full picture?
The next part of this Q&A is live on our partner’s blog
👉 trafficshop.com/blog
