Not All Ad Fraud Protection Is Cut From the Same Cloth

When you realize you have an ad fraud problem, it’s only natural to immediately want to tackle it head on. But before you sign on the dotted line for an ad fraud protection solution, make sure you do your research first.

Ad fraud protection platforms differ, with each one having their own way of identifying and combatting ad fraud. And their solution may not be the best fit for your brand. Here’s what you need to know.

Not All Platforms Measure Fraud the Same

Not all ad fraud protection platforms measure fraud the same. Some focus on vanity metrics, which can easily be manipulated and aren’t true metrics.

Source: Business 2 Community

Some focus on probability statistics. But let’s say you’re a brand with a landing page for gathering new clients. Probability statistics show 65% bad traffic. Are you willing to risk violating TCPA compliance because it isn’t 100% bad traffic? Or on the flipside, what if you decide to throw out all of that traffic, and you end up tossing out some good conversions? Or maybe you’re okay with a statistic that says you have 80% bad traffic, making your level of tolerance higher than the statistic. This type of protection may not be what you need.

Related Post: Choosing an Ad Fraud Solution That's Right For You

Some platforms focus on viewability, but it’s been proven that bots can beat the viewability metric. What brands need to know is if a real person is viewing an ad, not if the ad is being viewed. A solution that is able to detect if a real person is viewing the ad would be the better option here.  

Not All Platforms Are Built By Advertisers

Some solutions rely on their reputations and longevity in the industry to sell their version of ad fraud detection and elimination. But if a company who sells a solution has never bought and sold traffic nor experienced ad fraud first hand, how do they know what to truly look for and eliminate? They’re using arbitrary benchmarks that they’ve essentially pulled out of thin air.

Related Post: How an Ad Fraud Solution Can Keep Your TCPA Compliant  

When a platform is built by an advertiser from an advertiser’s point of view (e.g. one who has experienced ad fraud): the results will be based on true performance. True performance is the most accurate, because it offers something more verifiable than an impression: conversions.

But not every solution on the market is like that.

Not All Platforms Let You Test Before You Buy

The old adage, take it for a test drive before you buy doesn’t happen with every solution on the market. But it’s beneficial for brands to test out an ad verification tool first (and compare it to others) to make sure it fulfills their needs, before purchasing.

Related Post: 5 Ad Fraud Questions All Media Buyers Need to Ask

Before you commit to an ad fraud solution, consider what the platform has to offer and if what the solution is touting will fulfill your brand’s needs.