What are Pop Ads and How to Choose the Best Popunder Ad Network

Pop advertising has been around for a long time and remains the most popular format adopted by ad networks. This ad type immediately captures attention due to its high visibility – the pop ad window appears on top or behind the opened tab. Because this form of advertising is versatile, affiliate marketers and advertisers can use this tool to promote their offers in almost every niche. 

If you are eager to empower pop ads in your affiliate marketing strategy, this article explains all aspects of this ad format. We’ll consider the pop ad nature, format variations and criteria for choosing the best pop ads network. 

What is Pop Ad Format

The pop format encompasses 2 forms of advertising: popup and popunder

When it comes to popups, pop windows overlay the browser, interrupting user experience. Users can see popups once they click on a button, scroll down the webpage or perform another specific action on the site. Popunder ads, unlike their counterpart, appear under the existing content. This non-intrusive concept makes popunder a more user-friendly ad format compared to popups. 

What is Pop Ad Format

Both variations have their advantages. Although popups are obvious to the eye, users are willing to click the popunder because it doesn’t distract them from their browsing activity. 

The delivery mechanism for both ad types is defined by Javascript settings. The best option depends on business goals and the certain offer. Regardless of what pop ad variation you choose, these advertisements provide huge traffic volumes, and they don’t require a lot of money to run.

We have guides on how to create catchy and profitable creatives for pop advertising depending on verticals:

How Do Popunder Networks Work

A popunder ad network is a platform where advertisers connect with publishers to drive popunder ads traffic. By doing so, affiliates send affordable traffic to their offer, while publishers manage to monetize websites. 

Let’s review how exactly popunder ads networks operate. 

Advertisers set up pop ad campaigns, targeting device parameters, specific demographics and traffic sources. In general, the pop campaign setup includes a lot of steps that vary, depending on the specific ad network. The right approach to running pop ads allows marketers to reach the most relevant audience for their offer. Using optimization features adds to pop traffic quality, as a rule. 

How Do Popunder Networks Work

Pops are often compared to push ads, another popular ad format. Both advertising methods aim to successfully combat ad blindness. However, popunders offer a more flexible alternative to push notifications for generating traffic. First, pops is considered to be a more cost-effective solution than push ads. Secondly, you don’t have to make creatives for launching pop ad campaigns. This is a major benefit for publishers as it eliminates the need to dedicate ad space on their websites.

You can learn more about the differences between pop and push ads in our article “Push Ads vs. Pop Ads: How to Choose the Right One”.

How Do Pop Ads Networks Bill Advertisers?

A typical pop ad network bills advertisers using a Cost Per Mille (CPM) model, meaning that advertisers pay a fixed price for every 1,000 impressions of their ad. 

Some pop ad platforms offer to buy traffic based on the SmartCPM model. This is a more advanced cost model that uses machine learning algorithms to optimize ad delivery and pricing in real-time. Usually, smart campaigns imply a test period of buying traffic with a CPA model, when advertisers pay only when a specific action is taken.

The minimal CPM hinges on the targeted GEO and particular traffic source. On average, CPM pricing starts from $0.005

Pop Ads Networks Pros & Cons

Reasons why pop ad networks really worth the candle are numerous. We’ll highlight some of them:

  • High visibility. Pop-up ads can immediately draw user attention, because of their direct manner and often full-screen format;
  • Extensive reach. Thanks to the easy-to-use nature of the format, many publishers from around the globe support pop ads, which allows advertisers to reach audiences in many GEOs;
  • One-stop ad solution. Pop advertising is compatible with different types of devices and platforms. Also, these ads suit for a wide range of verticals. The conclusion? Pop ads, when used reasonably, can become a secret weapon in the affiliate marketing strategy;
  • Cost-Effective. Pop ads often offer a lower cost per thousand impressions (CPM) in comparison with other advertising formats. The cost per impression for pop ads is lower because not all impressions result in conversions. Nevertheless, this format can be an effective tool for acquiring new customers;
  • Ease of use. Advertisers can run their pop ad campaign without making creatives. The affiliate offer pops up in the separate window when the user takes the specified step. When setting up a campaign, marketers need to specify the destination URL and targeting parameters.
  • Intrusive character of pops. Pop ads can be intrusive and may negatively impact user experience, potentially leading to ad blockers being used;
  • Lower conversion rates. Due to their intrusive nature, pop ads may have lower conversion rates – users interrupted by the pop window can just close it to continue viewing content;
  • Potential for ad fraud. When it comes to generating pop traffic, the ad fraud issue may arise, unfortunately. Some networks resolve this problem by using anti-fraud tools.

How to Choose the Best Pop Ad Network: Conclusion

Popunder is one of the oldest advertising formats, and it’s still gaining traction. And it’s clear why – it delivers substantial results! So many ad networks continue to offer this format, along with advanced optimization tools that help affiliate marketers enhance popunder campaigns. Discover pop ad networks from our list to find the best option for your needs! On top of that, keep in mind that many popunder ad networks offer other ad formats for scaling pop traffic, including push ads, native ads, direct click and video ads.