6 Political Ad Revenue Tips for Publishers: Get Ready for the 2024 Election

Q4 is a prime time for publishers to capitalize on increased ad demand, with holiday campaigns in full swing and political ads flooding the market. The 2024 presidential election alone is expected to drive a staggering $12 billion in ad spend, highlighting significant monetization opportunities for publishers. If you’re looking to tap into this opportunity, a solid strategy is key.

Here are six simple tips to help you maximize your political ad revenue:

1. Optimize Your Ad Inventory
2. Review Your Blocklists
3. Create Election-Focused Content
4. Understand Bid Shading
5. Manage Political Ads with Clear Guidelines
6. Offer Tailored Political Ad Packages

Ready to dive into the details? Let’s get started!

1. Optimize Your Ad Inventory for Maximum Revenue

With advertisers actively looking for more placements and higher visibility, it’s the perfect time to fine-tune your ad setup. By making a few strategic adjustments, you can tap into this increased demand without sacrificing the quality of your user experience. Let’s see how you can optimize your ad inventory and get the most out of this political season:

1. Expand Your Ad Layouts: If you’ve been limiting the number of ads on your site, consider opening up more spots. Political advertisers are eager for space, and increasing your ad units can give your revenue a nice bump — all while keeping user experience in mind.
2. Mix Up Your Ad Formats: Offering different formats — like banners, videos, or native ads — gives political advertisers more options to fit their goals and budgets. The more variety, the better your chances of capturing their attention.
3. Go for Premium Placements: Identify the top-performing areas on your site, like the header or sidebar, where ads will get the most impressions and views. These spots can command higher rates. Just be mindful to keep things balanced so users don’t get overwhelmed.
4. Mobile Optimization is Key: Since so much political ad traffic is happening on mobile, make sure your site is fully optimized for smaller screens. Fast, smooth mobile experiences will help you capture more clicks and boost revenue.
5. Prioritize Viewability: Ads that get seen perform better — it’s that simple. Make sure your ads are in positions where they’ll stay in view longer, like above the fold or in sticky placements. Use tools to monitor ad viewability and adjust as needed for maximum impact.

2. Review Blocklists to Capture More Political Ad Revenue

To tap into the upcoming surge in political ads, it’s a good idea to review your blocklists. By opening them up a bit, you’ll give yourself access to a wider pool of ads, which can mean a quick boost in revenue. That said, you’ll want to be careful. Don’t sacrifice your user experience by allowing too many ads or compromising on privacy, security, and load times.

If you’re not comfortable unblocking certain ads, talk with your ad partners about ways they can help with creative approval or more controlled ad placement. That way, you can still give your users relevant political content without going overboard.

3. Create Topical Content

With third-party cookies on the way out, context is king. Creating election-related content that fits your niche can help you capture more ad dollars during the 2024 election. Think beyond breaking news — you can write explainers, opinion pieces, or listicles. Publishing around key election dates will also give your content a visibility boost when traffic is highest.

However, keep in mind that this only works if it fits naturally with your niche. If an election angle feels forced, it’s best to focus on content that genuinely resonates with your audience.

4. Understand Bid Shading and Its Impact

During the 2024 election, political advertisers will be bidding more, but bid shading can impact how much revenue you actually earn. Bid shading happens when advertisers use algorithms to lower their bids slightly in first-price auctions, aiming to pay less. At Snigel, we mitigate this by working closely with SSPs to optimize price floors and reduce the impact of shading. By partnering with your SSPs and adjusting your strategy, you can capture the full value of political ads.

For a deeper dive, check out our Bid Shading Guide.

5. Manage Political Ads with Clear Guidelines

Political ads can be a great way to boost revenue, but they also come with risks. Sensitive topics like immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, and other divisive issues can alienate your audience if not handled carefully. To protect your brand while still taking advantage of the increased ad spend during election season, it's important to have clear guidelines in place for the types of political ads you'll allow.

Start by deciding which types of political content are acceptable for your site. Are there certain topics that are off-limits? Will you allow ads that use AI-generated content? Setting these boundaries in advance helps you avoid headaches later, especially when ads with inflammatory or misleading content start appearing.

Once you’ve defined your guidelines, work closely with your ad partners to ensure that any ads served on your site meet your standards. Many DSPs and SSPs offer tools to help you filter out unwanted ads, so you can stay in control of the content that appears while still monetizing political traffic.

6. Offer Tailored Political Ad Packages for Direct Sales

If direct ad sales are a big part of your strategy, consider creating special packages for political advertisers. These packages could include a mix of premium options like sponsored posts, homepage takeovers, video ads, and banners. By giving advertisers a variety of options, you’ll help them hit their campaign goals while maximizing your earnings.

Be sure to keep your pricing competitive by staying on top of market trends and demand.

Ready to Maximize Your Political Ad Revenue?

Political advertising during the 2024 election is a big opportunity for publishers to boost revenue. With a few smart adjustments, you can make the most of it without compromising user experience. Whether it’s optimizing your ad inventory, managing bid shading, or tailoring ad packages, now’s the time to fine-tune your strategy.

Need some help along the way? At Snigel, our ad operations team is ready to guide you through the process. Reach out, and let’s make this election season your most profitable yet!