JSON ad serving is a relatively new technique, but it's incredibly powerful for publishers who want to ingest ad contents directly into their CMS or app. While the ad industry is accumstomed to using JavaScript (or HTML) tags as the standard means of delivering ads, more and more publishers are discovering the advantages of receiving raw data as a JSON object.
JSON is an acronym for "JavaScript Object Notation". It is an open standard data format that uses objects made from key/value pairs with the goal of being human readable.
JSON ad serving uses the JSON format as a technique to deliver ad contents directly into a publisher's system. When an ad request is made (via a browser call to the ad server's API), the JSON response will contain the contents of the creative file and metadata about the creative (such as the advertiser, campaign, etc.)
A common misconception about JSON is that it is limited to use with JavaScript. In fact, JSON is the most common format used in Ajax techniques, passing data from server to client in real-time. Any language can take advantage of the JSON format.
By itself, JSON cannot load an ad on a page the way JavaScript tags will deliver an ad when called. But JSON is far more flexible than other ad delivery methods:
Publishers can find plenty of options that allow them to integrate "native ads" into their site via JavaScript tags. These are usually widgets that offer top headlines or similar news from around the web. Much of the time, the content of the ads comes from the same clickbaity sources that clutter up display inventory.
Still, implementing these should build revenue in ways display ads can't, right?
Not exactly. There are two problems with these "faux native" units:
If you're still unsure of what to do next, we are more than happy to set up a 15-min consultation to walk through your needs and discuss the best path forward. We wish you the best in your quest to launch an ad server!