TimeStamp, one of our AdControl customers, is an app used for taking proof shots during meal logging, workouts, and study sessions.
Every day, 130,000 users — and 400,000 monthly — record their daily moments through TimeStamp.
Since its launch in 2017, TimeStamp has retained a loyal user base, and after adopting AdControl, they've seen significant changes in their ad revenue.
In this interview, we share how ad revenue changed at TimeStamp after adopting AdControl.
What changed in ad revenue after adopting AdControl?
Ad profitability went up, and revenue increased noticeably. Compared to network ads, our direct-sales CPMs are now over 50% higher on Android and over 200% higher on iOS. And yet CTR is still over 50% higher than with network ads — so advertisers are happy, and the ones we worked with once are coming back. I think it also helps that agencies can now handle real-time booking, reporting, and creative swaps directly and easily. Thanks to AdControl, the share of high-fixed-CPM direct sales keeps growing.
How did you monetize before AdControl?
We only ran AdMob's ad network.
With 400,000 MAU, was there a reason you went so long without running direct sales?
We were getting one or two direct-sales inquiries a month to our dev email. I'm running TimeStamp solo, and since it's basically a side project for me, I couldn't carve out the extra hours that direct sales would require. Communicating with advertisers, building additional ad delivery code, post-campaign performance reporting, settlement after campaigns end — I just couldn't do all of that.
So what made you adopt AdControl?
The decisive factor was that Adrop handles the entire operational side of direct sales for us. Being able to charge 50%–200% higher CPMs than network ads was also a big plus. All I had to do was install the Adrop SDK once. Why wouldn't I? 😄
Any future ad monetization plans?
I'm planning to add more premium ad products. With AdControl, it's easy to introduce different ad formats and pricing models. The next premium placement I'm considering is splash ads — they enable high-impact branding ads without needing extra screens.
Finally, which developers would you recommend AdControl to?
Two kinds of developers, actually.
First, developers who want to boost their revenue — AdControl will clearly help.
Second, developers who are already somewhat satisfied with their current revenue, like me.
Being somewhat satisfied with your network ad revenue often means there's still a lot of monetization opportunity left on the table. AdControl is what I'd recommend for those folks — it's an easy way to maximize revenue without hurting the user experience.
A huge thank-you to the TimeStamp operator for sharing such concise yet impactful insights about AdControl.
We'll keep evolving AdControl so even more developers can maximize their revenue while preserving — or even improving — the user experience.
#TimeStamp #AdControl #VerticalMedia #AdMonetization #AdSolution #DirectAds