Where’s my ad? Why don’t I see my digital ad?

Unlike linear broadcast television, where ads are placed on a fixed schedule at specific times for all tuned-in viewers to see, digital places periodically to people at indeterminate times based on usage. When an ad triggers, every user will see a different ad unless it’s a fixed placed sponsorship (like a takeover).

Instead of a single channel at a set time, digital ads are potentially placed on hundreds or even thousands of pages/screens at varying times. The benefit is that your digital ad only serves to an active audience.

Whether or not you see your digital ad will depend on a lot of factors. Some platforms are more likely than others based on the amount of competing clients (demand) and usage (supply). Believe it or not, budget plays very little impact on whether you will see a specific ad against other variables.

These should be considered if you’re concerned about being able to view your own digital ad:

Platform. At the simplest level, are you using the same platform where your ads are placed; and are you eligible to see ads on that platform? For instance, some streaming apps are ad-supported when others aren’t. Some platforms like YouTube allow paid subscribers to opt out of ads.

Other considerations with regard to platform:

How much ad-supported content is available on the platform? The more content, the bigger the ad supply.

How many users are on the platform? All users matching the intended target are competing with each other for ads. Often caps are placed to optimize delivery throughout the entire campaign, to ensure even distribution, so if one user sees your ad it may be several minutes before it serves to another user. If your ad serves 10,000 times in 30 days, that’s about 14 ads every hour and every active user is competing to see those.

How many advertisers are competing for those users? If you are one of 10 advertisers going after the same audience you are more likely to see your ad than one of 100 advertisers.

Audience Target. Are you in the target group? For instance, if you are targeting females 25-54 and you are a 24-year-old male you will not see your ad. Same goes for geography. And even if you’re in the right geography, does your device show you in that geography? Usage of VPNs and revolving IPs (common with big companies) may skew your location.