Taboola presents itself as a leading content discovery and native advertising platform with a focus on personalized recommendations. The platform helps companies reach their target audience on news sites, blogs, and mobile apps, among other digital platforms.
While Taboola has a solid reputation already, it’s still a great idea to check if the ad network is perfect for crypto advertising.
This comprehensive Taboola review examines the platform's key features, ad formats, targeting options, and overall performance.
We'll also explore how Taboola compares to other crypto ad networks to help you determine if it's the right choice for your Web3 marketing strategy.
What is Taboola?
Taboola is a self-branded internet "discovery platform" that curates content for users based on their interests. The platform uses advanced algorithms and machine learning to analyze user behavior and provide personalized content recommendations.
Taboola operates by recommending content similar to what a user is already viewing. The platform offers three main ad locations:
- Publisher homepage
- Mid-article
- Below article
These placements allow advertisers to showcase their content in native formats that blend seamlessly with the publisher's website.
With over 1 billion monthly users worldwide, Taboola offers advertisers access to a massive audience across thousands of premium publisher sites.
What are the restrictions on crypto ads on Taboola?
When it comes to running crypto ads on Taboola, there are several important restrictions and guidelines you need to be aware of:
The promotion of cryptocurrency products/services and related content is prohibited in the following countries:
- Bangladesh
- Bolivia
- China
- Ecuador
- Iceland
- Kyrgyzstan
- Nepal
- Russia
- Vietnam
For countries where crypto advertising is allowed, campaigns must adhere to the following guidelines:
- Be promoted by a credible source, not personal blogs
- Advertise only licensed cryptocurrency exchanges (evaluated case-by-case)
- Focus on the trading platform rather than specific coins
- Provide necessary risk disclosures
- Conform to Taboola's 'Investments' policies
Crypto campaigns on Taboola must not promote:
- Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs)
- Token sales
- Binary options
- Misleading or scam ads
- Direct ads for cryptocurrency products and services
Additionally, campaigns must avoid:
- Making exaggerated money-making claims
- Promising specific returns on investments
- Using hidden fees
- Making false promises
How Does Taboola Compare to Blockchain-Ads?
Compared to Blockchain-Ads, Taboola doesn’t satisfy the crypto market due to its general focus nature and restrictions. Of course, Taboola has built quite a reputation for itself with 22,000+ premium websites on the ad network. But Taboola doesn’t offer any unique crypto-focused targeting options.
For instance, with Blockchain-Ads, you can target users based on specific crypto-focused segmenting options like:
- Wallets they use
- Blockchains they interacted with
- Specific tokens in their wallet (BTC, ETH, etc)
Blockchain-Ads even allows you to target users based on portfolio size (how much the wallet holds), which is not currently possible on Taboola.
Quick Taboola vs. Blockchain-Ads H2H:
Here's a head-to-head comparison of Blockchain-Ads and Taboola for crypto and iGaming advertising:
Which Platform Delivers Better Value?
Based on what we know, Blockchain-Ads seems to be the better choice for crypto and iGaming ads. Here's why:
Blockchain-Ads is made just for crypto and iGaming ads. It's really good at finding people who are already into crypto and online gaming.
Taboola, on the other hand, reaches a much wider audience, but not all of them will be interested in crypto or iGaming.
Blockchain-Ads can show your ads to people based on what they do with their crypto wallets and which blockchain stuff they use. This means your ads are more likely to reach people who are actually interested in what you're selling.
Also, Blockchain-Ads advertisers usually get back about 6 times what they spend on ads.
For example, Compound achieved a 400% increase in volume using Blockchain-Ads, acquiring 3058 new users.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Using Taboola?
When evaluating Taboola as an advertising platform, it's essential to understand both its strengths and limitations for making informed marketing decisions.
Advantages of Taboola for Crypto Advertisers
Taboola offers several distinct advantages that make it an attractive option for crypto advertisers:
- Massive reach with access to 1.4 billion users across premium websites
- Advanced targeting based on user behavior and search history
- Native ad formats that blend seamlessly with content, increasing engagement
Limitations of Taboola for Crypto Advertisers
Taboola's limitations include:
- Strict policies restricting promotion of ICOs, token sales, and binary options
- Higher average click prices compared to competitors, especially for premium platforms
- Less specialized audience compared to crypto-specific ad networks
- Basic Targeting: No crypto-specific audience targeting capabilities, making it less effective compared to newer platforms like Blockchain-Ads.
Is Blockchain-Ads a Better Alternative to Taboola?
Blockchain-Ads offers several unique features that set it apart from Taboola:
- Blockchain-based ad verification and tracking
- Advanced targeting using on-chain data
- AI-assisted campaign creation
- Additional marketing tactics integrated like press releases
In terms of performance, Blockchain-Ads claims to offer higher engagement rates and more precise targeting, potentially leading to better ROI for advertisers.
How to Advertise on the Taboola Ad Network
Advertising on Taboola is a straightforward process. Here's a step-by-step guide to get you started:
Account Setup Process
To advertise on Taboola, follow these steps:
- Visit the Taboola website and click "Sign Up"
- Choose "Advertiser" account type
- Fill in your personal and company details
- Agree to terms and conditions
- Submit your application
Taboola will review your application and notify you once approved.
Creating Your First Campaign
Once your account is approved:
- Log in to your Taboola dashboard
- Click "Create Campaign"
- Choose your ad format (e.g., popunder, social bar, native)
- Set your campaign details:some text
- Campaign name
- Target URL
- Pricing model (CPM, CPA, or CPC)
- Budget and bid
- Define your targeting options:some text
- Geo-targeting
- Device targeting
- OS targeting
- Browser targeting
- Upload your ad creatives
Review your campaign settings before proceeding to launch.
Campaign Launch and Payment
To launch your campaign:
- Ensure your account has sufficient funds
- Click "Launch Campaign" in your dashboard
- Your campaign will go live after Taboola's moderation process
Payment options include:
- Credit/Debit cards
- Wire transfer
- Cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Tether)
Taboola uses a prepaid system. Add funds to your account before launching campaigns. Monitor your campaign performance and adjust settings as needed for optimal results.
How Does Advertising on Blockchain-Ads Compare?
Blockchain-Ads offers a better advertising process compared to Taboola, as ads are approved super fast. The platform offers several ways to create your ads, including:
- Manual ad creation (self-service)
- AI-assisted ad creation
You can also get a dedicated team to create your ads.
Blockchain-Ads also offers advanced targeting options, which we’ve previously discussed, that include onchain behavior targeting, which you can’t find on Taboola.
Conclusion
Taboola is pretty great at delivering results. However, it doesn’t have the capacity for hyper-targeted crypto and iGaming campaigns that newer ad networks like Blockchain-Ads have.
Blockchain-Ads offers innovative features that may provide better results for more advanced marketers. For advertisers looking for a tried-and-tested platform with a wide reach in the crypto space, Blockchain-Ads is a better choice than Taboola.