There are costs associated with using rich media. However, since the landscape of companies continues to expand and the competition among technology providers is fierce, advertisers will surely benefit from the reasonable CPMs that are being negotiated. Standardization in ad units and reduction in serving costs have also made rich media a more viable option at smaller budget levels.

Here's where you can expect your budget to go on rich media:

• Publisher fees: Most websites charge an additional fee on top of their regular CPMs for running rich media. This fee is usually an additional $1 to $2 CPM.
• Preferred networks: More and more, vendors are partnering with top sites to offer to cover the costs at no charge to the advertiser (minimum ad spend may apply).
• Creative costs: Due to the dynamic nature of rich media and the design and programming required, the cost to develop these types of campaigns is approximately three to five times the cost of developing standard online ads.
• Serving costs: Depending on the ad serving partner, there can be additional costs associated with serving and tracking the various elements of a rich media campaign.

Next: Conclusions